EVENT CATEGORIES
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Music |
ART
April 4 to May 24
Remembrances of Voices Past
“Remembrances” features paintings by Indian artist V. Ramesh, for whom an act of devotion, or Bhakti, seems not only an apt social response to existential tragedies, but also a quest for freedom. Painting primarily with oils on large-scale canvas, his oeuvre reveals a preoccupation with meditative terrain, incorporating voices from medieval poetry and images culled from mythology to explore the relationship between states of transcendence and the realities of culture and personal experience.
American University Museum at Katzen
April 10 to July 2015
War & Art: Destruction and Protection of Italian Cultural Heritage during World War I
This photographic exhibition illustrates the Italian people’s struggle to protect their cultural patrimony from the ravages of war. A century later, the images not only document early preservation efforts, but have become works of art in their own right, reminding us of the enduring struggle to save the highest expressions of the human spirit from the degradations and savagery of war.
Woodrow Wilson House
Through April 12
Days of Endless Time
This exhibit presents 14 installations that offer prismatic vantage points into the suspension and attenuation of time or that create a sense of timelessness, with themes such as escape, solitude, enchantment and the thrall of nature.
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Through April 12
Picturing Mary: Woman, Mother, Idea
For millennia, Mary has been one of the most popular subjects in the history of Western art. This landmark exhibition of more than 60 beautiful depictions of the Virgin Mary explores the concept of womanhood represented by Mary and the power her image has exerted through time.
National Museum of Women in the Arts
April 24 to Sept. 7
Watch This! Revelations in Media Art
This exhibit of pioneering and contemporary artworks that trace the evolution of a continuously emerging medium celebrates artists who are engaged in a creative revolution — one shaped as much by developments in science and technology as by style or medium.
Smithsonian American Art Museum
April 25 to May 25
Lost and Found: Young Art from Lithuania
Curatorial practice students from American University and the Vilnius Academy of Arts are developing their skills in the management of art as well as promotion of the artistic ambitions of their fellow students through this international exchange of exhibitions. Young Lithuanian artists exhibiting are working in a wide range of media varying from traditional craftsmanship to unique technological solutions, and demonstrate the varied influence of the Vilnius Academy of Arts on the creativity of its students.
American University Museum at Katzen
Through May 1
Fordlandia: The Lost City of Henry Ford
This series of photographs, completed in 2012, reveals what has become of Fordlandia, the American town built in the Brazilian rainforest by tycoon Henry Ford. Today, the town is a post-industrial wasteland, complete with prefabricated industrial sheds from Michigan and American clapperboard houses. More curious still is that, in spite of no new economy or employer in the area, Fordlandia is coming back to life.
Art Museum of the Americas
Through May 1
gute aussichten: new german photography 2014/2015
In its eleventh year, the eight “gute aussichten 2014/2015” award winners are hot on life’s heels. This young generation of photographers is after the most basic and existential questions of life: the banality of death and what remains — or follows the deceased and vanishes without a trace — migration, discrimination, loneliness, isolation and desperation, all of which are put face to face with happiness, cognizance, diversity and creative energy.
Goethe-Institut
Through May 3
Piero di Cosimo: The Poetry of Painting in Renaissance Florence
The first major retrospective exhibition of paintings by the imaginative Italian Renaissance master Piero di Cosimo features 44 of the artist’s most compelling paintings, including fanciful mythologies, powerful religious works (one on loan for the first time from the church in Italy for which it was created 500 years ago), and sensitive portraits.
National Gallery of Art
Through May 10
Man Ray—Human Equations: A Journey from Mathematics to Shakespeare
Highlighting the multimedia work of the legendary Surrealist artist, “Man Ray—Human Equations” explores the intersection of art and science that defined a significant component of modern art on both sides of the Atlantic at the beginning of the 20th century.
The Phillips Collection
Through May 10
Hiroshi Sugimoto: Conceptual Forms and Mathematical Models
This exhibition features approximately five photographic works and three sculptures by Hiroshi Sugimoto — one of Japan’s most important contemporary artists — inspired by Man Ray’s 1930s photographs.
