EVENT CATEGORIES
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ART
June 2 to July 2
Veiled Consciousness
A new series of Lionel Daniel’s large and small figurative paintings explores the double consciousness and veil worn by African Americans from past and present as expressed in W.E.B Dubois’ “Souls of Black Folk.”
Touchstone Gallery
Through June 4
Alternativas/Alternatives: The Thirteenth Spanish Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism (XIII Beau)
“Alternativas/Alternatives” features 22 jury-selected projects completed between Jan. 1, 2013 through Dec. 31, 2015 by contemporary Spanish architects. The installation, which also includes an additional 20 shortlisted works, presents large-scale image displays and audiovisual commentary about the winning projects, as well as drawing reproductions and architectural models.
Former Residence of the Spanish Ambassador
Through June 4
Export: Spanish Architecture Abroad
“Export” covers Spanish architecture abroad from an open perspective that takes into account practices organized by profiles (Insiders, Young Achievers, Producers, Scholars, Healers and Outsiders), as well as the role of other agents (Soft Power, Giants of Construction, Publishing and Retail Empire), which help us gain a richer and more plural vision of the sector and serve as the structure for the exhibition discourse.
Former Residence of the Spanish Ambassador
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 4
Where the Children Sleep
More than 2 million children have been forced from their homes by the war in Syria. Refugee children in neighboring countries or making journeys through Europe await an uncertain future. A few offered to show where they sleep now, when everything that once was, no longer exists, in this internationally acclaimed exhibition that features a moving series of photographs by award-winning Swedish photojournalist Magnus Wennman.
House of Sweden
Through June 9
Canada Remembers the Battle of Vimy Ridge
The Embassy of Canada commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, which began on Easter Monday, April 9, 1917. Regiments from coast to coast saw action together in a distinctly Canadian triumph, helping create a new and stronger sense of Canadian identity and earning the nation a signature on the Treaty of Versailles that ended the First World War. The exhibit is composed of several parts, including “Souterrain Impressions,” featuring full-scale, 3D reproductions of carvings and images created by Canadian soldiers who were sheltered in underground chalk caves in France while awaiting orders to join the Battle of Vimy Ridge; “From Vimy to Juno,” which tells the personal stories of the men and women who experienced firsthand this nation-defining moment in Canadian history; and an interactive 3D Vimy Ridge map that uses trench maps, unit war diaries and other documentation to create an immersive, computerized model of the battlefield.
Embassy of Canada Art Gallery
June 9 to 30
Invisible Things
This exhibition of painting, installation and sculpture works by Korean artists Gyeongja Lee and Hyemin Lee gives form to the powerful inner thoughts, emotions and memories that occupy our everyday lives. Taking a cue from the great impressionists, the artists apply the principles of light, motion and the purity of one’s personal recollection, rather than visual accuracy, across distinct artistic media. Such trivial recollections are all too easy to overlook, but Gyeongja and Hyemin remind audiences of the value of these everyday sentiments that define our invisible, inner lives.
Korean Cultural Center
June 10 to Jan. 1
Spectacular Gems and Jewelry from the Merriweather Post Collection
For centuries, extraordinary gemstones have been the centerpieces of stunning jewelry made to adorn royalty, aristocracy, high society and Hollywood stars. Over 50 pieces that once belonged heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post, one of the greatest jewelry collectors of the 20th century, will tell the story behind some of the remarkable stones and the jewelry into which they were transformed.
Hillwood Esttae, Museum and Gardens
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
June 17 to Aug. 13
States of Being: Photographs of Cuba and North Korea by Carl De Keyzer
An exhibition of prints by Belgian photographer Carl De Keyzer of scenes in North Korea and Cuba consists of 60 large-scale photos. The Cuba photos were taken shortly after former President Obama’s 2014 speech inviting the relaxation of the communist island’s 56-year embargo. De Keyzer’s North Korean prints also were shot in 2015. The British-run Koryo Group, which organizes travel tours in North Korea, arranged for De Keyzer to spend more than 40 nights in North Korea, during which time the globally renowned photographer traveled to every single one of the country’s provinces.
American University Museum
June 23 to Sept. 10
Revival
Contemporary sculpture, photography and video by women artists explores how arresting aesthetics and intense subject matter can spur the viewer into a transcendent encounter with a work of art. Rousing the spirit rather than simply tantalizing the eye, the 16 artists in this exhibition harness scale, technique and effect in photography and sculpture to reanimate deep-rooted emotions related to the human experience.
