The Smithsonian Institution celebrates Black History Heritage Month with more than forty events - films, performances, talks, tours and demonstrations.
| WASHINGTON D.C. | |
| Location: | Anacostia Community Museum |
| Title: | Banding Together: School Bands as Instruments of Opportunity |
| Date: | Ongoing Exhibition , 10 am - 5 pm |
| Description: | This highly visual exhibition presents a history of instrumental music education in Washington, D.C., from the 1880s to the present. Special emphasis is placed on the story of school cadet, or military, bands and their evolution into the marching and show bands of today. |
| Location: | National Museum of African Art |
| Title: | Body of Evidence |
| Date: | Ongoing Exhibition , 10 am - 5:30 pm |
| Description: | Forty works by twenty contemporary African artists employ images of the body to address such issues as equality, oppression, identity, history, memory, and spirituality. |
| Location: | Anacostia Community Museum |
| Title: | D.C. Undercover: Photographs by Steven M. Cummings |
| Date: | Ongoing Exhibition , 10 am - 5 pm |
| Description: | Cummings is known for photographs of people around Washington, D.C., who happen to be wearing hats or are proudly displaying them. This exhibition captures hat wearers in the course of ordinary activities like shopping and churchgoing. |
| Location: | Anacostia Community Museum |
| Title: | Two Hundred Years of Black Paper Dolls: The Collection of Arabella Grayson |
| Date: | Ongoing Exhibition , 10 am - 5 pm |
| Description: | When she was a child, collector Arabella Grayson became interested in finding paper dolls that looked like her. Her interest became a lifelong passion. The dolls in her international collection reflect social perceptions of people of African descent, including caricatures and stereotypes. The earliest piece on display is one of the earliest African American paper dolls: an 1863 image of the character Topsey from Uncle Tom's Cabin. |
| Location: | National Museum of Natural History |
| Title: | Visual Griots of Mali |
| Date: | Ongoing Exhibition , 10 am - 5 pm |
| Description: | This exhibition features forty black-and-white photographs selected from the work of Malian youth (ages 10-16) who took part in an Academy for Education Development workshop in Tominian, Mali. |
| Location: | National Museum of Natural History, Baird Auditorium |
| Title: | Ka-Mbili: Juxtapower with Sduduzo Ka-Mbili |
| Date: | Thursday, February 1, 10:15 and 11:30 am |
| Description: | Led by South African director and choreographer Sduduzo Ka-Mbili, this troupe of internationally acclaimed performers present an electrifying program of drum and dance, exploring African America's musical roots. Recommended for all ages. Tickets required. Call 202.357.1500. |
| Location: | National Museum of the Natural History, African Voices Hall |
| Title: | Black History Month at Natural History |
| Date: | Tuesday, February 1 - Wednesday, February 28 , 10:15 - 12 pm |
| Description: | Throughout Black History Month, museum docents assist visitors in hands-on activities with some of the objects in the African Voices Hall. Recommended for all ages. |
| Location: | Smithsonian American Art Museum, Renwick Gallery |
| Title: | Daily Walk-In Tour at the Renwick Gallery |
| Date: | Thursday, February 1 - Wednesday, February 28, 12 noon weekdays, 1 pm Saturday and Sundays |
| Description: | Throughout Black History Month, the museum's docent-led tour features Arabian Seasons, a 1994 mixed-media work by African American artist Therman Statom. Statom cuts, constructs, and paints industrially produced plate glass and adds found objects—playing cards, rocks, maps, plastic—to create compelling assemblages. Meet in the lobby. |
| Location: | Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture |
| Title: | Smithsonian American Art Museum Walk-Ins |
| Date: | Thursday, February 1 - Wednesday, February 28 , 12 noon and 2 pm |
| Description: | During Black History Month, the museum's daily highlights tour features the 1941 painting Sunlight and Shadow by Allan Rohan Crite. A self-described "artist-reporter," Crite here depicts three generations in a park. He intended to capture "the usual pleasures of life with its mixtures of both sorrow and joy." Meet in the F Street Lobby. |
| Location: | Discovery Theater, S. Dillon Ripley Center |
| Title: | How Old Is a Hero? |
| Date: | Friday, February 2 - Friday, February 23, 10:15 and 11:30 am |
| Description: |
This spirited play honors the contributions of children to the civil rights struggle. It features freedom songs from the 1960s and highlights the stories of three young activists: Ruby Bridges, Claudette Colvin, and Ernest Green. Recommended for ages 6-10. Tickets required. Call 202.357.1500. February 2 and 6-8, 10:15 and 11:30 am February 10, 12:30 pm Discovery Theater, S. Dillon Ripley Center February 21-23, 10:15 and 11:30 am Round House Theatre, 8641 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, Md. |
| Location: | Hirshorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Ring Auditorium |
| Title: | Race and Ethnicity in a Global Art World |
| Date: | Friday, February 2 , 12:30 pm |
