We’re the largest museum-based education program in the world. Welcome to our page!
(229)
Please feel free to ask questions, share thoughts about our posts, and your experiences with our programs. We offer programs almost every day - on everything from art, archaeology, cooking, history, philosophy, and personal and professional development to science and health, and world cultures - so you can challenge your mind, stretch your thinking, expand your studio arts creativity, and recharge
your enthusiasm for learning! For more info on our programs and events, membership, or to request a free copy of our program guide visit us at SmithsonianAssociates.org
Geneticist Coleen Murphy will join us live on November 15 at 6:45 p.m. to discuss recent research on longevity and aging.
All of us would like to live longer or to slow the debilitating effects of age. Geneticist Coleen Murphy, author of the new book How We Age, illustrates how recent research on longevity and aging may be bringing us closer to this goal. Drawing on work in her own lab as well as other sources, she dis...
After Pennsylvania passed America’s first gradual abolition act in 1780, the City of Brotherly Love became a city of hope for free Black people, attracting many Black migrants. On Saturday, Nov. 11, join historian Richard Bell for an all-day tour to trace the struggles for equality African Americans faced in post-revolutionary Philadelphia. Register for this tour at the member rate using the link below.
After Pennsylvania passed America’s first gradual abolition act in 1780, the City of Brotherly Love became a city of hope for free Black people, attracting many Black migrants. Join historian Richard Bell to trace the struggles for equality African Americans faced in post-revolutionary Philade...
Our November program guide is here—with over 200 livestreamed and in-person lectures, seminars, performances, studio arts classes, and study tours!
Featured on this month’s cover is an image by photographer Jay Fleming, whose book “Working the Water,” documents the Chesapeake Bay’s marine environments and the people who make a living on the water. Fleming will join us live on Dec. 8 at 12 p.m. ET for a vividly illustrated program that brings the bay’s seafood industry into focus (see p. 48 to learn more and register).
View the guide: https://s.si.edu/November2023
Be among the very first to know about new programs, and receive special offers and invitations in your email box. Subscribe: https://s.si.edu/Associates-eAlerts
This we’ll welcome curatorial coordinator Anne Hyland for an in-person program on Nov. 29 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery. She’ll provide an overview of the exhibition, “Many Wests: Artists Shape an American Idea,” which brings together works of 48 diverse contemporary artists who reveal a broader and more inclusive representation of the West than the often-romanticized images we see.
Featured in the exhibition is Wendy Red Star’s (Apsáalooke/Crow), "Four Seasons" series: "Winter," 2006 (shown below).
Ideas about the American West, both in popular culture and in commonly accepted historical narratives, are often based on a past that never was, and fail to consider important events that occurred. A new exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, "Many Wests: Artists Shape an American Idea,....
Check out what's coming up in November!
Join Smithsonian Associates this season for enticing lectures, classes, tours and activities
The Smithsonian makes learning come alive for visiting field trip groups through memorable and engaging theater performances
We have a few tickets available for tomorrow's nature hike in the Potomac Gorge at Carderock, Maryland! Join naturalist Melanie Choukas-Bradley for a walk along the Billy Goat Trail, which offers dramatic river vistas and passes through a mature forest of oaks, hickories, maples, beeches, black walnuts, and sycamores.
Register by 2 p.m. ET today: https://s.si.edu/CarderockHike
Photographers, create a personal project in our Smithsonian Studio Arts livestreamed evening course beginning Monday, Oct. 30!
In a 4-session livestreamed online course beginning Monday, Oct. 30, look at the work of historical and contemporary photographers and fellow students with the goal of creating an effective photographic series. Through discussion and writing, the concepts of editing and sequencing are explored in terms of creating a personal project.
Register: https://s.si.edu/PhotoPersonalProject
Photo by instructor Patricia Howard.
