Indulge and educate yourself at the Power of Chocolate Festival this weekend. Image courtesy of the American Indian Museum

Friday, February 10 Mourning

Before the Iranian Film Festival draws to a close next week, be sure to catch Morteza Fashbaf’s debut film, “Mourning,” which won the top prize at South Korea’s 2011 Busan International Film Festival. The film follows a road trip with two characters who are deaf and dumb, spending most of their time bickering almost entirely in sign language. The breakout feature led the Institute of Contemporary Art in London to speculate that it “may herald the arrival of a major new Iranian talent.” Free. 7:00 p.m. Meyer Auditorium, Freer Gallery.

Saturday, February 11 The Power of Chocolate Festival

Start getting your sweet tooth in shape now, because this weekend the American Indian Museum is chock full of chocolate. Considered a “food of the gods” by the Mayan and Aztec peoples, chocolate has a rich and complicated cultural history that will be on full display. Grind your own cacao beans and froth your own drink, or learn from the renowned chef Richard Hetzler of the museum’s Mitsitam Cafe about the many different ways you can cook with chocolate. And this just in—sample tastings will be offered. See the full schedule here. Free. 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. American Indian Museum.

Sunday, February 12 The Emerson String Quartet

Join the acclaimed Emerson String Quartet for an evening of diverse global music ranging from Bach to jazz to Brazilian Choro. Fresh off their induction into the American Classical Music Hall of Fame last year, the Emerson String Quartet has nine Grammy Awards and the Avery Fisher Prize under their belt. Buy tickets through the Resident Associates Program. $51 for members, $63 for general admission. 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Baird Auditorium, Natural History Museum.

How much is the Hope Diamond worth? Ask Smithsonian.

Our inquisitive readers are rising to the challenge we gave them last month. The questions are pouring in and we’re ready for more. Do you have any questions for our curators? Submit your questions here.

How much is the Hope Diamond worth? — Marjorie Mathews, Silver Spring, Maryland

That’s the most popular question we get, but we don’t really satisfy people by giving them a number. There are a number of answers, but the best one is that we honestly don’t know. It’s a little bit like Liz Taylor’s jewels being sold in December—all kinds of people guessed at what they would sell for, but everybody I know was way off. Only when those pieces were opened up to bidding at a public auction could you find out what their values were. When they were sold, then at least for that day and that night you could say, well, they were worth that much. The Hope Diamond is kind of the same way, but more so. There’s simply nothing else like it. So how do you put a value on the history, on the fact it’s been here on display for over 50 years and a few hundred million people have seen it, and on that fact it’s a rare blue diamond on top of everything else? You don’t. – Jeffrey E. Post, mineralogist, National Museum of Natural History

What’s the worst impact of ocean acidification so far?- Nancy Schaefer, Virginia Beach, Virginia

The impacts of ocean acidification are really just starting to be felt, but two big reports that came out in 2011 show that it could have very serious effects on coral reefs. These studies did not measure the warming effect of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but rather its effect of making the ocean more acidic when it dissolves in the ocean. Places where large amounts of carbon dioxide seep into the water from the sea floor provide a natural experiment and show us how ocean waters might look, say, 50 or 100 years from now. Both studies showed branching, lacy, delicate coral forms are likely to disappear, and with them that kind of three-dimensional complexity so many species depend on. Also, other species that build a stony skeleton or shell, such as oysters or mussels, are likely to be affected. This happens because acidification makes carbonate ions, which these species need for their skeletons, less abundant.

Nancy Knowlton, marine biologist
National Museum of Natural History

Art and artifacts from ancient South Pacific and Pacific Northwest tribes have similarities in form and function. Is it possible that early Hawaiians caught part of the Kuroshio Current of the North Pacific Gyre to end up along the northwest coast of America from northern California to Alaska? — April Croan, Maple Valley, Washington

Those similarities have given rise to various theories, including trans-Pacific navigation, independent drifts of floating artifacts, inadvertent crossings by ships that have lost their rudders or rigging, or whales harpooned in one area that died or were captured in a distant place. Some connections are well-known, like feather garment fragments found in an archaeological site in Southeast Alaska that appear to have been brought there by whaling ships that had stopped in the Hawaiian Islands, a regular route for 19th-century whalers. Before the period of European contact, the greatest similarities are with the southwest Pacific, not Hawaii. The Kushiro current would have facilitated Asian coastal contacts with northwestern North America, but would not have helped Hawaiians. The problem of identification is one of context, form and dating. Most of the reported similarities are either out of their original context (which can’t be reconstructed), or their form is not specific enough to relate to another area’s style, or the date of creation cannot be established. To date there is no acceptable proof for South Pacific-Northwest Coast historical connections that predates the European whaling era, except for links that follow the coastal region of the North Pacific into Alaska.

