March 5, 2013
Women’s History Month at the Smithsonian
These two ladies are on their way to the Smithsonian to celebrate woman’s history month. Photo by Percival Bryan, courtesy of the Anacostia Community Museum
Women in jazz, women in science, women in the arts, women were everywhere. Even in the days when women were supposed to just be in the kitchen, they were busy making history. And this month at the Smithsonian, a month-long celebration of those women kicks off with the American History’s exhibit on the 100th anniversary of the Woman Suffrage Parade.
Get the full schedule of films, lectures and events here, but check out these highlights:
LECTURE The Scientist is In
Museum specialist at the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Ruth Gibbons, discusses deepwater biodiversity surveys of an extinct undersea volcano in the Atlantic Ocean. Volcanos, oceans and deepwater diving, now that’s the life. March 6, Natural History Museum, 1 pm-2 pm.
Jazz star Carmen McRae, courtesy of Wikimedia
PERFORMANCE Rhythm Cafe: The Life and Mastery of Carmen McRae
Good friends with her musical inspiration Billie Holliday, Carme McRae sang one Lady Day song at each performance she gave. Nonetheless, the jazz musician born to Jamaican parents in Harlem carved out her identity with witty interpretations and star-studded collaborations. Mikaela Carlton, of the Howard University Vocal Music Department, will talk about jazz pioneer McRae’s life and achievements and the Carmen McRae Tribute Band will provide the tunes. March 10, Anacostia Community Museum, 2 pm-4 pm. Free, but space is limited, RSVP.
Looks simple enough, but wait until you see through a female lens. Courtesy of the American Art Museum
TOUR America “Through a Female Lens”
A domestic scene of family life may seem a quaint setting for a traditional painting, but there’s more to art than meets the eye. Learn how works, from colonial paintings to contemporary pieces, can be seen through “a female lens” with this tour at the American Art Museum. March 14 and March 21, 12:30 pm.
FILM Rebel: Loreta Velazquez and the Role of Women in the American Civil War
How did a Cuban woman raised in New Orleans become a spy for the Confederate army and even fight at Bull Run? That’s the question behind this documentary that traces the life a woman many believed to be a hoax. The screening will be followed by a broader discussion of women in the Civil War with director and producer Mari Agui Carter, as well as scholars Virginia Sanchez Korrol, Margaret Vining, and Catherine Clinton. March 28, American History Museum, 6 pm.
ONLINE MATERIALS
If you can’t make it to the Smithsonian, then take advantage of its online resources with guides to the Seneca Falls Convention, women inventors (fitting, since this year’s theme is “Women Inspiring Innovation Through Imagination“), African American female artists and more.
February 28, 2013
Events March 1-3: A thriller film, a Women’s Suffrage Festival and Influential African American Women
This weekend is the 100th anniversary of the 1913 woman suffrage parade. Join the American History Museum in celebrating Women’s History Month with a family festival on Saturday. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Friday, March 1: Stoker
Add a little fright to your Friday night with Stoker, a new mystery thriller starring Mia Wasikowska, Dermot Mulroney and Nicole Kidman. In the film, a girl named India (Wasikowska) loses her father in a car accident, after which her uncle (Mulroney) moves in with her emotionally unstable mother and her. His intentions are unclear. If the scary images, dark chase scenes and guns in the trailer are any indication, though, they certainly aren’t good. The film is directed by Park Chan-wook and part of DC’s Korean Film Festival. Free. 7 p.m. Freer Gallery.
Saturday, March 2: Vote! Women’s History Month Family Festival
Happy Women’s History Month! To celebrate, Smithsonian is holding a family festival in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the historic suffrage parade. Eight thousand women marched down Washington, DC’s Pennsylvania Avenue in 1913 led by a woman in a white horse and against the jeers of male onlookers to demand the right to vote. Today’s festival includes arts, crafts, singing, oral history interviews and historical figure reenactments to capture the pro-suffrage spirit. Free. 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. American History Museum.
Sunday, March 3: She’s Not In Your History Book: An Afternoon of Storytelling with Joy Jones
Queen Hatshepsut (1508–1458 BC) is considered one of Egypt’s most successful pharaohs, and one of the earliest (if not the first) powerful and influential women on record. Of course, you may not heard of her, because America has a sad tradition of leaving many exceptional African and African American out of its history books. Washington, DC-based writer and teacher Joy Jones gives many of these women the recognition they deserve by telling their stories this afternoon. Performance poetry included! Free. 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Anacostia Community Museum.
Also, check out our Visitors Guide App. Get the most out of your trip to Washington, D.C. and the National Mall with this selection of custom-built tours, based on your available time and passions. From the editors of Smithsonian magazine, the app is packed with handy navigational tools, maps, museum floor plans and museum information including ‘Greatest Hits’ for each Smithsonian museum.
For a complete listing of Smithsonian events and exhibitions visit the goSmithsonian Visitors Guide. Additional reporting by Michelle Strange.
