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Community Calendar

Learn about events happening in and around Washington!

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Format: 05/16/2012

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Wednesday, May 16, 2012

One Life: Ronald Reagan

Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery

July 1 through May 28, 2012
The Portrait Gallery will observe the centennial of the fortieth president’s birthday with a one- room exhibition chronicling Ronald Reagan’s early years in Illinois through his acting and political career, to his presidency from 1981-1989. This exhibition has been funded by the Guenther and Siewchin Yong Sommer Endowment Fund.

Categories: Arts

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Woven Treasures of Japan’s Tawaraya Workshop

The Textile Museum

Japan has a remarkably refined textile tradition, and for centuries the Japanese have admired the silks produced in the Nishijin neighborhood of Kyoto as the epitome of beauty and opulence. Woven Treasures will feature some of the sumptuous pieces created in one of Nishijin’s oldest and most illustrious workshops: Tawaraya. The kimono, screens, and other colorful silks in the exhibition demon...

Categories: Arts, Exhibits

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Sourcing the Museum

The Textile Museum

The word “museum” derives from the ancient Greek mouseion—"temple of the Muses"—home of goddesses believed to inspire creativity. The Textile Museum’s permanent collections provided the source of creative inspiration for eleven contemporary artists.

Invited to participate by renowned textile designer Jack Lenor Larsen, the artists explored the Museum’s historically and culturally...

Categories: Arts, Exhibits

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Conversations With My Mother

The Art League Gallery

Created from “the debris of life,” artist Elissa Farrow-Savos creates narrative, found object sculptures channeling themes and emotions familiar to women. “Every piece I make is about storytelling – each a narrative of some woman somewhere, and every woman everywhere.” This series will be on display at The Art League Gallery in her solo exhibit, “Conversations With My Mother,” May...

Categories: Arts, Exhibits, Free

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Forest of the Mind: An art exhibition featuring Laura G. Thorne and Marcia Wolfson-Ray

Brentwood Arts Exchange

The Brentwood Arts Exchange announces Forest of the Mind, showing April 9 - June 2, featuring sculptures by DC-based Laura G. Thorne and Baltimore-based Marcia Wolfson Ray. Each working in her own way, one using found organic material and the other man-made material, Thorne and Wolfson-Ray’s work meets in their embrace of mystery and improvisation and in their ability to cast the familiar int...

Categories: Arts, Exhibits, Free

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Bedtime Stories: Storytelling Through Art

The Art League Gallery

"Bedtime Stories – Storytelling Through Art" will be offered as part of The Art League's programming for MINDS WIDE OPEN: Virginia Celebrates Children and the Arts. This exhibit will feature narrative works that invite the viewer to visually wander through the world the artist has created, whether real or imagined.

Reception: Thursday, May 10, 2012, 6:30 – 8:00 pm

Gallery Hours:
Mond...

Categories: Arts, Family Oriented, Free

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Internationally Juried Tea Ceramics Exhibit

The Art League Gallery

For The Art League’s first internationally juried exhibition “Tea,” 200 ceramic artists from all corners of the United States and Canada turned out to submit various wares associated with the ritual of drinking, serving, and presenting tea. Juror John Neely, ceramic artist and current Professor of Art in Ceramics and Assistant Department Head at Utah State University in Logan, UT, selecte...

Categories: Arts, Exhibits, Free

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Silent Cinema Showcase

AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center

With the recent Oscar success of THE ARTIST and HUGO, silent cinema hasn't had it this good since the late 1920s. April 13 through June 9, get acquainted with the unique art of silent filmmaking, as well as the dedicated and talented modern musicians who bring these films to life with their inventive accompaniment.

Highlights of the Silent Cinema Showcase include HUGO; THE GENERAL and SPEEDY...

Categories: Film, Music: Classical

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LEGO® Architecture: Towering Ambition

National Building Museum

LEGO® Architecture: Towering Ambition through September 3, 2012
LEGO® Architecture: Towering Ambition features 15 LEGO® models built by LEGO® certified professional Adam Reed Tucker. The buildings and structures that Tucker has assembled are some of the most recognizable works of architecture in the world, including the Empire State Building, Burj Khalifa, and the World Trade Center.
Admi...

