EVENT CATEGORIES

ART

Sept. 1 to Jan. 5
Northern Mannerist Prints from the Kainen Collection
Some 50 works embody the sophisticated imagery, extraordinary stylization and virtuoso technique of the printmaking industry that flourished in the northern Netherlands and at the imperial court of Prague in the late 16th century.
National Gallery of Art

Sept. 1 to Jan. 5
Yes, No, Maybe: Artists Working at Crown Point Press
Featuring 125 working proofs and edition prints produced between 1972 and 2010 at Crown Point Press in San Francisco, one of the most influential printmaking studios of the last half century, “Yes, No, Maybe” goes beyond celebrating the flash of inspiration to examine the artistic process as a sequence of decisions.
National Gallery of Art

Through Sept. 1
Georges Braque and the Cubist Still Life, 1928–1945
Featuring 44 sumptuous canvases, the exhibition charts French cubist master Georges Braque’s (1882-1963) work in the still-life genre — from depictions of intimate interiors in the late 1920s, to vibrant, large-scale canvases in the 1930s, to darker and more personal spaces in the 1940s.
The Phillips Collection

Through Sept. 2
Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes, 1909-1929: When Art Danced with Music
More than 130 original costumes, set designs, paintings, sculptures, prints and drawings, photographs and posters reveal how the Ballets Russes — the most innovative dance company of the 20th century — propelled the performing arts to new heights through groundbreaking collaborations between artists, composers, choreographers, dancers and fashion designers.
National Gallery of Art

Through Sept. 2
Nine Deaths, Two Births: Xu Bing’s Phoenix Project
Chinese artist Xu Bing spent more than two years creating his newest work, “Phoenix Project,” a massive installation that comprises two birds fabricated entirely from materials found at construction sites in Beijing.
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

Sept. 4 to Oct. 18
Brazil, My Brazil: Contrasts of Modernity
Brazilian artist Marília Bulhões offers a contemporary view of her country’s people, natural beauty, modernity and troubles through the prism of both progress, such as aerospace technology and the futuristic architecture of Niemeyer, and ongoing challenges such as slums and deforestation.
Art Museum of the Americas
F Street Gallery

Through Sept. 6
Living Water Paintings
Buenos Aires-born painter Dolores Gomez-Bustillo learned from leading artists across the Americas, including Argentina, Peru and the United States, taking as her inspiration the beauty of simple landscapes and the human form.
Embassy of Argentina

Through Sept. 8
Over, Under, Next: Experiments in Mixed Media, 1913-Present
Butterfly wings, glass shards, doll parts, crumpled automotive metal, jigsaw puzzle pieces, clothing, straight pins, furniture, and colored sand — these are just some of the materials in “Over, Under, Next,” an exhibition of approximately 100 examples of collage and assemblage, primarily drawn from the Hirshhorn’s collection.
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

Through Sept. 13
Seven Points (Part Two)
“Seven Points” is a series of exhibitions that showcase the work of seven Australian contemporary artists: Daniel Boyd, Marley Dawson, Newell Harry, Anna Kristensen, Angelica Mesiti, Kate Mitchell and Tim Silver. Informed by periods of residency internationally, these artists’ works offer alternative points of entry into the diverse conditions of Australian culture.
Embassy of Australia

Sept. 13 to Oct. 22
Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex on the Flight of Birds
One of Italy’s greatest treasures, Leonardo da Vinci’s “Codex on the Flight of Birds,” created circa 1505, shows da Vinci’s interest in human flight by exploring bird flight and behavior. It includes sketches and descriptions of devices and aerodynamic principles related to mechanical flight that predate the invention of the airplane by 400 years.
National Air and Space Museum

Sept. 20 to Oct. 19
Comparisons in Jugendstil and Spanish Mission Private Residences
This exhibit compares two influential residences that share a common artistic impact on their respective cities: the Jugendstil house in Riga, a former artistic residence that is now home to the Riga Art Nouveau Museum, and the historic Alice Pike Barney Studio House, the current home of the Embassy of Latvia in D.C. built by Barney, a patron of the Washington arts scene in the early 20th century.
Latvian Embassy Art Space

Through Sept. 22
Fusion: Tracing Asian Migration to the Americas
Through the permanent collection of the Art Museum of the Americas, one of the most vital sources of contemporary Latin American and Caribbean art in the United States, this exhibition explores the migration of artists or their families to the Americas from Asia during the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century.
Art Museum of the Americas

Through Sept. 22
Bice Lazzari: Signature Line
In collaboration with the Italian Embassy, this exhibit features 25 paintings and drawings by Lazzari (1900-81), one of Italy’s most revered modern artists. Discouraged from studying the figure in art school in the 1910s because of her gender, she became a prominent decorative arts designer who became for her later poetic abstract paintings.
National Museum of Women in the Arts