Scenes from Shenandoah! Our October two-day getaway explored Blue Ridge trails at the height of their fall beauty. Led by naturalist Keith Tomlinson, the group took two hikes in Shenandoah National Park and stayed at the iconic Skyland Lodge that offered magnificent panoramic views of the mountain landscapes. An evening program gave insights into the area’s history, geography, geology, wildlife and forest environment. Thanks to all who joined us!
View upcoming tours: s.si.edu/StudyTours
“God is dead . . . and we have killed him.” These words are perhaps the most famous—and misunderstood—of many provocative aphorisms penned by the 19th-century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche.
Join Georgetown University professor Joseph Hartman for an in-person discussion of this controversial modern thinker at the Smithsonian’s Ripley Center on Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 6:30 p.m.
“God is dead . . . and we have killed him.” These words are perhaps the most famous—and misunderstood—of many provocative aphorisms penned by the 19th-century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Join Georgetown professor Joseph Hartman for an in-person discussion of this....
This Wednesday at 6:45 p.m. ET Sky and Telescope magazine’s Kelly Beatty will join us to discuss how the spread of light pollution can be halted and even reversed!
Few of us can enjoy a star-spangled night sky any longer, thanks to the glowing pall caused by all the lights that line roadways, parking lots, and backyards. Fortunately, the spread of light pollution can be halted and even reversed. Sky and Telescope magazine’s Kelly Beatty discusses how we....
Learn how to forest bathe! Join author and naturalist Melanie Choukas-Bradley for a two-mile autumn nature hike in the scenic Potomac Gorge at Carderock, Maryland, and enjoy a few moments of forest bathing, quietly appreciating the splendor of the surroundings. Hikes will take place Tuesday-Thursday, October 24-26 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Join naturalist Melanie Choukas-Bradley for an autumn nature hike in the scenic Potomac Gorge at Carderock, Maryland. The walk along the Billy Goat Trail offers dramatic river vistas and passes through a mature forest of oaks, hickories, maples, beeches, black walnuts, and sycamores.
Nothing brings a family together like food. And no one knows food like Lidia Bastianich! It was a joy to host Lidia in conversation with Mary Beth Albright last week at the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art for a discussion about her new cookbook, “Lidia’s From Our Family Table to Yours,” in which she shares the dishes she cooks for those she loves the most.
In the perfect run-up to Halloween, popular speaker and concert pianist Rachel Franklin will join us Monday, Oct. 16 to lead a brief but hair-raising tour of some of the best-loved classical music haunts showcasing works by Mozart, Mussorgsky, Berlioz, Dukas, Liszt, Britten, Schubert, Ravel, Humperdinck, Offenbach, Saint-Saens, and others. 🎃
Dukas’s The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Ravel’s Gaspard de la Nuit, Schubert’s Erl-King, and Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique are all deliciously spooky excursions into the musical supernatural, eternally popular with classical audiences eager to....
Here’s a snapshot from our small-group walking tour last Friday exploring some of Washington DC’s grandest streets. During the late 1800s, Washington’s movers and shakers strolled the streets of Dupont Circle, where Massachusetts Avenue was the city’s premier residential address.
However, during and after the Great Depression, many of the neighborhood’s magnificent mansions were sold and converted into embassies, social clubs, and offices. Pictured below is Anderson House, which was built as the winter residence of Larz Anderson, an American diplomat, and his wife, Isabel towards the end of America’s gilded age.
Join us for a tour: s.si.edu/StudyTours
Fleeing Ford’s Theatre on the night of April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth traveled through Maryland into Virginia, where, a few days later, he was found and fatally shot.
Join historian Michael Kauffman for an all-day tour Sunday, October 15, as he takes you along Booth’s escape route and reveals the personalities and intrigues surrounding the Lincoln assassination.
Fleeing Ford’s Theatre on the night of April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth traveled through Maryland into Virginia, where, a few days later, he was found and fatally shot. Historian Michael Kauffman takes you along Booth’s escape route and reveals the personalities and intrigues surroundin...
Explore the spectrum of floral design. Sourcing (with a focus on sustainability), making the most of seasonal flowers, creating centerpieces, wiring techniques, and photographing your work are all among the practical areas covered.