February 21, 2013
Events February 22-24: Early Human Adaptation, Orchids and the Harlem Renaissance
The Natural History Museum celebrates orchids from Latin America on Saturday in its “Orchids of Latin America Family Day”
Friday, February 22: Recognizing Adaptation in the Early Human Fossil Record
We humans have come a long way from our caveman (or cavewoman) ancestors. We have complex languages, elaborate societies and iPods. But how have we changed physically? Our bodies’ adaptations to our environments have been key in ensuring our survival over all these years. Friday, George Washington University’s Dr. Erin Marie Williams talks about recognizing evidence of adaption in early human fossils. A part of Smithsonian’s HOT (Human Origins Today) Topic series, the discussion encourages audience members to join in the conversation. Free. 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Natural History Museum.
Saturday, February 23: Orchids of Latin America Family Day
Orchids’ exotic beauty is appreciated around the world. One of the two largest families of flowering plants, with around 25,000 accepted species, the flower grows in the most concentrated varieties in the tropics, including Latin America. Smithsonian celebrates Latin America’s orchids today with a family flower extravaganza, including orchid mosaic building, orchid tattoos and face painting. Orchid experts are on site to answer questions and to show off some of the unique plants from their collections. Free. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Natural History Museum.
Sunday, February 24: Against the Odds: The Artists of the Harlem Renaissance
Director Amber Edwards offers a trip back to the 1920s today in Against the Odds: The Artists of the Harlem Renaissance, a 1-hour documentary about the black writers, musicians, artists and intellectuals who launched a cultural movement that redefined how America viewed African Americans. Seeing the film and joining the discussion that is held afterwards are perfect ways to celebrate Black History Month this weekend. Free. 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Anacostia Community Museum.
Also, check out our Visitors Guide App. Get the most out of your trip to Washington, D.C. and the National Mall with this selection of custom-built tours, based on your available time and passions. From the editors of Smithsonian magazine, the app is packed with handy navigational tools, maps, museum floor plans and museum information including ‘Greatest Hits’ for each Smithsonian museum.
For a complete listing of Smithsonian events and exhibitions visit the goSmithsonian Visitors Guide. Additional reporting by Michelle Strange.
February 11, 2013
Events February 12-14: Women in Sustainability, China’s Investment in Africa and an Emancipation Proclamation Theater Performance
The sister-in-law of a Chinese farm owner in Zambia. China’s growing presence in Africa is documented in the 2010 film “When China Met Africa,” showing on Wednesday at the Freer Gallery. Photo © Marc Francis.
Tuesday, February 12: Women in Sustainability
Brilliant women are paving the way to responsible environmental stewardship with sustainable designs, innovative education ideas and progressive policies. This evening, hear from a panel of female sustainability rock stars on their push at local and national levels to make the world a cleaner, better place. Panelists include Ellen Cecile McBarnette of Urban Solar Solutions, Kara Davis of Green Living DC, Sharon Bradley of Bradley Site Design, Acacia Bamberg Salatti of the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships and Edith Hancock of DC EcoGreen. Free. 7 p.m. Anacostia Community Museum.
Wednesday, February 13: When China Met Africa
In the movie trailer for When China Met Africa, an African man driving in his truck down a dirt road says to the camera, “I was here six months ago. It was a bush.” The truck turns a corner, and the framework of a monolithic, under-construction factory appears. “It just gives you a sense of the pace at which these guys are able to deliver,” the man says. The 2010 film, an award-winning documentary directed by Marc and Nick Francis, tells the story of China’s growing presence in Africa by following a Chinese agricultural entrepreneur, a Chinese manager in charge of a highway expansion project in Zambia and Zambia’s trade minister, who seeks to secure China’s investment in his country. A Skype question and answer session with co-director Nick follows the film. Free. 7 p.m. Freer Gallery.
Thursday, February 14: To the Mountaintop: Voices of Emancipation
Local actors London Edgerton and Xavier Carnegie celebrate Black History Month and the 150-year anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation today with a multi-media theater performance. The show incorporates songs, images and the words of prominent black leaders to convey the monumental importance of emancipation in our nation’s history. Free. 3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturdays in February. American History Museum.
Also check out our specially created Visitors Guide App. Get the most out of your trip to Washington, D.C. and the National Mall with this selection of custom-built tours, based on your available time and passions. From the editors of Smithsonian magazine, the app is also packed with handy navigational tools, maps, museum floor plans and museum information including ‘Greatest Hits’ for each Smithsonian museum.
For a complete listing of Smithsonian events and exhibitions visit the goSmithsonian Visitors Guide. Additional reporting by Michelle Strange.
January 28, 2013
Museums Delay Opening Due to Weather
Let your horse sleep in today. Smithsonian museums don’t open until noon due to weather. Courtesy of Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian museums in the Washington, D.C. area as well as the National Zoo will open at noon Monday, due to inclement weather.
An early morning round of freezing rain left roads slick with ice as federal workers and schools around the area got off to a slow start. Canada would like to remind us, via Huffington Post, that cold weather has some perks too, eh? Like making it more difficult for some viruses and bacteria to live. Plus you can effectively “wash” your bed linens by hanging them out in the cold. We’d recommend waiting for the rain to stop, though, before you give that a try.
