A New Year of Delightful Destinations

Smithsonian Associates Overnight Tours for 2023

Our study tours are designed for people who want more than just a getaway: They offer one-of-a-kind experiences combined with opportunities to gain new insights into the topics that fascinate you. Whether you’re a fan of history, art, music, nature, or architecture— or simply love exploring new places—these expert-led excursions offer a year’s worth of tempting travels. Several of our most popular tours return to the schedule, offering you another chance to join us on these adventures—before they sell out again!

Frank Lloyd Wright: Masterworks in the Midwest

Sun., May 21–Thurs., May 25 (on sale now; see p. 61)

Sold Out

This tour for architecture lovers includes Chicago-area visits to Unity Temple and the Robie House, a gem in Wright’s signature Prairie style, and the Wisconsin sites of his estate, Taliesin, and the Jacobs House, the first of the innovative Usonian residences.

Leader: Bill Keene

All Eyes on Pittsburgh

Sun., Mar. 26–Tues., Mar. 28

(on sale now; see p. 59)

An art-filled three days— highlighted by the 58th Carnegie International exhibition—shows off how the city of smokestacks and steel has been reborn as a cultural capital.

Leader: Richard Selden

By Popular Demand

The Best of Brooklyn

Sun., Apr. 16–Mon., Apr. 17 (on sale now; see p. 61) Brooklyn offers plenty of delights for lovers of art, music, nature, and food. An arts journalist and former Brooklynite introduces you to several of its top attractions.

Leader: Richard Selden

Read more about programs in this guide on our website. Search by code or date. Expanded program descriptions, presenters’ information, and more at SmithsonianAssociates.org.

A Mountain Rail Extravaganza

Fri., June 2–Sun., June 4 (on sale now; see p. 64)

Stunning spring vistas, vintage locomotives, and West Virginia history are on the itinerary for a weekend spent riding the Cass Scenic Railroad and other mountain routes.

Leader: Joe Nevin

A Berkshires Summer Sampler

Sun., July 30–Thurs., Aug. 3

(on sale April 1)

The scenic and historic Berkshire hills of western Massachusetts are alive with music, art, and theater. A 5-day tour offers a splendid sampling of cultural attractions in the region.

Leader: Richard Selden

Theodore Roosevelt’s North Dakota

Sat., Oct. 7–Wed., Oct. 11

Fly west and experience the wild beauty of the Dakota Territory that shaped young Theodore Roosevelt’s course as a conservationist and naturalist.

Leader: Melanie Choukas-Bradley

Fall in the Shenandoah

Sun., Oct. 15–Mon., Oct. 16

Celebrate the beauty of Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park as you hike its trails and take in the panoramas from Skyland, your historic lodge nestled along Skyline Drive.

Leader: Keith Tomlinson

The Corning Museum of Glass

Wed., Nov. 1–Sat., Nov. 4

Discover Queens

The Neustadt Collection and Queens Museum

August 2023

Opulence is the focal point for a weekend in New York with visits to the Queens Museum and the Neustadt—the premier collection of works and archives of Tiffany glass.

Leaders: Elizabeth Lay, Lindsy Parrott

This glass-lover’s dream tour offers a true insider’s experience at the renowned museum, including many curator-conducted sessions.

Leader: Bill Keene

Sun., Nov. 12–Mon., Nov. 13 Our series of explorations of New York City’s outer boroughs continues with a visit to the largest of all.

Leader: Richard Selden

Travel insurance is advised for overnight and multi-day tours. Travel insurance provides additional coverage against unforeseen incidents that require last-minute cancellations. If you wish to purchase travel insurance, you can do so on your own. Smithsonian Associates does not do this for you. Overnight tours are non-refundable.

Note: All tour dates and content are subject to change. Please

Art Sci Ence Studio Arts Culture Hi Story Art

Unless noted, all programs are presented on Zoom; listed times are Eastern Time. Online registration is required.

Lunchtime with a Curator

Decorative Arts Design Series: Textile Diplomacy

Join curator Elizabeth Lay, a regular lecturer on the topics of fashion, textiles, and American furniture, to learn how textile conservation is a form of cultural diplomacy, cultivating and honoring people and heritage.

Textile conservator Julia M. Brennan describes how she has worked to build cultural bridges by engaging in both high-profile and grassroots projects to help set up conservation labs, train local specialists, and preserve local and regional textile heritage.

