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Folio from a Falnama (ca.1550s-1560s). Image courtesy of the Sackler gallery.

ED. NOTE: Please be aware that, due to Smithsonian Institution Internet outages scheduled for this weekend, some of the links given below may not be functional on Saturday, November 21 and Sunday November 22. Please visit our companion site goSmithsonian.com for updates on Smithsonian events and exhibitions.

Friday, November 20: Reel Portraits: Films by John Ford

In conjunction with the exhibition, Faces of the Frontier, the National Portrait Gallery is showing several films by legendary director John Ford. Tonight, it is “Fort Apache” starring John Wayne, Henry Fonda and Shirley Temple (sans tap shoes and Mr. Bojangles) in a thinly veiled account of Custer’s last stand. A conversation with Frank H. Goodyear III, curator of the exhibition Faces of the Frontier, follows the screening. Free. Portrait Gallery, 7:00 PM.

Saturday, November 21: Facing History: Be the Artist

David Eichenberg’s painting, The Duchess of Toledo, was selected as a finalist in this year’s Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition and, like many works of art, one has to wonder what was going through the artist’s head when they begin to create a work of art. This afternoon, come on out to the National Portrait Gallery for a guided tour of the show and then create your own piece based on Eichenberg’s ideas. For persons aged 10-14 with adult. This event is free, but registration is required. Please call 202-633-8501 to reserve your spot today. This event repeats today at 3:30 for persons aged 5-10. Portrait Gallery, 12:00-2:00 PM.

ImaginAsia: Predicting Your Future

Cootie catchers are a popular means of fortune telling, but their accuracy is somewhat suspect. When in doubt, consult the Book of Falnama—sort of a big honkin’ cootie catcher that commoners and royalty in Turkey and Iran used during the 16th and 17th centuries to consult when they needed advice about the future. Kick off the afternoon by touring the new exhibit Falnama: The Book of Omens and learn about the auspicious meanings behind the images and symbols and then go back into the classroom where you can create an amulet for protection and posterity. Free. Freer, 2:00 PM.

For more information on events and exhibitions at the Smithsonian museums, check our companion website, goSmithsonian.com, the official visitor’s guide to the Smithsonian.

A 1:5 scale model of the support systems module of the Hubble Space Telescope. Image courtesy of the Air and Space Museum.

Monday, November 16: Free Admission to Wild Ocean 3D for Recycled Cell Phones

Do the environment a favor and part with your old cell phone in an ecologically friendly way—and catch a movie in return. From now until November 22, visitors who present a cell phone for recycling at the theater’s box offices will receive one free admission to Wild Ocean 3D—a new IMAX experience that explores the effects of global warming on ecosystems off the coast KwaZulu-Natal Coast in South Africa. Natural History Museum.

Tuesday, November 17: The Significance of the Hubble Space Telescope

One of the Hubble Space Telescope’s cameras, WFPC2, is now in the Smithsonian’s collections and on display. To celebrate this recent acquisition, come on out to the Air and Space Museum for an evening of astrological activities. At 5:30 PM, get into the stargazing groove at the new Public Observatory. At 7:30 PM, meet astronaut John Grunsfeld, Ph.D. who participated in five NASA space missions. At 8:00 PM, Grunsfeld will discuss the significance of Hubble. A book signing will follow. This event is free, but tickets are required. To reserve your spot, go online and fill out the Ticket Request Form, or call 202-633-2398. Air and Space Museum, 5:30 PM

Wednesday, November 18: National Geography Awareness Week

Celebrate National Geography Week at the Air and Space Museum! Think your knowledge of outer space technology is up to snuff? Come participate in the Geography from Space contest and enjoy programs and demonstrations that the whole family can enjoy. Free. Air and Space Museum, 10:00 AM-3:00 PM

Thursday, November 19: When Art Worked

FDR’s New Deal Programs were a big deal for out of work artists. Under the employ of the US government, filmmakers, painters, photographers, landscape designers, architects and composers plied their craft and created stunning works of art that reflected America during the Great Depression. This evening, historian Roger Kennedy is on deck to discuss this landmark mobilization of artists. A book signing will follow the lecture. Free. American Art Museum, 7:00 PM

Friday, November 20: Reel Portraits: Films by John Ford

In conjunction with the exhibition Faces of the Frontier, the National Portrait Gallery is showing several films by legendary director John Ford. Tonight, it is Fort Apache starring John Wayne, Henry Fonda and Shirley Temple (sans tap shoes and Mr. Bojangles) in a thinly veiled account of Custer’s last stand. A conversation with Frank H. Goodyear III, curator of the exhibition Faces of the Frontier, follows the screening. Free. Portrait Gallery, 7:00 PM.

