National Portrait Gallery February Programs – Celebrate Black History Month, Presidential Family Fun Day and a Major Exhibition by John Singer Sargent

National Portrait Gallery

 

Presidential Family Fun Day

Presidential Family Fun Day

Saturday, Feb. 15, 11:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Kogod Courtyard 

Enjoy a party loaded with crafts, music, dancing, games, and special tours of "America's Presidents." Celebrate with artists, President Lincoln's Cottage, the DC Public Library, the Washington Nationals Racing Presidents, and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing!

 

Spotlight Series

Strike a Prose Jr.

Strike a Prose Jr.

Saturdays, 10:00–11:30 a.m.
G Street Lobby

In this creative writing workshop for young people, we will gain inspiration from the portraits and words of icons featured at the Portrait Gallery.
Feb. 1: High School Edition
Feb. 22: Middle School Edition
Feb. 29: Elementary School Edition

 

Drawn to Figures

Drawn to Figures

Wednesdays & Saturdays
10:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
G Street Lobby

This drawing workshop series highlights portraits in our permanent collection. Led by artist Jill Galloway, each session includes instruction and materials. Open to artists of all levels, ages 18 and up.
Feb. 12 & 15: Proportions
Feb. 19 & 22: Shading

 

Grab a Friend!

Portraiture 101

Portraiture 101

Tuesday, Feb. 4, 5:30–6:30 p.m.
G Street Lobby

Do you love museums but are unsure how to look at art? Do you wonder about the choices the artist made? Do you think about the materials used to make a portrait? If so, this program is for you! Join us to discuss these questions and others during this interactive, in-gallery experience led by a National Portrait Gallery educator. On your next museum visit, impress your family and friends with all that you've learned!

 

Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company: A Tribute to Marian Anderson

Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company: A Tribute to Marian Anderson

Monday, Feb. 3, Tuesday, Feb. 4, and Monday, Feb. 24 
6:30 p.m.
McEvoy Auditorium

Coreographer-in-Residence Dana Tai Soon Burgess debuts a new performance in response to the museum's exhibition "One Life: Marian Anderson." Opera singer Millicent Scarlett and pianist Jeffery Watson accompany six dancers in this inspiring tribute.

 

Art AfterWords: Brown Girl Dreaming

Art AfterWords: Brown Girl Dreaming

Tuesday, Feb. 18, 5:30–7:00 p.m.
G Street Lobby

Discuss our portrait of Angela Davis and "Brown Girl Dreaming." Jacqueline Woodson tells the moving story of her childhood. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in 1960s and 1970s, and describes the influence that civil rights activist Angela Davis had on her life. Presented in partnership with the DC Public Library.

 

A Lecture on John Singer Sargent by Richard Ormond

A Lecture on John Singer Sargent by Richard Ormond

Thursday, Feb. 27, 7:00 p.m.
McEvoy Auditorium

Join guest curator Richard Ormond for a lecture on John Singer Sargent. Writer, biographer, former museum director, and Sargent's grand-nephew, Ormond is the author of the John Singer Sargent catalogue raisonné. In addition, he has written several books on the work of Sargent and other famous artists.

 

In the neighborhood? Check out our drop-in programs!

Conversation Circles

Conversation Circles

Fridays, 10:00 a.m.–noon
G Street Lobby

Practice English in small groups while learning more about U.S. history through portraiture.

 

Open Studios

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.

 

In Focus: Come Let Us Build a New World Together

In Focus: Come Let Us Build a New World Together

Thursday, Feb. 6
12:30 p.m. & 5:30 p.m.
G Street Lobby

Celebrate Black History Month as we take a close look at a 1963 Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee poster of John Lewis and the photograph that inspired it.

 

Coming Soon

John Singer Sargent: Portraits in Charcoal

John Singer Sargent: Portraits in Charcoal

On view Feb. 28–May 31
In 1907, at the height of his success as a portraitist, John Singer Sargent astonished the transatlantic art world when he stopped painting portraits in oil. Afterward, he switched to charcoal, producing several hundred likenesses of individuals recognized for their accomplishments in fields such as art, music, literature, and theater. "John Singer Sargent: Portraits in Charcoal" is the first exhibition of Sargent’s portrait drawings in over fifty years.

The exhibition is organized by the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C., and the Morgan Library & Museum, New York. The presentation of the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery is made possible with lead funding from Ann S. and Samuel M. Mencoff. Additional support is provided by Dr. and Mrs. Paul Carter, Andrew Oliver Jr., and the American Portrait Gala Endowment.

 

The Obama Portraits

The Obama Portraits

This new book celebrates the official paintings of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama that entered into the museum’s collection in 2018. An inspiring history of the creation and impact of these two portraits, this richly illustrated volume speaks to the power of art—especially portraiture—to bring people together and promote cultural change.
 
Essays by Taína Caragol, Dorothy Moss, Richard J. Powell, and Kim Sajet. Published in association with Princeton University Press (Available February 11, 2020).

 

On View

Portraits of the World: Denmark

Portraits of the World: Denmark

Dec.13, 2019–Oct.12, 2020
"Portraits of the World: Denmark"explores artists' colonies in Denmark and the United States and the friendships and rivalries that shaped 20th-century modernism. This is the third exhibition in the museum’s series "Portraits of the World," curated by Robyn Asleson, curator of prints and drawings.

 

Recent Acquisitions

Recent Acquisitions

Nov.15, 2019–Aug.30, 2020
"Recent Acquisitions" showcases the latest portraits to enter the Portrait Gallery’s collection. The individuals featured have made lasting contributions in areas such as medicine, music, art, media, and social justice. Portraits of the 2019 American Portrait Gala honorees are included in this exhibition. "Recent Acquisitions" is curated by the museum’s team of art historians.

 

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