Mon., March 13; 12–1 p.m.; CODE 1K0-342; Members $20; Nonmembers $25

World Art History Certificate elective: Earn ½ credit (for each program session)

Masterworks by Renoir, Cézanne, and Matisse at the Barnes Foundation

Drawing on what is considered one of the greatest post-Impressionist and early modern art collections in the world, Barnes Foundation educator Penny Hansen guides live virtual tours through the galleries, examining in depth the paintings of three revolutionary artists.

Using high-definition Deep Zoom technology developed by the Barnes, Hansen provides astonishingly close-up views of the canvases, revealing their paint surface, brushstrokes, and details in ways that bring the art and the artist vividly to life. All programs provide the chance to interact with Hansen in a Q&A session.

MAR 9 Matisse

MAR 16 Renoir

MAR 23 Cézanne

3 sessions: Thurs., March 9, 16, and 23, 12–1:30 p.m.; CODE 1NV-BAR; Members $75; Nonmembers $90

Individual sessions: Thurs., March 9 (CODE 1NV-022); Thurs., March 16 (CODE 1NV-023); Thurs., March 23 (CODE 1NV-024); 12–1:30 p.m.; Members $30; Nonmembers $35

World Art History Certificate elective: Earn ½ credit

The Tale of Shuten Doji

The 14th-century Japanese legend about warrior Raik’s conquest of a terrifying, flesh-eating ogre is recounted in The Tale of Shuten Doji. During the Edo period (ca. 1600 –1868) the story’s popularity inspired many painted scrolls, folding screens, wood-block prints, and other media.

The tale may appear to be a typical retelling of warrior heroes battling savage demons, but a closer look reveals a more complex picture of socially marginalized groups and notions of otherness. Art historian Yui Suzuki focuses on illustrations that convey the story’s conventional and cryptic meanings.

Tues., March 14, 6:45 p.m.; CODE 1J0-246; Members $20; Nonmembers $25

World Art History Certificate core course: Earn 1 credit

The History of Western Architecture

Tracing the history of Western architecture is like looking back at a long trail of footprints in the sand. Each step marks a particular moment of the journey, just as architectural movements and styles mark distinct moments in Western history. By examining four distinct historical periods in Western architecture, art historian Rocky Ruggiero traces the development of architectural styles, traditions, trends, and forms beginning in the ancient world and continuing through to the present day.

MAR 21 The Ancient World

MAR 28 The Medieval World

APR 4 The Early Modern and Baroque Worlds

APR 11 The Modern World

4 sessions: Tues., March 21–April 11, 6:45 p.m.; CODE 1J0-248; Members $80; Nonmembers $90

World Art History Certificate elective: Earn 1 credit

Ancient Egypt Through its Art and Architecture

The secret to understanding the daily life and culture of ancient Egypt under its great rulers and pharaohs is right before our eyes—in its art and architecture.

B.C.)

Examinations of these vast treasures reveal how they influenced Egyptian cultural identity and how religion shaped artistic production.

Using evidence from the most recent archaeological discoveries, Egypt specialist Jacquelyn Williamson surveys the social and historical realities of this civilization from its early pyramids through its art created under King Akhenaten, who upended centuries of tradition to create new artistic conventions.

9:30 a.m. Understanding Egyptian Art: The Origins of an Artistic Tradition

11 a.m. Wonder and Majesty: The Art of the 4th Dynasty

12:15 p.m. Break

1:15 p.m. The Elegance of Discord and the Beauty of Empire

2:45 p.m. The Art of Heresy: Akhenaten and Nefertiti

Sat., March 11, 9:30 a.m.–4 p.m.; CODE 1M2-240; Members $80; Nonmembers $90

World Art History Certificate elective: Earn ½ credit Thomas

Gainsborough: Beyond the Blue Boy

British artist Thomas Gainsborough (1727–1788) was widely known and admired for his fluid handling of paint in his portraits and landscapes. He and rival Joshua Reynolds dominated portrait painting in the 1770s and 1780s.

The largely self-taught, witty, convivial Gainsborough’s patrons included musicians, actresses, artists, the aristocracy, and members of the royal family. He became famous in the United States when one of the Gilded Age’s notoriously wealthy robber barons purchased the iconic Blue Boy (1770).

Art historian Bonita Billman examines Gainsborough’s career and his influence on painting.

Thurs., March 23, 12–1:30 p.m.; CODE 1M2-252; Members $20; Nonmembers $25

All Smithsonian Associates online programs are closed captioned

J.M.W. Turner and the Art of the Sublime

British artist J.M.W. Turner (1775–1851) is known for innovative landscape paintings that captured nature’s power and drama. His radical techniques allowed him to create unprecedented imagery that still appears modern today.

