Feb 09, 2012 | WDC: 44.6 °F
Learn about events happening in and around Washington!
Scroll below to see what's happening today or use the box below to select a date. You can also go to the Calendar Search page to search by keyword or event category. Local arts and cultural organizations are invited to submit events to this calendar.

To automatically receive information about new events, subscribe to our RSS feed.
Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery
June 17 through May 13, 2012
The word “miniature” was originally associated with the creation of small images and portraits. Tiny, often expensive likenesses—requiring a highly trained artist with good eyesight and a steady hand—were often made as mementos, love tokens or memorials that could be kept close to the body. Their carefully worked metal housings were often bracelets, pendant...
Categories: Arts
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
Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery
Through March 18, 2012
The National Portrait Gallery, housed in a former Civil War hospital, will mark the 150th anniversary of the war through four alcove exhibitions.
The opening exhibition recounts the life and death of Col. Elmer E. Ellsworth (1837–1861), the first Union officer to be killed in the Civil War. A friend of President Abraham Lincoln, Ellsworth—who died at the hands of ...
Categories: Arts
The Textile Museum
The textiles of the Kuba kingdom are among the most distinctive and spectacular works of African art. Emerging in the early 17th century, the Kuba kingdom grew into a powerful and wealthy confederation of 18 different ethnic groups located in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. While they have fascinated artists, collectors and designers for over a century, this will be the first majo...
Center for the Arts/Caton Merchant Family Gallery
Artist talk: Saturday, February 18th at 1:00p.m.
If you can imagine how scissors plying through everyday magazines can give an outcome of surprising and masterful art, then you might imagine the incredible collages of Megan Coyle. Working in classic art genres, Megan breaks down her images piece by piece, evolving them from bits of magazines into whole new, amazing compositions.
American University Museum at Katzen Arts Center
Winter Museum Exhibitions Open
American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center
Admission is free.
Begin January 28, 2012
Kids@Katzen: The Photographic Life
Photographs by Kids@Katzen participants inspired by museum exhibitions.
Raoul Middleman: City Limits
His nudes are not pretty— they are sagging, dimpled, and real. His cityscapes reveal the underbelly of post-industrial ...
Artisphere
Amy Hughes Braden: Too Extroverted to Paint
Through Sun Mar 11/ Free / Works In Progress Gallery
Artist’s onsite residency hours: Fri 4-8pm, Sat 1-7pm, Sun 1-5pm, excluding Feb 10 -12.
Plagued by the need for human interaction, stuck in a world of tweets and tags, Amy Hughes Braden will paint large portraits of “tweens” working towards her 2013 show in Artisphere’s Mezz Gallery. A...
Categories: Arts, Exhibits, Family Oriented
Artisphere
Everitt Clark: Night and Day: The Suburbs of Northern Virginia
Wed Feb 1 - Sat Mar 31/ Free / Mezz Gallery
Opening Reception/Artist’s Talk: Thu Feb 2 / 5:30-7:30pm (Artist talk with Cynthia Connolly, Visual Arts Curator at 6pm) / Free
In two recent series of photographs—one taken during the day, the other at night — Everitt Clark has uncovered the beauty of Northern Virginia's suburba...
AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Electric, athletic and always inventive, Gene Kelly defined the Golden Age of the movie musical as a triple threat: actor, choreographer and director. Celebrate the screen icon's centenary year with a retrospective of his most beloved films at the AFI Silver.
Highlights include the 1952 movie-musical classic, SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN, which follows Kelly and Jean Hagen as silent film stars who...
Categories: Dance, Film, Music: Other
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
National Building Museum
Investigating Where We Live
July 30, 2011 to May 15, 2012
Opening Reception July 29, 6:30 – 8:30 pm. Free . No registration required.
Investigating Where We Live presents students’ interpretations of D.C. neighborhoods through photography, writing, and original artwork. This year’s participants explored Bloomingdale, the H Street Corridor, and Mount Pleasant.
Major funding for Inves...
