EVENT CATEGORIES
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ART
Through Nov. 2
Parks and Passages: Art and Public Space in Berlin and Washington
This summer, Provisions Library sent a team of D.C.-based artists and researchers to Berlin to study urban transformation in repurposed places to spark ideas for the redevelopment of Dupont Underground, an abandoned streetcar tunnel beneath D.C.’s Dupont Circle.
Goethe-Institut
Nov. 3 to Jan. 27
Ivan Sigal: White Road
From 1998 to 2005, American photographer Ivan Sigal traveled in Central Asia, using his camera to record the unsettled lives of Eurasians in provincial towns and cities. Using images and text, this unconventional narrative reveals a diverse population adapting to extraordinary times.
Corcoran Gallery of Art
Through Nov. 4
Argentine Fall Salon 2012
This annual salon features cutting-edge artists from Argentina, with this year’s roster spotlighting Delia Cordone, Analía Jaimovich, Carla Nano, Ana Rendich and Marcela Siniego, among others.
Embassy of Argentina
Nov. 7 to Jan. 30
Big Bang by Franco Lippi
According to chief curator Alfredo Ratinoff, “Franco Lippi’s ‘Big Bang’ is a statement through which he reveals the moment at which everything came to be, in which everything is possible, each suspended in time for us to explore the immensity of his works.”
Embassy of Argentina
Through Nov. 9
BALGO: Contemporary Australian Art from the Balgo Hills
A riot of color and energy, “BALGO” explores the stories, lives and history of the Kukatja speakers in the small western Australian community of Balgo Hills, whose artists are renowned for their vivid palettes that blend the spiritual with the political, and the abstract with representations of landscapes.
Embassy of Australia
Nov. 10 to Feb. 10
NOW at the Corcoran – Enoc Perez: Utopia
Enoc Perez’s lushly figured paintings of modernist buildings at once exploit and question the seductions of architecture as well as painting itself.
Corcoran Gallery of Art
Nov. 10 to Feb. 24
Taryn Simon: A Living Man Declared Dead and Other Chapters I-XVIII
Taryn Simon produced this 18-chapter series over a four-year period (2008-11), during which she traveled around the world researching and recording bloodlines and their related stories.
Corcoran Gallery of Art
Through Nov. 11
Cultural Material
Artists Bongsang Cho, Jiyoung Chung and Sang Joon Park, working in metal, paper and ceramics respectively, each derive their vibrant creations from materials and techniques native to Korea, and were selected for inclusion in the prestigious Smithsonian Craft Show in 2012.
Korean Cultural Center
Through Nov. 12
Nomads and Networks: The Ancient Art and Culture of Kazakhstan
Recently conducted scientific excavations provide a fascinating look into the nomadic culture of the ancient peoples of Kazakhstan, with more than 150 spectacular finds from this vast Central Asian nation challenging traditional views of the nomadic societies that thrived thousands of years ago.
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Through Nov. 13
Evalds Dajevskis: Place, Art and Identity
This retrospective of Evalds Dajevskis — encompassing works painted between 1938 and 1989 in Latvia, Germany and the U.S. — explores the Latvian artist’s roots in the traditions of the ancient Baltic peoples, the 20th-century Latvian experience of displaced persons in both Europe and the United States, as well as Dajevskis’s film and theater career as a scenic artist on Broadway.
Embassy of Latvia
Through Nov. 15
Rendez-vous in the Gardens
The D.C. opening of the traveling exhibit “Photographing Gardens, 1851 to 1987” (on its way to the French Embassy in Berlin) presents a selection of 50 photographs from 1851 to 1987 from the collections of the Médiatheque de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine (architecture and heritage media center).
La Maison Française
Through Nov. 16
Once Upon a Time in Almería
During the 1960s and 1970s, the region of Almeria, Spain, was host to dozens of filmmakers who constructed elaborate movie sets, invoking locations from the American Southwest to Bedouin Arabia for films such as “Cleopatra” and “Patton.” D.C.-based photographer Mark Parascandola revisits the architecture and locations used in these classic films over the years.
