EVENT CATEGORIES
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ART
March 3 to May 31
El Vuelo y su Semilla
This exhibition of works by renowned Mexican artist Bestabeé Romero (Mexico City, 1963) is comprised of installation pieces and reflects on the identity and culture that Mexican immigrants carry with them. Romero’s works explore these phenomena through symbolic objects, such as papel picado and tires, and culinary components, like bread and corn, underscoring the role that eating and cooking play in the formation and transformation of Mexican identity. The result is a body of work that places Mexican culture as a fundamental part of the migrant journey from Mexico to the U.S.
Mexican Cultural Institute
Through March 5
Gender Equality: We’ve come a long way – haven’t we?
Sweden’s achievements in gender equality are hailed as inspiring examples. Focusing on four sub-goals of gender equality set up by the Swedish government — equal division of power and influence; economic equality; equal distribution of unpaid housework and provision of care; and men’s violence against women — this exhibition aims to inspire and reflect as well as discuss the changes that have been made and to initiate the changes still needed.
House of Sweden
Through March 5
Spirit of the Wild: Through the Eyes of Mattias Klum
All life on earth is interconnected. Cities, societies and nations depend on healthy natural ecosystems to survive and prosper. Mattias Klum, one of the most important natural history photographer of our time, shares the stories of his journeys; from deep in the Artic to wild places like the Borneo rainforest, to the savannahs of Tanzania and the life under the sea.
House of Sweden
Through March 5
Sweden’s Freedom of the Press Unfolded
The freedom to express oneself in speech and writing is one of the basic human rights according to the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights from 1948. Sweden’s Freedom of the Press Act was passed almost 200 years earlier, in 1766. This unique timeline exhibition reveals how Sweden’s freedom of the press came about and focuses on some of the advances and setbacks that have shaped it.
House of Sweden
Through March 5
Viktigt by Ingegerd Raman
With love of craftsmanship and simplicity at the heart of it all, Viktigt pieces do their job in silence. Ingegerd Råman, the House of Sweden’s own designer, explores the craftsmanship behind her IKEA collection of glass, ceramic, bamboo and natural fibers.
House of Sweden
Through March 5
Woodland Sweden
Nature is prevalent everywhere in Sweden and there is a long tradition of using nature’s raw materials in the country’s built environment. Wooden architecture and design, in fact, are becoming a new Swedish export item. This exhibition shows the rapid development of Swedish innovative contemporary architecture and examines different aspects of construction work with wood.
House of Sweden
Through March 5
Photography Reinvented: The Collection of Robert E. Meyerhoff and Rheda Becker
The collection of Robert E. Meyerhoff and Rheda Becker brings together works of critically important artists who have changed the course of photography through their experimentation and conceptual scope. Especially rich in holdings of work by photographers of the famed Düsseldorf School, among them Struth, Candida Höfer, Andreas Gursky and Thomas Ruff, the collection also includes examples by photographers exploring the nature of the medium itself, such as Demand, Cindy Sherman and Vik Muniz.
National Gallery of Art
Through March 5
Stuart Davis: In Full Swing
As one of the most important American modernists, Stuart Davis (1892–1964) blurred distinctions between text and image, high and low art, and abstraction and figuration, crafting a distinct style that continues to influence art being made today.
National Gallery of Art
Through March 6
Lens of Adventure
In 2016, Spaniards Mon Zamora and Raisa Leao decided to experience and document the nature, beauty and outdoor adventures around Washington, D.C., with the resulting 25 photographs on display, as well as the launch of their book “20 Weekend Trips Near Washington, D.C.”
Inter-American Development Bank
Staff Association Art Gallery
Through March 11
Selfie: Me, Myself and I
This exhibition by the Sparkplug Collective features innovative work by eight local artists who will examine our cultural obsession with selfies and our narcissistic desire to record and manipulate digital representations of ourselves.