Through Sept. 27
The Marvelous Real: Colombia Through the Vision of its Artists
This visual tour of 36 pieces by 24 artists highlights the complexities, challenges and singularities of Colombia through the eyes of several of its most important artists, including Edgar Negret, Fanny Sanín and David Manzur.
Inter-American Development Bank Cultural Center

Through Sept. 29
A Book Behind Bars: The Robben Island Shakespeare
Nelson Mandela signed his name next to a passage from “Julius Caesar” in Shakespeare’s “Complete Works” on Dec. 16, 1977, while serving 18 years as a political prisoner at Robben Island. More than 30 of Mandela’s fellow prisoners also signed their names next to passages, documenting a part of their experience through their shared knowledge of Shakespeare. Accompanying the Robben Island Shakespeare book — on display for the first time in the United States — is a series of sketches Mandela made in the early 2000s, reflecting on his prison life.
Folger Shakespeare Library

Through Sept. 29
The Folgers Our Founders
During renovation of the Folger Great Hall, the Folger Shakespeare Library offers a special exhibition in the Founders’ Room celebrating the collecting history of its founders, Henry and Emily Folger.
Folger Shakespeare Library

Through Sept. 29
WAR/PHOTOGRAPHY: Images of Armed Conflict and Its Aftermath
This landmark exhibition revolutionizes our understanding of war, immersing viewers in the experience of soldiers and civilians through images by more than 200 photographers from 28 nations that span conflicts from the past 165 years — from the Mexican-American War through present-day conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Corcoran Gallery of Art

Sept. 29 to Jan. 5
Charles Marville: Photographer of Paris
The first retrospective exhibition in the United States, and the only scholarly catalogue on the renowned 19th-century French photographer Charles Marville (1813-79), presents recent groundbreaking discoveries informing his art and biography, including the versatility of his photographic talents and his true identity, background and family life.
National Gallery of Art

Through Sept. 30
Cardboard City
Three artists from three countries — Germany, the United States and Russia — present their aesthetic representations of the city as memorial and as a form of life. Their art — made using cardboard, a raw, industrial material that is available everywhere in the world — raises questions about that which surrounds and influences us.
Goethe-Institut

Through Oct. 6
NOW at the Corcoran – Ellen Harvey: The Alien’s Guide to the Ruins of Washington, D.C.
Ellen Harvey’s new project is a glimpse into the world of the distant future. Human civilization having long since come to an end, the earth is populated now only by ruins, ripe for archeological interpretation by visitors from another planet. Attempting to make sense of what they find, Harvey’s aliens immediately mine the potential of one of the greatest neo-classical cities — Washington, D.C. — as a tourist destination.
Corcoran Gallery of Art

Through Oct. 6
Peter Coffin: Here & There
Nature, science, pseudoscience, psychological displacement, urban happenstance and what-if brainstorms are among the myriad departure points for the works of New York-based artist Peter Coffin.
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

Through Oct. 13
Out of Southeast Asia: Art that Sustains
The last exhibition presented in the Textile Museum’s historic location before the museum’s 2014 reopening promises to be a beautiful pairing of tradition and innovation, demonstrating how four artists are reinventing traditional Southeast Asian textile techniques, designs and ideology in new and meaningful ways.
The Textile Museum

Through Oct. 15:
Guerrero: 7 Regions of Art and Tradition
The southwest Mexican state of Guerrero is a richly diverse blend of geography and ethnicity that’s home to four major ethnic groups and seven regions, each with their own distinctive artistic culture. These regions celebrate material and immaterial heritage at once both communal and unique, inherent in their archeological sites, churches, parks and plazas. From these shared spaces come the crafts, clothing and artwork that help to underwrite Guerrero’s larger identity.
Mexican Cultural Institute

Through Nov. 10
American People, Black Light: Faith Ringgold’s Paintings of the 1960s
Faith Ringgold is well known for originating the African American story quilt revival in the late 1970s. In the previous decade, she created bold, provocative paintings in direct response to the civil rights and feminist movements. Ringgold’s unprecedented exploration of race and gender in America is examined in this comprehensive survey of 49 rarely exhibited paintings.
National Museum of Women in the Arts

Through Nov. 10
Awake in a Dream World: The Art of Audrey Niffenegger
The first major museum exhibition of visual artist and author of “The Time Traveler’s Wife” reveals a mysterious, strange and whimsical world, both real and imagined, through 239 paintings, drawings, prints and book art.
National Museum of Women in the Arts