National Museum of Women in the Arts
June 28 to Jan. 1
Ai Weiwei: Trace at Hirshhorn
This presentation marks the East Coast debut of Ai Weiwei’s “Trace,” one of the Chinese artist’s most significant U.S. installations in recent years, and features the addition of two graphic wallpapers to accompany the work, one never before seen. Together, the massive installation will span 700 feet around the entirety of the museum’s second-floor galleries, responding to the building’s unique circular architecture.
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Through June 29
Matta Wagnest: The Sound of Art
“The Sound of Art” explores how music and creativity can be found everywhere and affects every form of communication, whether in private, in politics, locally or globally. One of the featured works, “Sculpture.Europe,” emphasizes unity in diversity ahead of the Austrian EU presidency in 2018.
Embassy of Austria
Through July 9
Frédéric Bazille and the Birth of Impressionism
Frédéric Bazille (1841-70) created paintings inspired by contemporary life that challenged the aesthetic conventions of his day and helped to lay the groundwork of impressionism. In celebration of the 175th anniversary of the artist’s birth, this exhibit brings together some 75 paintings that examine Bazille as a central figure of impressionism.
National Gallery of Art
Through July 9
Inventing Utamaro: A Japanese Masterpiece Rediscovered
In 2014, the Okada Museum of Art in Hakone, Japan, made an announcement that startled the art world. The new arts center revealed it had discovered a long-lost painting by Kitagawa Utamaro (1753-1806), a legendary but mysterious Japanese artist. Titled “Snow at Fukagawa,” the immense work is one of three paintings by Utamaro that idealize famous pleasure districts in Edo (now Tokyo). For the first time in nearly 140 years, these paintings reunite in Inventing Utamaro at the Freer|Sackler, the only location to show all three original pieces.
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Through July 24
Inspiring Beauty: 50 Years of Ebony Fashion Flair
For 50 years, the Ebony Fashion Fair shaped a new vision of black America through contemporary fashion. Founded by Eunice Walker Johnson in 1958, the traveling fashion show broke the color barrier to bring the pinnacle of global fashion to communities that were eager to celebrate black accomplishment, aspiration and success. The George Washington University Museum and the Textile Museum present the story of the Ebony Fashion Fair and its cultural impact with 40 garments, including stunning gowns, feathered coats and statement designs by Christian Dior, Vivienne Westwood and burgeoning designer Naeem Khan, who would go on to dress first lady Michelle Obama.
The George Washington University Museum and the Textile Museum
Through Aug. 6
Gateways/Portales
What do D.C., Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham, N.C., and Baltimore, Md., all have in common? They are all urban areas, are all on the East Coast and all have experienced rapid growth in their “Latinx” populations, most with spurts beginning in the 1980s. “Gateways/Portales” explores the triumphs and struggles of Latinx migrants and immigrants through the lenses of rights and justice, representation and celebration.
Anacostia Community Museum
Through Aug. 6
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
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. 13
Escape: Foon Sham
“Escape” showcases Foon Sham’s mastery of wood sculpture. To be within one of his vessel sculptures is to experience the palpable space of a woodland creature’s habitat, or the place of concealment. At the American University Museum, Sham has built one horizontal tunnel measuring 62 feet long and one vertical tunnel towering 36 feet high. “Escape” is one of a series of participatory sculptures, begun in the 1990s, meant to be experienced with all the body’s senses and to resonate socially.
American University Museum
Through Aug. 20
America Collects Eighteenth-Century French Painting
When Joseph Bonaparte, elder brother of Napoleon, arrived in the United States in 1815, he brought with him his exquisite collection of eighteenth-century French paintings. Put on public view, the works caused a sensation, and a new American taste for French art was born. T his exhibition brings together 68 paintings that represent some of the best and most unusual examples of French art of that era held by American museums and tells their stories on a national stage.
National Gallery of Art
Through Sept. 3
David Molander – Invisible Cities
If home is a place where we ought to feel safe, how is this feeling visualized in our collective home — i.e., the city? This question inspired David Molander to create scenes where small and large conflicts play out among different interests and processes. While we can choose to care about or ignore them, all of them play an important role in shaping the invincible cities that we call home.