Categories: Exhibits

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Cityscapes Revealed: Highlights from the Collection

National Building Museum

Cityscapes Revealed: Highlights from the Collection, long-term
This survey of the permanent collection explores America’s architectural heritage through exquisitely detailed drawings; antique building toys; rare, early 20th-century photographs; and original building fragments from national historic landmarks.
Cityscapes Revealed: Highlights from the Collection is made possible by the Trust...

Categories: Exhibits

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Washington: Symbol and City

National Building Museum

Washington: Symbol and City, long-term
Discover how the built environment of Washington, D.C. reflects the complex relationship between its role as a national symbol and seat of government and its day-to-day life as an evolving municipality.
Exhibition Tours: Thursday–Sunday at 2:30 pm (based on docent availability)
Washington: Symbol and City is made possible by The Morris and Gwendo...

Categories: Exhibits

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Daniel Libeskind: Architecture for the Angel of History

Goethe-Institut Washington, the German Cultural Center

Germany has Daniel Libeskind to thank for several museums of great national significance, including the Jewish Museum in Berlin and the Military History Museum in Dresden.
The exhibition “Daniel Libeskind: Architecture for the Angel of History” will present photographs of these and other living expressions of memory designed by Daniel Libeskind.
Gallery Hours: Mo-Thur 9am-5pm, Fr 9am-3pm.

Categories: Exhibits

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Building Zone

National Building Museum

Building Zone long-term
Monday through Saturday: 10:00am - 4:00 pm; Sunday: 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Ages 2-6 with adult supervision
The Building Zone introduces children to the building arts through play in an interactive gallery of hands-on activities for the Museum's youngest visitors.
The National Building Museum gratefully acknowledges The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation for its su...

Categories: Family Oriented

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Castles in the Sky: Miyazaki, Takahata and the Masters of Studio Ghibli

AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center

This nearly comprehensive retrospective of Japan’s greatest animation studio, Studio Ghibli (often referred to as the Disney of Japan), presents a unique opportunity for audiences to see the masterworks of Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata and others on the big screen. Series made possible by GKIDS.

Highlights include Miyazaki’s MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO, which follows two young girls who move to t...

Categories: Family Oriented, Film, International

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Horses in Cinema

AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center

In recognition of the 137th running of the Preakness Stakes to take place just up the road in Baltimore, Maryland, on May 19, AFI Silver presents some of the best films featuring that noblest of creatures, the horse, including heartwarming family classics and tales of thrilling equine adventure. This series is presented in collaboration with the Maryland Jockey Club, the Maryland Horse Council ...

Categories: Family Oriented, Film, Free

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Raj Kapoor and the Golden Age of Indian Cinema

AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center

Actor, director and mogul Raj Kapoor (1924-1988) was one of the giants of Indian cinema, and is synonymous with the rise of the monolith known as "Bollywood." May 12 through June 28, the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in downtown Silver Spring will host Raj Kapoor and the Golden Age of Indian Cinema, a retrospective featuring some Kapoor’s greatest works. The series is co-presented by...

Categories: Film, History, International

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The Taming of the Shrew

Folger Shakespeare Library

Directed by Aaron Posner
Featuring real life husband and wife team Cody Nickell & Kate Eastwood Norris
Riotous events lead to the ill-fitting marriage of the arrogant Petruchio and the headstrong Kate. Full of wit and lusty humor, Shakespeare’s quintessential battle of the sexes redefines the boundaries of love.

Categories: Theater

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THE WHIPPING MAN

Washington DC Jewish Community Center

By Matthew Lopez
Directed by Jennifer Nelson
Designed by Dan Conway,Ivania Stack and Dan Wagner
Stage Managed by Karen Currie

Featuring Mark Hairston, Alexander Strain and David Emerson Toney

1865; Richmond, Virginia: Two newly-freed slaves and the son of their former master—a Jewish Confederate soldier who has retreated to the burnt remains of his home—inhabit the disordered aftermath...

