Beyond Art Corcoran Expands Events to Include Lectures, Embassy Dinners, Walking Tours by Carolyn Cosmos Just about anyone in Washington whoís interested in the arts knows that the Corcoran Gallery of Art has a fantastic collection of 18th-, 19th- and 20th-century American art. They also know that the museum is the cityís largest and oldest private art museum and is home to one of the countryís most distinguished art colleges. But what may not be as well known is that artists, architects and authors regularly hold lectures at the Corcoran, that the museum hosts exclusive dinners at embassies and restaurants, and that some very big names in music perform there each month. In addition to its Washington events, the Corcoran also likes to travel. Museum staff has sponsored trips to countries such as Italy, China, and Cubaóalthough the sellout November trip to Cuba, a destination so popular that museum-goers went on five previous occasions, will be the Corcoranís last because of new U.S. government restrictions. In fact, the Corcoranís Department of Public Programs keeps a full calendar of about 150 diverse events per year. "What we do is all related to the arts, and we have defined the arts in a large way t o include fashion, cuisine, music, theater, dance, visual arts and architecture," said Janet Solinger, vice president of Corcoranís public programs. "Itís a really great spectrum." The caliber of artists who participate in the Corcoranís events is a testament to the programís success. Past speakers have included Steve Martin, Frank Gehry, Sydney Pollack, Frank Stella, Jeff Koons, Eric Bogosian, Peter Jennings, Larry Rivers and Michael York, just to name a few. One of the Corcoranís most popular series of events is its embassy evenings. In January, Ambassador Sheikh Khalifa Ali Al-Khalifa of Bahrain hosted a night at his embassy, which included a Middle Eastern buffet, a tour of the embassy, a film about the country and a talk by the ambassador about life in Bahrain. In December, Bulgarian Ambassador Elena Poptodorova held a cocktail buffet in her residence, and in the past year, functions have also been hosted at, among other places, the embassies of Switzerland, Paraguay, Qatar and France. These embassy dinners are planned in a variety of ways, Solinger explained. "Sometimes we choose an embassy because I have gotten to know the ambassador, other times we just call them up," she said. The next embassy dinner will be held at the Dutch Embassy in March. Another interesting feature of the Corcoranís public programs is its walking tours, which also often include visits to embassies. The 16th Street Embassy Walking Tour held this past September, for example, included visits to the embassies of Lithuania and Poland, the residence of the Spanish ambassador and the Mexican Cultural Institute. There was a luncheon at the institute, and the tour was led by Jeanne Fogel, a Washington historian, author and one of the cityís most interesting tour guides. Fogel also led the International Court Walking Tour earlier this year, which included visits to the embassies of Austria, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Israel. "The ambassadors are very forthcoming about coming out and speaking to us on the walking tours," said Solinger, who added that the tours are extremely popular. "We canít take more than 35 people on these tours, and we often have an overflow." If youíve never had the opportunity to attend one of the Corcoranís programs, there are lots of fascinating events going on this winter. Jazz lovers wonít want to miss the Harlem Connection Concert on Feb. 3, in which Jeree Wade and Frank Owens, well-known interpreters of Harlem Renaissance jazz, perform works by Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday and Eubie Blake. There will be a celebration on Feb. 18 for Lithuaniaís National Day, with a violin and piano performance by two young Lithuanian musicians, Aidas and Dainius Puodziukai. In addition, a four-part lecture series begins Feb. 9 that will illuminate the often-complicated legal issues facing artists and collectors, with advice on how to survive in todayís commercial world from a team of legal experts. The Tak·cs Quartet, one of the worldís leading string quartets, will perform Kodaly, BartÛk and Beethoven on Feb. 20, and on March 2, there will be a Cabaret evening featuring Barbara Brussell. Another popular Corcoran event is its bus trips. There will be a one to Philadelphia on March 12 to view the "Manet and the Sea" exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and to attend the annual Philadelphia Flower Show, which features the countryís largest collection of orchids. And, for those with a taste for the exotic, there will be an 18-day trip to Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos in March. Cuba is now out, but there are plenty of other places left for the Corcoran to explore. For more information on the Corcoran Gallery of Artís public programs, please call (202) 639-1703 or visit www.corcoran.org. Carolyn Chapman is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.