The Phillips Collection
Through May 15
Francesco Nonino: Selected Works
Francesco Nonino is one of few Italian photographers whose work has been acquired by both the Library of Congress and the Phillips Collection. The exhibit at the Embassy of Italy will include some recent works from two series: “Come La Vergogna” and “Atmospheres.” As an homage to his mother, Italian traditions and to introduce the theme of the upcoming EXPO 2015, some photos of his mother’s hands making pasta will also be on display. Viewings are by appointment only; for information visit www.iicwashington.esteri.it.
Embassy of Italy
Through May 15
Hands-On Urbanism. The Right to Green
The research-based exhibition is dedicated to the history of the idea of appropriating land in urban space. Since the shockwave of modernization that accompanied industrialization, towns and cities worldwide have had to face some very significant challenges. City-dwellers, who have always found a number of solutions in crisis situations, are involved in bottom-up urban development, as fruit and vegetable gardens led to other forms of collective cohesion, neighborliness and fair distribution.
Embassy of Austria
Through May 30
25 Years / 25 Artists
This visual arts exhibition celebrating the Mexican Cultural Institute’s first 25 years presents works from several generations and artistic movements. From the contemporaries of the third stage of Mexican muralism, to the members of the “Ruptura” in the 1960s, this exhibit explores art that proposed new forms of expression and changed the way art was seen in Mexico.
Mexican Cultural Institute
Through May 31
Style in Chinese Landscape Painting: The Yuan Legacy
Landscape painting is one of the most outstanding achievements of Chinese culture. Key styles in this genre emerged during the Yuan dynasty (1279–1368) and are still followed today.
Freer Gallery of Art
Through May 31
The Traveler’s Eye: Scenes of Asia
Featuring more than 100 works created over the past five centuries, “The Traveler’s Eye: Scenes of Asia” provides glimpses of travels across the Asian continent, from pilgrimages and research trips to expeditions for trade and tourism.
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Through June 7
Libertad de Expresión: The Art Museum of the Americas and Cold War Politics
Following the creation of the Organization of American States in 1948, its Visual Arts Section, under the direction of Cuban José Gómez Sicre, began an ambitious exhibition program that would further awareness of the art of the Caribbean and Central and South America in the United States. Sicre’s support for international modernism also allied him with U.S. Cold War Warriors, who used freedom of expression as a tool in the cultural and intellectual struggle against the Soviets.
Art Museum of the Americas
Through June 7
Perspectives: Chiharu Shiota
Performance and installation artist Chiharu Shiota, Japan’s representative at the 56th Venice Biennale in 2015, will recreate a monumental yet intimate work in the Sackler pavilion that amasses personal memories through an accumulation of nearly 400 individual shoes, each with a note from the donor describing lost individuals and past moments.
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Through June 7
Unearthing Arabia: The Archaeological Adventures of Wendell Phillips
Wendell Phillips, a young paleontologist and geologist, headed one of the largest archaeological expeditions to remote South Arabia (present-day Yemen) from 1949 to 1951. Through a selection of unearthed objects as well as film and photography shot by the expedition team, the exhibition highlights Phillips’s key finds, recreates his adventures (and misadventures), and conveys the thrill of discovery on this important great archaeological frontier.
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Through June 14
Zen, Tea, and Chinese Art in Medieval Japan
Zen Buddhism, tea and ink painting — well-known expressions of Japanese culture — have their roots in Chinese arts and ideas brought to medieval Japan from the late 12th to the 16th century. Chinese and Japanese paintings, lacquer ware and ceramics illuminate this remarkable period of cultural contact and synthesis.
Freer Gallery of Art
Through Aug. 2
From the Library: Florentine Publishing in the Renaissance
This exhibition presents a variety of books from the late 15th through the early 17th century and explores the development of publishing related to the artistic and scholarly community in Florence.
