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Events - August 2005
**Admission is free unless otherwise noted. All information on event venues can be found on The Washington Diplomat Web site at www.washdiplomat.com. Times and locations are subject to change. Unless listed, plea
se call venue for specific event times and hours of operation.
ART
Aug. 3 to Oct. 30
Directions—Janet Cardiff
Janet Cardiff, a Canadian-born artist known for her inventive use of binaural sound technology, develops a 20-minute multi-sensory audio artwork in which the artist’s layered sound effects merge to evoke a blending of history and memory.
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Through Aug. 7
In the Realm of Princes: The Arts of the Book in 15th-Century Iran and Central Asia
More than 30 of the finest 15th-century paintings, manuscripts and portable luxury objects from Iran and present-day Afghanistan highlight the remarkable artistic achievements of Timurid princes and their Turkoman rivals.
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Through Aug. 7
Natalya Nesterova: Summer Reflections
Dive into the summer season with 11 large-scale shore paintings depicting the characters, costumes, activities and traditions of Russia’s southern resorts.
National Museum of Women in the Arts
Through Aug. 13
Australia Revisited
Considered to be one of the most talented and dynamic Aboriginal artists working in Australia, Malcolm Jagamarra has been instrumental in forging new directions for traditional art.
International Visions – The Gallery
Aug. 13 to July 16, 2006
Pretty Women: Freer and the Ideal of Feminine Beauty
Some 30 paintings and works on paper of beautiful women explore the meanings these representations would have had for the artists who created them, for contemporary viewers, and for Charles Lang Freer, founder of the Freer Gallery of Art.
Freer Gallery of Art
Through Aug. 14
Boating on a River
Inspired by the 600-year anniversary of Zheng He’s construction of the massive Chinese “treasure fleet,” this display surveys the role of boats in later Chinese painting history.
Freer Gallery of Art
Through Aug. 14
Jan de Bray and the Classical Tradition
This focus exhibition spotlights works by one of the most important Dutch portrait painters in the later half of the 17th century, Jan de Bray, whose career overlapped that of Frans Hals.
National Gallery of Art
Through Aug. 15
Treasures
The centerpiece of the 25th anniversary of the National Museum of African Art, “Treasures” features masterpieces from the museum and various private collections—many never publicly exhibited before in this country—on display in the newly renovated gallery.
National Museum of African Art
Aug. 15 to Oct. 15
The Altered Landscape: The Carol Franc Buck Collection
Striking photographs explore humankind’s impact on the planet, from mining sites to desert trails.
National Academy of Sciences
Aug. 16 to April 1
Directions—Jim Hodges
A monumental banner by New York-based artist Jim Hodges is installed on the façade of the Hirshhorn building.
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Through Aug. 26
Paradox & Coexistence II
Featuring works by some of the leading Latin American artists, this exhibit examines the period from 1981 to 2000, concluding an earlier exhibit that looked at Latin American artwork from 1900 to 1980.
Inter-American Development Bank Cultural Center
Through Aug. 27
Mary Swift’s Washington: The Arts Scene, 1975-2000
This exhibit opens photographer Mary Swift’s vast archive of portraits to explore the key personalities who have shaped the face of the arts scene in Washington, D.C.
Flashpoint Gallery
Aug. 27 to Jan. 3
Encouraging American Genius: Master Paintings From the Corcoran Gallery of Art
Exceptional quality and breadth characterize the Corcoran Gallery’s international recognized collection of pre-1945 American paintings.
Corcoran Gallery of Art
Through Aug. 28
David Garrick: A Theatrical Life
Texts, manuscripts and other objects reveal the life of David Garrick, an actor, writer and international celebrity who revolutionized acting and the English stage in the 18th century.
Folger Shakespeare Library
Through Aug. 29
Shomei Tomatsu: Skin of the Nation
This retrospective of Shomei Tomatsu, Japan’s pre-eminent post-war photographer, drawn almost entirely from the artist’s collection, comprises roughly 200 black-and-white photographs over a period of 30 years.
Corcoran Gallery of Art
Through Aug. 31
Mission America
In this multimedia exhibit, historical photographs, documents, collages and video tell the story of the Catholic Church’s mission to poor and remote areas of the United States.
Pope John Paul II Cultural Center
Through Sept. 2
A Group of Seven: A Contemporary Look at the Canadian Landscape
In the 1920s, a renowned group of seven artists distinguished themselves from the European tradition of romanticizing Canada’s natural beauty by creating a truly Canadian landscape aesthetic.
Embassy of Canada
Through Sept. 2
New York Moves—Paintings by Laurentz Thurn
Painter Laurentz Thurn searches for the changing image of personal identity over time, depicting people in motion or within space using different details and angles.
Goethe-Institut
Through Sept. 4
East Meets West: Hiroshige at The Phillips Collection
On display are the woodblock prints of Japanese artist Utagawa Hiroshige from his famous series, “The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido,” a travelogue of life along the fabled Japanese highway.