| Description: | In this special presentation, artists Iona Rozeal Brown and Zoe Charlton discuss their own work and that of others featured at the Hirshhorn. |
| Location: | Anacostia Community Museum |
| Title: | Art Dolls from Paper |
| Date: | Saturday, February 3 , 10:30 am - 2 pm |
| Description: | Francine Haskins, doll artist and children's book author, leads a workshop on creating paper dolls. Participants are encouraged to bring buttons, laces, and other household items to incorporate into their creations. Recommended for ages 6 and older. There is a $10 registration fee, which must be mailed by January 26. Call 202.633.4844. |
| Location: | National Postal Museum, Discovery Center |
| Title: | Black History Celebration |
| Date: | Saturday, February 3, 1 - 3 pm |
| Description: | Children and their families learn about famous African Americans through stamps, stories, and music. They listen to jazz and blues recordings of musical artists featured on U.S. stamps and try their hands at composing poetry in the musical style of Langston Hughes. |
| Location: | National Zoological Park |
| Title: | Animals of Africa |
| Date: | Saturday, February 3 - Sunday, February 4, 10 am - 12 pm |
| Description: | Participants in this two-day class learn about lions, cheetahs, zebras, gorillas, and other African animals, and their significance to traditional African cultures. Recommended for ages 6-8. Registration required. Call 202.633.4259 |
| Location: | National Air and Space Museum |
| Title: | Curator's Choice: "Eugene Bullard: An African American Fighter Pilot in World War I" |
| Date: | Wednesday, February 7, 12 noon |
| Description: | Join Air and Space curators for three gallery talks. On February 7, Dom Pisano presents "Eugene Bullard: An African American Fighter Pilot in World War I" (Gallery 206, World War I). On February 21, Martin Collins presents "Promises of Progress: Communications Satellites and Africa" (Gallery 213, Beyond the Limits). On February 28, Valerie Neal presents "African American Astronauts from Guy Bluford to Joan Higginbotham" (Gallery 114, Space Race/Space Hall). Meet at the Museum Seal, near the National Mall entrance. Call 202.633.2640 for more information. |
| Location: | National Museum of African Art |
| Title: | Treasures from Grandmother Africa |
| Date: | Thursday, February 8 - Saturday, February 10, 10:15 am, 11 am, 11:45 am, and 12:30 pm |
| Description: | Storyteller Diane Macklin brings audiences into an African world where everybody has a story to tell. The performance is followed by a self-guided treasure hunt (map and learning guide provided). Recommended for ages 3-8. Tickets required. Call 202.357.1500. Thursday-Friday, February 8-9, 10:15 am, 11 am, 11:45 am, and 12:30 pm Saturday February 10, 11 and 11:45 am |
| Location: | National Museum of Natural History, Baird Auditorium |
| Title: | Black History Month School Program: An Exploration of African Musical Roots in the Americas |
| Date: | Friday, February 9 , 9:30 am |
| Description: | Designed for students and English-language learners of all ages, the program features a concert and talk by members of Eleguá, a vocal and percussion group that performs Venezuelan music with African roots. It is followed, at 11 am, by a tour of the Natural History exhibition African Voices. For free school-group reservations, write to heritage@si.edu or call 202.633.5460. |
| Location: | National Museum of Natural History, First Floor |
| Title: | African Voices: Exhibition Tour |
| Date: | Friday, February 9 , 11 am |
| Description: | Co-curator Michael Mason offers an insider's view into the making of the permanent exhibition African Voices, which examines the diversity, dynamism, and global influence of Africa's peoples and cultures. Registration required for this free tour. Call 202.633.4909. Meet at the entrance to the exhibition. |
| Location: | National Air and Space Museum, National Mall |
| Title: | African American Pioneers in Aviation |
| Date: | Saturday, February 10, 10 am - 3 pm |
| Description: |
Visitors to these family-day events can talk with local Tuskegee Airmen and learn how they achieved their historic success. Also included are hands-on activities and a story time for children ages 4-7. Saturday, February 10, 10 am - 3 pm National Air and Space Museum, National Mall Saturday, February 24, 10 am - 3 pm National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center |
| Location: | Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture, National Portrait Gallery |
| Title: | Black History Month Drop-In Programs |
| Date: | Saturday, February 10, 12 - 4 pm |
| Description: |
Each fun-filled program will include a reading corner and hands-on art project in the Education Center, and a scavenger hunt in the museum. Free; for more information, please call NPG's youth and family program coordinator at (202) 275-2617. Saturdays, February 10 and 24, 12 noon-4 pm |
| Location: | Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture, McEvoy Auditorium |
| Title: | Triumphs, Trophies, and Treasures: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at SAAM's Collection of African American |
| Date: | Saturday, February 10, 3 pm |
