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| NEWS from the LIBRARY of CONGRESS |
| March 23, 2017
Press contact: Bryonna Head, Office of Communications (202) 707-3073, bhea@loc.gov
Library to Host Series of Disco Events Line-up includes Gloria Gaynor, Tim Gunn
The Library of Congress is presenting a series of disco-themed events to celebrate and memorialize the era of the mid-1970s and early 1980s that changed American art, fashion, language and sound. “Bibliodiscotheque” will include two months of programs such as film screenings, lectures and a symposium followed by a disco party featuring Gloria Gaynor. “The disco era has left a lasting mark on our culture,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. “The music, the clothes, those fantastic disco balls – they are a part of Americana that new generations are still discovering and embracing. I am so thrilled to announce these events and the incredible line-up of guests we will have at the Library in the coming months as we celebrate the era of disco and share related items from the Library’s collections.” Nearly 40 years have passed since the heyday of platform shoes and dazzling disco balls, but disco is recognized as a phenomenon that redefined cultural norms across the United States. “Lest anyone think that disco was an aberrant moment in the ’70’s. Disco culture is inextricable from the history of 20th century fashion,” said Emmy award-winning fashion icon, Tim Gunn. “Its representation in the Library of Congress not only legitimizes the genre, but fully validates it.” The Library of Congress holds significant collection materials in various formats that showcase the American disco experience. These items will be on display for the duration of this series. Programming includes screenings of disco-influenced films as well as lectures and panel discussions presented by cultural experts, such as author, producer and fashion icon Tim Gunn, who will present a lecture on the influence of disco fashion followed by a book signing. The series will conclude with a symposium featuring the disco singing sensation Gloria Gaynor, followed by an evening extravaganza with a live performance. Gaynor will discuss and sign her new book, “We Will Survive: True Stories of Encouragement, Inspiration, and the Power of Song.” The book’s title harkens back to her 1978 classic “I Will Survive” which was selected for preservation in 2016 for the National Recording Registry. In “We Will Survive,” Gaynor shares 40 inspirational, true stories about survivors of all kinds — individuals who have found comfort, hope, and courage through the power of that song. “I am thrilled that the Library of Congress has found my role in American music worthy to be commemorated by the inclusion of my recording of “I Will Survive” in the National Recording Registry,” said Gaynor. “I look forward with great anticipation to my concert at the Library of Congress “Bibliodiscotheque.” Events are free and open to the public. Free tickets are required for admission to all activities. Tickets will be available beginning at 10:00 a.m. on March 30at this website. A limited number of press credentials will also be available for reservation. The deadline to reserve credentials for lectures, the symposium, and the dance party is Friday, April 28. Some of the events will be live-streamed on the Library’s Facebook page at facebook.com/libraryofcongress and its YouTube channel at youtube.com/LibraryOfCongress. All programs will take place at the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., or at its James Madison Memorial Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., both in Washington, D.C. The excitement can be followed on Twitter at @librarycongress and #LCDisco.
The Library’s programming will include: Symposium*
Saturday, May 6 Presented in association with the Library of Congress Music and Prints & Photographs Divisions, and Veterans History Project, with additional support from The Recording Academy.
1 p.m. “The Craft of Making Disco Balls”
1:30 p.m. “Two Perspectives on Beyoncé’s African Dance References”
2 p.m. “Disco: The Bill Bernstein Photographs”
2:30 p.m. “Hot Stuff: Disco and the Remaking of American Culture”
3 p.m. Panel Discussion
4 p.m. “Gloria Gaynor on “I Will Survive”
5 p.m. (Whittall Pavilion) Free, tickets available, visit www.loc.gov/concerts/disco for more information. |
As part of its partnership with award-winning bartender and Chief Spirits Advisor Derek Brown, the National Archives Foundation today announced a new 2017 event series focused on the role of alcohol in America’s history.
The series will kick off with Cocktails in Cuba on March 25, 2017. The United States may have invented the cocktail, but it wasn’t long before it became entwined with the island nation of Cuba, especially through the invention of two of the world’s most recognized libations—the Daiquiri and Rum & Coke. Military intervention, organized crime and literary giants, all in the shadow of revolution, mark the fascinating history of these drinks. Experts, along with one of Cuba’s most renowned bartenders, Julio Cabrera, will discuss cocktails, Cuba and the United States, past and present. This event, which will include a reception before the seminar, will be moderated by Brown, and sponsored by the 86 Spirits Company. Registration is open now and filling up fast, more information is available online here.
“We’re excited to continue our partnership with Chief Spirits Advisor Derek Brown with this new series,” said Patrick M. Madden, executive director of the Foundation. “Derek’s passion for history pairs perfectly with our mission to connect people to America’s story in exciting and unexpected ways.”