William Fitzhugh, archeologist
Natural History Museum

Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami's trilogy kicks off with "Where is the Friend's Home?" Image courtesy of the Freer Gallery.

Friday, January 27 Iranian Film Festival: Koker Trilogy

Even if you haven’t made it to the Iranian Film Festival yet, don’t miss part 1 of the Koker Trilogy by internationally acclaimed director and screenwriter Abbas Kiarostami. The first film, “Where is the Friend’s Home?” employs the simple premise of a young boy traveling to his classmate’s village to return a book to weave a potent allegory on friendship, duty and the importance of breaking the rules sometimes. Free. 7:00 p.m. The second and third film will be shown Sunday: And Life Goes On at 1:00 p.m. and Through the Olive Trees at 3:00 p.m. Meyer Auditorium, Freer Gallery.

Saturday, January 28 Renwick Birthday Party

The Renwick Gallery turns the big 4-0 this weekend. Come celebrate with music, crafts, games, a scavenger hunt through the galleries, and, of course, cake. Free. 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Grand Salon, Renwick Gallery.

Sunday, January 29 Silkscreening Demo

Join local artist Kristina Bilonick for an art talk and demo of the silkscreen printing process. Bilonick is known for her interactive art installations incorporating screen printing, video and other media. Stick around afterward to try it yourself in a hands-on activity. Talk is free; activity has a minimal fee. Preregister by emailing AmericanArtLuce@si.edu. 1:30 p.m. American Art Museum.

For a complete listing of Smithsonian events and exhibitions visit the goSmithsonian Visitors Guide. Additional reporting by Michelle Strange.

Now that you’ve probably burned through the lists of historians, innovators, and food-writers to follow this year, we’re bringing it back home to the Smithsonian. As always, the Mall is cooking up some fascinating, crazy, and sometimes grotesque stuff for 2012. Bookmark these people and projects to keep up with this year:

Nicholas Pyenson: Pyenson studies and curates fossils of marine mammals. Get a feel for what is going on inside his lab and follow his team into the field—fresh from an expedition in Chile—at his blog, Pyenson Lab.

Postal Museum: Time for a pop quiz: A “hamper dumper” is:

a) machine in postal processing

b) bin of misprint stamps

c) failed mail vehicle

d) philatelic tool.

If you know the answer, you should be following the Postal Museum (@postalmuseum) for their daily #PostalQuiz and other philatelic factoids.

Biodiversity Heritage Library: As part of the Biodiversity Heritage Library consortium, the Smithsonian Libraries collects and digitizes biodiversity research for open online access—essentially, a bio-wiki. Check out @biodivlibrary for the species of the day: plants that eat worms, albino penguins and other bizarre creatures you never knew existed.

Archives of American Art Pinterest: The American Art Pinterest lets you browse the archives and “pin” the images you like to your virtual board. Mix and match from collections like “facial hair of note” and “ain’t no party like an artist’s party.”

Book Dragon: The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program’s Book Dragon is the pet project of former APA Media Arts Consultant Terry Hong, featuring reviews of “books for the multi-cultural reader.” Hong highlights literature for kids and adults alike that speaks to the Asian American experience. Follow her at @SIBookDragon.

Smithsonian Vids: For a moving view of the Institution, follow @SmithsonianVids. Meet a scientist studying frog-eating bats, or get a video tour of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings from Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart.

Smithsonian Marine Station: This Natural History Museum field station, located in Fort Pierce, Florida, tweets news updates and photos from the field (er, coral reef) @SmithsonianSMS. Plus, there’s #followfriday trivia every week.

Field Book Project: Also, from the Natural History Museum and the Smithsonian Institution Archives check out this blog, where researchers post updates on their initiative to compile an online database of field books and journals documenting biodiversity research. Besides progress updates, you’ll also find excerpts of century-old field notes from explorers, birdwatchers and scientists (including lots of fun, old-timey sketches) and learn a lot more than you ever thought there was to know about indices.

Encyclopedia of Life: Take your best shot and enter the picture in the Smithsonian’s Encyclopedia of Life Flickr photo contest. The bi-weekly contest could be (and has been) any theme from “backyard life” to “sexual dimorphism.” Even if you don’t enter, be sure to browse the entries for gems like this.