National Gallery of Art
Through Aug. 9
Jacob Lawrence: Struggle … From the History of the American People
Produced between 1954 and 1956, Jacob Lawrence’s “Struggle … From the History of the American People” portrays scenes from American history, chronicling events from the Revolutionary War through the great westward expansion of 1817.
The Phillips Collection
Through Aug. 30
Hot to Cold: An Odyssey of Architectural Adaptation
On the heels of its summer blockbuster “BIG Maze,” the international design firm BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) returns to take visitors from the hottest to the coldest parts of our planet and explore how BIG’s design solutions are shaped by their cultural and climatic contexts. More than 60 three-dimensional models will be suspended at the second-floor balconies of the museum’s historic Great Hall in an unprecedented use of this public space.
National Building Museum
Through Aug. 23
Ships, Clocks & Stars: The Quest for Longitude
To mark the 300th anniversary of the passing of the Longitude Act in 1714, this landmark exhibition tells the extraordinary story of the race to determine longitude (east-west position) at sea, helping to solve the problem of navigation and saving seafarers from terrible fates including shipwreck and starvation.
Folger Shakespeare Library
Through Sept. 13
Chief S.O. Alonge: Photographer to the Royal Court of Benin, Nigeria
This retrospective showcases the work of noted Nigerian photographer Chief S.O. Alonge, the first indigenous photographer of the Royal Court of Benin, in conjunction with royal arts from the Benin kingdom. The collection of historic photographs was captured on Kodak glass-plate negatives and documents more than 50 years of the ritual, pageantry and regalia of the obas (kings), their wives and retainers.
National Museum of African Art
DANCE
April 8 to 12
The Washington Ballet: Swan Lake
Mesmerizing audiences for over 100 years, “Swan Lake” is considered by many to be the greatest classical ballet of all time. Now, the Washington Ballet will take on this mysterious, lyrical and dramatic ballet. Tickets are $45 to $215.
Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater
April 17 to 26
Shen Yun 2015: Reviving 5,000 Years of Civilization
Shen Yun Performing Arts returns to the Kennedy Center Opera House with a lavish new production for 2015 of classical Chinese dance and music, presented by the Falun Dafa Association of Washington, D.C. Tickets are $50 to $250.
Kennedy Center Opera House
Sat., April 25, 8 p.m.
Solo Tango
DC Tango Festival presents Pan American Symphony’s “Solo Tango,” a show of the best of tango, from its dark and steamy beginnings to the daring interpretations of Astor Piazzolla, with two bandoneón players, internationally acclaimed tango dancers and Argentine tenor, Martin de Leon, whom the Washington Post applauded as “quite simply one of the finest voices ever heard for tango.” Tickets are $35 to $45.
GW Lisner Auditorium
DISCUSSIONS
Mon., April 6, 1 p.m.
Magna Carta from Runnymede to Washington: Old Laws, New Discoveries
Noted Magna Carta scholar Nicholas Vincent discusses the Magna Carta’s connection to Washington, D.C., which he says is a story with many strange twists and turns, also revealing new information about the great charter of rights and liberties that was created in England in 1215.
Library of Congress
James Madison Building
Wed., April 8, 5:30 p.m.
Celebration of International Roma Day
The Embassy of the Czech Republic invites you to a celebration of International Roma Day, featuring a special piano concert of Roma music performed by Tomáš Kačo and a panel discussion with Jiří Dienstbier, Czech minister for human rights; Drahomíra Miklošová, mayor of Obrnice, Czech Republic; and Philip Kaplan, acting deputy assistant secretary; moderated by Erika Schlager of the U.S. Helsinki Commission.
Embassy of the Czech Republic
Thu., April 9, 6:45 p.m.