“From landing on Plymouth Rock in search of beer to creating the cocktail, the story of America could be easily told through the drinks it has both consumed and condemned. The chance to tell that story – not just with documents but through experts in the field – is unprecedented. I’m grateful to be a part of it,” said Brown.
The event series will also include Global Spirits: American Cocktails, on June 29, 2017. Hosted by the National Archives Foundation and The Tasting Panel Magazine, Global Spirits: American Cocktails, will kick off several days of festivities celebrating July 4, 2017. Top mixologists will be tasked with the creation of an original cocktail inspired by classic American cocktails. As the bartenders blend their concoction for judges to taste, they will describe how they were inspired to create a modern take on an American classic. Guests will have the opportunity to taste exclusive cocktails created by eight of the top bartenders from around the country. A final event, Culinary Cocktails, will be held in September 2017 (details to follow).
In 2015, the National Archives Foundation and Brown partnered on a series of events in conjunction with the then-National Archives exhibit, Spirited Republic. Brown also curated a ten-part History of the Cocktail Series to discuss the role of spirits in U.S. history. Spirited Republic explored the federal government’s efforts, successes, and failures to change our drinking habits, from whiskey rations to the Continental Army to the Whiskey Rebellion to Prohibition and beyond. The exhibit used nearly 100 National Archives records and artifacts to show the evolution of the government’s alcohol policy over time, and to illustrate the wide variety of views about alcohol held by Americans.
Thursday, March 30, 2017, 5:30-8:30 p.m.
This illustrated lecture will explore the historical and political context of American-Russian relations during Henry Middleton’s post as American Minister to Russia in the 1820s and 30s.
$30, $20 Hillwood member, $20 student
4155 Linnean Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008
The Willard InterContinental Washington, DC in partnership with Château d’Esclans, a prestigious estate and winery in Provence, France, will host its inaugural Rosé Romp on Saturday, April 1 from 1pm to 5pm. An official event of theNational Cherry Blossom Festival, the Rosé Romp honors Japan’s gifting of the cherry blossom trees to the city, while also celebrating the winery’s most iconic rosé wines. This elegant premier event will take place on the hotel’s outside terrace, replete with real cherry blossom trees, and feature all you can eat and drink, an exclusive ‘Art Walk’ with cherry blossom inspired artwork by local DC artists, and live music.
Guests are invited to dress in their most festive rosé attire as they sip delicious wines including Château d’Esclans wildly popular Whispering Angel Rosé, seasonal local beers, and other selections. “The idea to collaborate with the National Cherry Blossom Festival has been on my mind for many years, but as the rosé market continues to grow and Whispering Angel celebrates its 10th vintage, it is time to turn the vision into reality,” said winemaker Paul Chevalier.
Under Sacha Lichine’s leadership, Château d’Esclans now leads the luxury rosé category with Whispering Angel, Rock Angel, Les Clans and Garrus wines, the most exclusive rosé wines in the world. From the onset of his acquisition of Château d’Esclans in 2006, Lichine immediately set out to change the global perception of blush wines as unsophisticated and overly sweet, often closely associated with American white Zinfandel throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Born into winemaking as the son of acclaimed Bordeaux winemaker and writer Alexis Lichine, Sacha applied the wisdom and skills honed during his experience by investing in vinification technology and recruiting expert oenologist Patrick Léon. Whispering Angel – a benchmark for the delicate, fresh style of rosé that Sacha made famous – has grown into one of the most widely enjoyed rosés in the world, and shows no signs of slowing down.
Rosé Romp attendees will also be able to enjoy a variety of springtime inspired food stations by Executive Chef Peter Laufer and his team, including seared scallops on minted saffron couscous, salmon and pesto pinwheel on orzo pasta, and seared beef tenderloin on brioche toast with sauce béarnaise; as well as a seafood ice bar and a decadent dessert display sure to please one’s sweet tooth.
Entertainment will include an interactive ‘Art Walk’, featuring an exclusive presentation of cherry blossom inspired artwork from established and emerging artists from around DC, and live music by the Bachelor Boys, a premium five piece band.
All-inclusive tickets are $89.00 per person through March 1, when ticket prices will increase to $99.00. To purchase a ticket, please visithttps://roseromp.eventbrite.com call 202-628-9100 for more information.
Wednesday, April 12 (7 p.m.)
“54” (Miramax, 1998, R-rated*)
An American drama film written and directed by Mark Christopher about Studio 54, a world-famous New York City disco club.