Flashpoint Gallery
Through March 12
Mehring / Wellspring: The Early Color Field Paintings of Howard Mehring
This survey samples reflects on the work of Howard Mehring, a native Washingtonian who became a leading figure in the loosely defined Washington Color School movement, a form of Abstraction particular to D.C.
American University Museum
Through March 18
Decolonizing Alaska
This exhibit explores how 31 native and non-native Alaskan artists are grappling with issues related to climate change and responding to socio-political conditions in the state. It will highlight themes related to Alaska’s history with the colonization of native lands, how Alaska is sustaining its heritage and how Alaskans are responding to climate change. Among the works are Linda Infante Lyons’ “St. Katherine of Karluk,” which replaces symbolic elements of a Russian Orthodox icon with those of the native Alutiiq people of Kodiak, Alaska, an area greatly affected by Russian colonization.
The George Washington University’s Corcoran School of the Arts and Design
Through March 26
The Great Swindle: Works by Santiago Montoya
Colombian artist Santiago Montoya uses paper currency as the base for his work, re-contextualizing one of our most basic and intimate relationships: the relationship with money. Comprised of works that Montoya has made over the last 10 years, “The Great Swindle” represents a sustained examination of the complicated, fluid relationships we have with financial systems, as well as a journey through the artist’s forays into the materiality of paper bills — raising questions and taking positions on our place within the financial system.
OAS Art Museum of the Americas
Through April 23
Jacob Lawrence: The Life of Toussaint L’Ouverture
Featuring a series of 15 rarely seen silkscreen prints created by American artist Jacob Lawrence between 1986 and 1997, this exhibition portrays the life of Toussaint L’Ouverture (1742-1803), the former slave turned leader of Haiti’s independence movement.
The Phillips Collection
Through April 30
500 Years of Treasures from Oxford
Founded 500 years ago in 1517, the library of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, is a repository of extraordinary treasures, few of which have ever been seen by the public. To mark the 500th anniversary, a selection of 50 manuscripts and early printed books, ranging in date from the 10th to the 17th centuries, is being brought to America for the first time.
Folger Shakespeare Library
Through April 30
Toulouse-Lautrec Illustrates the Belle Époque
Through his lithographs and posters, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec captured the heart of Parisian nightlife in dynamic cabaret and café-concert scenes inspired by the city’s burgeoning entertainment district. This special exhibition presents, for the first time in the United States, one of the foremost collections of the artist’s prints and posters. Nearly 100 examples of incomparable quality and color celebrate daily life and the premier performers of the belle époque — Aristide Bruant, Marcelle Lender, Cha-U-Kao and others — cleverly caricatured through Toulouse-Lautrec’s perceptive skills of observation and transformation.
The Phillips Collection
Through May 13
Bordes/Borders
This contemporary video exhibit curated by Othón Castañeda features nine short films with borders as their main concept. The works were among a number of films submitted by international artists to the Bienal de las Fronteras, an artistic initiative that offers a platform to emerging artists of diverse backgrounds. This selection questions the boundaries of the biennial itself, including participating artists that establish an alternative view of the border, this time “from the inside out.”
Mexican Cultural Institute
Through May 14
Border Crossing: Jami Porter Lara
While visiting a remote area along the U.S.–Mexico border, Albuquerque-based artist Jami Porter Lara found the remains of ancient pottery as well as plastic bottles discarded by migrants moving through the region. Intrigued by this juxtaposition, she began to reconceptualize the plastic bottle.
National Museum of Women in the Arts
Through May 14
New Ground: The Southwest of Maria Martinez and Laura Gilpin
Contemporaries and friends, potter Maria Martinez (ca. 1887–1980) and photographer Laura Gilpin (1891–1979) brought the American Southwest into focus as a culturally rich region that fostered artistic expression. Martinez’s bold adaptation of an ancient black-on-black pottery design technique reflected Pueblo artistic traditions and also appealed to the modernist sensibility. Gilpin was one of the first women to capture the landscape and peoples of the American West on film.