Categories: Exhibits
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
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
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
AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
February 3 through March 7, AFI Silver will celebrate love all month long with screenings of some of the great movie romances of all time. Ranging from old Hollywood classics to quirky romantic comedies of today, the showcase will have something for everyone.
Highlights include THE AWFUL TRUTH, starring Cary Grant and Irene Dune as a divorcing couple both guilty of wandering ways; the 1980...
Categories: Film
Folger Shakespeare Library
By Suzanne Centlivre
Directed by Eleanor Holdrige
The thrills of the gaming table stylishly play out against the eccentricities of English manners in this handsome comedy. Lady Reveller, an independent widow with a penchant for gambling, leads a nightly card game, which bankrupts some and entertains all.
Categories: Theater
Artisphere
by Albert Camus
Translated and Adapated by Rahaleh Nassri
Directed by Jay Hardee
Following Henry (I)V, we return to the work of another favorite author, Albert Camus (some of you may remember our recent production of his Caligula), as we present a new adaptation of his eerily relevant exploration of politically-motivated violence, Les Justes. Rahaleh Nassri, who has acted in WSC production...
Categories: Theater
Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater
A co-production with Goodman Theatre
Written by John Logan
Directed by Tony award winner Robert Falls
In the Kreeger Theater
January 20-March 4, 2012
A visceral, “superbly taut” (Chicago Tribune) battle of wills, Red (winner of six Tony awards, including Best Play) drops you squarely inside the world of painter Mark Rothko and sets your heart pounding. At the height of his career, Ro...
Categories: Other Events
Brentwood Arts Exchange
10:00am – 7:00pm
The artwork of long-time local prominent artists E.J Montgomery and Lilian Thomas Burwell will be on display at the Brentwood Arts Exchange from January 30 – March 24 2012. The exhibition titled Rivers and Memories features the artists’ highly developed explorations into the expressive potential of color and space. Visually engaging, the exhibition’s two dimensional and three dimensional ...
Brentwood Arts Exchange
10:00am – 7:00am
The artwork of ceramicist Susan O'Brien will be highlighted in the Brentwood Arts Exchange's (BAE) Craft Showcase throughout February and March, 2012. Ms. O'Brien's work, which combines ornamentation, function and a playful sense of humor, is informed by the history and evolution of dining wares and rituals. Sources such as eighteenth-century silver, Faberge' eggs, architecture, European cerami...
George Mason University, Gallery 123
10:00am – 8:00pm
“When The House Burns Down”, a solo photography exhibition by artist Deborah Lash, follows two children throughout the summer in an empty world devoid of people and possessions. Presented by GMU's African and African American Studies and the School of Art as part of February's Black History Month, the exhibition explores the texture and nuance of intimate relationships formed regardless of ...
Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture
10:00am – 5:00pm
January 29 – May 13, 2012
Twenty emerging photographers and filmmakers present refreshing images of young black men who challenge popular notions of urban black masculinity. Guest curated by Shantrelle P. Lewis.
Categories: Exhibits
The Art Gallery at the Univeristy of Maryland
11:00am – 4:00pm
The Art Gallery and the Department of Art at the University of Maryland present Wood, Paper, & Fiber, a transformative exhibition of regional, national and international contemporary artists working with some of art's most basic materials to create sculptural objects that transcend their elements and captivate the viewer. The exhibition features works of art by artists Ben Butler, Chris Gilmour...
Workhouse Arts Center
11:00am
Featuring original artworks donated by Workhouse artists, on display in the Workhouse Gallery from February 9-25. Reception will be held on February 10 from 5-7pm. To own one of these fabulous pieces of art, purchase a ticket to the 2012 Collector's Showcase Gala on Saturday, February 25! Call 703-584-2900 or visit www.WorkhouseArts.org for tickets.
Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery
11:30am – 7:00pm
Oct. 28 through April 22, 2012
Historically, “blacklist” denotes a group of people marginalized and denied work or social
approval. In an effort to redefine the word, these fifty African Americans provide insight on the
struggles, triumphs and joys of black life in the United States. The portraits are both pictorial and
verbal, representing some of the most dynamic and inspiring persona...