The Phillips Collection
Through Sept. 4
Emil Mayer: An Intimate Master of Photography
Emil Mayer, a Viennese lawyer born in 1871, captured images of everyday life and street scenes in Vienna circa 1910 that became milestones in the history of photography.
Embassy of Austria
Through Sept. 4
TEXTures
Six large-scale installations by contemporary African artists explores the multiple means through which contemporary African artists invent, rewrite and play with fragments of text and graphic symbols within their art.
National Museum of African Art
Through Sept. 11
The Essence of Line: French Drawings From Ingres to Degas
Rarely seen drawings and watercolors by some of the most influential French artists of the 19th century are the subject of this major joint exhibition in Baltimore, Md.
Baltimore Museum of Art
The Walters Art Museum
Through Sept. 11
Pearls of the Parrot of India
: The Emperor Akbar’s Illustrated Khamsa (1595-98)
Featuring an illustrated edition of the “Khamsa (Quintet of Tales)” by 13th-century poet Amir Khusraw of Delhi, this exhibit’s title refers to the texts written in the Persian language by the “parrot of India,” Khusraw.
The Walters Art Museum
Through Sept. 11
Visual Music
Some 100 works by more than 40 artists, ranging from abstract painting and experimental films to color organs and contemporary installations, emulate the condition of music in art.
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Through Sept. 12
Current Evince: Selected Prints by William T. Wiley From the Smithsonian American Art Museum
This unique selection of prints offers an intimate opportunity to admire the highly imaginative imagery and philosophical complexity of William T. Wiley’s art.
Corcoran Gallery of Art
Through Sept. 15
Marc Chagall: The Bible Series 1957
More than 100 hand-colored Marc Chagall etchings illustrate the Hebrew Bible, presenting fundamental themes of love, vanity, tragedy and hope that connect with a wide audience.
Pope John Paul II Cultural Center
Through Sept. 18
Caravan Kingdoms: Yemen and the Ancient Incense Trade
Yemen’s stunning artistic heritage—spanning the ancient kingdoms that controlled the caravan routes of the southern Arabian peninsula—are examined in this major international exhibition.
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Through Sept. 18
Holy Cards
On display are images of the saints taken from 19th- and 20th-century prayer cards, based on the book by Barbara Calamari and Sandra di Pasqua.
Pope John Paul II Cultural Center
Through Sept. 18
Rusticity Refined: Kyoto Ceramics by Ninsei
This small display invites visitors to identify the source and to measure the distance between Japanese potter Nonomura Ninsei’s refined Kyoto works and the rural prototypes that were his source of inspiration.
Freer Gallery of Art
Through Sept. 18
Textiles for This World and Beyond: Treasures From Insular Southeast Asia
Long before Islam and Christianity were established in the islands of Southeast Asia, the inhabitants had developed a philosophy for existence in a highly unpredictable world, of which textiles played a major role.
The Textile Museum
Through Sept. 25
Chinese Mountains of Immortality: A Focused Look
This three-object installation examines Chinese mountain imagery by placing an ancient incense burner next to two later mountain paintings.
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Through Sept. 25
Where Gods and Mortals Meet: Continuity and Renewal in Urhobo Art
Some 80 works of traditional art, including monumental wood figures and masks, summarize 40 years of research on the Urhobo culture.
National Museum of African Art
Through Sept. 25
Women and Blues
In “Amalia Amaki: Boxes, Buttons and the Blues,” Amaki turns found objects, photographs and quilts into playful visual puns. The exhibit is complemented by “Women in Blues and Jazz,” comprises approximately 45 photographs focusing on the musical achievement of such female blues and jazz performers.
National Museum of Women in the Arts
Through Sept. 30
The Illuminated Year
This exhibit features facsimile manuscript pages from the 15th-century Borso d’Este Bible illuminated by Taddeo Crivelli.
Pope John Paul II Cultural Center
Through Oct. 2
Irving Penn: Platinum Prints
Since the early 1960s, American photographer Irving Penn has made a limited number of platinum prints of his most celebrated photographs, 95 of which are on display here.
National Gallery of Art
Through Nov. 6
M.L. Van Nice: The Library at Wadi ben Dagh
M.L. Van Nice’s whimsical installation—comprising altered books and handmade artist’s books—invites the viewer to explore the richness of literature.
National Museum of Women in the Arts
Through Nov. 11
Riverbirds and Rainforests: Paintings by Valentina DuBasky
Inspired by her recent travels along the Silk Road into the cases and rainforests of Southeast Asia, Valentina DuBasky creates a body of richly layered paintings that feature themes of flora and fauna.
National Academy of Sciences
Through Dec. 4
Eva Zeisel: The Playful Search for Beauty
This first survey of Eva Zeisel’s work in 20 years examines the eminent designers work while paying special attention to lesser-known periods of her career, including her years in the Soviet Union.
Hillwood Museum and Gardens
Through Dec. 31
The Initiated Eye: Secrets, Symbols, Freemasonry and the Architecture of Washington, D.C.
Discover the little-known contribution of Freemasonry to American culture and history, and specifically the design of the nation’s capital.