National Museum of Women in the Arts
Through May 14
Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors
“Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors” is a celebration of the legendary Japanese artist’s 65-year career and promises to be one of 2017’s essential art experiences. Visitors will have the unprecedented opportunity to discover six of Kusama’s captivating Infinity Mirror Rooms alongside a selection of her other key works, including a number of paintings from her most recent series “My Eternal Soul” that have never been shown in the U.S.
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Through June 2
From the Desk of Simone de Beauvoir
Consider the influence and intellect of feminist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir in an interpretation of her Paris studio alcove. This installation invites visitors to reflect on Beauvoir’s impact, not only in her time and not only as a feminist, but in our own time and in the areas of literature, philosophy and popular culture.
National Museum of Women in the Arts
Through June 4
Della Robbia: Sculpting with Color in Renaissance Florence
Luca della Robbia, a master sculptor in marble and bronze, invented a glazing technique for terracotta sculpture that positioned him as one of the most innovative artists of the 15th century. Today, the sculptures created by Luca and his family workshop retain their brilliant opaque whites, deep cerulean blues, and botanical greens, purples and yellows over modeling that makes them powerful and engaging examples of Italian Renaissance art.
National Gallery of Art
Through June 11
Friends and Fashion: An American Diplomat in 1820s Russia
Focusing on 45 portraits from an album assembled by the family of politician and statesman Henry Middleton, this exhibition paints a captivating picture of diplomatic life in early 19th-century St. Petersburg. The intimate portraits, along with selected objects, images and publications, offer an exploration into a number of themes, including Middleton’s posting in St. Petersburg and the historical events surrounding his time there, the family’s social life in Russia, the artistic traditions of the period, and the elaborate fashions and hairstyles of the day.
Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens
Through Aug. 6
The Urban Scene: 1920-1950
American artists of the early 20th century sought to interpret the beauty, power, and anxiety of the modern age in diverse ways. Through depictions of bustling city crowds and breathtaking metropolitan vistas, 25 black-and-white prints in this exhibition explore the spectacle of urban modernity.
National Gallery of Art
Through Aug. 6, 2017
José Gómez-Sicre’s Eye
A half-century ago, Cuban-born curator José Gómez-Sicre took the reins of the OAS’s art program, thrusting himself into the rapidly expanding Latin American art world and bringing young, emerging talent to the OAS’s budding exhibition space. Impassioned by the arts, Gómez-Sicre planted the seeds of what is today considered among world’s finest collections of modern and contemporary Latin American and Caribbean art. The OAS will be celebrating the centennial of Gómez-Sicre’s birth throughout 2016, honoring his contribution to the legacy of the hemisphere’s art.
OAS Art Museum of the Americas
DANCE
March 1 to 5
The Washington Ballet: Giselle
Celebrating its 72nd year as an organization and its first season under the aegis of new artistic director Julie Kent, the Washington Ballet brings to life the classic ballet “Giselle,” a treasured romance about love, betrayal and forgiveness. Tickets are $33 to $130.
Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater
Thu., March 9, 7 p.m.
OnStage Korea
The Korean Cultural Center in D.C. presents the inaugural “OnStage Korea” showcase featuring the renowned Korea National Contemporary Dance Company for the U.S. premiere of “Immixture,” which creates visible music by combining sound and movement from both Eastern and Western traditions. There will also be a special performance by the Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company, D.C.’s leading modern dance company, now in its 25th anniversary season, of their original work “Confluence.” “OnStage Korea” seeks to uncover and highlight brilliant artists actively performing in the U.S., Korea and around the world with an opportunity to showcase their creativity on stage for the American public in the capital region. Admission is free; for information, visit www.koreaculturedc.org.
Arena Stage
Sat., March 18, 8 p.m.,
Sun., March 19, 4 p.m.
Russian National Ballet Theatre
This ballet double bill represents some of the very best of classical ballet with all of the beauty, grace and passion that typifies the grand Russian ballet tradition. On March 18, the Russian National Ballet Theatre performs “Chopiniana” and Bizet’s “Carmen.” On March 19, it performs “The Sleeping Beauty,” considered by many to be the finest achievement in classical ballet and the crowning jewel of Petipa’s career. Tickets are $34 to $56.