Through Dec. 31
S.O.S. Spanish Office Showroom
As part of the SPAIN arts & culture program (www.spainculture.us), “S.O.S. Spanish Office Showroom” presents the most avant-garde pieces of Spanish design conceived for modern working environments, highlighting how the creativity of contemporary Spanish designers adapts to any office space and how Spanish design companies are successfully competing in international markets, such as the United States.
Former Spanish Residence

Through Jan. 5
A Democracy of Images: Photographs from the Smithsonian American Art Museum
More than 100 photographs selected from the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s permanent collection celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the museum’s photography collection, examine photography’s evolution in the United States from a documentary medium to a full-fledged artistic genre, and showcase the numerous ways in which it has captured the American experience.
American Art Museum

Through Jan. 5
Earth Matters: Land as Material and Metaphor in the Arts of Africa
Some 100 exceptional works of art from the late 18th to 21st centuries come together for the first major exhibition and scholarly endeavor to comprehensively examine the rich relationship between African artists and the land upon which they live, work and frame their days.
National Museum of African Art

Through Jan. 12
Living Artfully: At Home with Marjorie Merriweather Post
From the glamour of Palm Beach, to the rustic whimsy of the Adirondacks, to the distinguished social scene of Washington, D.C., heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post brought to her multiple residences a flawless style of living and entertaining that was made possible only through the gracious management of loyal staff.
Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens

Through Jan. 25
A Night at the Opera
The grandeur of opera — its unforgettable music, stellar performers, and lavish scenery and costumes — has transfixed audiences for more than 400 years. This 50-item display will feature manuscripts, printed scores, librettos, photographs, correspondence and set designs dating from the late 18th century through the beginning of the 20th century.
Library of Congress James Madison Building

Through Feb. 9
Lines, Marks, and Drawings: Through the Lens of Roger Ballen
This exhibit considers the 40-year-plus career of Roger Ballen, one of the more recognized photographic artists working today, through a new approach: an examination of line and drawing in his photographs.
National Museum of African Art

Through June 8, 2014
Perspectives: Rina Banerjee
Born in India and based in New York City, artist Rina Banerjee draws on her background as a scientist and her experience as an immigrant in her richly textured works that complicate the role of objects as representations of cultures and invite viewers to share her fascination in materials.
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

DANCE

Sept. 12 to 13
Saburo Teshigawara / KARAS
Japanese choreographer Saburo Teshigawara and KARAS present the work “Mirror and Music,” which explores the simultaneously tangible and intangible nature of music and the reflection we see when we look into the mirror. Tickets are $19 to $45.
Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater

Sept. 20 to 22
Utsav: A Celebration of India’s Maestros of Music & Dance
Sivam, Inc. — whose mission is to promote the education and advancement of Indian classical dance as a traditional art form — presents “Utsav,” a three-day celebration of traditional Indian music and dance performances by renowned Indian artists. Tickets are $35.
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

DISCUSSIONS

Wed., Sept. 11, 7 p.m.
Donna DeCesare: The Unsettling Impact of War and Its Aftermath
How does the mayhem of war effect children? What turns suffering from cruelty toward resistance or resilience? Photographer-educator Donna DeCesare explores the ways she has grappled with these questions in her own work. Tickets are $10.
Corcoran Gallery of Art

Tue., Sept. 17, 7 p.m.
An Evening with Alexandra Avakian
Photojournalist Alexandra Avakian will share photographs from her years covering conflict, its aftermath, life and death. Tickets are $10.
Corcoran Gallery of Art

Sun., Sept. 29, 1 to 4 p.m.
The Washington Ballet Open House
The Washington Ballet opens its studios located at 3515 Wisconsin Ave., NW, to let visitors view performances, rehearsals and classes, participate in a Q&A with Artistic Director Septime Webre, and enjoy free refreshments and family friendly events and activities.
The Washington Ballet

FESTIVALS

Fri., Sept. 27, 6 p.m.
Nyumbani 20th Annual Benefit
Nyumbani — which is home to Kenya’s first and largest facility for HIV+ orphans and provides community outreach, medical care and other services to help Kenya’s orphans thrive — is celebrating its 20th annual benefit in Washington with the theme “Kwa Uzima: Swahili for Life.” Longtime supporter Kathleen Matthews will be the mistress of ceremonies for the evening, which includes cocktails, silent auction and dinner. Tickets are $350; for information,
Ritz-Carlton, Washington DC

GALAS

Fri., Sept. 27, 6 p.m.
Nyumbani 20th Annual Benefit
Nyumbani — which is home to Kenya’s first and largest facility for HIV+ orphans and provides community outreach, medical care and other services to help Kenya’s orphans thrive — is celebrating its 20th annual benefit in Washington with the theme “Kwa Uzima: Swahili for Life.” Longtime supporter Kathleen Matthews will be the mistress of ceremonies for the evening, which includes cocktails, silent auction and dinner. Tickets are $350; for information,
Ritz-Carlton, Washington DC

