EVENT CATEGORIES

ART

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
Very Like a Whale
Rare books and manuscripts from the Folger collection are juxtaposed with natural objects and the contemporary photography of artist Rosamond Purcell to evoke the restless energy of Shakespeare’s language and capture the real world that shaped his imagination.
Folger Shakespeare Library

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

Jan. 11 to Feb. 22
The Points That Bring Us from Here to There
The mapping-focused work of Michael Dax Iacovone and Kathryn Zazenski map spaces and experiences, with Iacovone chronicling his journey driving across the 123 bridges that span the Mississippi River, while Zazenski presents maps from time spent in Haukijärvi, Finland, Washington, D.C., and Beijing, China.
Honfleur Gallery

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

Jan. 19 to July 7
One Man’s Search for Ancient China: The Paul Singer Collection
New Jersey psychiatrist-turned-collector Paul Singer’s bequest to the Sackler Gallery created one of the largest Chinese archaeological collections in the United States. This exhibition looks at the collector’s contributions to Chinese art history — made largely at a time when contact between China and the West was heavily restricted — and examines how landmark archaeological discoveries have shed new light on his acquisitions and on ancient China.
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

Through 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 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

Jan. 27
Color, Line, Light: French Drawings, Watercolors, and Pastels from Delacroix to Signac
Some 100 drawings and watercolors from the James T. Dyke collection showcase the broad development of modern draftsmanship in France, from romanticism and realism through the impressionists, Nabis, and neo-impressionists.
National Gallery of Art

Through Jan. 28
Love and War
Award-winning painter Anastasia Rurikov Simes, who received the Helen Hays Award for Outstanding Costume Design in 2011 for her work with the Synetic Theater, composes rich, bold paintings that touch on her subjects of love and war with beautiful complexity and depth.
International Visions Gallery

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 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 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

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. 15
Heavenly Jade of the Maya
Rare jade jewelry and objects from recent archaeological discoveries commemorate the ending of the Maya calendar cycle (Dec. 21, 2012) and the beginning of a new era. The Mesoamerican civilization studied the movement of the stars for centuries and constructed a conceptual foundation to explain the relation between the individual and the cosmos. This exhibit displays the creative wealth worn by powerful nobles to keep their rituals and beliefs alive, since the Maya considered jade more precious than gold.
Inter-American Development Bank Cultural Center

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 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 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 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 2
Luces y Sombras: Fourteen Travelers in Mexico
The 20th century saw many internationally acclaimed photographers travel through Mexico to document the country from their unique perspectives. This exhibition focuses on 20 hand-pulled photogravures comprising Paul Strand’s seminal 1933 “Mexican Portfolio,” along with renowned photographers Edward Weston, Wayne Miller, Aaron Siskind and others who captured the sociopolitical realities, local architecture, and startling landscapes of 20th-century Mexico through a patently American lens. And accompanying exhibit, “Visions of Mexico: The Photography of Hugo Brehme,” presents 40 works from Hugo Brehme on loan from the Throckmorton Gallery in New York City.
Mexican Cultural Institute

Through March 3
Michelangelo’s David-Apollo
The presentation of the “David-Apollo,” a marble statue by Michelangelo lent to the National Gallery of Art by the Museo Nazionale del Bargello in Florence, opens the nationwide celebration “2013-The Year of Italian Culture.”
National Gallery of Art

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

Jan. 11 to 12
Qingming Riverside
Inspired by the most important scroll painting in Chinese art history — “Along the River during the Qingming Festival” — the Hong Kong Dance Company’s epic dance spectacle “Qingming Riverside” animates this prosperous era of Chinese history, depicting life in the early 12th-century Northern Song dynasty. Tickets are $10 to $180.
Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater

Jan. 18 to 27
The National Ballet of Canada: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
The National Ballet of Canada brings an outrageous, eye-popping theatrical production of Lewis Carroll’s perpetually winsome children’s classic, choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon of Britain. Tickets are $45 to $150.
Kennedy Center Opera House

DISCUSSIONS

Thu., Jan. 10, 6:45 p.m.
Embroidering History: The Bayeux Tapestry and the Norman Conquest
The conquest of England by Duke William of Normandy was captured in arresting imagery on a piece of linen measuring more than 270 feet long, known as the Bayeux Tapestry. This unique panel brings alive the year 1066 as it recounts the last foreign invasion of England. Tickets are $42; for information, visit www.smithsonianassociates.org.
S. Dillon Ripley Center

Fri., Jan. 13, 8 p.m.
Let’s Talk Hair
The Sanaa Circle presents a fundraiser panel discussion and hair show in support of the National Museum of African Art featuring a talk moderated by Constance White, editor in chief of Essence magazine, on hair and its connections with African and African American identity, African art, and its role as a canvas for expression, personal beauty and health. Tickets are $50 in advance and $75 at the door ($150 for VIP tickets).
National Museum of African Art

Thu., Jan. 17, 6:45 p.m.
Faith and Form: The Art and Architecture of the Synagogue
The tumultuous history of the Jewish people, often marked by exile and persecution, precluded the emergence of a distinctive style of religious architecture. Yet the myriad nations in which these communities of faith have taken root during the past two millennia have left their mark on their places of worship. Tickets are $42; for information, visit www.smithsonianassociates.org.
S. Dillon Ripley Center

Wed., Jan. 23, 6:45 p.m.
Ernst Herzfeld’s Archaeological Journeys: From the Ancient Near East to Washington
What must it have been like to be the first archaeologist to explore ancient Persepolis in Iran or Samarra in Iraq? German scholar Ernst Herzfeld was the first to explore these places between 1911 and 1913. Curator Alexander Nagel tells the fascinating story of Herzfeld’s early work and presents a selection of his amazing archival photos and documents. Tickets are $25; for information, visit www.smithsonianassociates.org.
S. Dillon Ripley Center