George Mason University Center for the Arts
DISCUSSIONS
Mon., March 6, 6 p.m.
Queer as Volk
The Zeitgeist DC literature festival makes the richness of German-language literature accessible to English speakers by presenting the latest works of the literary scenes of Austria, Germany and Switzerland. To mark the occasion, the Goethe-Institut, Austrian Cultural Forum and Embassy of Switzerland invite three important emerging and established writers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland to America’s capital to present and discuss their recent works. This year’s theme, ‟Queer as Volk,” will highlight new works in German that deal with themes of identification and queerness.
Human Rights Campaign
Tue., March 14, 6:45 p.m.
Mexico & Guatemala Mano a Mano with Guest Chef Mirciny Moliviatis
For centuries, Guatemala and Mexico formed part of the viceroyalty of New Spain under the Spanish Colony. From 1821 onwards, Mexico and Guatemala went on separate paths; however, their kitchens retain the memory of their shared past, not only under the Spaniards but also of their Maya heritage. Mexican chef Pati Jinich and Guatemalan chef Mirciny Moliviatis participate in a “mano a mano,” of ingredients and dishes, that both unite and distinguish Mexican and Guatemalan cooking. Please call for ticket information.
Mexican Cultural Institute
FESTIVALS
March 2 to 31
Francophonie 2017
The D.C. Francophonie Cultural Festival celebrates the diversity and richness of the French language and francophone communities around the world through a series of cultural events and outreach programs presented every spring. This year’s highlights include: “African Art on the Move” exhibit at the Embassy of Côte d’Ivoire (through April 2); “Hemingway in Paris and Spain” discussion at the Alliance Française (March 3); spring tours in French at the National Museum of African Art throughout the month; a Moroccan evening of live music, Berber culture and traditional cuisine at the Alliance Française (March 17); a French chanson recital by two Swiss artists, Laurent Brunetti and Mario Pacchioli, at the Embassy of Switzerland (March 23); “Places in Between” concert at the Embassy of Luxembourg (March 23); a Tahitian evening at the Alliance Française (March 24); and La Grande Fête closing celebration at the Embassy of France (March 31). For information and a schedule of events, visit www.francophonie-dc.org.
Various locations
MUSIC
Sat., March 4, 8 p.m.
Dobet Gnahoré
The Grammy-winning Ivory Coast-born singer and dancer, who performs in at least seven languages, returns to The Barns for an unforgettable and charismatic performance. Tickets are $25 to $30.
Wolf Trap
Sat., March 4, 8 p.m.
Kronos Quartet
One of the most innovative and eclectic forces in music for more than 40 years, the Grammy-winning Kronos Quartet launched and continues to lead a renaissance in repertoire for string quartet, having commissioned more than 900 new works and arrangements from composers from around the world. This concert is the first main stage performance in a five-year collaboration between Kronos and Washington Performing Arts, which also includes the quartet’s ongoing participation in the Embassy Adoption Program. Tickets are $40.
Sixth & I
Sat., March 4, 7 p.m.
Tribute to Gardel
Teatro de la Luna presents a musical homage to the most prominent figure in the history of Tango, the unforgettable Carlos Gardel, with a special concert featuring acclaimed singer Omar “El Alemán” Fernández. Tickets are $35.
Rosslyn Spectrum Theater
Thu., March 9, 7:30 p.m.
Josemi Carmona and Javier Colina: De Cerca
Josemi Carmona and Javier Colina engage in a musical conversation, with echoes of deep flamenco joining their unique jazz swing to create a natural dialogue that blends different musical languages. Tickets are $15; for information, visit www.spainculture.us/city/washington-dc/.
Former Residence of the Spanish Ambassador
Fri., March 17, 7:30 p.m.
Hanka G., Jazz Soul Singer
One of the most admired and well respected jazz singers in Slovakia, Hanka G. has been performing on the domestic as well as international jazz scene for well over a decade now, with her signature musical style of jazz and soul music. Tickets are $95 and include buffet reception and wine; for information, visit www.embassyseries.org.
