What's On - A Message from our Director, recognizing PRIDE month, virtual programs and more
A Message from our Director
Almost three months into the temporary closure of the National Portrait Gallery, I reflect on the museum's founding. The Portrait Gallery opened to the public in 1968, not long after the assassination of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and the ensuing riots in downtown Washington, D.C. During the tumultuous civil rights era, the museum fulfilled its mission to remind Americans about the greatness of our country and the men and women who have shaped our history.
Today, we continue to celebrate the accomplishments of those who have fought for change, equality, and the founding freedoms that define our nation. Yet we also pause to reflect on the similarities between current events and the turbulent time during which the museum first opened. Equality is still on the horizon. Even though our doors are closed, we want you to know that we remain committed to making sure everyone can see themselves at the National Portrait Gallery–in person or online. We are here for you and strive to tell your story.
Sincerely,
Kim Sajet
Director
National Portrait Gallery
We Want to Hear from You!
In response to the closure of the Portrait Gallery due to the pandemic, we have created a number of virtual experiences to meet visitors where they are. What other kinds of virtual programs would you like to see the Portrait Gallery offer? Please take a moment to share your thoughts with us in this brief survey.
Celebrating PRIDE Month
The Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery celebrates PRIDE month and the LGBTQ+ community. Discover portraits of individuals who have fought for equality in our online collection.
Hide/Seek: Portraits for LGBTQ+ Pride Month
Tuesday, June 23, 5:00 p.m
Online via Zoom
To commemorate LGBTQ+ Pride month, we invite you to join Jonathan Katz and David Ward, the co-curators of the landmark Portrait Gallery exhibition “Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture” (2010–11), for a live discussion of gender and sexuality in American portraiture.
Smithsonian Summer Sessions for Teachers
Teachers, don't miss a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from home with four Smithsonian museums! Register for one of our free five-day Summer Sessions and join an online community of educators across the country for an immersive exploration of teaching with museum objects and works of art.
Museum educators will explore connections across their collections and model teaching strategies that you can implement with your students, whether online or in the classroom.
You will discover how to teach with museum resources to engage students in deeper thinking and support content learning across disciplines. Learn to use the Smithsonian Learning Lab to curate digital resource collections, and share lesson ideas with a new network of colleagues.
Course staff represent the following Smithsonian units:
-National Museum of African American History and Culture
-National Museum of American History
-National Portrait Gallery
-Smithsonian American Art Museum
-Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access
July 6 – 10 Session: Waiting List
July 20–24 Session: Waiting List
More Online Programs
Young Portrait Explorers
Tuesdays, 11:00 a.m.
Instagram @smithsoniannpg
Explore portraits of astronauts and activists, scientists, and star athletes — and discover the stories behind them! Join us every Tuesday on Instagram Stories for a close look at a featured portrait. Then we'll dig deeper with some discussion questions and get moving with fun activities on the day's topic. Download activity guides as PDFs from our Facebook page. For children ages 3 and up and their families.
Writing Hour
Tuesdays, 5:00–6:00 p.m
Eventbrite
Join us for a virtual creative writing hour. We've set up an online space where writers can create, connect, and draw inspiration from the Portrait Gallery's online exhibitions on Google Arts & Culture.
Free—Register at npg.eventbrite.com
Story Time
Wednesdays, 11:00 a.m.
Facebook @smithsoniannpg
Immerse yourself in tales of presidents, artists, inventors, athletes, and more! Join a Portrait Gallery educator for Story Time every Wednesday on Facebook. Each week will focus on a different person. Children will learn more about familiar names and faces, and will also meet new people from U.S. history! Select Story Times will be in Spanish. For children ages 3 and up and their families.
Drawn to Figures
Thursdays, 11:00 a.m.
Instagram Stories @smithsoniannpg
Learn tips and tricks for portraying the human body in this digital workshop. Each Thursday on Instagram, artist Jill Galloway will share sketching techniques to help you overcome the challenges of figure drawing. Open to all skill levels, ages 13 and up.
Open Studios
Fridays, 11:00 a.m.
Facebook @smithsoniannpg
Join artist Jill Galloway on Facebook for Open Studio sessions each Friday. Discover your inner artist! Create an original artwork inspired by the Portrait Gallery’s collection while exploring a different technique or tool each week. Open to all skill levels.