Thu., Jan. 24, 6:30 p.m.
Amidst the Beauty: Exploring Lalla Essaydi: Revisions
In this “Mingle at the Museum” event, the sights, sounds, and flavors of Morocco provide the atmosphere for a private viewing of “Lalla Essaydi: Revisions,” a striking collection of works that challenge stereotypes and perceptions about identity among Muslim women. Tickets are $50; for information, visit www.smithsonianassociates.org.
National Museum of African Art

Sat., Jan. 26, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Kyoto: Ancient Imperial Capital
Explore the rich history of Kyoto from its founding in 794 as Heiankyo, capital of Japan’s Heian emperors, through its years as the religious and cultural center of Japanese society, to its modern-day reincarnation. Tickets are $130; for information, visit www.smithsonianassociates.org.
S. Dillon Ripley Center

FESTIVALS

Jan. 26 to 27
Hylton in the Highlands: A Festival of Scotland
This inaugural two-day festival will feature a performance by acclaimed Scottish fiddler Bonnie Rideout, a bagpipe and drumming master class, Scottish country dancing demonstrations, a showcase of authentic Scottish crafts, a children’s passport to Scotland with Mid-Atlantic Scots 4 Tots, Scottish history presentations, whisky tastings, afternoon tea and more. For information, visit HyltonCenter.org/scottish/.
George Mason University
Hylton Performing Arts Center

MUSIC

Jan. 23 to 25
Schubert/Mozart Birthday Celebrations
The Embassy Series presents three concerts to celebrate two of Austria’s genius composers, Mozart and Schubert, featuring chamber, piano and vocal works by Mendelssohn Piano Trio, violist Michael Stepniak and more. Tickets are $55 per concert, including reception, or $150 for all three performances; for information, visit www.embassyseries.org.
Embassy of Austria

Sat., Jan. 26, 8 p.m.
Lark String Quarte+
The Lark String Quarte+ returns to Dumbarton Concerts to celebrate the series’ 35th anniversary with a program that includes Hagen’s concert for koto based on the Japanese Genji legend. Tickets are $33.
Dumbarton Church in Georgetown

Sat., Jan. 26, 2 and 8 p.m.,
Sun., Jan. 27, 4 p.m.
The Black Watch and the Band of the Scots Guards
Experience the pageantry of British military tradition and history when two esteemed military ensembles — the Black Watch and the Band of the Scots Guards — take the stage in full military regalia, showcasing the distinctive sounds of bagpipes and brass, high-spirited Scottish sword dances, energetic highland dancing and grand regimental marching. Tickets are $25 to $50.
George Mason University Center for the Arts (Jan. 26)
Hylton Performing Arts Center (Jan. 27)

Sun., Jan. 27, 7:30 p.m.
Washington Performing Arts Society: Vilde Frang
Norwegian violinist Vilde Frang was unanimously awarded the 2012 Credit Suisse Young Artist Award and is noted particularly for her superb musical expression as well as her well-developed virtuosity. Tickets are $35.
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

THEATER

Through Jan. 6
Apples from the Desert
A young Sephardic religious teenager falls for a secular kibbutznik at a dance class in Jerusalem, triggering suspicion in her family; part of the Voices from a Changing Middle East Festival. Tickets start at $35.
Washington DCJCC

Through Jan. 6
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 Jan. 6
Irving Berlin’s ‘White Christmas’
Featuring classic Berlin hits like “Blue Skies” and “How Deep is the Ocean?,” the North American tour of the famous holiday movie tells the story of two buddies putting on a show in a magical Vermont inn and finding their perfect mates in the process. Tickets are $25 to $150.
Kennedy Center Opera House

Through Jan. 6
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Director Ethan McSweeny takes a fresh approach to this well-loved play filled with mismatched lovers who flee to the forest outside Athens, but run into a supernatural squabble that will alter their destinies forever. Tickets are $43 to $105.
Sidney Harman Hall

Through 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 Jan. 6
Pullman Porter Blues
Jam-packed with 12 classic blues songs, “Pullman Porter Blues” is the world-premiere production that reveals the true heroes hidden within every man. Tickets are $45 to $94.
Arena Stage

Through Jan. 6
A Trip to the Moon
Based on the 1902 silent film by Georges Méliès, “A Trip to the Moon” intertwines moon-centric stories and fantastical characters, including astronauts shot to the moon by cannon, a princess who longs to return to her home on the moon, and Soviet space dogs. Tickets are $35 to $55.
Synetic Theater

Jan. 12 to Feb. 3
Boged (Traitor): An Enemy of the People
Emerging from Israel’s social justice movement of the past year, “Boged (Traitor)” is an up-to-the-minute adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s classic play of environmental whistle blowing; part of the Voices from a Changing Middle East Festival. Tickets start at $35.
Washington DCJCC

Jan. 29 to Feb. 10
FELA!
The hit Broadway musical — presented by Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith — returns to the Shakespeare Theatre, bringing to life the true story of legendary Nigerian musician Fela Kuti, whose soulful Afro-beat rhythms ignited a generation. Tickets are $30 to $100.
Sidney Harman Hall

Jan. 31 to March 17
Hughie
Emmy Award-winning actor Richard Schiff (“The West Wing”) plays the title role in Eugene O’Neill’s powerfully focused play about a man whose illusions of a grand lifestyle waver after the death of the stranger who quietly validated his larger-than-life confidence. Please call for ticket information.
Shakespeare Theatre Company