Museum visitors can revel in the extra hours of daylight and reflect on American unity with “America Now: Solstice Edition” on Saturday, June 23. This special evening of festivities is a three-museum collaboration between the National Museum of American History, National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian American Art Museum. Now in its fourth year, the tri-institutional partnership of “America Now” will coincide for the first time with a full Smithsonian-wide Solstice celebration.
“America Now: Solstice Edition” is free to the public and open to general audiences; drinks and food will be available for purchase at each location. More information at AmericaNow.si.edu.
Details about the event at the National Portrait Gallery are below and attached.
Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery
Special programs: 7:30–11:30 p.m.
Galleries open until midnight
Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard
Eighth and F streets N.W.
Continuing the festivities, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery will host an array of activities across art and performance. Guests will be welcomed by an outdoor Community Block Party composed of food trucks, lawn games and craft-making activities with local artists organized in collaboration with Made in DC. They can connect with representatives from the Downtown BID, Woolly Mammoth Theater Company, Shakespeare Theater Company and Fresh Farm Farmer’s Market. Visitors can then cool off at a boutique-designed Beer Garden inside the Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard, have their portraits done by a Washington-based caricature artist and explore the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery’s exhibitions throughout the first floor. “America Now” will conclude with dancing to the sounds of DJ Ayes Cold and a major live concert by Ruby Velle and the Soulphonics, and Washington’s own Oddisee.
“America Now” is a three-museum collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery, National Museum of American History and Smithsonian American Art Museum. It is made possible by the support of the Robert and Arlene Kogod Family Foundation. The Washington Post is the media sponsor of America Now. This year’s celebration is part of a Smithsonian’s “Solstice Saturday” program done in association with the “By the People Festival,” led by Halcyon. The Smithsonian’s Washington D.C. museums will be open until midnight on June 23 (except for the National Postal Museum). Details are outlined at www.si.edu/SolsticeSaturday.
The National Portrait Gallery presents a live concert by Ruby Velle and the Soulphonics, Washington D.C.’s own Oddisee and DJ Ayes Cold in “America Now: Solstice Edition” this Saturday, June 23. This special evening of festivities is a three-museum collaboration between the National Museum of American History, National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian American Art Museum. Now in its fourth year, the tri-institutional partnership of “America Now” will coincide for the first time with a full Smithsonian-wide Solstice celebration.
“America Now: Solstice Edition” is free to the public and open to general audiences; drinks and food will be available for purchase at each location. Details are outlined below and at AmericaNow.si.edu.
Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery
Special programs: 7:30–11:30 p.m.
First floor galleries open until 11:30 p.m.
Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard
Eighth and F streets N.W.
The Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery will host an array of activities across art and performance. Guests will be welcomed by an outdoor Community Block Party composed of food trucks, lawn games and craft-making activities with local artists organized in collaboration with Made in DC. They can connect with representatives from the Downtown BID, Woolly Mammoth Theater Company, Shakespeare Theater Company and Fresh Farm Farmer’s Market. Visitors can then cool off at a boutique-designed Beer Garden inside the Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard, have their portraits done by a Washington-based caricature artist and explore the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery’s exhibitions throughout the first floor. “America Now” will conclude with dancing to the sounds of DJ Ayes Cold and a major live concert by Ruby Velle and the Soulphonics, and Washington’s own Oddisee.
“America Now” is a three-museum collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery, National Museum of American History and Smithsonian American Art Museum. It is made possible by the support of the Robert and Arlene Kogod Family Foundation. The Washington Post is the media sponsor of America Now. This year’s celebration is part of a Smithsonian’s “Solstice Saturday” program done in association with the “By the People Festival,” led by Halcyon. Several Smithsonian museums will stay open until midnight on June 23. Details are outlined at www.si.edu/SolsticeSaturday.
Saturday, July 14, 2018, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Indulge your inner Francophile at this celebration of Bastille Day and Marjorie Merriweather Post’s 18th-century French decorative arts collection.
Tanabata: The Japanese Star Festival
Saturday, July 28, 2018, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Celebrate Tanabata, the Japanese Star Festival, through storytelling, live music, crafts, and more.
4155 Linnean Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008
Young professionals ages 21-35 can enjoy after-hours access to Ford’s Theatre and Museum at Under 35: Museum Night on August 16, 2018, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Patrons are invited to mix and mingle in the Ford’s Theatre Museum, see historic artifacts related to Abraham Lincoln’s presidency and assassination, and explore the 19th-century theatre where President and Mrs. Lincoln attended performances. Guests will interact with staff members 35 and under who can share information on Ford’s Theatre history and current programming. Each $20 ticket will include two drink vouchers. Beverages provided by On Tap.