And of course, if you’re not following them already, the museums are always Tweeting up a storm. Here’s the checklist:

American Indian Museum: @SmithsonianNMAI

National Portrait Gallery: @npg

American Art Museum: @americanart

Anacostia Community Museum: @anacostiamuseum

American History Museum: @amhistorymuseum

Air and Space Museum: @airandspace

Museum of Natural History: @NMNH

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden: @hirshhorn

Freer and Sackler Galleries: @FreerSackler

Museum of African Art: @NMAfA

National Zoo: @NationalZoo

Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum: @cooperhewitt

Smithsonian: @Smithsonian

See Alice Waters and her new portrait side-by-side on Friday. Image courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery.

Friday, January 20 An Evening with Alice Waters

Meet organic food icon and chef Alice Waters both in the flesh and in still life at this presentation of her new portrait on view at the National Portrait Gallery. Following the presentation, enjoy light fare at a reception catered by several local celebrity chefs, including José Andrés of ThinkFoodGroup and Mike Isabella of Graffiato. Waters will be interviewed in the Nan Tucker Auditorium at 6 p.m., the reception follows at 7 p.m. in the Kogod Courtyard. Ticket prices vary, National Portrait Gallery.

Saturday, January 21 Create Your Own Peacock Room

Kids and families, learn the story of the Freer Gallery’s Peacock Room, which is now recently restored to its appearance circa 1908, when the museum’s founder Charles Lang Freer purchased it. Next come to the ImaginAsia workshop and curate your own miniature Peacock Room to take home with you. Free. 2:00 p.m. Sublevel 2, Sackler Gallery.

Sunday, January 22 Dance for the Dying Unplugged

The Luce Foundation Center’s “Unplugged” series welcomes local band Dance for the Dying for an intimate acoustic performance at 2 p.m. Based out of Alexandria, Virginia, the group says their music is a “perfectly mismatched marriage of macabre and melody.” Get there early for a pre-concert art talk. Free. Art talk meets in F Street Lobby at 1:30 p.m., performance begins in Luce Foundation Center (third floor) at 2 p.m. American Art Museum.

Come make your own stamp collection at a drop-in workshop at the Postal Museum. Photo courtesy of the museum

Friday, January 6 “This is Not a Film”

The Iranian Film Festival kicks off with “This is Not a Film,” a last-minute Cannes submission shot secretly on an iPhone and smuggled into France on a flash drive hidden in a cake. The film depicts the sequestered life of famed director Jafar Panahi (The Circle; Offside), whose 2010 arrest sparked an international outcry. Banned from traveling, giving interviews, or making films, Panahi is seen talking to his family and lawyer on the phone, discussing his plight with Mirtahmasb, and reflecting on the meaning of the art of filmmaking. (Dirs.: Mojtaba Mirtahmasb and Jafar Panahi, Iran, 2010, 75 min., Persian with English subtitles) Free. 7:00 p.m. Freer/Sackler Gallery.

Saturday, January 7 Stamps!

Jumpstart your own stamp collection in a hands-on workshop for all ages, then join curator Daniel Piazza on a tour of the philatelic rarities of “Collecting History: 125 Years of the National Philatelic Collection” before it closes on January 9. Highlights include rarities that once belonged to Egypt’s King Farouk and Japanese-American internment camp mail from World War II. Free. 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. Postal Museum, Museum Atrium.

Sunday, January 8 Masterworks of Three Centuries

Celebrate the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society’s 35th season with an eclectic Baroque concert, as Kenneth Slowik presents Bach’s compendious Goldberg Variations, BWV 988.  $22 member, $20 senior member, $28 general admission. Pre-concert talk at 6:30 p.m. Concert begins at 7:30 p.m. American History Museum, Hall of Musical Instruments.

For a complete listing of Smithsonian events and exhibitions visit the goSmithsonian Visitors Guide. Additional reporting by Michelle Strange.

See the 2010 Thai hit "Eternity" at the Freer Gallery. Photo courtesy of the Freer Gallery.

Friday, December 9 Eternity

See the 2010 Thai film Eternity, a critically lauded love story that won the Tiger Award at the 2011 International Film Festival Rotterdam. The organizers of the festival call the film “atmospheric, but also poetic and philosophical, or maybe better: spiritual…past and present go hand-in-hand like passionate lovers.” The screening will be introduced by professor Justin T. McDaniel of the University of Pennsylvania. Free. 7 p.m. Freer Gallery, Meyer Auditorium.