Events are free and open to the public. Free tickets are required for admission to all activities. Tickets will be available beginning at 10:00 a.m. on March 30at this website. A limited number of press credentials will also be available for reservation. The deadline to reserve credentials for lectures, the symposium, and the dance party is Friday, April 28. Some of the events will be live-streamed on the Library’s Facebook page at facebook.com/libraryofcongress and its YouTube channel at youtube.com/LibraryOfCongress. All programs will take place at the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., or at its James Madison Memorial Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., both in Washington, D.C.
The excitement can be followed on Twitter at @librarycongress and #LCDisco.
Disco Dance Party
7 p.m. -12:30 a.m. (Great Hall)
Gloria Gaynor Live: Disco Dance Party
The Library of Congress opens the doors of the Thomas Jefferson Building for LOC Disco Night, a celebration of the Library’s collections and the music of Gloria Gaynor, with an once-in-a-lifetime disco dance party in the historic Great Hall. Guests will have the opportunity to explore the Main Reading Room, meet curators, view special treasure displays, explore the Library’s exhibitions, and dance the night away. Gloria Gaynor and her band will kick off the evening with a live performance. Appearances by DJ Mike Simonetti and DJ Adrian Loving.
Free, tickets available, visit www.loc.gov/concerts/disco for more information.
Charlotte Hollister Annual Gala |
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What: Charlotte Hollister Annual Gala at the Arlington Arts Center Featuring: Jane Franklin Dance Directions to the Arlington Arts Center at DIRECTIONS Details: About Charlotte Hollister Annual Gala Tickets: ONLINE – http://www.janefranklin.com, $100 (VIP: online access to silent auction) |
The 2017 Events DC Embassy Chef Challenge presented by TCMA (A Drew Company) will highlight dishes and flavors from all around the world. Embassy chefs will gather on Wednesday, May 24 in the Atrium of the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, where they will show off their skills and compete for the People’s Choice and Judges’ Choice awards.
The Events DC Embassy Chef Challenge not only encourages culinary diplomacy, but also celebrates the arts of many cultures and highlights some of the area’s amazing musicians, dancers and singers. Throughout the evening, cultural dances and artists will grace the stage along with the headlining band, City of the Sun, an instrumental post-rock trio from Brooklyn, New York.
“We are honored to bring together some of the world’s most culturally-distinct talents in the culinary and performing arts for the second-consecutive Events DC Embassy Chef Challenge,” said Erik A. Moses, senior vice president and managing director of sports, entertainment, and special events at Events DC. “May is International Cultural Awareness Month in DC and we look forward to both celebrating and advancing the city’s cultural diplomacy through cuisine and entertainment.”
Patrons can expect to taste traditional dishes from cultures both common and impossible to find in Greater-Washington such as salmon ceviche and merquén mussels curated by Chef Guillermo Muñoz of Chile. Haitian Embassy chef Cynthia Verna will be preparing a full-spread comprised of creole chicken, yellow basmati rice served with pigeon peas, Roma tomatoes and coconut milk; and a beet and carrot salad with homemade lime dressing. Representing the Embassy of Barbados, Chef Damien Leach will offer a unique spin on tropical fish with his piña colada mahi mahi filet.
Chef Red Garcia of the Philippines will be defending his title with a dish that uses a classic wrapping method called “binalot” – which is a way of wrapping foods with banana leaves, derived from the word ballot, which means “to wrap.” He will have a variety of foods to wrap such as rice, meat, fish, eggs and pickled vegetables. Dishes like kottu roti from the Embassy of Sri Lanka may be new to American diners and guests will have a chance to taste the dish and speak with the embassy’s culinary team about how it is prepared. Chef Anuradha Wijesinghe explains kottu roti as being made with godhamba roti, vegetables, egg or meat and spices.
Embassies will also be offering various native cocktails, beer, and wine to be sampled throughout the evening. Singapore will be serving up the city’s famous “Singapore Sling,” while the Embassy of Bolivia will have a selection of Bolivian wines for patrons to taste. The Embassy of Azerbaijan will be offering a variety of both red and white wines from their emerging high-altitude growing regions.
Chefs from every corner of the globe will be competing, including:
| ASIA | AFRICA | EUROPE | THE AMERICAS |
| Afghanistan Azerbaijan Bangladesh Indonesia Iraq Nepal Pakistan Philippines Qatar Saudi Arabia Singapore Sri Lanka Uzbekistan |
Ghana Kenya Mauritius Morocco Rwanda |
Belgium Cyprus Germany Greece Malta Moldova |
Bahamas Barbados Bolivia Chile Dominican Republic El Salvador Ecuador Guatemala Haiti Honduras Jamaica Paraguay Peru |
TICKETS: Purchase your tickets and join the cultural event. General admission tickets are $75 and will include all global sips and bites and access to all live entertainment. For $125, VIP guests can enjoy a one-hour early entry to meet all chef’s and network with embassy community elites. For ticket purchases and more information about the event, please visit www.eventsdcembassychefchallenge.com.