Embassy of Spain
Nov. 17 to Feb. 24
Roads of Arabia: Archaeology and History of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
An eye-opening look at the largely unknown ancient past of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, this exhibition draws on recently excavated archaeological material from sites throughout the Arabian Peninsula, tracing the impact of ancient trade routes and pilgrimage roads stretching from Yemen in the south to Iraq, Syria and Mediterranean cultures in the north.
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Through Nov. 18
Sarnari: Fragments
Self-taught painter and Rome native Franco Sarnari sets up a close dialogue with the old masters with his contemporary artwork, but always focuses on the tensions, fears and hopes, joyful bliss and terrible anxiety of our times. On view by appointment; reservations can be made by emailing iicwashington@esteri.it
Italian Cultural Institute
Through Dec. 2
The Image of Strindberg
Today, 100 years after the death of Swedish dramatist and author August Strindberg (1849-1912), there are many different images of the man: genius, madman, jealous man, woman hater, anarchist, vain man, vagabond and brazen man. But who was August Strindberg and how do we remember Sweden’s most famous writer and dramatist?
House of Sweden
Through Dec. 9
African Cosmos: Stellar Arts
In the first major exhibition to explore the historical legacy of African cultural astronomy and its intersection with traditional and contemporary African arts, some 100 objects consider how the sun, moon and stars and celestial phenomena such as lightning and rainbows serve as sources of inspiration in the creation of African art from ancient times to the present.
National Museum of African Art
Through Dec. 16
Revelation: Major Paintings by Jules Olitski
“Revelation” draws together more than 30 monumental canvases by Russian-born artist Jules Olitski, renowned as one of America’s last classic modern painters.
American University Katzen Arts Center
Through Dec. 29
Dan Steinhilber: Marlin Underground
Dan Steinhilber, known for his ability to transform mundane materials into extraordinary experiences of art, presents a new body of work in response to architect Philip Johnson’s celebrated design for the Kreeger home as a space for art and musical performance.
The Kreeger Museum
Through Dec. 30
Growing up AFRO: Snapshots of Black Childhood from the Afro-American Newspapers
In honor of the 120th anniversary of the Afro-American Newspapers, this pictorial exhibition features 120 images from the AFRO’s archive collections that demonstrate the vital role young people played in African American history.
Reginald F. Lewis Museum in Baltimore, Md.
Through Dec. 30
Prêt-à-Papier: The Exquisite Art of Isabelle de Borchgrave
A selection of iconic costumes and haute couture dresses — reflecting the rich history of fashion in European paintings and designs of the grand couturiers — are reinterpreted in trompe l’oeil paper masterpieces by Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchgrave.
Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens
Through Dec. 31
Imperial Augsburg: Renaissance Prints and Drawings, 1475–1540
Focusing on drawings, prints, illustrated books and innovative printing techniques, this exhibition — the first of its kind in America — serves as an introduction to Augsburg, which enjoyed a golden age in the late 15th and early 16th centuries.
National Gallery of Art
Through Dec. 31
The Serial Portrait: Photography and Identity in the Last One Hundred Years
Some 150 works reveal how 20 photographers responded to older portrait conventions and imagined new ones by exploring the same subjects — primarily friends, family, and themselves — over the course of days, months, or decades.
National Gallery of Art
Through Jan. 6
Dragons, Nagas, and Creatures of the Deep
In the Spirit of the East Asian calendar’s Year of the Dragon, this exhibition highlights objects drawn from cultures as diverse as the ancient Mediterranean world, imperial China and contemporary South America, portraying dragons as everything from fire-breathing beasts to beneficent water gods.
The Textile Museum
Through Jan. 6
Per Kirkeby: Paintings and Sculpture
One of Europe’s most celebrated living artists, Per Kirkeby is a Danish painter, sculptor, geologist, filmmaker, writer and poet. In the most comprehensive display of his work in the U.S. to date, 26 richly layered paintings and 11 striking bronze models reveal Kirkeby’s belief that art, like science, is constantly in flux.
