Through Her Eyes: Celebrating Indigenous Women of the Andes
Saturday, March 21, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Potomac Atrium
A special Women’s History Month program, Through Her Eyes celebrates the stories, experiences and perspectives of Andean Indigenous women. Cultural and content experts will lead a series of performances, demonstrations and activities offering visitors a window into the rich traditions and contemporary life of women in these Indigenous communities.
Julia Garcia (Quechua) will demonstrate how to dress a fashionable llama. Did you know that colorful ear tassels are a clue to a llama’s ownership and that bells can help you find your llama in the dark? Visitors can learn how to make ear tassels and neck adornments fit for a llama. Isabel Hawkins will share stories woven into Andean textiles, including the cardinal direction markers, constellations and equinox symbols that make up the patterns of some Andean textiles. Zuly Jimenez (Quechua) will use potatoes to create figures for a retablo (a small scene represented in a box frame).
The museum’s Collections Conservation staff will share their expertise on the care of weavings. Kathleen Martin, Andrew W. Mellon Fellow in Textile Conservation, will discuss her research, show samples and demonstrate the indigo dye process. Conservator Susan Heald will lead a hands-on demonstration with cochineal and show how the color can be shifted from orange to red to purple, and conservator Emily Kaplan will share the history of ceremonial drinking cups called qeros.
Photographer’s Talk: Developing Stories: Native Photographers in the Field
Tuesday, March 24, 3:30 p.m.
Sealaska Gallery
Museum visitors are invited to join photographer Russel Daniels and curator Cécile Ganteaume in a conversation and gallery tour highlighting Daniels’s “Genízario Pueblo de Abiquiú,” the first of three photo essays in the exhibition series “Developing Stories: Native Photographers in the Field.” Daniels’s photographs and text explore northern New Mexico’s Genízario community, a people whose historic experience of violence, slavery, and resilience shapes their sense of self to this day.
Rocks as Art—A Chinese Tradition
Tuesday, April 7, 2020, 5:30-8:30 p.m. (Lecture begins at 7:30 p.m.)
Jan Stuart, Melvin R. Seiden Curator of Chinese Art at the National Museum of Asian Art, will investigate the symbolic and aesthetic traditions associated with the Chinese cultural appreciation for rocks, including pieces such as jade carvings and natural rocks mounted on pedestals.
Please note: This is the third and final program in the Natural Beauties lecture series.
4155 Linnean Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008
Lecture: A Garden for All Seasons
Tuesday, April 15, 2020, 5:30-8 p.m. (Lecture begins at 6:30 p.m.)
Kate Markert, executive director of Hillwood, explores the stories behind Hillwood’s extraordinary gardens to celebrate the publication of A Garden For All Seasons: Marjorie Merriweather Post’s Hillwood.
4155 Linnean Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008
Wine Spectator’s Grand Tour is an unforgettable wine tasting experience that features more than 240 of the world’s finest wines, all of which are rated 90 points or higher by Wine Spectator. Sample exceptional wines and discover new favorites—all in the nation’s capital.
Who:
Meet and mingle with top winemakers and estate owners from the world’s best wine-growing regions.
Where:
Ronald Reagan Building, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C.
When:
Friday, May 1, 2020, from 6 p.m.-10 p.m.; VIP Hour from 6 p.m.-7 p.m.
Program Highlights:
- All wines have been rated 90 points or higher by Wine Spectator.
- Enjoy a delicious buffet to complement your wine.
- All attendees will receive a souvenir RiedelTM tasting glass.
Cost:
Tickets are $200 per person; VIP tickets are $325. Purchase here.
Pajama Party Movie Night: Dragons and More!
Friday, May 8, 2020, 5:30-8 p.m.
Embark on a magical adventure as you enjoy a selection of award-winning, family-friendly short films featuring friendly dragons and fanciful creatures.
4155 Linnean Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008
Arena Stage Artistic Director Molly Smith and Executive Producer Edgar Dobie are pleased to announce the presentation of the fifth annual Beth Newburger Schwartz Award to Melanne Verveer, with actor and performer Heather Headley headlining the 2020 Arena Stage Annual Gala. The Gala will be held on Wednesday, May 13, 2020 at The Anthem (901 Wharf Street, SW).
The evening kicks off with a cocktail reception, followed by the award presentation, a three-course seated dinner and performance. The dinner will feature the presentation of the Beth Newburger Schwartz Award to Melanne Verveer, in recognition of her efforts for women’s rights and her continual support of the arts. She is currently the executive director of the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security. Verveer served as the first United States Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues to which she was nominated by President Obama in 2009. Previously, she was the chair and CEO of Vital Voices Global Partnership, an international NGO that she founded to invest in emerging women leaders. She also served as assistant to the president and chief of staff to the first lady during the Clinton administration.
“Arena Stage, under the exceptional leadership of Molly Smith, has become a national hub for the best in American theater in our nation’s capital. The theater company has made it possible for the public to access innovative, engaging and transformative productions that not only entertain, but also inspire and even move us to action,” shares Verveer. “It is an honor to receive the Beth Newburger Schwartz Award as Beth has set a high and exemplary standard throughout her life as an entrepreneur and civic leader. We owe her an enormous debt of gratitude for her many contributions to our community.”
The award was first presented to Arena Stage board chair Beth Newburger Schwartz in 2016. Other recipients include Arlene Kogod in 2017, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser in 2018 and Nina Totenberg in 2019. The award celebrates a female leader who strives to better the community in which she lives through her own unique strengths and talents.
“Melanne Verveer is an international champion for girls and women. She is dynamic, she is brave and she is unabashedly driven about creating a better world with women, girls and vital voices,” says Smith. “A collaborative leader, Ambassador Verveer has been successful in changing attitudes and building bridges while promoting the critical role of women in establishing peace internationally. She is a huge proponent of the arts and we are thrilled to honor her with the Beth Newburger Schwartz Award.”
All proceeds will benefit all Arena Stage artistic and educational programs.
The 70th Anniversary Gala is presented by Ourisman Automotive Group and generously sponsored by Diamond Sponsors AT&T and Hoffman & Associates and Platinum Sponsor Exelon.
Event Schedule
Wednesday, May 13, 2020
6 p.m. Cocktail reception
7 p.m. Award presentation and seated dinner
8:30 p.m. One-night-only performance with Heather Headley
For additional event details, visit: arenastage.org/gala.
Fragrant Herb Workshop
Saturday, May 16, 2020, 10-11 a.m. and 1-2 p.m.
Tour Hillwood’s herb garden before creating your own fragrant container of herbs.
4155 Linnean Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008
Bouguereau & America: A Long, Complicated Love Affair
Wednesday, May 20, 2020, 5:30-9 p.m.
Dr. Stanton Thomas, curator of exhibitions and collections at the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, will explore the rise and fall of William-Adolphe Bouguereau’s popularity in the United States.
4155 Linnean Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008
Cabana, ooh na-na.
Experience the luxe cabanas at THRōW Social™ DC (1401 Okie Street NE) first-hand on Friday, March 20. From 6 to 8pm that night, experience the Miami pool party vibe in Ivy City while lounging in the venue’s swanky rentable cabanas. Nosh on passed bites and sip on something summery during the cabana preview event, which takes place on the Palm Beach-esque top floor of the joint venue THRōW Social™ DC and Kick Axe Throwing®. Sample the space’s social games (iceless curling and FootBowl (football + bowling)) as DJ Mixxed spins or grab your squad and head to the photobooth. Tickets for the event, priced at $40 a piece, can be purchased here.