For more information on events and exhibitions at the Smithsonian museums, check our companion website, goSmithsonian.com, the official visitor’s guide to the Smithsonian.

Portrait of an American Indian (ca. 1900). Artist unknown. Image courtesy of the American Art Museum.

Friday, November 13: Vice Adm. Donald D. Engen Flight Jacket Night: A Conversation with Alan Bean

On November 19th, 1969, Alan Bean became the fourth man to set foot on the Moon during the second lunar landing as the Apollo 12 lunar module pilot. After a distinguished career at NASA, he retired in 1981 to pursue painting and public speaking—and both of those talents will be on display this evening at the Air and Space Museum. Alan Bean will discuss his life and career and be available for book signings. And don’t forget to explore the galleries of his otherworldly artwork in the companion exhibit, Alan Bean: Painting Apollo, First Artist on Another World. Air and Space Museum, 8:00 PM.

Saturday, November 14: American Indian Heritage Month Two-Day Family Program: From Deer to Dance

Come celebrate American Indian Heritage Month with a two-day festival chock-full of family fun at the American Indian Museum. From 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, enjoy Native culture, music, dance and art; and learn how Native Americans turn the hides or skins of animals into the beautiful dresses or regalia worn during traditional ceremonies and powwows. At 12:00 noon, swing by to see—and participate in—a social dance led by the White Oak Singers. Free. This event repeats on November 15. American Indian Museum, 10:00 AM-3:00 PM.

Sunday, November 15: Sesame Street’s 40th Birthday Party

That’s right—Sesame Street hits the big 4-0 this year and the Discovery Theater is throwing a birthday party with Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Zoe, and Prairie Dawn, along with Muppeteers Kevin Clash, Leslie Carrara-Rudolph, and Fran Brill, join Sesame Street executive producer Carol-Lynn Parente and Sonia Manzano (‘Maria’) to talk about the show’s 40 years of fun and learning. They share clips from the first season in 1969 and scenes from new episodes. Also, don’t forget to swing by the American History Museum where you can see Kermit the Frog, who was a regular on the show and check out Abby Callard’s piece on Sesame Street around the world. Tickets are required for this event. Prices and additional information are available through Smithsonian Associates. Discovery Theater, 1:30 PM.

This photograph of two giant pandas by Juan Carlos Munoz is this year's winner in the Endangered Species category in the Nature's Best Photography competition. Image courtesy of the Natural History Museum.

Nature’s Best Photography is a magazine that has encouraged conservation and stewardship of the natural world by way of its world-renowned photography competition. Every year, the magazine receives about 25,000 entries that highlight natures beauty and a small selection of them—including winners in the contest’s 19 categories—will be featured in a large-format photography exhibition hosted by the National Museum of Natural History from November 12, 2009 through May 2, 2010.

(Don’t forget about Smithsonian magazine’s photo competition. You have until December 2, 2009 to enter your photos into one of five categories (the Natural World being one of them). Finalists, and the commencement of the 8th photo contest, will be announced in March 2010.)

In the meantime, be sure to check out a gallery of photographs from the Nature’s Best competition and be sure to visit the Natural History Museum to catch the exhibition.

Commemorate Veteran's day with a tour around the National Mall and the Smithsonian museums. Postage stamp, "Hometowns honor their returning veterans," courtesy of the National Postal Museum.

Monday, November 9: Curator’s Talk with Cesáreo Moreno

The Anacostia Museum is pleased to host the newly-opened exhibition The African Presence in México, which looks at the history, culture and Art of Afr0-Mexicans from the colonial era up to the present day. The show’s curator, Cesáreo Moreno, will be on deck today to discuss topics such as the history and cultural renditions of Africans in Mexico, Spanish history and the slave trade. This event is free but reservations are required. Please call 202-633-4844 to reserve your spot today. Anacostia Community Museum, 2:00 PM

Tuesday, November 10: Home-School Open House

The National Portrait Gallery education department hosts a homeschool open house with mini-tours of special exhibitions, story time for children, hands-on art activities, and an interactive self-guide for groups. Reservations are required. Attendees please e-mail the number of children with ages, number of adults, mailing address and phone number to: provostg@si.edu. National Portrait Gallery, 11:30 am – 1:30 pm

