What's On October—Surroundings: A Tribute to Maya Lin; "One Life: Maya Lin" Now On View; Opening of "Kinship" and More!
Surroundings: A Tribute to Maya Lin
Sundays, Oct. 16, 23 & 30
6:00–6:30 p.m.
Kogod Courtyard
In conjunction with the Portrait Gallery’s "One Life: Maya Lin" exhibition, Dana Tai Soon Burgess, the museum’s choreographer-in-residence, premieres his newest modern dance. Performed by seven members of the Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company, the piece will be accompanied by opera singers Millicent Scarlett and Keith Hudspeth, with Dana Scott on piano and Erin Snedecor on cello.
On Sunday, Oct. 16, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., swing by the museum's store to pick up your copy of Burgess's new memoir, "Chino and the Dance of the Butterfly," and have it signed before the performance.
Upcoming Exhibition
Kinship
On View Oct. 28, 2022–Jan. 7, 2024
The Portrait Gallery announces “Kinship,” an exhibition featuring the work of eight contemporary artists who explore the complexities of interpersonal relationships—both within and outside of family units. Encompassing painting, photography, sculpture, video, and performance, the presentation will highlight recent work by Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Ruth Leonela Buentello, Jess T. Dugan, LaToya Ruby Frazier, Jessica Todd Harper, Thomas Holton, Sedrick Huckaby, and Anna Tsouhlarakis. The exhibition of more than 40 works will visualize the complex and deeply moving ways in which interpersonal relationships endure and change, and how kinship, by its very nature, embraces contradictions. The accompanying exhibition catalogue will be available for purchase in the museum's store.
Join Us in the Galleries!
Drawn to Figures
Thursday, Oct. 13
10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
G Street Lobby
In this series of drawing workshops, artist Jill Galloway leads participants through the techniques and challenges of figure drawing. Each session highlights portraits from a Portrait Gallery exhibition and includes instruction, a guided drawing session, and all supplies. Open to artists of all levels, ages 18 +. Space is limited.
Free—Registration required.
Strike a Prose: Writing Reflections of
Contemporary American Identity
Friday, Oct. 14
10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
G Street Lobby
In this creative writing workshop, we will explore the themes of representation, reflection, and identity in contemporary American culture through portraits from “The Outwin 2022: American Portraiture Today.” The workshop, which includes guided writing prompts and discussion, will encourage participants to explore diverse perspectives and lived experiences. Open to writers of all levels, ages 18+.
Free—Registration required.
In Focus
Thursday, Oct. 20
12:00–12:30 p.m.
G Street Lobby
Mood and setting can often set the overall tone for experiencing a portrait. Come by the museum to look closely at Marianna T. Olague’s portrait "Customer Service Representative," and discuss this colorful artwork with us.
Upcoming Program
Día de los Muertos
Wednesday, Nov. 2
5:00–8:30 p.m.
Kogod Courtyard, G and 9th Street Facade
The National Portrait Gallery's annual celebration of el Día de los Muertos kicks off with an indoor festival with music, dancing, art activities, and a community altar from 5:00–8:00 p.m. Venture outside between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m., when artists MasPaz and Guache will project their live video artwork on the museum's G and 9th St facade. ¡Esta fiesta es para todos!
On View
I Dream A World: Selections from Brian Lanker’s Portraits of Remarkable Black Women
On view through Jan. 29, 2023
Engage with Us Online
"Perspectives: The Atlantic’s Writers at the National Portrait Gallery" is now on view. As part of the reinstallation of the Portrait Gallery’s permanent collection galleries "Out of Many: Portraits from 1600 to 1900" and The Atlantic’s 165th anniversary year, the two institutions have come together to highlight a selection of the country’s founding voices in literature, politics, philosophy, and culture with wall texts written by The Atlantic’s writers and editors.
Explore more than a dozen portraits on view at the museum with a self-guided audio tour accessible through each artwork’s QR code or delve further into the project’s full suite of 23 portraits online at npg.si.edu.
What can you do to make a difference?
Our Struggle for Justice, a digital collaboration between the National Portrait Gallery and Capital One, explores activism and social justice through biography. Through Our Struggle for Justice, meet individuals, past and present, from the museum’s collection whose thoughts and actions have made our nation better. Each post features thought-provoking questions to reframe the way we view activism and the causes closest to us.
Join us on Instagram and Twitter, follow #OurStruggleForJustice for the latest updates, and look out for new posts each Tuesday. Missed a post? Review past posts and engage with educational activities and lesson plans that highlight the campaign's featured sitters in the Our Struggle for Justice Learning Lab.
Not ready to come back quite yet? Enjoy several online adaptations of National Portrait Gallery exhibitions and collection highlights, including "One Life: Dolores Huerta" and "Picturing John Glenn: A Life Dedicated to Science and Service" through our collaboration with Google Arts & Culture.
Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company (detail) by Jeff Watts. © Jeff Watts. Self-portrait with Elinor (screen) (detail) by Jess T. Dugan, 2018. Courtesy of the artist. © Jess T. Dugan. Drawn to Figures (detail) by Tony Powell, 2019. © Tony Powell. A portrait of the comet boy as a bearer of memories (detail) by Timothy Lee, 2019. Collection of the artist. © Timothy Lee. Customer Service Representative (detail) by Marianna T. Olague, 2020. Collection of the artist. © Marianna T. Olague. Día de los Muertos(detail) by Matailong Du, 2018. © Matailong Du. Malcolm X (detail) by an unidentified photographer, 1967. Septima Poinsette Clark (detail) by Brian Lanker, 1987. Partial gift of Lynda Lanker and a museum purchase made possible with generous support from Robert E. Meyerhoff and Rheda Becker, Agnes Gund, Kate Kelly and George Schweitzer, Lyndon J. Barrois Sr. and Janine Sherman Barrois, and Mark and Cindy Aron. © Brian Lanker Archive. Anthony Cuts under the Williamsburg Bridge, Morning (detail) by Alison Elizabeth Taylor, 2020. Collection of the artist. © Alison Elizabeth Taylor. Maya Lin working on Eclipsed Time (detail) by Adam Stoltman, c. 1993–1994. Courtesy of Adam Stoltman. “Perspectives: The Atlantic’s Writers at the National Portrait Gallery” (detail, still). Video courtesy of Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery/The Atlantic. Ida B. Wells-Barnett (detail) by Sallie E. Garrity, c. 1893. Dolores Huerta (detail) by Barbara Carrasco, 1999. Acquisition made possible through the Smithsonian Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center. © 1999 Barbara Carrasco.
All images belong to the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, unless otherwise noted.
MOBILE APP OF THE TRETYAKOV GALLERY MAGAZINE