Categories: Theater

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The Bacchae

Artisphere

The Bacchae by Euripides; translated by Nicholas Rudall; directed by Steven Scott Mazzola

For the first play in our rep, Steven Scott Mazzola brings you WSC's take on The Bacchae, a tragic tale of rebellion versus conformity. Mixing history with myth to recount the story of the god Dionysus’ tumultuous arrival in Greece, this tragedy centers on King Pentheus of Thebes and his refusal to wo...

Categories: Theater

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Diverging Mediums: Photography versus iPhoneography

Torpedo Factory Art Center
10:00am – 6:00pm

Studio 9

Reception: Thursday, May 10, 6-8pm, during 2nd Thursday Art Night

The Torpedo Factory Art Center’s Target Gallery presents "Diverging Mediums: Photography versus iPhoneography" an exhibition that examines the shifting role of iPhoneography in our culture and its impact on the nature and definition of art. The nineteen selected artists include photographers from the Torpedo Fact...

Categories: Arts, Exhibits, Free

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Scraps: British Sporting Drawings from the Paul Mellon Collection

National Sporting Library and Museum
10:00am – 4:00pm

Scraps: British Sporting Drawings from the Paul Mellon Collection
April 6 – June 30, 2012
National Sporting Library and Museum
102 The Plains Road
Middleburg, VA 20117
www.nsl.org
Admission is free. Library Hours: Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Museum Hours: Wednesday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday noon to 4 p.m
MIDDLEBURG, VA – Scraps: British ...

Categories: Exhibits

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Graduation Parties

Ping Pong Dim Sum Chinatown
11:00am – 11:00pm

For the month of May graduates are encouraged to skip the steak dinners and opt for a more fun, interactive and unique graduation celebration with the folks at Ping Pong Dim Sum. For any sized graduation party booked at DC’s two locations, champagne is on the house (for those 21+ of course!). Graduation parties can be booked by emailing marketing@pingpongdimsum.us.

Categories: Food & Wine

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World War II at Home: The American Red Cross at Dumbarton House, 1942-1945

Dumbarton House
11:00pm – 3:00pm

A special case exhibition to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of Dumbarton House being turned over for use as headquarters of the DC Chapter of the American Red Cross during World War II! Available for viewing during regular tour hours, Tue-Sun, 11am-3pm (last entry at 2:45pm). On exhibition, for example, will be circa 1940s photos, a World War II Red Cross uniform, and documents explaining t...

Categories: Exhibits

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The Gods of Prophetstown: The Battle of Tippecanoe and the Holy War for the American Frontier by Adam Jortner

The National Archives Building
12:00pm – 1:00pm

In The Gods of Prophetstown professor Adam Jortner discusses the largely forgotten account of the conflict that arose between the Shawnee leader Tenskwatawa, his brother Tecumseh, and William Henry Harrison, governor of the Indiana Territory. In 1811, the conflict came to a head at Tippecanoe and the result helped determine the future of westward expansion and shaped the War of 1812. A book signing will follow the program.

Categories: Books & Authors, Free, History

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Film: Ciné-Concert: A Suitcase Full of Chocolate—Sofia Cosma

National Gallery of Art, East Building
12:00pm – 2:00pm

Ciné-Concert: A Suitcase Full of Chocolate—Sofia Cosma
May 16 at 12:10
East Building Concourse, Auditorium
Introduction and recital by pianist Lincoln Mayorga
A Suitcase Full of Chocolate recounts the extraordinary history of Sofia Cosma, a brilliant concert pianist whose career was suppressed first by the Nazis and later by the Soviets. Years later, against all odds, Cosma reconstructed...

Categories: Film

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Wednesday Author Talks and Booksignings at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery

Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery
12:00pm – 7:00pm

We are building an audience for adult non-fiction history and biography on Wednesdays at noon and/or 6pm focusing on American biography (as well as history and portraiture/art). The author discusses the book then there is a Q&A session followed by a book signing.
Please Join Us! Visit our website at http://www.npg.si.edu/shop/bookshop.html
Also, visit us on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/npg.smithsonian

Categories: Discussion

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Third Wednesday at One: Midday Music Recital featuring Francis Kim, Organist

Saint Luke Catholic Church
1:00pm – 1:30pm

Join us for a 'short and sweet' midday organ recital featuring the talented Francis Kim. This recital is free of charge and open to the public. It is being presented as a part of Music in McLean's 'Third Wednesday at One' midday music series.