The Phillips Collection
Through Jan. 6
Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power
Organized by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, the exhibition highlights the flashpoints, the firsts, the celebrated, and the lesser-known women who have influenced the genre from its inception through today.
National Museum of Women in the Arts
Through Jan. 13
Dark Matters
“Dark Matters” brings together works from the Hirshhorn’s collection that draw upon the associations and implications of darkness and its notions of mortality, silence, solitude and loss.
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Through Jan. 13
Picturing the Sublime: Photographs from the Joseph and Charlotte Lichtenberg Collection
Eleven photographs document how artists use the camera to capture the sublime beauty and human destruction of the natural world.
The Phillips Collection
Through Jan. 13
Ripple Effect: Currents of Social Engaged Art
In this collaborative project, artists instigate conversations on broad themes such as environmentalism, social justice and immigration, while providing poetic and often concrete solutions, exploring specific social issues as the environmental blight of illegal dumping, the social stratification of D.C., and the ongoing struggle against violence in Mexico.
OAS Art Museum of the Americas
Through Jan. 13
Roy Lichtenstein: A Retrospective
In the first major exhibition since Roy Lichtenstein’s death in 1997, more than 100 of the artist’s greatest paintings from all periods of his career will be presented along with a selection of related drawings and sculptures.
National Gallery of Art
Through Jan. 27
Shock of the News
This exhibit traces how visual artists in Europe and America after the turn of the 20th century began to think about the newspaper more broadly — as a means of political critique, as a collection of ready-made news to appropriate or manipulate, a source of language and images, a typographical grab bag, and more.
National Gallery of Art
Through Jan. 30
Beyond
A photographer, writer, filmmaker, book designer, and exhibitions producer, Michael Benson’s work focuses on the intersection of art and science in large-scale exhibitions of planetary landscape, mostly under the title “Beyond.” He takes raw data from NASA and European Space Agency archives and individual spacecraft frames to produce seamless, large-format digital prints of landscapes currently beyond direct human experience.
Embassy of Slovenia
Through Feb. 10
Shadow Sites: Recent Work by Jananne Al-Ani
Inspired by archival archaeological and aerial photographs, as well as contemporary news, Jananne Al-Ani’s video works examine enduring representations of the Middle Eastern landscape.
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Through Feb. 24
Enlightened Beings: Buddhism in Chinese Painting
Buddhism arrived in China during the first century and quickly grew in popularity, exerting a profound impact on all aspects of Chinese art and culture.
Freer Gallery of Art
Through Feb. 24
Lalla Essaydi: Revisions
Lalla Essaydi, a Moroccan-born, New York-based artist, pushes the boundaries of Arab, Muslim and African perceptions of women’s identities with her art, which includes themes of feminism, gender, identity and the private inner lives of women while drawing on Arabic calligraphy for its decorative and communicative potential.
National Museum of African Art
Through February 2013
Ai Weiwei: According to What?
This major survey of Ai Weiwei, one of China’s most prolific and provocative artists, aims to reveal the rich and varied contexts that he has interwoven within the broad spectrum of his work, from sculpture, photography and video to site-specific architectural installations.
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Through March 10
The Sultan’s Garden: The Blossoming of Ottoman Art
More than 50 sumptuous textiles and other works of art illustrate the stylized floral designs that became synonymous with the wealth, abundance and influence of one of the world’s greatest empires.
The Textile Museum
Through March 16
Words Like Sapphires: 100 Years of Hebraica at the Library of Congress
A century ago, New York philanthropist Jacob H. Schiff purchased an initial collection of nearly 10,000 Hebrew books and pamphlets for the Library of Congress. This gift formed the nucleus of what is today one of the world’s greatest collections of Hebraic materials, comprising some 200,000 items.
Library of Congress
Through March 31
Pissarro on Paper
French Impressionist painter Camille Pissarro first tried printmaking in his early thirties, and though he never stopped painting, printing became vital to his artistic enterprise.
National Gallery of Art
DANCE
Nov. 3 to 4
Bayanihan – The National Folk Dance Company of The Philippines
The Bayanihan Dance Company offers a program titled “Philippinescape,” consisting of five dance suites that portray different aspects of Philippine life, history and culture. Tickets are $25 to $95.