Saturday, December 10 Super Science Saturday

Come for a family-friendly day with hands-on activities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Today’s event is themed around the Wright Brothers’ pioneering experiments in aviation. Demonstrations will offer the chance for visitors to participate and learn about the science behind these groundbreaking flights. Free, with a $15 parking fee per vehicle. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center.

Sunday, December 11 Sara Daneshpour

Attend a live performance by Sara Daneshpour, the world-renowned concert pianist. Daneshpour, a DC native, studied at the Curtis Institute of Music as a protégé of Leon Fisher and is now pursuing her master’s at the Julliard School. As part of the museum’s Steinway Series, hear her perform the compositions of Franck, Scriabin and Prokofiev on the museum’s own Steinway Concert Grand model D piano. Free. 3 to 5 p.m. American Art Museum, McEvoy Auditorium.

For a complete listing of Smithsonian events and exhibitions visit the goSmithsonian Visitors Guide. Additional reporting by Michelle Strange.

World War II veteran Chief Joseph Medicine Crow, a featured speaker of the "Native Americans in the Military" panel. Photo courtesy of the American Indian Museum.

Friday, December 2 Native Americans in the Military

Native Americans have served in the U.S. Armed Forces all the way back to the Revolutionary War, and by percentage serve more frequently than any other ethnic group. As part of American Indian Heritage Month, learn about this unique history and hear unforgettable stories of heroism at a program hosted by noted historian Herman J. Viola. The program will feature a panel of Natives who have served in Iraq, Korea, and World War II. Free. 3 to 5 p.m. American Indian Museum, Rasmuson Theater.

Saturday, December 3 Dress to Empress Soiree

Come to a swanky and exclusive evening of Asian food, fashion and music. The Dress to Empress Soiree and Fashion show features work by the award-winning designer Yeohlee Teng themed around Chinese fashion, celebrating the Sackler and Freer Galleries’ collections and its exhibitions, “Power|Play: China’s Empress Dowager” and “Family Matters: Portraits from the Qing Court.” Both exhibitions explore aspects of imperial life at court during the Qing dynasty, including fashion. Come in your finest Asian attire to enjoy open bars, complimentary Chinese cuisine and the hypnotic beats of DJ Nitekrawler. Tickets are $89 for Silk Road Society Members and $115 for the general public, with $150 VIP tickets providing access to a VIP-only bar, swag bags, and a special check-in. 8 p.m. to midnight. Sackler Gallery.

Sunday, December 4 All About Body Art

Join innovative artist and educator Jay Coleman as he explores the world of tattoos and body art. The program will cover the history of tattooing, the cultural significance of the art form around the world, and the health risks and myths associated with tattoos. This program, recommended for ages 13 and up, will be a fascinating journey for anyone who has ever considered getting their own tattoo. Free. 2 p.m. Anacostia Community Museum.

For a complete listing of Smithsonian events and exhibitions visit the goSmithsonian Visitors Guide. Additional reporting by Michelle Strange.

Pianist Alexander Wu performs at the American Art Museum. Photo courtesy museum

Friday, November 11 Without Fear

Come see a classic Soviet film with modern-day relevance. In director Ali Khamraev’s 1972 masterpiece Without Fear, a 1920s Red army officer must grapple with the tension between modernization and Islamic tradition in an isolated Uzbek village. Written by prolific Soviet-American filmmaker Andrei Konchalovsky, it blends engrossing storytelling with political issues. Free, Russian with English subtitles. 7 p.m. Freer Gallery, Meyer Auditorium.

Saturday, November 12 Vicky Leyva

Peruvian singer Vicky Leyva comes to the Smithsonian Institution to perform a fusion of traditional Afro-Peruvian rhythms and contemporary arrangements. Leyva’s music features the lively styles from the coastal plain of Lima, and draws upon the genres of landó, zamacueca, and festejo, reflecting Peru’s rich African and Spanish musical heritage. Free. 2 to 3 p.m. African Art Museum, Pavilion.

Sunday, November 13 Bach to the Future

Innovative and eclectic piano soloist Alexander A. Wu brings his unique approach to the classics. At “Bach to the Future,” enjoy updated versions of Bach, Bernstein, Chopin, Ellington, Gershwin, Liszt, Mozart and more, performed on a Steinway. Free. 3 to 4 p.m. American Art Museum, McEvoy Auditorium

For a complete listing of Smithsonian events and exhibitions visit the goSmithsonian Visitors Guide. Additional reporting by Michelle Strange.