| Description: | Howard University art history professor Gwen Everett discusses the Smithsonian American Art Museum's rescue of William H. Johnson's works (triumphs), its collection of works distinguished as winners of the Harmon Foundation Prize (trophies), and its display of such objects as the Hampton Throne (treasures). |
| Location: | National Museum of Natural History, Baird Auditorium |
| Title: | African Musical Roots in the Americas |
| Date: | Saturday, February 10, 6 pm |
| Description: |
The World Music Ensemble and the group Eleguá lead this celebration of the influence of African culture on the music of the Americas. The first part of the evening is hosted by Brother Ah, founding director of the World Music Ensemble. Along with a variety of guests, he explores the continuum of African traditional music by focusing on the blues idiom. The second part of the show features Eleguá, a vocal and percussion ensemble formed by nine women from the Barlovento region on the central coast of Venezuela. Directly descending from the African slaves who cultivated cocoa and coffee in the area, the members of Eleguá are dedicated to researching and rescuing the purest African roots in their music. The performers will all come together for a finale. African Musical Roots: A Hands-On Family Program Sunday, February 11, 2 pm Bolivarian Hall, Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, 2443 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Members of Eleguá teach participants the basics of their percussion style. Recommended for all ages. |
| Location: | S. Dillon Ripley Center |
| Title: | Ooh Baby Baby: Loving the Motown Sound |
| Date: | Thursday, February 15, 7 pm |
| Description: | Founded by Berry Gordy in 1959 and home to artists like Stevie Wonder, the Temptations, Smokey Robinson, and the Supremes, Motown brought soul music to new audiences and chart-topping heights. Reuben Jackson, an associate curator at the National Museum of American History, examines the importance of Motown to American music and culture. The event includes a live performance. Tickets required. Call 202.357.3030. |
| Location: | Discovery Theater, S. Dillon Ripley Center |
| Title: | Trickster Tales & Sea Island Songs: A Georgia Sea Island Play-Party |
| Date: | Thursday, February 15 - Saturday, February 17, 10:15 and 11:45 am |
| Description: |
Storyteller and singer Xavier Carnegie introduces tales that were used to teach lessons to children living on the Sea Island rice plantations of South Carolina and Georgia. The audience can sing along with Sea Island children's songs and touch sea-grass baskets and other artifacts of the Gullah people. The Feb 17 show is $9 a child, $10 for adults, and tickets are required.
Call 202.357.1500. Thursday-Friday, February 15-16, 10:15 and 11:45 am Saturday, February 17, 12 noon |
| Location: | National Museum of African Art |
| Title: | African Vision: The Walt Disney-Tishman African Art Collection |
| Date: | Thursday, February 15 - Saturday, September 7, 10 am - 5:30 pm |
| Description: | This selection from the recently donated collection includes pieces that have never been exhibited. Among the highlights is a dramatic wall of masks, which illustrates the variety of Africa's masking traditions. Accompanying the exhibition is a film that puts the eighty-eight objects into a context of cultures and landscapes. |
| Location: | National Museum of African Art |
| Title: | Afro@Digital |
| Date: | Saturday, February 17, 2 pm |
| Description: | The impact of digital technologies on African life is apparent in film, music, fashion, politics, and education. Director Balufu Bakupa-Kanyinda presents the views of Africans in a new international, digital culture. Recommended for mature audiences. A moderated discussion follows the screening. (2003, 52 minutes, French, English, Yoruba, and Jula, with English subtitles) |
| Location: | National Museum of African Art |
| Title: | African Vision: Exhibition Tour |
| Date: | Sunday, February 18, 2 pm |
| Description: | Museum staff members introduce the exhibition African Vision: The Walt Disney-Tishman African Art Collection. Meet at the Information Desk. |
| Location: | National Air and Space Museum |
| Title: | Curator's Choice: "Promises of Progress: Communications Satellites and Africa" |
| Date: | Wednesday, February 7, 12 noon |
| Description: | Join Air and Space curators for three gallery talks. On February 7, Dom Pisano presents "Eugene Bullard: An African American Fighter Pilot in World War I" (Gallery 206, World War I). On February 21, Martin Collins presents "Promises of Progress: Communications Satellites and Africa" (Gallery 213, Beyond the Limits). On February 28, Valerie Neal presents "African American Astronauts from Guy Bluford to Joan Higginbotham" (Gallery 114, Space Race/Space Hall). Meet at the Museum Seal, near the National Mall entrance. Call 202.633.2640 for more information. |
| Location: | |
| Title: | Ask Us! Conservation Clinic |
| Date: | Thursday, February 22, 2 pm |
| Description: | Would you like to know more about a work of African art in your own collection? Bring it to the museum to discuss it with a conservator. Registration required. Call 202.633.4646 by February 14. |