This Thursday! Lidia Bastianich will be in conversation with the Washington Post's Marybeth Albright at the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art to talk about the stories and passed down recipes in her new cookbook, “Lidia’s From Our Family Table to Yours,” as well as how food has shaped her family memories.
Nothing brings a family together like food. Join Lidia Bastianich in conversation with Mary Beth Albright, correspondent and editor at The Washington Post, as she talks about the stories and passed-down recipes in her new cookbook, Lidia’s From Our Family Table to Yours, as well as how food ha...
In the event of a government shutdown Smithsonian Associates livestreamed programs will continue without interruption. Smithsonian museums, research centers, and the National Zoo will remain open through at least Saturday, October 7, by using prior year funds. Please visit www.smithsonianassociates.org for the latest information.
Official website of the Smithsonian, the world's largest museum and research complex, with 19 museums, 9 research centers, and affiliates around the world.
Our October program guide is here—with over 200 in-person and online programs, multi-part courses, studio arts classes, and study tours! View the guide: https://s.si.edu/October2023
Featured on this month’s cover is the cainarachi poison frog (Ameerega cainarachi) an amphibious music-maker, native to Manú National Park, Peru. Tune in on Friday, October 13 at 12 p.m. ET for “The Colors of Crawly Creatures” with biologist Kay Etheridge (see pg. 35 to learn more and register).
Freshen your fall with our October online and in-person offerings!
Smithsonian Associates offers ways to freshen your fall in an array of online and in-person offerings this month
Join us for Lunchtime with a Curator in October! Tune in from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. ET for an image-rich lunchtime lecture series focusing on decorative arts and design topics.
Register: s.si.edu/Lunchtime-with-a-Curator
Oct. 2: Fabulous Fakes: The Golden Age of American Costume Jewelry, 1935–65
Oct. 16: “Designed for You”: Hats Created by Milliner Sara Sue of Virginia
Oct. 30: Shoes and the American Revolution: Purchasing Patriotism, 1760s–70s
A big thanks to Anderson Cooper and Dana Bash for joining us on Saturday evening at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s Baird Auditorium for a discussion about the riveting history of the Astor family!
Spend an October day on a journey into the enchanting embrace of autumn at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary, a 1,700-acre preserve along the Patuxent River! Embark on a hike then glide through the expansive golden marsh on a pontoon boat to learn about the unique ecology of the area. A wine tasting featuring selections from a local vineyard is included.
Spend a day on a journey into the enchanting embrace of autumn at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary, a 1, 700-acre preserve along the Patuxent River. Learn about the unique ecology of the area with Liana Vitali, naturalist and educator at Jug Bay. A wine tasting featuring selections from a local vineyard i...
Your favorite pieces from SAAM’s collection are now on display alongside new works in the redesigned modern and contemporary galleries
We’re thrilled to welcome master chef Jacques Pépin and Chef Carla Hall next week for a lively conversation on cooking economically at home with techniques that save money, time, and cleanup effort—and provide delicious results! Tune in for the live program on Thursday, September 28 at 6:45 p.m. ET.
All great chefs know not to waste ingredients, time, or effort—and for master chef Jacques Pépin, this means thinking efficiently about cooking, even at home. Drawing from his new book Jacques Pépin Cooking My Way, the legendary cooking teacher joins chef Carla Hall for a lively....
Last Sunday we spent the day with regional historian and outdoor educator Hayden Mathews, exploring the rich heritage of the lovely Eastern Shore town, Chestertown, focusing on both land and sea! The day included a cruise on the schooner, Sultana, a replica of an 18th century vessel, as well as a historic-district walking tour by Sultana Education Foundation vice president and former mayor of Chestertown, Chris Cerino, and lunch at a local restaurant.