MUSIC

Mon., Sept. 9, 6:30 p.m.
Rudresh Mahanthappa, Alto Saxophone
Matt Mitchell, Pianist
The Embassy Series opens its 20th anniversary season with saxophonist and composer Rudresh Mahanthappa, who fuses progressive jazz and south Indian classical music into a harmonious composition that reflects his experience growing up as a second-generation Indian-American. Tickets are $160, including buffet dinner reception and valet parking; for information, visit www.embassyseries.org.
Indian Residence

Sun., Sept. 29, 7 p.m.
National Symphony Orchestra Season-Opening Ball Concert
Conductor Christoph Eschenbach officially opens the NSO’s new season with a program featuring superstar cellist Yo-Yo Ma in Tchaikovsky’s “Rococo Variations,” as well as Saint-Saëns’s “Organ Symphony” finale with young organist Cameron Carpenter. Tickets are $50 to $250.
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

THEATER

Sept. 4 to Oct. 20
Saint Joan and Hamlet
Bedlam Theatre takes on two literary greats in rotating repertory: Shakespeare’s penultimate tragedy about revenge and madness, as well as George Bernard Shaw’s portrayal of Joan of Arc not as a saint, a witch or a madwoman, but as a French farm girl who is anything but simple. Tickets are $32.50 to $65.
Olney Theatre Center

Through Sept. 8
A Chorus Line
Featuring hit Broadway songs, “A Chorus Line” follows 17 dancers competing for eight coveted spots in the chorus of a Broadway musical. Throughout the audition, they bare their souls while sharing stories of their childhood, ambitions, fears and experiences in show business. Tickets are $32.50 to $65.
Olney Theatre Center

Sept. 8 to 22
Abduction from the Seraglio
The In Series kicks off its new season with “Abduction from the Seraglio,” transplanting Mozart’s opera about two men rescuing their sweethearts to the American Wild West. Tickets are $40.
Source Theatre

Sept. 9 to Oct. 6
Detroit
Lisa D’Amour’s award-winning comedy “Detroit” is an incendiary take on suburbs, neighbors and the rapidly crumbling economic ladder that inaugurates Woolly’s 34th season, “America’s Tell-Tale Heart,” which exposes the complex soul inside America’s sunny exterior. Tickets start at $35.
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

Sept. 12 to Oct. 27
Measure for Measure
Director Jonathan Munby places Shakespeare’s “Measure for Measure” in a fascist, late-1930s Europe steeped in cabaret culture, reflecting on the dual nature of humanity as both tragic and comic through the story of a novice nun who must decide whether to sacrifice her virginity to save her brother’s life. Tickets are $40 to $100.
Shakespeare Theatre Company
Lansburgh Theatre

Through Sept. 15
The Beauty Queen of Leenane
Maureen, a lonely spinster in her 40s, lives with her diabolically manipulative mother Mag in an isolated cottage in the west of Ireland. When Maureen is offered a last chance at love, she sees a chance to escape, but Mag has other ideas, setting in motion a chain of deceptions, secrets and betrayals that are both heartbreaking and hilarious. Tickets are $10 to $45.
Round House Theatre Bethesda

Sept. 15 to 27
Washington National Opera: Tristan and Isolde
In Wagner’s retelling of the beloved Celtic myth and its star-crossed lovers, Deborah Voigt — one of the finest Wagnerian sopranos of our time — brings her alluring portrayal of Isolde to a stunning production featuring an impressive international cast. Tickets are $25 to $300.
Kennedy Center Opera House

Sat., Sept. 21, 8 p.m.
Im Hussein Jubilee Show
The “Im Hussein Jubilee Show” celebrates 25 years of comedy staged by the Ajyal Theatrical Group, the first Arab-American theatrical group in North America — and the first to take the show around the world — featuring the one and only Im Hussein. Tickets are $45 to $85.
GW Lisner Auditorium

Through Sept. 22
Miss Saigon
Created by the acclaimed writers of “Les Misérables,” this modern, rock-infused adaptation of Puccini’s 1904 opera “Madame Butterfly” explores the ongoing impact of love, loss and the collision of cultures during the Vietnam War. Please call for ticket information.
Signature Theatre

Sept. 26 to Nov. 3
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Synetic Theater reinvents Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray” in a unique fusion of visual and verbal poetry that explores Wilde’s only novel, which many consider his most personal work — a timelessly supernatural story of man’s endless conflict with the nature of mortality. Tickets start at $35.
Synetic Theater