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater
Through Nov. 4
The Washington Ballet: Dracula
The Washington Ballet presents Michael Pink’s chilling blockbuster “Dracula,” a wildly theatrical and voluptuous ballet that’s also a breathtaking story of passion, yearning, cruelty and sacrifice. Tickets are $25 to $125.
Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater
Fri., Nov. 9, 8 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 10, 8 p.m.
Sun., Nov. 11, 4 p.m.
Shaolin Warriors: Voices of the Masters
In a spectacular new production, these dynamic warriors from the Far East bring the exhilarating movement and sparkling imagery of the ancient art of kung fu to the stage. Tickets are 24 to $48.
George Mason University Center for the Arts (Nov. 10-11)
Hylton Performing Arts Center (Nov. 9)
Nov. 24 and 25; Nov. 29 to Dec. 23
The Nutcracker
The Washington Ballet’s adaptation of this beloved ballet tells the story of a little girl named Clara who is given a magical nutcracker at a Christmas Eve in her family’s 1882 Georgetown mansion, leading her on a wondrous journey filled with the Snow Queen and King, Sugar Plum Fairy, cherry blossoms, Anacostia Indians, a frontiersman, cardinals and more. Tickets are $30 to $101.
THEARC Theater (Nov. 24-25)
Warner Theater (Nov. 29-Dec. 23)
DISCUSSIONS
Thu., Nov. 1, 6 p.m.
Enrico Elisi and Alessandra Marc
As part of “A Celebration of Italian Art, Music and Film,” jointly presented by the Italian Cultural Institute and the National Gallery of Art, David Gariff gives a lecture on post-World War II Italian art and the paintings of Franco Sarnari, followed by a concert by Enrico Elisi and Alessandra Marc at 7 p.m.
Italian Cultural Institute
Wed., Nov. 7, 6 p.m.
Post-Election Transatlantic Relations
Following the U.S. election, this off-the-record panel discussions will examine transatlantic relations with Heather Conley of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Charles Kupchan of the Council on Foreign Relations, William Danvers, majority staff director of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and other experts. Admission is free but a reservation is required.
La Maison Française
Mon., Nov. 12, 7 p.m.
Le Studio: Wine Tasting 101
The Saint-Emilion region — the world-famous right bank of Bordeaux — is the subject of this monthly Tour de France wine tasting soirée, as veteran wine journalist Claire Morin-Gibourg explores the regions and vineyards in France, as well as tasting techniques. Tickets are $70.
La Maison Française
FESTIVALS
Nov. 2 to Nov. 5
Ninth Annual Fall Festival of Indian Arts
A diverse and international roster of artists will join Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh Dance Company for the company’s signature ninth annual Fall Festival of Indian Arts D.C., featuring several dance performances, a peace concert, a poetry performance, a film screening, panel discussions and workshops with the guest artists. For information, visit www.dakshina.org.
Various locations
Sat., Nov. 3, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Kids Euro Family Day
Bring the family for a day of fun at the Swedish Embassy as part of the Kids Euro Festival 2012, including the play “Max” based on Barbro Lindgren’s books, a kids reading corner, Little Red House on the Potomac, photo booth with Swedish features, craft station and a Swedish fish pond and movie screening for older children.
House of Sweden
Fri., Nov. 9, 7 p.m.
Champagne Gala
The French Embassy hosts an evening of sophisticated elegance with tastings from a variety of Champagne houses, including Gosset, Perrier-Jouët, Monopole and many others, as well as gourmet food from restaurants such as Bistrop Lepic and Café Dupont, along with a silent auction. Tickets are $165 for VIP admission at 7 p.m., or $85 for after-hours admission at 8:30 p.m.
La Maison Française
Wed., Nov. 14, 7 p.m.
Azerbaijani Cultural Event: A Night in Washington with Friends from Baku
The Azerbaijan America Alliance presents a gala dinner and an evening with government officials, business leaders, scholars and media to celebrate Azerbaijani music, dance and food, with performances by Natig Rhythm Group, Mensum Ibrahimov and others. Admission is complimentary with invitation. For information, call (202) 756-4547, e-mail events@azerbaijanamericaalliance.org or visit http://azerbaijanamericaalliance.org.
The Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
Through Nov. 14
Kids Euro Festival
Kids Euro Festival is the largest children’s performing arts festival in the United States, with more than 200 free, family-friendly, European-themed events throughout the Washington area. Designed for children ages 2 to 12 and their families, Kids Euro Festival unites the 27 embassies of the European Union and nearly 30 American cultural institutions, all of whom work together to transform the capital region into an action-packed cultural adventure for young people. For a schedule of events, visit www.kidseurofestival.org.
Various locations
MUSIC
Fri., Nov. 2, 7:30 p.m.
Caroline Calleja, Piano
Caroline Calleja started her musical education at the age of 4 and has gone on to become the first-prize winner of various competitions, including the Bice Mizzi Vassallo Competition (1995 and 1997) and the Tchaikovsky Piano Award (2000). Tickets are $75, including buffet reception; for information, visit www.embassyseries.org.
Embassy of Slovenia
Thu., Nov. 8, 7 p.m.
Francesca Hurst in Concert
From 18th-century Italy to 21st-century America, through Germany, Poland and Hungary, Francesca Hurst performas a rare selection of piano masterpieces marked by poetic depth and shining virtuosity (doors open at 6:15 p.m.).
Italian Cultural Institute
Thu., Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m.
Gerdan-Kaleidoscope of World Music
Back by popular demand, the Gerdan ensemble fuses Ukrainian folk traditions with fascinating arrangements of classical, jazz, samba and tango music. Tickets are $80, including buffet reception; for information, visit www.embassyseries.org.
Embassy of Ukraine
Thu., Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m.
Smooth Jazz with Anders Holst
Swedish singer and smooth jazz songwriter Anders Holst performs his show “The man inside the song,” featuring original tracks as well as innovative covers of songs by Michael Jackson, the Beatles and Simply Red. Tickets are $15.
House of Sweden
Sat., Nov. 10, 8 p.m.
Gilberto Gil
Gilberto Gil has developed a career that has spanned four decades with more than 30 albums released, multiple Grammy Awards, and 5 million records sold. His latest project, “For All,” reinvents the folkloric, celebratory Baião music of northeast Brazil. Tickets are $35 to $75.
GW Lisner Auditorium
Sun., Nov. 11, 7:30 p.m.
Between Two Worlds: Jewish Voices in Modern European Music
Pro Musica Hebraica’s fall concert examines the shared experience of a formidable generation of Jewish composers who passed from the vibrant world of fin-de-siecle Vienna, Prague, Berlin and Paris into the heart of Europe’s 20th-century terrors. Tickets are $38.
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater
Wed., Nov. 14, 7:30 p.m.
Jesús Reina, Violin
Edvinas Minkstimas, Piano
Jesús Reina has been hailed by critics as a violinist “with a beautiful sound characterized by true musicality, temperament and charisma” (El Pais). Tickets are $160, including dinner buffet; for information, visit www.embassyseries.org.
European Union Residence
Sun., Nov. 18, 7 p.m.
Claude Debussy – Clair de Lune and Beyond
Part of the “Keyboard Conversations” series, Jeffrey Siegel delves into the aural delights of Claude Debussy, the renowned French composer whose dreamy, beautiful music evokes vivid and sensuous imagery. Tickets are $19 to $38.
George Mason University Center for the Arts
Sat., Nov. 24, 8 p.m.
Sun., Nov. 25, 4 p.m.
A Chanticleer Christmas
This Grammy-winning kicks off the holidays with a festive program showcasing Gregorian chants, motets, revered sacred works, traditional English and European carols, and American folk hymns. Tickets are $32 to $48.
George Mason University Center for the Arts (Nov. 24)
Hylton Performing Arts Center (Nov. 25)
THEATER
Fri., Nov. 2, 8 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 3, 8 p.m.