Come join us for a study tour! s.si.edu/StudyTours
Washington is known for its vibrant arts and culture scene, and theater is set to be especially exciting in the 2023–2024 season! As part of the annual Theatre Week celebration, join Amy Austin, president and CEO of TheatreWashington, and a panel of experts as they explore why D.C. is considered one of the best theater towns in the country.
The robust conversation offers insights on women in DC-area theater, new work, underrepresented communities, and the highlights that are in store on local stages large and small. The in-person event takes place Monday, October 2 at the Smithsonian’s Ripley Center.
Washington is known for its vibrant arts and culture scene, and theater is set to be especially exciting in the 2023–2024 season. Join Amy Austin, president and CEO of Theatre Washington, and a panel of experts as they explore why D.C. is considered one of the best theater towns in the country...
We’re excited to welcome back spice master Lior Lev Sercarz next month in person at the Smithsonian’s Ripley Center for a conversation with food journalist Jane Black! Come learn about everyday ingredients used throughout the Middle East and enjoy a light reception featuring spices and flavors discussed in Lior's new book, “A Middle Eastern Pantry.”
Register: https://s.si.edu/MiddleEasternPantry
Image courtesy of Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House, from Lior Lev Sercarz’s “A Middle Eastern Pantry: Essential Ingredients for Classic and Contemporary Recipes: A Cookbook.” Photography by Dan Perez.
In moments of crisis, our first thoughts are usually to get in contact with the people we love. September 11, 2001, was a day when many people wanted to know that their loved ones were safe. At 9:37 a.m. the Pentagon was attacked by terrorists who crashed an airplane into the western side of the bui...
Join us as Joseph Luzzi, a professor of literature at Bard College, revisits and provides new perspective on novels from your high school reading list.
September 14: The Scarlet Letter
September 28: The Catcher in the Rye
October 12: The Great Gatsby
October 26: Of Mice and Men
November 16: Great Expectations
November 30: 1984
December 14: Romeo and Juliet
Register: https://s.si.edu/HighSchoolClassics
Join us this Saturday and learn the secrets of plein air landscape oil painting working in the beautiful surroundings of Rock Creek Park. This four-session course will be held from Saturday, Sept. 9 through Saturday, Oct. 7 (no class Sept. 16) from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Registration closes at 3 p.m. tomorrow!
Learn more: https://s.si.edu/PleinAirPainting
Image courtesy of instructor Michelle Rene Cobb.
Everyone—regardless of the size of their space—can help restore nature. Join journalist and author Isabella Tree and her husband, conservationist Charlie Burrell, on Sunday, October 1 at 3 p.m. ET for an online program to learn practical steps to rewild everything from rivers and ponds to public spaces and community gardens to urban parks and window boxes. 🦋
Everyone—regardless of the size of their space—can help restore nature. Join journalist and author Isabella Tree and her husband, conservationist Charlie Burrell, to learn practical steps to rewild everything from rivers and ponds to public spaces and community gardens to urban parks and...
Tune in for our Geology of Western National Parks series on Zoom! Join geologist Kirt Kempter on Monday, September 11 at 7 p.m. ET as he leads an exploration of the geology of Yellowstone National Park, including the rocks and hydrothermal features that make this national park unique in the world.
Then in a fall series that kicks off October 2, he’ll explore Glacier National Park, Arches National Park, and Capitol Reef National Park using geologic maps, photos, and Google Earth flyovers to reinforce geologic concepts and interpretations.
Join geologist Kirt Kempter as he explores the geology of Western National Parks over the course of 2023, with an in-depth look at one location every month. This program spotlights Yellowstone National Park as part of a summer series, focused on parks in California, Oregon, and Wyoming.
Our September program guide is here—with over 250 in-person and online programs, multi-part courses, studio arts classes, and study tours!
View the guide: s.si.edu/September2023
Featured on this month’s cover is Wendy Red Star’s (Apsáalooke/Crow), "Four Seasons" series: "Fall," 2006, courtesy of the Boise Art Museum. The work is on view in “Many Wests: Artists Shape an American Idea” at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery. The exhibition brings together works of 48 diverse contemporary artists who reveal a broader and more inclusive representation of the West than the often-romanticized images we see. Join one of its organizers for an overview of these compelling visual viewpoints (see p. 53 to learn more and register).