This event is part of Generation Abe, a Ford’s Theatre initiative to reach out young adult audiences ages 35 and under. Generation Abe will feature special events that will include behind-the-scenes access to the historic site and social events related to theatrical productions.
Tickets to Under 35: Museum Night
Tickets are $20 and must be reserved in advance. Tickets can be reserved by calling (888) 616-0270 or online at www.fords.org. This event is only for those 21 years or older. A valid ID must be presented to check-in at the Ford’s Theatre lobby (511 Tenth Street NW).
Ford’s Theatre Society
Since reopening in 1968, more than a hundred years after President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, Ford’s Theatre has celebrated Lincoln’s legacy and explored the American experience through theatre and education. Under the leadership of Director Paul R. Tetreault, Ford’s Theatre has been recognized for the superior quality of its artistic programming. With works from the Tony-nominated Come From Away and the nationally acclaimed Big River to the world premieres of Meet John Doe, The Heavens Are Hung In Black, Liberty Smith, Necessary Sacrifices, The Widow Lincoln and The Guard, Ford’s Theatre is making its mark on the American theatre landscape. For its accomplishments, the organization was honored in 2008 with the National Medal of Arts. For more information, visit www.fords.org.
#GenAbe
The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO), led by guest conductor JoAnn Falletta, performs its annual free Labor Day weekend concert on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, Sunday, September 2, at 8:00 p.m. The concert will feature two NSO Principal musicians and former Washington National Opera Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist, Leah Hawkins, as soloists. No tickets are required. Gates open to the public at 3:00 p.m. with an open rehearsal at 3:30 p.m.
The NSO’s Labor Day Weekend Concert has been a NSO tradition since 1979. This year’s program features works by living American composers, including Libby Larsen and Jonathan Bailey Holland, and Americana-themed works, such as Aaron Copland’s Rodeo. Full program details can be found below.
In case of inclement weather, please call the NSO’s Summer Concert Hotline at (202) 416-8114 after 2:30 p.m. on the day of the concert to find out whether the performance will take place at the Capitol, or whether it will move indoors to the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. If the concert moves indoors, there will be no open rehearsal. The concert will be approximately 90 minutes long, with no intermission, at 8 p.m.
Sunday Evening, September 2 at 8:00 p.m.
FREE ADMISSION, NO TICKETS REQUIRED
West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol
Rain Location: Kennedy Center Concert Hall
JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Aaron Goldman, NSO Principal Flute
Craig Mulcahy, NSO Principal Trombone
Leah Hawkins, narrator & vocalist
John Stafford SMITH “The Star-Spangled Banner”
Adolphus HAILSTORK “Fanfare on Amazing Grace”
Libby LARSEN “Deep Summer Music”
Jonathan Bailey HOLLAND “Equality”
Leah Hawkins, narrator
Arturo MÁRQUEZ Danzon No. 2
William BOLCOM “Waltz Clogg” from Lyric Concerto for Flute
Aaron Goldman, flute
Aaron COPLAND Three Dances from Rodeo
Arthur PRYOR “Blue Bells of Scotland”
Craig Mulcahy, trombone
arr. Carmen DRAGON “Shenandoah”
arr. John WILLIAMS “Hooray for Hollywood”
arr. James KESSLER “Service Medley”
arr. Carmen DRAGON “America, the Beautiful”
The 9th Annual Cosmo Couture will take place on Thursday, September 20th in D.C. at its new location the Washington National Cathedral.
Recognized as a top charity events in the DC region, the event fosters a direct collaboration between local Interior Design and Architecture firms and their product manufacturing partners in the Washington D.C. area, and ultimately leads to creating garments reflecting a given theme. Garments are constructed out of interior materials such as tile, carpet, wood, vinyl, glass and rubber – materials used in the built interior environment. Finding ways to apply them to haute couture fashion, the design teams create, a bridge between fashion and architecture.
Each year the show theme changes with past themes ranging from focusing on D.C. area landmarks such as the Smithsonian Museums, Embassies, American Presidents, and the National Zoo, to an Under the Big Top Circus theme, and Exploring Natural Environments. IIDA MAC is pleased to announce that the 2018 Cosmo Couture theme is ‘Lore’ – A body of traditions and knowledge on a subject or held by a particular group, typically passed from person to person by word of mouth. This year’s event will be co-emceed by 94.7FM The Tommy Show radio hosts Tommy McFly and Kelly Collis.
