Culturally Speaking

EDUCATION and THE ARTS: Forever Learning

Think of the second part of the cultural year as a semester! For most people, school and fall are customarily related---- long after leaving the auspices of a formal education, we get in the mood for an illuminative experience when the oppressive late August landscape dissolves into crispy autumn environs. Around the same time, offerings at local institutions call out to our imaginations and promise to give us some of the best experiences of the year. So, get up and get started. It’s time for some enlightenment again…. In this immediate area, there are plenty of informal learning opportunities to engage and challenge your brilliant minds. Keep in mind that this type of learning is not only easy to attain but it is also a lot of fun. Take in a few of the following exhibitions and become a lot more knowledgeable in the process….

Woven Interiors: Furnishing Early Medieval Egypt

Textiles were omnipresent in the villas, palaces, pavilions, churches, mosques, and humble abodes of Byzantine and early Islamic Egypt. Woven Interiors: Furnishing Early Medieval Egypt provides insight into the decoration of these areas, inviting the viewer to experience stunning tapestries featuring mythical beings and intriguing iconography alongside household objects and luxurious gold jewelry.

August 31, 2019–January 5, 2020

I Am… Contemporary Women Artists of Africa

Taking its name from a 1970’s feminist anthem, I Am, Contemporary Women Artists of Africa draws upon a selection of artworks by women artists from the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art’s permanent collection to reveal a more contemporary feminism that recognizes the contributions of women to the most pressing issues of their times. Twenty-eight featured artists offer intuitive and visually stunning approaches to matters of community, faith, the environment, politics, colonial encounters, racism, identity, and more.

June 20, 2019 through July 5, 2020

Musical Crossroads

Tells the story of African American music from the arrival of the first Africans to the present day. By exploring the methods and results of intermingling of musical and cultural traditions, styles and beliefs, brought forth new modes of American musical expression, the exhibition expands the definition of African American music to include African American music-makers in all genres and styles you have the opportunity to learn that African Americans, through music, have generated and enriched a vast array of musical styles, from folk and blues, to classical and spiritual, to jazz and hip-hop.

Picturing the American Buffalo: George Catlin and Modern Native American Artists

It was in the nineteenth century when the American bison (commonly called the buffalo) thundered across the Great Plains of the American West in the millions. These animals symbolized the abundance of the land, and for centuries played a vital role in the lives of Native Americans, providing sustenance and spiritual nourishment. Wild and majestic, revered and hunted, the buffalo have long captured the popular imagination, and their iconic images figure prominently in America’s art.

October 11, 2019 - April12, 2020

Encountering the Buddha: Art and Practice Across Asia

Buddhism—and the art it inspired—helped shape the cultures of Asia. Today, its extraordinary art is a source of beauty and contemplation for audiences across the world.

Encountering the Buddha brings together more than two hundred artworks, spanning two millennia, to explore Asia’s rich Buddhist heritage. They represent diverse schools that arose from the Buddha’s teachings.

On Exhibit until November 29, 2020

The New York Avenue Sculpture Project

The only public art space featuring changing installations of contemporary works by women artists in Washington, D.C. SEP 28 2018–SEP 20 2020, At this juncture, the works of Betsabeé Romero are featured. Using materials and techniques relating to popular culture, the Mexico City-based artist (b. 1963) carved and painted tires into totemic structures that speak to themes of human migration and the natural environment. She skillfully embraces materials and techniques relating to popular culture.