House of Sweden
Through Sept. 3
Linda Lasson – Black Thread, Images from Northern Sweden
Exploring the lives of the Sami, Sweden’s indigenous people. Linda Lasson tells the stories of an exploited Northland and a displaced indigenous population through work that is archetypal contemporary poetry expressed as embroidery. The threads resemble drawings, and the graphic feel, mixed with the textile structure, exudes a sculptural aesthetic.
House of Sweden
Through Sept. 10
Markus Lüpertz: Threads of History
Offering unparalleled insight into the German artist’s pioneering early practice, “Markus Lüpertz: Threads of History” showcases more than 30 paintings from Lüpertz’s formative years in the 1960s and ’70s, as he challenged the limits of painting and forged his own style amidst the unrest of postwar Germany.
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Through Sept. 23
Markus Lüpertz
“Markus Lüpertz” explores the entirety of the prolific German artist’s five-decade career with a survey of his earliest works along with more recent paintings. Lüpertz, who began painting in a postwar Germany dominated by American Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art, has exhibited a preoccupation with the relationship between figuration and abstraction over the course of his career. Demonstrating this relationship through nearly 50 paintings, the exhibition at the Phillips includes important examples from Lüpertz’s “dithyrambic” pictures and provocative paintings of German motifs.
The Phillips Collection
Through Dec. 10
Stories of Migration – Sweden Beyond the Headlines
Migration is old news. It has helped shape countries and the world. But the current situation is unprecedented: More than 65 million people around the world have been forced to leave their homes. Migration is also an integral part of the history of Sweden; in today’s population, one in six was born in another country. Since the 1930s Sweden has been characterized by more immigration than emigration, including offering refuge to people fleeing war and political unrest. This exhibition aims to add new perspectives to the story of Sweden and migration and give insights into the current situation in the country. Beyond headlines of chaos and collapse, beyond politics and public authorities, there are people who try to build a life in a new country.
House of Sweden
Through Feb. 17
Painting Shakespeare
Discover the paintings collection at the Folger — its stories, its glories and Shakespeare’s power to inspire visual artists. From humble oil sketches to international masterpieces, this exhibition presents kids and adults alike, with a sometimes surprising, and always eye-catching, view of the man and his works.
Folger Shakespeare Library
Through Jan. 15, 2018
Architecture of an Asylum: St. Elizabeths 1852-2017
Established by Congress in 1855 as the Government Hospital for the Insane, St. Elizabeths is widely considered a pioneering psychiatric facility. The hospital is a prime example of the “Kirkbride Plan” for mental health hospitals, which promised to help patients with a specialized architecture and landscape. This exhibition traces St. Elizabeths’ evolution over time, reflecting shifting theories about how to care for the mentally ill, as well as the later reconfiguration of the campus as a federal workplace and a mixed-use urban development.
National Building Museum
DANCE
June 6 to 11
New York City Ballet
The acclaimed company’s annual visit brings two programs featuring works by today’s hottest choreographers — Justin Peck, Christopher Wheeldon and Alexei Ratmansky — along with George Balanchine’s “Square Dance,” “Tarantella” and” The Four Temperaments.” Tickets are $29 to $109.
Kennedy Center Opera House
Wed., June 14, 6 p.m.
An Evening with Luz San Miguel
Madrid-born ballet dancer Luz San Miguel presents works from her Chamber Dance Project’s repertoire with partner Gian Carlo Perez and the company’s string quartet and guest musicians. Known for her gorgeous line, emotional rendering of roles, versatility and wit, San Miguel will also converse with the audience about her upbringing in Spain. The evening concludes with a reception featuring her old family recipe for sangria and discussing her love of cooking Spanish food. Tickets are $15; for information, visit www.spainculture.us/city/washington-dc/.
Former Residence of the Spanish Ambassador
DISCUSSIONS
Fri., June 2, 12 p.m.
Babel Through Latin-American Jewish Eyes
Artist Mirta Kupferminc and psychoanalyst Tova Shvartzman will discuss art, Judaism and psychoanalysis in conversations with University of Maryland professor Saul Sosnowski.
Library of Congress Madison Building
Mon., June 5, 6:30 p.m.
EuroAsia Shorts – Short Films from Germany and China: What Is Truth?