Categories: Music: Classical

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Pre Launch Party for jem ● lew Benefiting Becky’s Fund

Willow Restaurant
6:00pm – 10:00pm

Please come help us celebrate the pre launch of the new jem • lew line!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 from 6pm to 10pm
Willow Restaurant (4301 N. Fairfax Dr., Arlington, VA 22203)
Close to Ballston Metro and convenient parking on N. Taylor Street and at Ballston Mall

A percentage of all sales will be donated to Becky's Fund. Please come join us, support Becky's Fund, and enjoy tasty hors d'...

Categories: Charity Events

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Yılmaz Güney: Master of Euro-Asian Film Culture: Hope (Umut)

Goethe-Institut Washington, the German Cultural Center
6:30pm – 8:30pm

Yilmaz Güney (1937–1984) is a legendary figure in Turkish cinema. His remarkable career trajectory led him from roles as a popular leading man to a filmmaker so politically dangerous Turkish authorities threw him in prison.

Hope (Umut)
Turkey, 1970, 35mm, 100 min., Director: Yilmaz Güney, Cast: Yilmaz Güney, Gülsen Alniaçik, Tuncel Kurtiz, Osman Alyanak
When one of his horses is kil...

Categories: Film

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Science Trivia Night at the Koshland Science Museum

Marian Koshland Science Museum of the National Academy of Sciences
6:30pm – 8:30pm

Don't miss out on the Science Trivia Night on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at the Koshland Science Museum.

Put together a team of friends, or come and meet new people while enjoying this fun and engaging night of science trivia and discussion. Topics will test your knowledge on the science of sleep, the content of the newly opened Life Lab exhibit, and other hot topics in...

Categories: Other Events

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Schinkel, von Klenze, and the Grecian Image in Europe and America

Goethe-Institut Washington, the German Cultural Center
6:45pm – 8:00pm

Lecture by Calder C. Loth, Senior Architectural Historian, Virginia Dept. of Historic Resources, Richmond, VA
Mr. Loth will trace the impact of James Stuart and Nicholas Revett’s seminal publication, The Antiquities of Athens, on the Grecian-style architecture of Karl-Friedrich Schinkel (1781-1841), Prussian architect, city planner and painter, and Leo von Klenze (1784-1864), Munich neoclass...

Categories: Lecture

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The Servant of Two Masters

Lansburgh Theatre
7:30pm

Delightful and delicious, The Servant of Two Masters is filled to the brim with music, dance and laughter. Mayhem erupts when a wily servant hatches a crafty scheme to double his wages by serving two masters at once.

This production contains mature subject matter and adult language. Recommended for patrons 14 years and older.

Runtime:
about 2 hours 15 minutes with one intermission

Categories: Theater

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HaHa at RiRa

Ri Ra Irish Pub
8:00pm – 10:00pm

FREE Live standup comedy show
by local standup comics
$25 cash prize joke contest for non-com audience members after the show
Every Wednesday night
8 to 10 pm
FREE SHOW
HaHa at RiRa
Ri-Ra Irish Pub
2915 Wilson Blvd
Arlington,VA 22201
http://www.rira.com/arlington/home.html
www.StandupComedyToGo.com

Categories: Theater, Free

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GI Film Festival

Naval Heritage Center
9:00am – 7:00pm

The GI Film Festival will present films from new and established international and domestic filmmakers that honor the heroic stories of the American Armed Forces and the worldwide struggle for freedom and liberty.

Categories: Film

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WETA offers this events calendar as a community service. Listings are collected from site visitors, arts organizations, venues, and other sources. All submissions are reviewed and approved before appearing on the website. We do not, however, check the details of the events. Please visit each event's website to verify the accuracy of the information presented here. If you notice inaccurate information in any of the event listings, please contact us.