Lecture: Professor Elizabeth Boone
The Mexican Cultural Institute in collaboration with the University of Maryland is proud to present “The Dilemma of the Gods and the Familiarity of the Kings: Constructions of Aztec Identity in Early Colonial Mexico,” a talk by Elizabeth Boone of Tulane University. The talk will put into dialogue Bernardino de Sahagún’s and other chroniclers’ images of the Aztec gods and the Aztec kings to show how the ancient deities were constructed from an array of discursive practices, whereas the lords easily remained within their pre-conquest frame.
Mexican Cultural Institute
Wed., April 15, 6 p.m.
Lecture: Laura Spinadel – To Believe in Urban Miracles
Since starting out with a humanistic, theosophical and sensualist vision, architect Laura P. Spinadel has moved toward a holistic and ecological position that seeks to put maximum emphasis on the health of open and closed spaces, as well as on the requirements and principles of bio-construction. Admission is free but registration is required and can be made at acfdc.org.
Embassy of Austria
MUSIC
Tue., April 7, 7:30 p.m.
Concert: Lana Cencic
Lana Cenčić grew up in a richly creative home in Croatia and went on to become a highly lauded actress, musician and dancer in Europe. Underneath it all, however, something was missing. So she made the decision to move to New York City to pursue her own artistic identity as Lana Is. “In Your Head,” her 2013 breakthrough solo album, is widely celebrated by critics and fans alike. Admission is free but registration is required and can be made at acfdc.org.
Embassy of Austria
Sat., April 11, 8 p.m.
Salomé Chamber Orchestra
The Dumbarton Concert Series concludes its 37th season with the electrifying, conductor-less Salomé Chamber Orchestra in its D.C. debut, performing Brahms’s clarinet quintet, “Libertango” by Astor Piazzolla, showpieces by Alexey Shor and “La cumparsita” by Matos Rodríguez. Tickets are $35.
Dumbarton Church
Wed., April 15, 7:30 p.m.
Martin Kasík, Piano
Among the foremost Czech pianists today, Martin Kasík has devoted himself to piano since the age of 4 and is the top prizewinner of several domestic and international contests, as well as the recipient of a number of prestigious awards. Tickets are $85, including buffet dinner; for information, visit www.embassyseries.org.
Embassy of the Czech Republic
Fri., April 17, 7:30 p.m.
Russian Chamber Art Society: From Moscow to Hollywood – Songs from the Movies
The Russian Chamber Art Society will present “From Moscow to Hollywood – Songs From the Movies,” an exciting and diversified collection of composers of songs from Hollywood films from the 1930s to the 2000s, and their counterparts writing for the Russian silver screen at the same time. Tickets are $50; for information, visit acfdc.org.
Embassy of Austria
Tue., April 21, 7:30 p.m.
Lecture/Recital: PostClassical Ensemble – Interpreting Mahler
PostClassical Ensemble hosts an evening of lecture and recital by baritone Christòpheren Nomura with pianist Lura Johnson. Presentations will be held with live and recorded music on Viennese musician Gustav Mahler in New York and Mahler & “Jewishness” by James Loeffler and Joe Horowitz. Admission is free but registration is required and can be made at acfdc.org.
Embassy of Austria
Wed., April 22, 7:30 p.m.
Mendelssohn Piano Trio
The Mendelssohn Piano Trio, the Embassy Series’s resident ensemble, will perform “Piano Trio in B Major Op. 8” by Brahms and “Piano Trio in D Minor Op. 63” by Schumann. Written within a decade from each other, these two celebrated masterpieces are finest examples of German Romanticism with its dramatic scope of expression ranging from poignant melancholy to soaring passion. Tickets are $95, including buffet; for information, visit www.embassyseries.org.
Embassy of Slovenia
Fri., April 24, 7:30 p.m.
All That Jazz Gala
This special musical event co-hosted by the Embassy of South Korea and Ambassador Ahn Ho-Young benefits THIS for Diplomats, a nonprofit volunteer organization that since 1961 had been welcoming and assisting diplomats and their families during their stays in Washington, D.C. Tickets are $125; for information, visit http://thisfordiplomats.org.