Categories: Arts
The Del Ray Artisans Gallery
12:00pm – 6:00pm
“Love, Politics & Scrabble: The Games People Play” promises to bring fun and games to the Del Ray Artisans’ gallery beginning with the opening reception on Friday, February 3, 2012, from 7 to 10 pm. This juried exhibit invited artists to depict any of the numerous games people play throughout life.
In conjunction with the show, the gallery is housing a fine art and fine craft Marketpl...
Gallery B
12:00pm – 6:00pm
Gallery B is pleased to present its February 2012 exhibition featuring local artists Shelva Gallman, Kevin Gonzalez, Richard Levine and Sandra Jensen-Taubman. The exhibit will feature landscape painting and photography, will be on display from February 8 – March 3 at Gallery B, located at 7700 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite E, Bethesda, MD. The opening reception will be held on Friday, February 10,...
Categories: Arts
National Museum of American Jewish Military History
12:00pm – 2:00pm
The NMAJMH will host Stitches for Soldiers Tuesdays and Thursdays,12:00-2:00pm during November through February. the Noontime Stitchers will be creating warm socks, gloves, hats, scarves, and small blankets for our soldiers. Wont you join us at the National Museum of American Jewish Military History 1811 R Street, NW, Washington DC. Bring your lunch and own supplies for knitting, crochet, q...
Categories: Family Oriented
Library of Congress, Jefferson Building, Whittall Pavilion
12:00pm – 2:00pm
Categories: Lecture
National Gallery of Art
12:30pm
Le Mystère Picasso
February 8 at 2:30PM
February 9, 10 at 12:30PM
East Building Concourse, Auditorium
Three screenings of the classic 1956 film by Clouzot—an imaginative homage to his friend Picasso as the maestro paints before the camera—are presented in association with the exhibition Picasso's Drawings, 1890–1921: Reinventing Tradition. (Henri-Georges Clouzot, 1956, 35 mm, French with subtitles, 78 minutes)
Categories: Film
Arlington Arts Center
4:30pm – 6:00pm
Grades 4 - 7
Instructor: AAC faculty
$185
Each week class will begin with a scavenger hunt for art elements all around you. Look at everything with your art eyes. View architecture, objects you use every day, and art work displayed at local venues, and begin to learn all about art elements. Then create your own artwork using the essential art elements present in all great art. This class wil...
Categories: Arts
Torpedo Factory Art Center
6:00pm – 9:00pm
Fall in love with a unique work of art as you enjoy an amorous evening, complete with flowers, candy, live music, and more! Visit the reception for Love Notes in Studio 9 to find inspiration to craft your own Valentine at our Do-It-Yourself station. Support the American Heart Association by participating in a Community Heart Sculpture. Memorialize the night by giving your loved one a smooch in our Kissing Photobooth.
Dumbarton House
6:00pm
Come listen to author John DeFerrari discuss his recently published book LOST Washington, D.C. based on his blog, the Streets of Washington. Mr. DeFerrari will also talk specifically about one of the stories in his book - the Key Mansion in Georgetown, home of Francis Scott Key. LOST Washington, D.C. was published by The History Press in Fall 2011. One reviewer noted that "books such as DeFerra...
Categories: Books & Authors, Free, Lecture
Meltzer Psychological Service Center
6:30pm – 8:30pm
The Meltzer Psychological Services Center (at George Washington University) provides a weekly Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) group for individuals who are feeling depressed, sad, or overwhelmed. Participating in this group can teach you how to make the feelings of depression feel less intense and how to better manage your life.
The group meets every Thursday evening from 6:30 to 8:30 P....
Categories: Other Events
Kogod Courtyard, Smithsonian American Art Museum
7:00pm
Charlie Chaplin is a bumbling factory worker who falls in love with an orphan girl. The film’s unforgettable slapstick routines double as satiric commentary on class struggle during the Great Depression (1936, 87 minutes). The film will be screened in the beautiful glass covered Kogod Courtyard, with food and beverages available for purchase in the Courtyard Café.