Embassy of Slovakia
Sat., March 25, 7:30 p.m.
The Four Seasons of Vivaldi and Piazzolla
Four seasons become eight when the National Chamber Ensemble presents “The Four Seasons,” one of Antonio Vivaldi’s most famous works, along with a reading of sonnets that provide a narrative for the music, as well as a multimedia presentation that includes photos, moving images and Vivaldi’s own words that he wrote into the composition. Tickets are $33.
Rosslyn Spectrum Theater
Fri., March 31, 8 p.m.
Falu’s Bollywood Orchestra
Lauded as “ethereal and transcendent” (Billboard), the internationally acclaimed Indian vocalist who has collaborated with Yo-Yo Ma, Ricky Martin and A.R. Rahman returns to The Barns. Tickets are $25 to $35.
Wolf Trap
SPORTS
Sun., March 5, 5 p.m.
Czech Heritage Night with the Washington Wizards
The Wizards host Czech Heritage Day as a way for the Czech community to get together to enjoy an evening of basketball and cheer for Wizards Czech star Tomáš Satoranský. Bring a small Czech flag to root on Satoranský as the Wizards take on the Orlando Magic. Tickets are available at www.msesales.com/wiz/czech (promo code: CZECH).
Verizon Center
Mon., March 6, 7:30 p.m.
Swedish Heritage Night: Washington Capitals vs. Dallas Stars
Enjoy this fun combination of hockey and a celebration of Sweden at the Washington Capitals NHL game against Dallas Stars. A Q&A session with the Swedish players follows the game, along with a chance to watch and play a game of broom ball. Tickets are $59 and available in the 421 and 422 sections (promo code: SWEDISH).
Verizon Center
THEATER
March 4 to 18
Champion
Grammy–winning composer Terence Blanchard uses jazz to tell the true story of Emile Griffith, a professional boxer from the U.S. Virgin Islands who threw a fatal punch in the boxing ring in 1962 after being taunted for his sexuality by his rival. “I kill a man and the world forgives me. I love a man and the world wants to kill me.” Using a diverse soundscape along with powerful multimedia elements, this Washington National Opera production explores issues of race, sexuality and self-discovery. Tickets are $35 to $300.
Kennedy Center Opera House
Through March 5
As You Like It
Rosalind is banished from court and flees to the Forest of Arden, where she discovers Orlando and a world of passion and possibility in one of Shakespeare’s most cherished romantic comedies. When she disguises herself as a man, enchantment abounds and blossoms into an exploration of the beauty and complexities of young love. Tickets are $35 to $75.
Folger Theatre
Through March 5
The Very Last Days of the First Colored Circus
Restoration Stage presents Steven A. Butler Jr.’s intense and heartwarming drama about black entertainers in 1920s America. Laced with infectious musical performances and set in his rural hometown, this must-see production is a love letter to the complicated lives, love and loss of the forgotten black circus performer. Tickets are $45 to $55.
Anacostia Playhouse
Wed., March 8, 7:30 p.m.
Illegal Helpers
Come witness an emotionally powerful documentary play by prize-winning playwright Maxi Obexer. It examines the plight of the illegal helpers who provide aid and shelter to migrants flooding Europe, even though assisting them is against the law. This play sheds a powerful light on the contemporary tragedy that threatens to engulf Western Europe. Admission is free; for information, visit acfdc.org.
Embassy of Austria
March 10 to May 20
Ragtime
Based on E.L. Doctorow’s celebrated 1975 novel, the Tony Award-winning musical “Ragtime” confronts both the unbridled optimism and the stark reality of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. When the lives of a wealthy white family, a daring Harlem musician and a determined Jewish immigrant intersect, their fates are inextricably bound and profoundly changed. Tickets are $20 to $73.