Amarillo
This multi-media performance piece directed by Jorge A. Vargas and by members of Teatro Linea de Sombra from Mexico explores issues of migration and its repercussion on the human condition. Tickets are $20.
GALA Hispanic Theatre
Nov. 2 to Jan. 6
My Fair Lady
When Professor Henry Higgins wagers he can transform a Cockney flower girl into an aristocratic lady, he never guesses that Eliza Doolittle will in turn transform him. Tickets are $45 to $94.
Arena Stage
Through Nov. 3
Trespassing: The Visitor & The Peephole
Ambassador Theater presents two one-act plays written by Egyptian playwright Alfred Farag that unfold into madcap tales of justice, fate, insecurities, deception, social status, power and a murdered body that keeps disappearing. Tickets are $30; for information, visit www.aticc.org.
Mead Theater Lab at Flashpoint
Nov. 8 to Dec. 2
Woody Sez: The Life & Music of Woodie Guthrie
“Woody Sez” celebrates the legend of American folk legend Woody Guthrie, “America’s greatest ballad maker,” whose music continues to inspire today’s finest storytelling songwriters including Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and the Indigo Girls.Tickets start at $35.
Washington DCJCC
Through Nov. 11
Dirt
British playwright Bryony Lavery’s “Dirt” follows five lives as they sprawl and intersect: Harper is about to die. Elle is her waitress. Matt will eventually sleep with them both. May tries to get through a lecture in quantum physics without her cell going off, and Guy is a healer and, well, a guy. Tickets are $20.
The Studio Theatre
Through Nov. 11
War Horse
Winner of five Tony Awards, “War Horse” is a powerfully moving and imaginative drama brought to life by astonishing life-size puppets of horses that are strong enough for men to ride. Tickets are $25 to $175.
Kennedy Center Opera House
Nov. 14 to Dec. 9
The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart
The Shakespeare Theatre Company brings a second production from the National Theatre of Scotland to D.C. audiences, a play inspired by the Border Ballads of Scotland that follows an academic on her supernatural and affirming Midwinter’s Eve journey through a world of Scottish nostalgia. Tickets are $55.
DuPont Circle’s Bier Baron Tavern
Nov. 14 to Dec. 30
Cinderella
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic musical “Cinderella” adds warmth and a touch of hilarity to the enduing fairytale. Tickets are $26 to $54.
Olney Theatre Center
Through Nov. 17
15th International Festival of Hispanic Theatre
Teatro de la Luna presents the 15th International Festival of Hispanic Theatre featuring “Otelo… Sniff (Othello… Sniff)” from the Dominican Republic, “Jesucristo (Jesus Christ)” from Argentina, “Cartas de las Golondrinas (Letters from the Swallows)” from Spain and other works from Ecuador, Venezuela and the United States. Tickets are $35; for information, visit www.teatrodelaluna.org.
Gunston Arts Center – Theater Two
Nov. 20 to 25
Jekyll & Hyde
“American Idol” finalist and Tony nominee Constantine Maroulis (“Rock of Ages”) joins with Grammy Award nominee and R&B superstar Deborah Cox in this thrilling revival of Frank Wildhorn and Leslie Bricusse’s musical. Tickets are $25 to $115.
Kennedy Center Opera House
Through Nov. 25
Conference of the Birds
In this fable based on a 12th-century Persian poem that ponders the search for the divine and the quest for truth, the birds of the world take flight on an extraordinary pilgrimage to find their king. Tickets are $40 to $68.
Folger Shakespeare Library
Through Nov. 25
Dying City
One year after his identical twin brother’s suspicious death in Iraq, Peter shows up unannounced at his sister-in-law Kelly’s apartment. Having not spoken since the funeral, Peter and Kelly face off in a passive-aggressive battle rooted in half-truths and betrayal. Please call for ticket information.
Signature Theatre
Nov. 30 to Dec. 30
A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas
Rediscover the vibrancy and joy of this immortal classic as Dickens originally intended — in his own words — and experience his unforgettable characters and imagery in a masterful solo performance by Olney Theatre Center favorite Paul Morella. Tickets are $26.
Olney Theatre Center