Discover New Additions to Google Arts & Culture
Winold Reiss & the Harlem Renaissance
Explore the life of German-born artist Winold Reiss and learn how he used portraiture to challenge racial stereotypes.
American Origins
Tour highlights from our permanent collection exhibition "American Origins" and discover the men and women who shaped our nation.
What does it mean to be American?
Get up close to "Shimomura Crossing the Delaware." Artist Roger Shimomura combines American culture and Asian tradition in a portrait that challenges Asian stereotypes while raising thought-provoking questions about racial and cultural identity.
Access
Audio Descriptions of America's Presidents
Encounter the Portrait Gallery's signature exhibition from a new perspective! Our detailed audio descriptions of select presidential portraits are geared toward those who are blind or have low vision, but anyone can enjoy them! Available on our website and on SmARTify. This free and easy-to-use app allows you to explore more than 1,000 artworks from the Portrait Gallery’s collection.
ASL Exhibition Tours
Enjoy ASL tours of select exhibitions, including "The Outwin 2019: American Portraiture Today," which features works by contemporary artists that challenge the definition of portraiture. Our ASL tour of "One Life: Marian Anderson" explores the life and legacy of the acclaimed vocalist and symbol of the civil rights movement. Check them out on the Portrait Gallery's YouTube channel.
Where Portraiture Meets Performance
Choreographer-in-Residence Dana Tai Soon Burgess
View excerpts of stunning performances inspired by the National Portrait Gallery's exhibitions. Find select pieces by Dana Tai Soon Burgess, the Smithsonian's first choreographer-in-residence, on our YouTube channel.
IDENTIFY
Expand your horizons with videos of works commissioned for IDENTIFY, the Portrait Gallery’s performance art series. Now in its sixth year, IDENTIFY has highlighted artists such as Jeffrey Gibson, María Magdalena Campos-Pons, Martha McDonald, Lee Mingwei, and Wanda Raimundi Ortiz. See select performances on our new "Visit from Home" page.
Podcast
Season two of PORTRAITS with host Kim Sajet, director of the National Portrait Gallery, is in full swing. Join Sajet for conversations with leading historians, artists, and thought leaders about icons of American history. This season's episodes explore the lives of Harriet Tubman, Ruben Salazar, Will Rogers, President John F. Kennedy, and others.
This season's episodes premiere bi-weekly on Tuesdays through June. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, PRX, Radio Public, Spotify, Stitcher, and npg.si.edu.
Don't miss the special bonus episode in which PORTRAITS host Kim Sajet appears as a special guest on the Smithsonian's SIDEDOOR podcast and goes behind the scenes of the episode "Growing Younger Harriet Tubman." Listen here.
Docent tour (detail) by Tony Powell, 2019. Harvey Milk, 18th & Castro Streets, San Francisco by Crawford W. Barton, 1973. © The GLBT Historical Society. Viewing Portraits of the World: Korea (detail) by Tony Powell, 2019. Teacher Workshop (detail) by Mark Gulezian, 2018. Young Portrait Explorers (detail) by Tony Powell, 2019. The Courtyard Cafe (detail) by Tony Powell, 2019. Story Time (detail) by Tony Powell, 2019. Drawn to Figures (detail) by Tony Powell, 2019.Open Studios (detail) by Tony Powell, 2019. Langston Hughes (detail) by Winold Reiss, c. 1925. Gift of W. Tjark Reiss, in memory of his father, Winold Reiss. © Estate of Winold Reiss. Pocahontas (detail) by an unidentified artist, after 1616. Gift of the A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust, 1942. Shimomura Crossing the Delaware by Roger Shimomura, 2010. Gift of Raymond L. Ocampo Jr., Sandra Oleksy Ocampo, and Robert P. Ocampo. © Roger Shimomura. George Washington (Lansdowne Portrait) (detail) by Gilbert Stuart, 1796. Acquired as a gift to the nation through the generosity of the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation. ASL Tour (detail) by Tony Powell 2019. A Tribute to Marian Anderson (detail) by Tony Powell, 2020. Wanda Ramundi-Ortiz, photo courtesy of Dominic DiPaolo. Portraits by the National Portrait Gallery, 2019.
All images belong to the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, unless otherwise noted.
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