Smithsonian Associates monthly program guide. Smithsonian Associates is the largest museum-based education program in the world, offering more than 750 individual programs each year to excite the learning in people of all ages.
New programs for the new season; lectures, tours and classes in September!
New programs for the new season; lectures, tours and classes in September
During our August study tour, “Objects of Devotion: The Buddha Across Asia,” participants spent the day with art historian Robert DeCaroli exploring Buddhist and other Asian works of art at the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art and the Walters Art Museum.
Check out our fall line up of tours here: s.si.edu/StudyTours
Join us on September 19 at 6:45 p.m. ET for a discussion about the flavorful cuisine of Taiwan—and what makes it distinctive in Asian cooking. Taipei-based journalist Clarissa Wei will be in conversation with food, drinks, and culture writer, Esther Tseng.
Register: https://s.si.edu/Taiwan-Cuisine
All of us here at Smithsonian Associates wish you and yours a wonderful holiday season and a joyous New Year!
1100 Jefferson Drive SW
Washington D.C., DC
20560
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Smithsonian Associates posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Send a message to Smithsonian Associates:
“The idea is to make the best out of what we have, and share some beauty with the world." -Smithsonian Associates lecturer and instructor Paul Glenshaw recently launched the The Seven Tones Project pairing quarantined musicians and filmmakers to make short homemade films based on Duke Ellington pieces. Why Duke Ellington? He led a band nonstop for over 50 years—usually in difficult, uncertain times—all the while creating beauty. Ellington wrote: “Any time you have a problem you have an opportunity. If you had just seven good tones, those were the tones that had to be used…” The film in this post is “Solitude” shot by Glenshaw in Washington D.C., performed by Alex Hamburger and José Luiz Martins. The footage was captured on his phone just prior to the stay-at-home order. Interested filmmakers and musicians (both student and professional) who would like to participate are encouraged to contact Glenshaw and his filmmaking partner Darroch Greer at [email protected]. Each film will be posted with links back to the artists’ websites or social media pages. View the full project: https://bit.ly/SevenTonesProject
Here's a look at how our students worked in yesterday's Celebrating Bob Ross's Joy of Painting program. "Thin paint sticks to thick paint"—students employed Ross’s signature wet-on-wet technique in which special firm oil paints glide across a wet-based canvas with a large brush or palette knife making clouds, mountains, and trees appear in seconds, and there’s no wait for paint layers to dry.
Katie Couric discusses Stand Up to Cancer with April Ryan at the Smithsonian Associates John P. McGovern Award presentation on Nov. 12, 2019. View the full interview: https://s.si.edu/2019McGovernAward
Katie Couric talks about facing sexism in network TV with April Ryan at the Smithsonian Associates John P. McGovern Award presentation on Nov. 12, 2019. View the full interview: https://s.si.edu/2019McGovernAward
Katie Couric talks with April Ryan about using different mediums for storytellling at the Smithsonian Associates John P. McGovern Award presentation on Nov. 12, 2019. View the full interview: https://s.si.edu/2019McGovernAward
Katie Couric discusses being a woman in broadcasting with April Ryan at the 2019 Smithsonian Associates John P. McGovern Award presentation. View the full interview: https://s.si.edu/2019McGovernAward
Katie Couric talks with April Ryan about having a front row seat to history at the Smithsonian Associates John P. McGovern Award presentation on Nov. 12, 2019. View the full interview: https://s.si.edu/2019McGovernAward
A big thank you to Ben Folds for last night's talk and performance! Here he is closing out the night. #adreamaboutlightningbugs
Want to go beyond simple store-bought cards this year? Watch on! We wrapped up two sold-out holiday card workshops last Saturday. Check out the video below to view expert crafter and instructor Karen Cadogan’s process. Smithsonian Studio Arts has a number of other holiday workshops coming up: Dec. 8: Orchids for the Holidays Dec. 16 and 17: Wreath Making with Smithsonian Gardens Dec. 18: Centerpieces with Smithsonian Gardens Learn more: https://s.si.edu/HolidayWorkshops
Don't miss your chance to see The Second City at the Smithsonian Friday, Sept. 28! Fresh, fast, and always spectacularly funny, they're celebrating nearly 60 years of producing cutting-edge satirical revues. TICKETS: https://s.si.edu/2DoYJjd
Take a two-minute break this afternoon and listen to the brilliant Priya Natarajan touch on her intriguing work mapping dark matter (no astrophysics background needed!). Is two minutes not enough of a science sound byte for you? Check out our new initiative, Inside Science: http://s.si.edu/2wSjv6z “If we can map dark matter exquisitely, as in every lump and bump, then we can discriminate between the different kinds of dark matter. It’s like saying that if you can map sand dunes incredibly well...then from looking at the shapes...you are trying to figure out what a grain of sand is made of...”