The Octagon Museum
Through Jan. 15
Gods and Empire: Huari Cermonial Textiles
This outstanding collection of tapestry-woven Huari-style textures featuring colorful and distinctive iconography date back to the seventh and eighth centuries, when the Huari Empire conquered a vast area of what constitutes modern-day Peru.
The Textile Museum
Through Feb. 20
Winslow Homer in the National Gallery of Art
Exceptional oil paintings, watercolors, drawings and prints by distinguished American artist Winslow Homer have been selected from the gallery’s extensive holdings.
National Gallery of Art
DISCUSSIONS
Tue., Aug. 2, 6:30 p.m.
Polygraph Interrogation 101
Join retired senior polygraph examiner John F. Sullivan as he exposes the secrets of the polygraph—its history, uses and abuses. Tickets are $20 or $16 for members of the Spy Ring.
International Spy Museum
Wed., Aug. 3, 6:30 p.m.
Allure of Pearls
Jeffrey Post, curator at the National Museum of Natural History, presents a lecture on the exhibition “The Allure of Pearls,” which features some of the world’s rarest, largest and most spectacular pearls ever assembled in one place. Tickets are $28 or $22 for Smithsonian members and can be purchased by calling (202) 357-3030 or visiting www.residentassociates.org.
National Museum of Natural History
Wed., Aug. 10, 6:30 p.m.
Hooked on Salmon: The World’s Favorite Fish
Chef Paul Luna celebrates the publication of “Salmon: A Cookbook” with author Diane Morgan and an all-salmon dinner at the Oval Room, Washington’s power-dining oasis. Tickets are $141 or $95 for
Smithsonian members and can be purchased by calling (202) 357-3030 or visiting www.residentassociates.org.
Oval Room
Thu., Aug. 11, 7 p.m.
Location, Location, Location: A Champagne and Port Wine Tasting
Experts from the Center for Wine Origins, which was founded to remind us that location matters when it comes to wine, lead participants on a tasting of champagne and port wine. Tickets are $56 or $45 for Smithsonian members and can be purchased by calling (202) 357-3030 or visiting www.residentassociates.org.
S. Dillon Ripley Center
Tue., Aug. 16, 6:30 p.m.
Meet Chef Jamie Stachowski
Meet chef Jamie Stachowski of Restaurant Kolumbia, the new showcase for his French-influenced contemporary American food that blends tradition and innovation. Tickets are $131 or $85 for Smithsonian members and can be purchased by calling (202) 357-3030 or visiting www.residentassociates.org.
Restaurant Kolumbia
Thu., Aug. 25, 12 p.m.
Her Majesty’s Spymaster: Elizabeth I, Sir Francis Walsingham and the Birth of Modern Espionage
Military historian Stephen Budiansky discusses the life of Sir Francis Walsingham, Queen Elizabeth I’s principal secretary and England’s first spymaster, and his pioneering use of double agents, code breaking and disinformation in defense of his queen.
International Spy Museum
Thu., Aug. 25, 7 p.m.
Latinos in the Game of Baseball
Tim Wendel tells the stories of such baseball stars as Roberto Clemente, Orlando Cepeda, Pedro Martinez, Sammy Sosa and Alex Rodriguez in a slide-show presentation. This event is free but tickets are required and can be purchased by calling (202) 357-3030 or visiting www.residentassociates.org.
Herndon Middle School, Va.
FESTIVALS
Aug. 12 to 14
National Powwow
The National Museum of the American Indian presents Native American dancing and drumming competitions, with native foods and arts and crafts available for sale. Tickets are $12.
MCI Center
Through Sept. 2
Live! On Woodrow Wilson Plaza
This free summer performance series, now in its fifth year, features hot entertainment ranging from salsa to swing in a cool café atmosphere every Wednesday from noon to 1:30 p.m. August’s offerings include “Tango Dreams” by Caritango (Aug. 10), “Visions of Jazz” by Funky Fusion (Aug. 23) and the City Dance Ensemble (Aug. 31). For more information, please call (202) 312-1300 or visit www.itcdc.com.
Woodrow Wilson Plaza
THEATER
Through Aug. 7
Crowns
With soulful, spiritual music, the “hat queens” of the South weave their storied lives into the straw, silk, wool and lace that adorn their heads. Tickets are $49 to $68.
Arena Stage
Through Aug. 7
The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow
Jennifer Marcus and her robot replica, “Jenny Chow,” face off when she discovers that her creation has a mind of her own. Tickets are $25 to $48.
The Studio Theatre
Through Aug. 7
Potomac Theatre Festival 2005
The Potomac Theatre Project’s summer repertory presents three riveting political plays that illuminate current social and cultural issues through vibrant, offbeat productions. Tickets are $10.
Olney Theatre Center
Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre Lab
Through Aug. 21
Cinderella
Classika Theatre opens its new production of the classic fairytale, combining puppets with live actors to create a style of storytelling that speaks directly to children. Tickets are $12 to $15.
Classika Theatre
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