Arlington Arts Center
7:00pm – 9:30pm
Level I, II
Instructor: Rebecca Kallem (also fluent in Spanish)
$190
Create dynamic portraits of interesting people. During this course you will have opportunity to render professional models, family, friends, and yours truly! Choose your preferred dry medium or experiment with a variety of materials including charcoal, colored pencil, pen, conté, and experimental media. Students will begin...
Categories: Arts
La Maison Francaise, Embassy of France
7:00pm – 10:00pm
This event will feature performances of Philip Glass’ music by principal artists in Virginia Opera’s Orphée. Baritone Matthew Worth, soprano Sara Jakubiak, tenor Jeffrey Lentz, soprano Heather Buck, and tenor Jonathan Blalock will sing and Virginia Opera Resident Conductor, Adam Turner will accompany on piano. Following these performances there will be a conversation with Maestro Glass abo...
Categories: Music: Classical
Gadsby's Tavern Museum
7:30pm – 9:30pm
In preparation for the Birthnight Ball on February 18, learn 18th-century English country dancing from expert dance instructors.. $12 per class; $30 for the series of three. Reservations recommended.
Categories: Dance
Topaz Hotel
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 Thursday night
8 to 10 pm
FREE SHOW
Topaz Hotel Bar
1733 N Street NW
Washington, DC 20036-2801
www.TopazHotel.com
www.StandupComedyToGo.com
Artisphere
8:00pm
La Shica: Flamenco Fusion Artist
Fri March 9 / 8pm/ $15 advance; $18 door / Dome Theatre
Part of the Frida Kahlo: Her Photos Celebration + Winner:Spanish Music Awards 2011 for Best New Act
Sexy, sinuous and beautiful, La Shica sings a distinctive flamenco, colored by hip-hop, reggae and bossa nova, inviting audiences into her own special seductive world---all while she entertains with flamenc...
Categories: Dance, International, Music: Other
GALA Hispanic Theatre
8:00pm
The arrival of a new “lector” at a 1929 Cuban cigar factory in Ybor City,
Florida becomes a catalyst amongst the workers. As the “Lector” begins
to read from Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, forbidden passions are unleashed
in this Pultizer prize winning play about the transformative power of art in a landscape that pits old traditions against changing economic realities. In Spanish with English surtitles.
Categories: Theater
Crystal City Theater
8:00pm – 9:45pm
In Genesis Reboot, an angel and a demon retell the story of creation from their perspectives in this farcical new play. As the evening wears on, loyalties are tested, boundaries are broken, and the Garden comes alive in unexpected ways. The Fall of Man comes with applause as Cain and Abel share a prison cell. Ben Cunis writes and directs, with script in collaboration with Peter Cunis. Featu...
Categories: Theater
Casa De La Luna
8:00pm – 10:00pm
Theater
Spotlight Comunicaciones Presents
Lovers
February 1-15; Nightly show times: 8 pm and Sunday: 4:30 pm; No Monday show
Casa de La Luna
4020 Georgia Avenue, NW
Washington, DC
20011
Tickets
$15 online advance
$20 at the door
Buy now: https://www.boxofficetickets.com/go/event?id=170565
Box office line: (571) 921-5825
Spotlight Comunicaciones continues its 2012 theater...
Categories: Theater
Back Room (East Addition) at Glen Echo Park
8:15pm – 11:30pm
Capital Blues hosts the popular Slow Blues and Swing Dance in the Back Room at Glen Echo Park (almost) every Thursday from 9 – 11:30 pm, with a 45-minute beginner lesson at 8:15 pm. The next dances are on Thursdays, February 2, 9, 16, 23, 2012. We are selling out, so come early!
DJ Mike Marcotte & Guests will play a wonderful variety of styles including traditional and contemporary blues...
Categories: Dance
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.