A silver Chinese box in the shape of a flower, Tang Dynasty, late 7th to early 8th century. Photo courtesy Freer and Sackler Galleries.

A delicately painted Korean wine pitcher, from the late 12th century. A massive marble Chinese burial platform, originally carved around 550 AD. An ornately decorated clam-shaped silver box, which was an elite Chinese household’s treasure in the seventh century. Through these treasures and many others, two new exhibits at the Freer Gallery trace the evolution of artwork in Asia over the course of centuries.

“Cranes and Clouds: The Korean Art of Ceramic Inlay” features a range of stoneware vessels from the 11th through 16th centuries that exemplify one of the chief characteristics of Korean art from the era: the technique of inlay, known in Korean as sanggam. “Sanggam was one of Korea’s great contributions to worldwide ideas of ceramic decoration,” says Louise Allison Cort, who curated the exhibition.

The technique was an entirely novel way of embellishing ceramic art, typically used for tableware and ceremonial vessels. “Inlay involves carving design into the soft clay just after the vessel is formed, and then, with a small brush, using a liquid material to fill in the grooves,” says Cort. At the exhibition, the inlay decoraions seem to glow from deep within. Rather than appearing as surface decorations, the centuries-old intricate designs are crisp, as though created yesterday.

A kundika water bottle with inlay waterscape motifs, Goryeo perod, late 12th to early 13th century. Photo courtesy Freer and Sackler Galleries

The variety of jugs, bowls, plates and ornaments in the show demonstrate the many different decorative motifs. A featured item is an elegantly shaped water bottle known as a kundika. “It’s a perfect example of how glaze is combined with inlay color to create a landscape on the surface of the vessel,” says Cort. “You see a little world created there: water, ducks, plants, reeds and lotuses.”

In an adjacent gallery, the exhibition, “Silk Road Luxuries From China,” examines the exchange of luxury goods and artistic concepts that moved along the “Silk Road,”  a trade route that linked China to Central Asia during the Tang dynasty (618-907 AD). During the era, stability and prosperity brought about an interest in outside cultures and tastes across Central Asia, resulting in the fusion of artistic styles.

A silver bowl, at the center of the show, was excavated in China, but its inscriptions lead scholars to believe it was originally made by the Sogdian people, who lived in what is now Uzbekistan or Kazakhstan. “The appearance of objects like this in China would have been earth-shattering, revolutionary,” says J. Keith Wilson, the curator of the show. “Because at the time, bronze was the medium of choice.”

Soon, though, the arrival of items like this triggered a change in Chinese tastes, as they adopted gold and silver. ”Rather than import everything, they learned the techniques and employed them in their own way,” Wilson says. An array of elaborately designed silver boxes and bowls show the combination of foreign techniques with traditional Chinese motifs.

The exhibition also features a remarkable object that exemplifies the reverse: adaptation of Chinese cultural practices by Sogdian peoples in China. A large marble slab, purchased by the museum’s founder Charles Lang Freer in New York City in 1915, had long been a mystery. “When he bought it, it was unclear exactly what it was,” says Wilson.

But when matching pieces surfaced in other museums, experts realized its function: despite the Sogdian designs, the elements actually fit together to form a large funerary couch, a platform used beneath the coffin in traditional Chinese burial. “It combines Buddhist elements on the bottom part with these non-Chinese musicians and dancers on the side,” Wilson says.

The priceless artifacts shed light on the cultural forces that helped shape trends in classical Asian art over time. “This is not simply a China story,” says Wilson. “It’s a bigger, international story.”

“Cranes and Clouds: The Korean Art of Ceramic Inlay” and “Silk Road Luxuries From China” are on display indefinitely at the Freer Gallery.

See DJ Spooky's live set with Madame Freedom at the Freer. Photo courtesy Freer Gallery

Friday, November 4 Madame Freedom

Come see a classic Korean film with a brand new live soundtrack. DJ Spooky, a.k.a. Paul Miller, an innovative music artist, composer and writer, will mix a live set to accompany Madame Freedom, one of the defining films of the 1905s golden era of Korean cinema. The live score will combine a string duo and turntables, edited live using Spooky’s innovative mixing software. Free, no tickets required. 7 p.m. Freer Gallery, Meyer Auditorium

Saturday, November 5 Art Meets Music

The 21st Century Consort is the Smithsonian Institution’s award-winning resident ensemble group. Inspired by the American Art Museum‘s “Great American Hall of Wonders,” a celebration of American invention and ingenuity, the concert will feature readings of Emerson and Whitman along with the premiere performance of several of the ensemble’s new works. Tickets are $20 and include admission to a post-concert reception, purchase online. 5 to 7 p.m., American Art Museum, McEvoy Auditorium.

