Culturally Speaking...with Terri B.

Dear Readers, Although the contents of this column will vary from time to time, they will focus primarily on the area’s rich cultural largesse. Unlike future submissions, this premier edition will not review specific exhibitions or performances but will propose various suggestions for your consideration.

As new arrivals you have hit the jackpot! You are blessed with an embarrassment of riches because many world class museums are here. Public institutions are free, and their private counterparts require a just modest admission fee. Like the visual arts, the performing arts are unstinting--- with theaters spanning the District, suburban Maryland and Virginia. Keep in mind, that the (DMV) probably boasts the second largest theater district outside of New York City.

With so many things to do and see here, your writer would like to welcome you to your new home and encourage you to consider some of the cultural based selections offered at this time. After a while you will find your inclinations or establish new ones. Listed below are some exciting picks. So, let’s get started.

Museums

Smithsonian National Museum of African Art - 950 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20560 - 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily (except December 25) - Free Admission

Wind Sculpture VII is the first sculpture installed permanently in front of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art. This unique, gold-leaf version of Shonibare’s Wind Sculptures series evokes the sails of ships that have crossed the Atlantic and other oceans, connecting nations through the exchange of ideas,products, and people.

The National Gallery of Art 6th and Constitution Avenue NW Washington, DC 20565 (located between 3rd Street and 9th Street on Constitution Ave., NW)Hours: Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.Sunday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Free Admission

Nov. 4, 2018 – Feb. 18, 2019 Gordon Parks: The New Tide, Early Work 1940–1950 West Bldg, Ground Floor, Outer Tier First African-American photographer for Life and Vogue magazines. He also pursued movie directing and screenwriting, working at the helm of the films The Learning Tree, based on a novel he wrote, and Shaft

Performing Arts

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts - 2700 F Street, NW Washington, DC 20566

January 25-26, 2019 NSO Pops: An Evening with Brandy Following her acclaimed Broadway debut and Kennedy Center engagement as Roxie Hart in the Tony®-winning revival of Chicago, Brandy is the latest entertainer Read More...

Signature Theatre - Located in: Village at Shirlington - 4200 Campbell Ave, Arlington, VA 22206

January 23 – March 10, 2019 Ain't Misbehavin' The Fats Waller Musical Show Step into Harlem for a swinging, dancing celebration of big band and the songs of Thomas “Fats”Waller. This sultry Tony Award®winning musical tribute features all of Waller’s beloved tunes including “The Joint is Jumpin’,” Read More...

Read more about places to visit in the DMV in N.A.I. Magazine.