South Korean Residence
THEATER
April 3 to May 3
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Helen Hayes Award-winning director and playwright Aaron Posner, known for his Chekhov-inspired plays, lends his hand to this riotous sendup, which satirizes characters and themes from Anton Chekhov’s classics. Tickets are $45 to $90.
Arena Stage
April 8 to 11
Slow Falling Bird
By turns bleak and darkly comical, “Slow Falling Bird” explores the brutal realities confronting those who arrive unbidden in Australia’s waters and the warping social and mental conditions on both sides of the wire, asking what kind of new life, and new society, can be born into such barren surroundings. Tickets are $15 to 18.
Georgetown University Davis Performing Arts Center
Sat., April 11, 5 p.m.
The Hero of Everything by InterAct Story Theatre
The Montgomery College Department of Visual and Performing Arts– Takoma/Silver Spring presents the family-friendly troupe InterAct Story Theatre performing “The Hero of Everything,” about a do-it-yourself Captain Everything who loves saving the day and doesn’t need anyone’s help to do it, or does she? Tickets are $10.
Montgomery College Takoma Park/Silver Spring Cultural Arts Center
April 15 to May 10
Murder Ballad
Studio Theatre will transform one of its theater spaces into a gritty, immersive dive bar to present this explosive rock musical, staged cabaret-style, about an old flame, a dangerous passion and a love triangle headed for ignition. Tickets are $45 to $80.
The Studio Theatre
April 16 to May 10
Mariela en el desierto / Mariela in the Desert
Mariela and José were once the golden couple of an elite social circle of artists in Mexico City. Together they built a family and an artist colony to host friends Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo and Rufino Tamayo. But now, in the desert of Northern Mexico in the 1950s, José and Mariela live an isolated existence haunted by the ghost of their young son and the withering of their creativity and artistic inspiration. Tickets are $38 to $42.
GALA Hispanic Theatre
Through April 19
Laugh
Out West in the 1920s, a dynamite accident at a gold mine leaves young Mabel wealthy but orphaned. She’s shipped off to a calculating aunt whose nephew is charged with seducing her to control Mabel’s fortune — a hapless courtship reveals a shared love of silent movies and a plan for greater things. Tickets are $44 to $88.
Studio Theatre
Through April 19
The Norwegians
Scena Theatre presents this contemporary comedy in which two women meet in a Minnesota bar and lament the struggle “to find a lover before the first freeze” as well as curse the not-so-nice men who have recently dumped them. It turns out there are really, really nice hit men for hire who will take out your miserable ex and text you when it is over. Tickets are $25 to $45.
Anacostia Playhouse
Through April 26
Man of La Mancha
As Miguel de Cervantes presents his tale of knight errant Don Quixote, his journey comes alive in a play-within-the-play, featuring loyal friends, troubled maidens, giant monsters and brave knights. Please call for ticket information.
Shakespeare Theatre
Sidney Harman Hall
Through April 26
The Originalist
Four-time Helen Hayes Award winner Edward Gero stars as Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in a daring world premiere about the brilliant, but polarizing justice, his bright, new, liberal clerk, and their clash over one of the most incendiary cases ever to reach the nation’s highest court. Tickets are $55 to $90.
Arena Stage
Thu., April 30, 7:30 p.m.
Otho Eskin’s ‘Final Analysis’
Otho Eskin’s “Final Analysis,” performed by Scena Theatre, is set in turn-of-the-century Vienna, a crossroads of art, music, science and politics. But festering beneath the façade of frivolity and joy, the city is rotting at its core, sickened by moral corruption, obsessed with death and ravaged by a growing hatred of the Jews. Admission is free but registration is required and can be made at acfdc.org.
Embassy of Austria
Through May 20
Freedom’s Song
This epic musical features the words of Abraham Lincoln and music inspired by the letters of those who lived through the Civil War, evoking the soaring hopes and tragic losses of real people through a series of highly theatrical vignettes. Tickets are $20 to $69.
Ford’s Theatre