| Location: | |
| Title: | Andean Rhythms: Children's Music Workshop |
| Date: | Friday, February 23, 10 am |
| Description: | Students experience the interplay of African and Hispanic music as they try out such instruments as the charango, the siku, and castanets. The program is free, but reservations are required. Call 202.633.1268 by February 18. |
| Location: | |
| Title: | Orixas and Ilé Aiyéf |
| Date: | Saturday, February 23, 12 noon |
| Description: | In the short film Orixas, director Maria Esperanza Palau examines West African beliefs carried to Brazil by the enslaved Yoruba people. Ilé Aiyéf, or House of Life, is a musically rich documentary on the African-influenced Brazilian religion Candomblé, directed by David Byrne of the Talking Heads. The program includes a discussion with anthropologist Michael Atwood Mason. (Orixas, 2006, 28 minutes; Ilé Aiyéf, 1989, 51 minutes) |
| Location: | |
| Title: | African American Pioneers in Aviation |
| Date: | Saturday, February 24, 10 am - 3 pm |
| Description: |
Visitors to these family-day events can talk with local Tuskegee Airmen and learn how they achieved their historic success. Also included are hands-on activities and a story time for children ages 4-7. Saturday, February 10, 10 am - 3 pm National Air and Space Museum, National Mall Saturday, February 24, 10 am - 3 pm National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center |
| Location: | |
| Title: | Tales of Africa |
| Date: | Saturday, February 24, 10 am - 12 noon |
| Description: | Participants in this class listen to traditional African folktales and contribute to the stories with their own handmade animal puppets. The day also includes visits to some of the zoo's African animals. Recommended for ages 4-5. Registration required. Call 202.633.4259 |
| Location: | |
| Title: | Mardi Gras Family Day—Art and Music Festival |
| Date: | Saturday, February 24, 10:30 am - 2 pm |
| Description: | The museum presents a day of storytelling, music making, and costumes. Participants can watch videos of New Orleans Mardi Gras celebrations, learn about the Black Mardi Gras Indians, and create their own masks. Recommended for ages 6 and older. For more information, call 202.633.4844. |
| Location: | |
| Title: | Let's Read about Africa |
| Date: | Saturday, February 24, 11 am |
| Description: | The program Let's Read about Africa, now in its fifth year, celebrates the rich body of children's literature about Africa. In this session, children listen to Circle Unbroken by Margot Theis Raven, in which a young girl learns of West African weaving traditions that were continued by Gullah people of South Carolina. |
| Location: | |
| Title: | Visual Griots of Mali: African Children Tell Their Stories with Cameras |
| Date: | Saturday, February 24, 12 noon |
| Description: | Shawn Davis of the Academy for Educational Development introduces the landmark exhibition Visual Griots of Mali, the result of a project in which U.S. and Malian photographers helped the youth of the country create their own photographic documents of their lives. This program includes a screening of the short film Malick Sidibé: Portrait of the Artist as a Portraitist (2006, 8 minutes) and an invitation to the audience to document their reactions to the exhibition. |
| Location: | Voices of America Auditorium, 330 Independence Avenue, SW |
| Title: | The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra: Benny Carter Centennial Celebration |
| Date: | Saturday, February 24, 7:30 pm |
| Description: | The Smithsonian's orchestra-in-residence performs some of Benny Carter's best-known compositions, such as "When Lights Are Low" and "Blues in My Heart." Carter, an alto saxophonist, was widely regarded as a principal architect of the big band swing style. In addition, he was one of the first African Americans to compose and arrange music for films and TV. Carter died in 2003. He would have been one hundred this year. Tickets required. Call 202.357.3030. |
| Location: | |
| Title: | Voices from the Community: Reflections on the Body in Contemporary Art |
| Date: | Sunday, February 25, 2 pm |
| Description: | In this panel discussion led by museum staff, local artists discuss the ways in which African artists present ideas about the body in the exhibition . A tour of the exhibition follows the discussion. |
| Location: | National Air and Space Museum |
| Title: | Curator's Choice: "African American Astronauts from Guy Bluford to Joan Higginbotham" |
| Date: | Wednesday, February 28, 12 noon |
| Description: | Join Air and Space curators for three gallery talks. On February 7, Dom Pisano presents "Eugene Bullard: An African American Fighter Pilot in World War I" (Gallery 206, World War I). On February 21, Martin Collins presents "Promises of Progress: Communications Satellites and Africa" (Gallery 213, Beyond the Limits). On February 28, Valerie Neal presents "African American Astronauts from Guy Bluford to Joan Higginbotham" (Gallery 114, Space Race/Space Hall). Meet at the Museum Seal, near the National Mall entrance. Call 202.633.2640 for more information. |
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