Sunday, November 6 Scrapbooking Your Memories

This Sunday, come learn the ins and outs of scrapbooking from artist Camilla Younger. Bring in photographs, fabric, yarn, ribbons, or other materials to create a special scrapbook that preserves your memories. Free, with reservation required; call call 202-633-4844. 2 to 4 p.m, Anacostia Community Museum

For a complete listing of Smithsonian events and exhibitions visit the goSmithsonian Visitors Guide. Additional reporting by Michelle Strange.

Learn about destinations in Chile, such as Torres del Paine National Park. Photo from Wikimedia Commons

Monday, October 31 Spooky Storytelling

Come listen to some American Indian ghost stories on Halloween. Museum associate director Tim Johnson (Mohawk) will tell traditional stories from his home community, the Six Nations reserve, in Ontario. This family-friendly event will also be available online via webcast. Free. 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. American Indian Museum, imagiNations Activity Center, 3rd level.

Tuesday, November 1 Explore Chile

Learn about the remarkable range of habitats and landscapes all within a nation that’s just about 100 miles wide. Chilean travel destinations include some of the world’s driest deserts, regions of legendary wine production, a volcano-studded Lake District and the mysterious Easter Island. In conjunction with the “Against All Odds: Rescue at the Chilean Mine” exhibition, travel expert Kristina Schreck will lead a virtual tour of these and many other locations in Chile. Tickets to this Resident Associates program are $30 for members, $27 for senior members, and $40 for the general public. 6:45 p.m. Ripley Center.

Wednesday, November 2 Behind the Scenes at the Lunder Conservation Center

At the Lunder Conservation Center, staff work tirelessly to examine, treat and preserve the priceless works of the American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery. This behind-the-scenes tour is provides the perfect opportunity to see how museum conservators use science to care for the art in both collections. Free, register at Luce Foundation Center information desk, 3rd floor. Held most Wednesdays from 3 to 3:30 p.m. American Art Museum

Thursday, November 3 Sounds of the Dragon

This remarkable collaboration is a fusion of classical Western music and traditional Chinese instruments. The highly acclaimed Music from Copland House, based in New York’s Hudson River Valley, will premiere new pieces by clarinetist Derek Bermel. Joining them will be an ensemble led by Wang Guo-wei, featuring performers on erhu (fiddle), guzheng (zither), yang-chin (dulcimer), and pipa (lute). Free tickets can be reserved online, by phone or in person. 7:30 p.m. Freer Gallery, Meyer Auditorium

For a complete listing of Smithsonian events and exhibitions visit the goSmithsonian Visitors Guide. Additional reporting by Michelle Strange.

What if we could make masks to look like these models in the Natural History Museum's Hall of Human Origins? Artist: John Gurche. Photo by Chip Clark, NMNH.

In past years, our ATM team of bloggers has collectively pored over the Smithsonian’s collections to bring you museum-inspired costume ideas. Last year was a banner year for us, as we ginned up ideas for dressing as Carol Burnett in her curtain rod dress, from when she spoofed Gone With the Wind on her comedy show, and Abel the Monkey, who paved the way for human space flight. For a group costume, we went conceptual, suggesting you and six friends each wear a white t-shirt inscribed with one of the seven words in artist Lawrence Weiner’s “A RUBBER BALL THROWN ON THE SEA,” on display at the Hirshhorn.

This year, however, I decided to turn to the Institution’s resident experts—curators at the museums—for their insider’s insight. Here is what they suggest:

1. Man Ray’s Nut Girls

Melissa Ho, assistant curator at the Hirshhorn Museum, has had collage on the brain, as she has been busily working on an upcoming show of collage and assemblage works called “Over, Under, Next.” She suggests cobbling together a costume inspired by Man Ray’s 1941 photograph and mixed media collage, Nut Girls. In it, the American artist puts a walnut, in place of a head, on a cutout of one woman, and on another figure, the walnut covers the woman’s head and torso. “Carve a big walnut out of Styrofoam and slip on a romper,” says Ho.