Two films each from Germany and China mark the beginning of the 12th EuroAsia Shorts film showcase, which continues at various venues through June 9. Using the theme “What is Truth?” the films address the individual relationships to truth in our lives. How true are we with others in our daily lives? Does censorship foster truth, or hinder it? And when we fail to live up to the truth — through infidelity, lies or being untrue to our own self — what do we do? Brief discussions following each evening’s screenings will compare and contrast the films and the topics with several panelists.
Goethe-Institut
Wed., June 7, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
From Oxus to Euphrates: The Sasanian Empire
This free symposium surveys the Sasanians who ruled a large empire in Central and Western Asia, stretching from the Oxus River to the Euphrates and from the Hindukush to Eastern Arabia, for over 400 years (224-651 CE). Known as Iranshahr (the domain of Iran), it was a powerful empire that engendered much of what came to be known as the Iranian culture in the medieval and modern periods.
Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building
FESTIVALS
Fri., June 9, 6:30 p.m.
Noche Iberoamericana!
The Ibero-American Cultural Attachés Association presents a night of food, music, art and more. Taste authentic cuisine from Cuba, Paraguay and Spain while sipping on Argentinian, Chilean and Uruguayan wine, Peruvian pisco sours, a signature drink from El Salvador capped off with Portuguese Porto and chocolate and Uchuvas from Colombia. The program also includes a live musical presentation by Sound Impact courtesy of the Embassy of Costa Rica and tango music from Argentina and Uruguay. Tickets are $85 to $125; for information, visit www.instituteofmexicodc.org.
Mexican Cultural Institute
MUSIC
Thu., June 1, 7:30 p.m.
Martin Babjak, Baritone
Daniel Buranovsky, Piano
Baritone Martin Babjak, one of Slovakia’s finest singers, has portrayed roles ranging from Count Almaviva in Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” to Iago in Verdi’s “Otello.” Joined by pianist Daniel Buranovsky, he performs a program of arias, songs and piano solos. Tickets are $80 and include buffet and wine; for information, visit www.embassyseries.org.
Embassy of Slovakia
Sat., June 3, 7:30 p.m.
Moscow Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra
Vladimir Spivakov, one of the world’s most prominent violinists and conductors, has lead the Moscow Virtuosi since 1979, setting the gold standard for chamber music performance. Moscow Virtuosi is joined by soprano Hibla Gerzmava, along with cellist Danielle Akta, for the program of international opera hits, famous arias and classical favorites. Tickets are $45 to $95.
GW Lisner Auditorium
Wed., June 7, 7:30 p.m.
Eclipse Chamber Orchestra
Through world-class performances and recordings, the musicians of the Eclipse Chamber Orchestra — members of major symphony orchestras — share their love of classical music with a repertoire that embraces the familiar and the new. Tickets are $110 and include buffet reception; for information, visit www.embassyseries.org.
Portuguese Residence
Sat., June 11, 8 p.m.
Rosana 2017 U.S. Tour
Born in Lanzarote, Spanish singer and composer Rosana, who has sold more than 10 million albums, performs from her latest album, “En la memoria de la piel.” Tickets start at $35.
Howard Theatre
Fri., June 16, 7:30 p.m.
Emmanuel Ceysson, Harp
With his powerful playing, Emmanuel Ceysson sweeps away all the clichés associated with his instrument with an infectious enthusiasm and boundless energy that reveal the harp in all its sparkling splendor. Tickets are $195 and include buffet and drinks; for information, visit www.embassyseries.org.
Belmont Mansion
Fri., June 16, 7:30 p.m.
Violine en Face by Gabriele Proy and Elena Denisova
“Violine En Face” features compositions by Gabriele Proy as well as Fritz Kreisler, Eugène-Auguste Ysaye and Johann Sebastian Bach played by the Russian violinist Elena Denisova. Admission is free; to register, visit acfdc.org.
Embassy of Austria
Tue., June 20, 8 p.m.
Celtic Woman: Voices of Angels
Multi-platinum international music sensation Celtic Woman presents their captivating new show, “Voices of Angels.” Fusing fresh music, dance and cultural tradition, this inspiring live concert experience features all new stage designs, stunning wardrobes, superb choreography and arrangements of timeless Irish traditional and contemporary standards. Tickets are $30 to $85.
Wolf Trap Filene Center
Sat., June 24, 7 p.m.
