December at the National Portrait Gallery – a Day of Music, Women’s Leadership, New Acquisitions, and Portraits of the World: Denmark to Open
A Very Special Holiday with Marian Anderson
Sunday, Dec. 8, noon & 3:00 p.m.
Kogod Courtyard
Sing and be merry! This day of song pays tribute to Marian Anderson, one of the greatest opera singers of the twentieth century. Join in a family-friendly sing-along with the Choral Arts Society of Washington, and hear soprano Janice Chandler-Eteme perform spirituals from Anderson's repertoire at 3:00 p.m. in the Great Hall. This program is part of the Smithsonian Year of Music.
Spotlight Series
Roundtable with Women Leaders of the Smithsonian
Tuesday, Dec. 17, 5:00 p.m.
McEvoy Auditorium
Engage in a conversation about the history of working women at the Smithsonian Institution.
Working Women: The Smithsonian Institution as a Case Study
Wednesday, Dec. 18, 8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
McEvoy Auditorium
This all-day symposium explores both the influences women have had at the Smithsonian as well as the obstacles they have faced.
These programs are part of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative, "Because of Her Story."
Register Now—Free!
Grab a Friend
In Focus: Indra Nooyi
Thursday, Dec. 5, 12:30 p.m. & 5:30 p.m.
G Street Lobby
Join us for a discussion about our recently acquired portrait of business innovator Indra Nooyi.
Curator Tour
One Life: Marian Anderson
Sunday, Dec. 8, 2:00 p.m.
Meets at exhibition entrance, first floor east
Join Associate Curator of Photographs Leslie Ureña for a tour of "One Life: Marian Anderson."
Curator Tour
Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence
Sunday, Dec. 15, 3:00 p.m.
Meets at exhibition entrance, first floor south
Historian and curator Kate Clarke Lemay will lead visitors through the exhibition.
In the neighborhood? Check out our drop-in programs!
Conversation Circles
Fridays, 10 a.m.–noon
G Street lobby
Practice English in small groups while learning more about U.S. history through portraiture.
Open Studios
Fridays, 1:00–5:00 p.m.
Education Center, E151
Discover your inner artist. Create an original artwork inspired by the Portrait Gallery’s collection while exploring a different technique or tool each week.
On View
Portraits of the World: Denmark
Dec.13, 2019–Oct.12, 2020
"Portraits of the World: Denmark" features the painting "Kunstdommere" (Art Judges) by Michael Ancher, on loan from the Danish Museum of National History in Hillerød, Denmark. This monumental portrait from 1906 pays tribute to a tightly knit group of progressive artists in northern Denmark. A complementary display of American portraits from the first half of the twentieth century highlights the artist communities in New York City that accelerated the development of modern art in the United States. This is the third exhibition in the museum’s series "Portraits of the World," which previously focused on works from Switzerland (2017–18) and Korea (2018–19). Curator of Prints and Drawings Robyn Asleson curated the exhibition.
Check out "A Portrait of Berenice Sarmiento Chávez" by Hugo Crosthwaite, first prize winner of the 2019 Outwin Boochever Competition. Come see this work and others on view in "The Outwin 2019: American Portraiture Today," an exhibition featuring contemporary portraiture by nearly 50 artists working across the U.S.
You can also view the exhibition online at Google Arts & Culture.