Ford’s Theatre
Through March 11
Dead Man Walking
This Washington National Opera production is based on Sister Helen Prejean’s acclaimed 1993 memoir, which tells of her time working with death row inmates at Louisiana State Penitentiary and of a particular relationship she developed with one of the inmates. The opera explores the human conflicts posed by society’s demands for vengeance and the Christian imperative for forgiveness and love. Tickets are $35 to $300.
Kennedy Center Opera House
Through March 12
King Charles III
The Queen is dead. After a lifetime of waiting, Prince Charles ascends the throne with Camilla by his side. As William, Kate and Harry look on, Charles prepares for the future of power that lies before him — but how to rule? Written primarily in Shakespearean blank verse, this modern history play explores the people underneath the crowns, the unwritten rules of Britain’s democracy and the conscience of its most famous family. Please call for ticket information.
Shakespeare Theatre Harman Hall
Through March 19
The Taming of the Shrew
Come to “Paduawood” where Synetic Theater will spoof Hollywood’s famous-for-no-reason socialites in this modern-day adaptation of one of the Bard’s best-known romantic comedies. See the original battle of the sexes enacted with the dazzling choreography and physical comedy that only Synetic can deliver (no dialogue). Tickets start at $35.
Synetic Theater
Mon., March 20, 7:30 p.m.
Curie_Meitner_Lamarr_indivisible
This play focuses on the lives of three outstanding pioneers who represent the achievements of women in the fields of science and technology: The double Nobel Price winner and discoverer of radioactivity Marie Curie (1867-1934), the Austrian-Swedish nuclear physicist Lise Meitner (1878-1968) and the Viennese Hollywood actress Hedy Lamarr (1914-2000) and her invention of frequency hopping. Admission is free; for information, visit acfdc.org.
Embassy of Austria
March 20 to April 9
The Night Alive
Playwright Conor McPherson’s touching drama explores lost souls and the hope of redemption, with an ample dose of Irish wit. Tommy is a disheartened schemer, estranged from his family. One night, he saves a young prostitute, Aimee, and begins to feel that his life may indeed have a purpose. Yet, all of that may end, as an ominous and unwelcome man from her past appears. Tickets are $35 to $40.
Atlas Performing Arts Center
March 23 to 24
Theater by Palestinians: Where Can I Find Someone Like You?
In collaboration with the Sundance Institute, this U.S. premiere is written, produced and performed by Raeda Taha, who faces loss, the reality of being an orphan and the absence of a father who can never be replaced, while turning the women of her family into real-life heroines. Tickets are $15.
Kennedy Center Terrace Gallery
March 24 to 26
Sulayman Al Bassam: Petrol Station
Internationally acclaimed Anglo-Kuwaiti writer-director Sulayman Al Bassam returns to the Kennedy Center with a compelling drama that uses the setting of a deserted petrol station as a poetic space to explore the dysfunctions that arise from the chaos of oppression. Tickets are $15 to $39.
Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater
March 31 to May 7
A Raisin in the Sun
Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun” follows the Younger family yearning for a better life far from the cramped confines of their Chicago tenement. Hope arrives in the form of an unexpected financial windfall, but when they realize they have differing definitions of the American dream, which dreams get realized and which deferred? Tickets are $40 to $90.
Arena Stage
Through April 2
The Select (The Sun Also Rises)
A stage littered with liquor bottles and café chairs seamlessly transforms itself from the bistros of Paris to the banks of the Irati River. As the story winds its way through France and Spain and lands in Pamplona where bullfighting and the fiesta rage in the streets, Ernest Hemingway’s narrator carries the heavy burdens of a war injury and his inability to have the woman he loves. Please call for ticket information.
Shakespeare Lansburgh Theatre
Through April 9
Intelligence
Jacqueline E. Lawton’s new political thriller explores the cost of deception and the consequences of speaking truth to power. “Intelligence” is a fictionalized account inspired by true events of a covert operative who, tasked with protecting the national security of the United States post-9/11, is racing to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. With her country at war, her cover is blown and the lives of her assets are put in jeopardy. Tickets are $40 to $90.
Arena Stage