Ani Choying Live in Concert
Internationally acclaimed for her simply stunning interpretations of Buddhist mantras and songs, Ani Choying returns to Lisner this summer. Tickets are $25 to $100.
GW Lisner Auditorium
June 28 to July 3
2017 Serenade! Washington D.C. Choral Festival
The 2017 Serenade! Washington D.C. Choral Festival celebrates the 100th birthday of President John F. Kennedy and the Peace Corps with six days of free choral music performances co-presented by Classical Movements and the Kennedy Center. Participating ensembles hail from India, Ireland, Panama, Germany, Zimbabwe, Morocco, Latvia, Mongolia, Canada, China, Kenya, Ghana and elsewhere.
Kennedy Center Millennium Stage
Fri., June 30, 7:30 p.m.
Dr. Didi: In Effigie
Dr. Didi, founded in 2006, combines three strikingly different artistic personalities — Peter Androsch (guitar), Didi Bruckmayr (vocals) and Bernd Preinfalk (double bass). Together, they construct a fascinating world fusing death metal and a skeletal operetta version of classical blues. Admission is free; to register, visit acfdc.org.
Embassy of Austria
THEATER
Fri., June 2, 8 p.m.,
Sat., June 3, 8 p.m.
Silenced Within Me (Callado Conmigo)
Based on interviews of survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse, Latinas and Latinos from the local community use music and movement to reveal the stories of these survivors and how the abuse affected their lives and their families. Tickets are $15.
GALA Hispanic Theatre
Through June 4
Fear Eats the Soul
Scena Theatre presents “Fear Eats the Soul” by eccentric German filmmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder, an emotionally powerful drama that centers around timely topics such as race, immigration and class as Emmi, a cleaning woman and widow in 1970s Germany, falls for a younger Moroccan immigrant. Tickets are $35 and $45.
Atlas Performing Arts Center
Through June 11
Timon of Athens
Robert Richmond directs Shakespeare’s tragic satire about a wealthy aristocrat who loses his fortune and his friends due to his over-generosity. An exploration of materialism, money and friendship, “Timon of Athens” features Helen Hayes Award-winner Ian Merrill Peakes in the title role. Tickets are $35 to $75.
Folger Shakespeare Theatre
June 13 to July 16
The Sound of Music
The spirited, romantic, and beloved musical will thrill once again with its Tony, Grammy, and Oscar-winning score in this brand new production, directed by three-time Tony winner Jack O’Brien. Tickets are $39 to $169.
Kennedy Center Opera House
Sat., June 17, 8:30 p.m.
The Fall of the House of Usher
Roderick Usher, the reclusive heir to the Usher fortune, resides with his ill twin sister in their decaying ancestral home. When Roderick’s old friend visits, relationships are tested and secrets are unearthed in this co-production between Wolf Trap Opera and Halcyon Stage. Tickets are $40.
Dock 5 at Union Market
June 17 to Aug. 13
The Second City’s Almost Accurate Guide to America: Divided We Stand
Who better to comment on the state of our nation than the comedians who mock it best? The Second City returns for another summer of uproarious irreverence on America’s divided political climate. Tickets are $49 to $65.
Kennedy Center Theater Lab
Through June 18
The Father
André is 80 and a man of his own mind. He’s quick with a joke, especially one with an edge, and used to dominating conversations and relationships. But things are getting strange: His daughter’s stories don’t quite add up, his furniture is disappearing and there are strangers at his table. Internationally acclaimed French playwright Florian Zeller’s unnerving “tragic farce” asks who we are to ourselves when our signposts disappear. Tickets are $20 to $85.
Studio Theatre
June 23 to July 1
Rossini: The Touchstone
In this sparkling Rossini comedy, a wealthy man devises a test to separate his true friends from those who love him only for his money. Tickets are $32 to $88.
The Barns at Wolf Trap
Through July 2
Jesus Christ Superstar
Experience Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s stunning award-winning rock opera in a sleek, modern, environmental production. Please call for ticket information.
Signature Theatre
Through July 2
The School for Lies
“The School for Lies” transforms Molière’s 17th-century classic “The Misanthrope” into a modern satire crafted in vicious couplets and outrageous gags, creating a baroque comedy of manners brimming with contemporary slang. Please call for ticket information.
The Shakespeare Theatre