Twenty-four design teams will participate in this year’s event. Designs will be judged by an elite panel of judges, to be announced, and awards will be given in various categories such as:
Best Performance
· Best Performance
· Best Use of Materials
· Best Interpretation of Theme
· Best Red Carpet Look
· Best Sketch
· Audience Favorite (People’s Choice)
A Design Community Rallying to Support a Colleague: Love 4 Livi. Each year Cosmo Couture selects a charity beneficiary and donates a portion of the event proceeds to their cause. Past recipients have included Rebuilding Together of Washington, DC and My Sisters Place. When an IIDA member and talented DC interior designer Livi Pejo suffered a catastrophic accident in late 2017 that severely injured her spinal cord, the organization decided that the funds from this year’s event should go towards helping her family with her medical expenses. After completing her first triathlon in Dewey Beach, DE, Livi was struck by an inebriated driver while walking along the sidewalk and ultimately left her paralyzed from the neck down. IIDA MAC WMCC is eager to support the Pejo family and hopes to ease the financial burden of her recovery journey moving forward.
Over the past eight years, the IIDA Mid-Atlantic Chapter has donated over $100,000 to previously selected charities from Cosmo Couture proceeds.
Attracting over 800 attendees each year, this year’s Cosmo Couture event is helped made possible by our Chapter’s Visionary Sponsors: Cenero, Mohawk Group and Teknion.
Event tickets range from $125-225 and value packages of tickets are available. Event tickets can be purchased online at www.cosmocouture.org.
EVENT DETAILS
What: Cosmo Couture 2018 – Fashion & Interior Design Event (9th Annual)
Presented by: Washington Metro City Center of the International Interior Design Association – Mid Atlantic Chapter
Beneficiary: Love4Livi
When: Thursday, September 20, 2018
Where: Washington National Cathedral
Time: 5:30-10:00PM
Cocktails 5:30-7:30PM
Runway Show 7:30-9:00PM
Desserts 9:00-10:00PM
Website: www.cosmocouture.org
Where: King Street Art Festival, Market Square (corner of King and N. Fairfax Streets)
When: The King Street Arts Festival has been postponed due to Hurricane Florence and will now be held September 22 & 23.Saturday, September 15, 10:00 am-4:00 pm & Sunday, September 16, 11:00 am-4:00 pm
How: $15 buys you a bowl and a scoop of ice cream
The Art League’s popular Ice Cream Bowl Fundraiser returns to the King Street Art Festival in 2018. Purchase one (or many) of 1,400+ handmade bowls created by the talented and prolific artists of The Art League’s Ceramics Department and enjoy a scoop of ice cream – all for only $15 per bowl!
Proceeds go to benefit The Art League’s Ceramics department. Participants in the Ice Cream Bowl Fundraiser may enter a free drawing to win ceramic artwork and an Art League gift certificate.
She’s acted as everything from a dazzling diva to a sultry vixen and knows Washington from her impactful congressional testimony, but Morgan Fairchild will take the nation’s capital by storm when she presents her newest role — singing with the American Pops Orchestra (APO).
TV viewers also recognize Fairchild from her participation in the reality show “But Can They Sing?” Fans old and new will be able to hear for themselves the answer to that question on Saturday, Sept. 22 as Fairchild joins APO for “You’ve Got a Friend: A Singer-Songwriter Celebration,” featuring the music of the greatest American singer-songwriters, including James Taylor, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez and others.
“We love Morgan for her Texas-sized personality that is accepting, affirming and a celebration of life. Morgan is an artist with a commitment to social justice and bringing communities together. We are honored to feature such a well-respected icon to bring life to this timeless music. We’ve got a friend, indeed,” says Luke Frazier, APO’s conductor and co-founder.
Other singers for the performance will be:
- Mariand Torres, a Broadway veteran known for originating the role of Elphaba in “Wicked”
- Ari Shapiro, host of NPR’s “All Things Considered”
- Rayshun LaMarr from the most recent season of NBC’s “The Voice”
- Yasmin Williams, an acoustic fingerstyle guitarist and finalist in Rolling Stone magazine’s Next Young Gun guitarist competition
The concert will begin at 8 p.m. at the Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater, 1101 6th St., SW, Washington, D.C.
Where: King Street Art Festival, Market Square (corner of King and N. Fairfax Streets)
When: The King Street Arts Festival has been postponed due to Hurricane Florence and will now be held September 22 & 23.Saturday, September 15, 10:00 am-4:00 pm & Sunday, September 16, 11:00 am-4:00 pm
How: $15 buys you a bowl and a scoop of ice cream
The Art League’s popular Ice Cream Bowl Fundraiser returns to the King Street Art Festival in 2018. Purchase one (or many) of 1,400+ handmade bowls created by the talented and prolific artists of The Art League’s Ceramics Department and enjoy a scoop of ice cream – all for only $15 per bowl!
Proceeds go to benefit The Art League’s Ceramics department. Participants in the Ice Cream Bowl Fundraiser may enter a free drawing to win ceramic artwork and an Art League gift certificate.