Wednesday, November 11: Robert M. Poole’s On Hallowed Ground

Smithsonian magazine contributing editor Robert M. Poole will be available to sign copies of his book On Hallowed Ground: The Story of Arlington National Cemetery, a portion of which was adapted into a magazine article in the November 2009 issue. American History Museum, 12 – 2pm

Thursday, November 12: Meet Our Museum: Confederate Currency—Whatever It Took to Keep It Circulating

There are those out there who will assert even today that during the s0-called “War of Northern Aggression,” the South was not defeated, it was simply overwhelmed. Although the preservation of the Union would  indicate otherwise, the South had its moments of sheer ingenuity—an example of which being how they kept money in circulation during the Civil War, and curator Dick Doty of the American History Museum’s Numismatics collection will talk about the methods they used. A question and answer session will follow. Free. American History Museum, 12:00-12:30 PM

Friday, November 13: Vice Adm. Donald D. Engen Flight Jacket Night: A Conversation with Alan Bean

On November 19th, 1969, Alan Bean became the fourth man to set foot on the Moon during the second lunar landing as the Apollo 12 lunar module pilot. After a distinguished career at NASA, he retired in 1981 to pursue painting and public speaking—and both of those talents will be on display this evening at the Air and Space Museum. Alan Bean will discuss his life and career and be available for book signings. And don’t forget to explore the galleries of his otherworldly artwork in the companion exhibit, Alan Bean: Painting Apollo, First Artist on Another World. Air and Space Museum, 8:00 PM.

Head out to the National Zoo in honor of Teacher Appreciation Day! Detail of Class learning about the Sahara Desert, Washington, D.C. (1957) by the Scurlock Studio.

Friday, November 5:

Sorry kids, no special evening events happening at the Smithsonian tonight.

Saturday, November 6: Teacher Appreciation Day

After spending a week at school, teachers need a day of fun just like the kids they have to put up with, er, nurture for seven hours a day five days a week. In honor of Teacher Appreciation Day, the National Zoo has put together a special lineup of programs especially for educators, including animal demonstrations and exhibit programs that will hopefully inspire classroom activities. You will also have an opportunity to take a peek at the new exhibit Amazonian Science on a Sphere, view the documentary The Monarch Effect and much more. Go to this website for a full list of events. Teachers will also receive discounts for the day, such as a $10 flat rate for parking, a 15 percent discount in National Zoo stores and 30 percent discount at the Mane Restaurant. Free, but registration is required. Call 202-633-3059 or send an email for more information. And don’t forget to bring your school ID! National Zoo, 10:00 AM-4:00 PM

Sunday, November 7: Experiments in 19th-Century Color Photography

Cameras are everywhere nowadays so it’s easy to take for granted the technology we have at our fingertips. As far as photography has come along, it’s not always easy to look back and figure out the processes shutterbug pioneers used to create their images. Case in point, the development of color photography. It wasn’t always a matter of course, which makes some modern scholars wonder: how’d they do that? (Smithsonian contributor Robert Poole wrote “In Living Color,” a piece on an early, obscure color photography process that employed potatoes.) In this scholarly symposium, come listen to a collective of international specialists and learn how color photography came about. Speakers will include: Michelle Delaney, curator, Photographic History Collection, National Museum of American History; Dr. Susan Stulik, senior scientist, The Getty Conservation Institute; Grant Romer,senior conservator, The International Museum of Photography, George Eastman House; Kelly Wright, adjunct professor and doctoral candidate, University of Cincinnati and Francois Brunet, professor of art history and literature, University of Paris. This event is part of Fotoweek DC.

And don’t forget, Smithsonian magazine’s 7th annual photo contest that is coming to a close on December 1, 2009. Time is running out to enter your photos! Free. American History Museum, 10:00 AM-5:00 PM.

For more information on events and exhibitions at the Smithsonian museums, check our companion website, goSmithsonian.com, the official visitor’s guide to the Smithsonian.

Elizabeth Winthrop Chanler (1893) by John Singer Sargent. Image courtesy of the American Art Museum.