Another idea for a costume party, she says, is to dress as Swiss sculptor Jean Tinguely’s The Sorceress (1961). “This is one of his motorized kinetic sculptures,” says Ho. “When turned on, it shakes and vibrates until its bits and pieces start to fall off—so perfect outfit for dancing!”

2. Dracula

According to Thomas Lera, the Winton M. Blout Chair in Research at the National Postal Museum, Dracula is the Halloween character that postal administrations around the world have depicted the most on stamps. In 1997, the U.S. Postal Service issued a “Classic Movie Monsters” stamp set, featuring five villains from Universal Studio films. Dracula was one. “As a special security feature, a process called ‘scrambled indicia’ was used, which overlaps symbols and images that are not seen by the naked eye when printed,” says Lera. “The Dracula stamp has three vampire bats in the blue background, which can only be seen by a precision optical device using elongated lenses called lenticules.” Lera suggests modeling a Dracula costume after this or the many other portrayals—a Canadian stamp honoring the 100th anniversary of Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula in 1997, a Samoan stamp from 2000 featuring the Sesame Street’s Count von Count and a British stamp from 2008 with actor Christopher Lee as Dracula commemorating the 50th anniversary of Hammer Horror Films.

3. Dr. John Jeffries

Seeking input from Smithsonian curators certainly brought some little-known characters to light. When I asked Tom Crouch, senior curator of aeronautics at the National Air and Space Museum, who or what he might be inspired to dress up as for Halloween, he was quick to answer Dr. John Jeffries. Who, you might ask? Jeffries is not exactly a household name, but his story may be an interesting one to tell at a party. On January 7, 1785, Jeffries flew the English Channel in a balloon with Pierre Blanchard, making him the first American to make a free flight. “He wore a great costume, which included a leopard skin hat to keep his head warm, a cork jacket to keep him afloat in case of a channel landing and a Jerry Seinfeld style ‘puffy shirt,’ complete with frilled cuffs, so that, I suppose, he would look good in the post-flight interviews,” says Crouch. NASM has the large barometer and thermometer that Jeffries carried with him in its collection. As it would have it, some pieces of the outfit are at Harvard’s Houghton Library, where his papers are kept. “Fortunately, some years ago my friend and Smithsonian curator of costume, Claudia Kidwell, studied the Jeffries garments and prepared patterns for them, so sewing up my costume would not be all that difficult,” says Crouch. Over three decades, Crouch has researched the life of Jeffries. “I could step right into the good doctor’s shoes and answer any questions that might arise,” he says.

4. Empress Dowager Cixi

Although he does not think he would make a convincing Empress Dowager, David Hogge, head of the archives at the Freer and Sackler galleries, offers it up as a suggestion to others. Empress Cixi reigned as sovereign of China for 45 years in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Nineteen portraits of her are currently on display in the exhibition “Power | Play: China’s Empress Dowager,” which Hogge curated, at the Arther M. Sackler Gallery, if you are in need of some inspiration. Empress Cixi wore her fingernails about an inch long, and on her third and pinky fingers, notes Hogge, she wore elaborate jeweled, gold filigreed fingernail protectors. “Those seem to give people the creeps,” says Hogge.

5. An Early Human

Rick Potts, curator of anthropology at the National Museum of Natural History, is a self-described Halloween fanatic. “What could be better than to skulk around the neighborhood or delight party-goers on Halloween night by dressing up as a realistic early human?” he says. “I wish I could turn some of the amazing visages in our Hall of Human Origins into masks.”

6. Annie Oakley

In 2007, the National Portrait Gallery purchased a photograph at an auction of sharpshooter Annie Oakley taken in 1885. “She was a cowgirl, known as “little sure shot” for her extraordinary ability to hit a moving target, most famously a small coin, even on horseback, all while maintaining ‘lady-like’ composure and elegance,” says Anne Collins Goodyear, associate curator of prints and drawings at the museum. “Wonderful inspiration for the imagination!” In the photograph, Oakley holds a rifle and is wearing a hat, blouse and fringed skirt with embroidered flowers.

7. Bob Dylan

Gail Davidson, head of the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum’s department of drawings, prints and graphic design, considers Milton Glaser’s famous 1966 poster of singer Bob Dylan great costume fodder. Glaser, an artist and graphic designer, created the poster early in his career, to be included in the packaging of Dylan’s “Greatest Hits” LP. In terms of the poster’s composition, Glaser was influenced by a 1957 self-portrait by Marcel Duchamp. But, he gave it a psychedelic feel by adding bold colors to Dylan’s tousled hair. “I would dress up by dying my hair in wavelets of the different colors in the poster,” says Davidson.