Art historian Tim Barringer places a selection of Turner’s works in historical context. He reveals how Turner’s art reflected his belief in “the sublime,” an artistic theory that contrasted the power of nature with the fragile condition of mankind, and how in paintings such as Rain, Steam and Speed (1844) he evoked the drastic transformations caused by the Industrial Revolution.

Thurs., March 30, 6:30 p.m.; CODE 1H0-759; Members $20; Nonmembers $25

SmithsonianAssociates.org/artcertificate

Art-full Fridays | Live from Italy, with Elaine Ruffolo

World Art History Certificate electives: Earn ½ credit each

From Towers to Palaces An Architectural Tour of Medieval Florence

The architecture of medieval Florence was characterized by soaring towers, massive fortress-like palaces, and breathtakingly beautiful basilicas. During the period of communal self-government in the 13th and 14th centuries, public buildings such as the Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo (now known as the Bargello) and the Palazzo dei Priori (today’s Palazzo Vecchio) set an important precedent for the palace builders of wealthy patrician families during the Renaissance.

Join art historian Elaine Ruffolo as she traces how the built environment of Florence clearly reflects the historical development of the city at the dawn of the Renaissance.

Fri., March 31, 12–1:15 p.m.; CODE 1D0-009; Members $20; Nonmembers $25

The Uffizi Gallery

An Unrivaled Collection

Located in the heart of Florence, the Uffizi Gallery has long been regarded as one of the most important museum collections in the world. Not only was it one of the first in Europe to emerge in accordance with the modern idea of a museum, but it is also unsurpassed in the quality of works it contains, boasting some of the greatest masterpieces of the Florentine Renaissance.

Join art historian Elaine Ruffolo as she discusses the history and aspects of the gallery—including the patronage of the Medici family, the innovative architecture of Vasari, and, of course, an in-depth examination of the best of the remarkable painting collection.

Fri., April 14 and 28, 12–1:15 p.m.; CODE 1D0-010; Members $35; Nonmembers $40

Spring’s Awakening A Reflective Writing Workshop

Discover the power of reflective writing guided by the founding instructor of the National Gallery of Art’s popular Writing Salon, Mary Hall Surface. Inspired by works of art by Vincent van Gogh and poetry by Mary Oliver, explore the lessons that the season of spring offers us when we slow down, look closely, and reflect. Designed for writers of all levels, the workshop invites you to look outward at paintings and poetry and to look inward through writing. These reflections can become creative fertile ground for memoir, poetry, and more. The workshop has a limited enrollment to maximize interaction among the instructor and students.

Tues., April 4, 10-11:30 a.m.; CODE 1K0-356; Members $40; Nonmembers $45

Art Crimes: Stolen Secrets of the Third Reich

Expert on art fraud, author, and former FBI agent Robert Wittman draws from his book The Devil’s Diary: Alfred Rosenberg and the Stolen Secrets of the Third Reich to recount his 2013 recovery of the long-lost private diary of the Nazi Party’s chief ideologue, who laid the philosophical foundations for the Holocaust. Rosenberg’s diary had been lost for more than 60 years and its longhidden contents offer first-person insights into the Nazi rise to power, the genesis of the Final Solution, and Germany’s brutal occupation of the Soviet Union.

Wed., April 12, 6:45 p.m.; CODE 1K0-351; Members $20; Nonmembers $25

World Art History Certificate elective: Earn 1 credit Art and Fiction

A picture is not only worth a thousand words: It can sometimes inspire a whole invented world. Independent art historian Heidi Applegate explores the art and artists behind three works of historical fiction. Gain new perspectives on Renaissance portraiture; Dutch still lifes, genre painting, and a cabinet house; and the Frick Collection in New York City by delving into the novels, followed by Applegate’s examination of the factual background along with the fiction.

APR 7 Maggie O’Farrell, The Marriage Portrait, 2022

MAY 12 Jessie Burton, The Miniaturist, 2014

JUN 16 Fiona Davis, The Magnolia Palace, 2022

3 sessions: Fri., April 7, May 12, June 16, 12-1:30 p.m.; CODE 1H0-762; Members $60; Nonmembers $65

What time does the program end? Unless noted, Smithsonian Associates programs run 1 hour 15 min.–2 hours, including Q&A