One of our favorite moments from our April 12 event with Alec Baldwin was when he described working with Sean Connery on the film “The Hunt for Red October.”
Were you lucky enough to be in the audience at our event with Alec Baldwin this month? In this clip from the event, Baldwin describes working in theater vs. TV and film.
We hosted a conversation with Alec Baldwin at The George Washington University's Lisner Auditorium on April 12, and we're sharing some clips from the event! Hear what Baldwin had to say about working with Tina Fey.
How to keep a New Year's resolution to lose weight? Get a scientist’s perspective! Biochemist Sylvia Tara will explain how to gain the upper hand in controlling your weight at a Smithsonian Associates' event this Thursday, Jan. 5 at 6:45 p.m. at the S. Dillon Ripley Center. Listen to her interview on the The Not Old - Better Show podcast, and watch this video for a preview of what to expect at the event. Tickets: http://ow.ly/Gghq307AcDh
On Sunday, the presidential nominees will go head to head again in their second debate. Join us as we decipher this year's election season once it's all said and done. A panel of experts, including U.S. News and World Report's senior White House correspondent Kenneth Walsh will discuss what lessons were learned, what mistakes were made, what sealed the deal for the winner, and- believe it or not- how to get ready for 2020. A limited number of tickets are still available- reserve yours now! http://ow.ly/uE6z304XY8z
Meet Smithsonian Associates Program Coordinator, Rebecca Roberts! Rebecca was interviewed for The Not Old - Better Show podcast (look for a two-part interview soon!) And check out this preview video about our huge lineup of fall programs.
On February 5, 2016, Eric Deggans, TV critic for NPR, moderated a behind the scenes looks with the show’s executive producers and members of the cast and crew. Scott M. Gimple, executive producer, showrunner, and writer; Gregory Nicotero, executive producer, director, and special effects makeup supervisor; John Sanders, prop master; and Andrew Lincoln, who stars as Rick Grimes, shared insights on how they develop and bring The Walking Dead to life—from conjuring up edge-of-your-seat plotlines and complex characters to frighteningly convincing zombies. Click here to browse upcoming programs: http://ow.ly/ZQCUz
Blunt or beautiful? Washington has a complicated relationship with modernism, one that surfaces in current conversations about the historic preservation of mid-20th century buildings. Martin Moeller, a curator at the National Building Museum, provides a context for the movement and its influence on the city’s vibrant architectural mix. Visit http://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/index.aspx to browse programs.
Smithsonian's Discovery Theater
Jefferson Drive SWGW Corcoran Smithsonian MA Program in Decorat
Jefferson Drive SWSmithsonian National Museum of Asian Art
Independence Avenue SW
National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian In
Independence Avenue At 6th Street
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fu
E Street NW
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Raoul Wallenberg Place SW
Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition
L'enfant Plz SW
Tudor Place Historic House & Garden
31st Street NW
The Mansion on O & O Street Museum
O Street NW
#}