Monday, November 2: National Family Literacy Day

Knowledge is power (I know, it’s an overused phrase—but it’s true) and today is a great day to encourage the people in your family to pursue a lifetime full of reading. Enjoy storytelling sessions as well as theatrical performances that tie in to permanent museum exhibits like the Star Spangled Banner and the Greensboro lunch counter. Hopefully the day will inspire you to go home and do some reading on your own—and encourage you to talk about the things that grab your interest with those near and dear to you. Even if you aren’t in the DC area for this event, visit the website of the National Center for Family Literacy—who is co-sponsoring this event—to find programs in your area. Free. American History Museum, 10:00 AM-3:00 PM

Tuesday, November 3: FONZ Photo Club

If you’re a shutterbug with a penchant for snapping shots of critters, come on out to the National Zoo and participate in the FONZ (that’s Friends Of the National Zoo for those of you who think Henry Winkler when they see the word, FONZ) photo club’s monthly meeting. Share your photos, hear from speakers and learn about new techniques that may help you capture that picture perfect moment. You must already be a FONZ member to participate. For more information on the FONZ photo club and how to participate, check out their website. National Zoo, 7:00 PM

Wednesday, November 4: Portrait of Elizabeth Winthrop Chanler

John Singer Sargent had a knack for painting socialites and caused a perfectly marvelous scandal when he unveiled his Madame X in 1884. (The uproar over the painting was so great that it prompted him to move from Paris to London.) In tonight’s gallery talk led by deputy director emeritus Charles Robertson, come take a look at another work of Sargent’s: an 1893 portrait of Elizabeth Winthrop Chanler, heiress to the Astor fortune. Free. Smithsonian American Art Museum, 6:00 PM

Thursday, November 5: Dorothea Lange: A Life Beyond Limits

Photographer Dorothea Lange will perhaps be forever known for one photograph—a portrait of Florence Owens Thompson popularly known as Migrant Mother, which has become an iconic image of the Great Depression. Come listen to Linda Gordon, author of Dorothea Lange: A Life Beyond Limits, discuss the life and times of this famous photographer. A book signing will follow the lecture. Free. American Art Museum, 7:00 PM

Friday, November 6: Sounds of Africa

Modern music has a fair share of roots firmly planted in Africa, and today, Ugandan musician Daniel Ssuuna will teach you about African instruments as well as polyrhythms and syncopation. Visitors will also have the opportunity to play instruments. Ideal for visitors aged 6 and older. Free. African Art Museum, 10:30 AM. This event will repeat on November 20 at the same time and venue.

For more information on events and exhibitions at the Smithsonian museums, check our companion website, goSmithsonian.com, the official visitor’s guide to the Smithsonian.

Self Portrait Without Skin (1997) by Kim Eric Lilot. Image courtesy of the American Art Museum.

Friday, October 30: A Salute to Judy Garland and Friends

It’s unfortunate to think that Judy Garland may now be best remembered for the tragic circumstances that filled her life, not to mention as one of the ultimate camp icons. I mean she was a darn good entertainer. (Her crowning achievement may very well have been her 1961 performances at Carnegie Hall, memorialized on vinyl—and later CD—and acknowledged by the Library of Congress as an aesthetically and culturally significant recording.) Forty years after her death (and 70 years after she appeared in The Wizard of Oz), pianist Richard Glazier is presenting a tribute show featuring a host of songs that Garland made world-famous: “The Boy Next Door,” “The Trolley Song,” “The Man That Got Away” and, of course, “Over the Rainbow.” Tickets are required. Rates are: $25 general admission, $20 for Resident Associate members. Tickets may be purchased online. American History Museum, 7:30 PM

Saturday, October 31: ImaginAsia: Predicting Your Future

Cootie catchers are a popular means of fortune telling, but their accuracy is somewhat suspect. When in doubt, consult the Book of Falnama—sort of the big honkin’ cootie catcher that commoners and royalty in Turkey and Iran used to consult when they needed advice about the future. Kick off the afternoon by touring the new exhibit Falnama: The Book of Omens and learn about the auspicious meanings behind the images and symbols and then go back into the classroom where you can create an amulet for protection and posterity. Free. Freer, 2:00 PM.

Sunday, November 1: Day of the Dead/Dia de los Muertos

Come and celebrate the Day of the Dead—a Latin American holiday that celebrates the memory of the dearly departed—at the American History Museum. From 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM, an ofrenda (altar) will be created to memorialize the braceros, Mexican guest workers who labored in the United States from 1942–1964, and you can make your own paper flowers to leave on the ofrenda or to take home to honor the memory of whomever you like. At noon, writer Mary Andrade will talk about Day of the Dead traditions and will be available to sign copies of her book Day of the Dead: A Passion for Life. You will also be able to sample traditional Day of the Dead foods at the Stars and Stripes Café. Free. American History Museum, 11:00 AM-4:00 PM.

For more information on events and exhibitions at the Smithsonian museums, check our companion website, goSmithsonian.com, the official visitor’s guide to the Smithsonian.