WHAT: Embassy chefs from around the world will gather for the 2017 Events DC Embassy Chef Challenge presented by TCMA (A Drew Company), to showcase the unique flavors of their countries in a friendly, delicious culinary competition. With more than 30 embassies participating, this year’s event offers attendees a global culinary experience unmatched in Washington DC.
Attendees will have the opportunity to sample a sip and bite from all participating embassy chefs, and cast their votes for the People’s Choice award. The winner will be announced alongside the Judges’ Choice – selected by a group of elite members of the worlds of diplomacy, culture and the culinary arts, who will critique each dish and beverage before placing their votes.
The Events DC Embassy Chef Challenge not only encourages culinary diplomacy, but also celebrates the arts of many cultures and highlights some of the area’s amazing musicians, dancers and singers. In years’ past, performances have included Bolivian folk dancers, Russian violinists, Chinese dancers and Brazilian samba artists. This year’s event will feature a non-stop range of performances to accompany the delicious food and drink that will be served.
Embassy of Barbados, swept the competition in 2015 winning over the people and the judges, and was the Judges’ Choice winner last year, alongside Peoples’ Choice winner Embassy of the Philippines. Both countries will return to the competition this year to defend their titles and win another coveted golden pineapple.
WHEN: Wednesday, May 24, 2017, 6:00 p.m.
WHERE: Atrium of the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20460
WHO: Chefs from every corner of the globe will be competing, including:
| ASIA | AFRICA | EUROPE | THE AMERICAS |
| Afghanistan Azerbaijan Bangladesh Indonesia Iraq Kazakhstan Japan Korea Nepal Pakistan Philippines Qatar Saudi Arabia Singapore Sri Lanka |
Ghana Kenya Mauritius Morocco Tunisia |
Belgium Germany Moldova Ukraine |
Bahamas Barbados Bolivia Chile Dominican Republic Ecuador Guatemala Haiti Honduras Jamaica Paraguay Peru Uruguay |
PRICE: General Admission – $65.00
Includes all the global sips and bites and live entertainment
VIP – $95.00
Includes one-hour early entry to meet chefs, taste their offerings, and network with embassy community elite
For tickets and more information, please visit http://www.eventsdcembassychefchallenge.com/home_2017#tickets
KENNEDY CENTER OPEN HOUSE: CELEBRATING JFK AT 100
Saturday, May 27, 2017, 12 p.m.–10 p.m.
With world premiere commission and activities for all
Campus-wide–FREE
In celebration of John F. Kennedy’s 100th birthday, the Kennedy Center will host an Open House. This free event welcomes the public to explore and experience the performing arts through the halls, theaters, and plazas of the Kennedy Center through more than 30 free performances, activities and events for all ages and tastes. The arts program will feature artists from across the U.S., the Washington, D.C. region, and abroad.
Highlights include:
- Bandaloop, the pioneers of vertical dance, will present multiple performances suspended from the roof of the Kennedy Center throughout the day.
- Company E, a D.C-based contemporary dance company, will perform a Kennedy Center JFK Centennial-commissioned work and world premiere, (In) Security or Jack and Nikki Do the Cold War Tango, in the Grand Foyer using both Millennium Stages simultaneously to explore the John F Kennedy/ Nikita Khrushchev relationship.
- Flexn will present five different performances throughout the day in the Eisenhower Theater of flex dance which is an electrifying form of street dance evolved from Jamaican bruk-up and reggae. Each performance will be in a different format (solo, two-on-two battles, full company), and each focusing on one of the five JFK Centennial ideals as well as opening with a discussion of the works by Peter Sellars and Reggie Gray.
- Finding a Line: Skateboarding, Music, and Media will return with a skate park and music stage open and active throughout the day on the plaza.
- Citizen Artist Fellow Paige Hernandez and Baye Harrell will perform “All the Way Live!” in the Family Theater.
- The National Memorial Day Choral Festival in the Concert Hall will present patriotic repertoire which will include works that celebrate President Kennedy such as the “Star Spangled Banner,” “America the Beautiful,” “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” “Inauguration,” and “To the Moon.”
- Local Washington Ballet will participate in Open House activities by presenting their independent commission Frontier.
All of the programming in the three largest theaters and the Grand Foyer will explore and celebrate the legacy of President Kennedy.