8. A Zoo Animal…Take Your Pick

Cute baby animals born at the National Zoo are our bread and butter here at the ATM blog. But Craig Saffoe, the Zoo’s curator of Great Cats and Andean Bears, reminds us, “What’s cuter than an infant dressed as a full-maned lion?” Animals make fine costumes for adults too. Dressing as an endangered species gives one the opportunity to have an awesome costume and educate friends, notes Saffoe. There is also great potential for themed family costumes. “A mother and her infant could dress as a kangaroo and her joey, a banana and a monkey or a eucalyptus tree and a koala bear. A family could dress as a pride of lions, a gaggle of geese or a flock of flamingos. Whatever animal costume you choose, don’t forget you’ll need a zookeeper!” says the curator, whose son attended this year’s Boo at the Zoo event at the National Zoo in a zookeeper uniform.

Come hear Yumi Kurosawa play the koto, a traditional Japanese stringed instrument. Photo courtesy Freer Gallery

Tuesday, October 11 Stories From the Mine

At the exclusive world premiere of Smithsonian Channel’s documentary Chilean Mine Rescue, get an intimate look at life down in the mine during the 69 days waiting for rescue. Following the film, which features exclusive interviews and never before seen footage, Chile’s Minister of Public Works and two of the miners will participate in a discussion, telling their personal stories from the world-famous event. Free, documentary at 7 p.m., discussion at 8. Natural History Museum, Baird Auditorium. (The documentary will premier on the Channel on Thursday at 8 p.m.)

Wednesday, October 12 Baseball Americana

Drawing upon the world’s largest collection of baseball illustrations and artifacts, Baseball Americana: Treasures from the Library of Congress is a richly illustrated guide to the national pastime. The book features vintage baseball cards, early photographs of legendary players and ballparks, advertisements and newspaper clippings. Come meet authors Harry Katz, Frank Ceresi, Phil Michel and Susan Reyburn to get your own copy signed and discuss the book. Free. 6 to 7 p.m. National Portrait Gallery, bookstore

Thursday, October 13 Music and Arts of Japan

Join the Lark Quartet for an evening of art and music of Japan. A pre-concert tour of the exhibition Seasons: Arts of Japan will present an insider’s view of the extensive show featuring Japanese lacquer ware, ceramics and calligraphy. Then, the acclaimed quartet will perform composer Daron Hagen’s new concerto, as well as several solo pieces for the koto, a traditional 13-stringed Japanese instrument. Concert tickets are free and can be reserved online (for a handling fee) or in person starting one hour before showtime on a first-come, first-served basis. Exhibition tour at 6:45, concert at 7 p.m., Freer Gallery, Meyer Auditorium

The film Shadow Magic features the arrival of motion pictures in China. Photo courtesy Freer and Sackler Galleries

Friday, October 7 Native Americans and the Courts

Come listen to a panel of speakers discuss the history of U.S. court decisions that have affected Native Americans. The symposium will separate the facts and fictions that have underpinned legal decisions impacting Native Americans since 1823. The expert group of Native attorneys and law professors will be moderated by Kevin Gover, the museum’s director. Free, to RSVP contact NMAI-SSP@si.edu. 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. National Museum of the American Indian, Rasmuson Auditorium, with a live online webcast.

Saturday, October 8 Balloons and Blimps

Bring the whole family for this interactive event. Demonstrations and hands-on activities with blimps and balloons are a fun way to learn about science, technology, engineering and math. Free, with a $15 fee for parking. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Air and Space Udvar-Hazy Center.

Sunday, October 9 Shadow Magic

The arrival of film in China in the early 20th century was met with a mix of fascination and anti-Western sentiment. See Shadow Magic, a 2000 film, which covers the birth of the Chinese film industry during this era. Visit “Power|Play: China’s Empress Dowager,” a new exhibition of photography of the Empress Cixi at the Sackler Gallery, to gain a greater appreciation of this chapter in Chinese history. 115 min., Mandarin with English subtitles. Free. 2 p.m. Freer Gallery, Meyer Auditorium

For a complete listing of Smithsonian events and exhibitions visit the goSmithsonian Online Visitors Guide. Additional reporting by Michelle Strange.