Archive: Museums

David Berman on Jeremy Blake

"Wild Choir: Cinematic Portraits by Jeremy Blake" closes Sunday after a four month run at the Corcoran, but not without a final exciting event. David Berman, the subject of "Sodium Fox," one of the mesmerizing digital videos that make up...

By David Malitz | February 27, 2008; 12:36 PM ET | Comments (4)

Comings and Goings

Japanese themes pop up again this month with the Kennedy Center's Japan! Culture + Hyperculture festival. Concerts, performances and screenings make for a complete cultural program, but several small exhibits lend a feast for the eyes. I'm most looking forward...

By Julia Beizer | January 30, 2008; 07:42 PM ET | Comments (2)

Art in Motion (and a Spooky Video)

Paintings, photographs and sculpture: they can be easy art forms to love. You can breeze by even the most complicated, controversial painting and just appreciate its aesthetics with a passing glance. Video and performance art are generally more elusive mistresses;...

By Julia Beizer | January 25, 2008; 12:27 PM ET | Comments (0)

Into the Great Wild Open

The National Museum of Natural History -- a favorite of school kids and tourists alike -- isn't exactly known as a hip place to spend your weekend. But until April 27th, a special exhibition is worth a visit for us...

By Julia Beizer | January 15, 2008; 02:59 PM ET | Comments (0)

Comings and Goings

Usually, exhibits with Japanese themes build to a crescendo around Cherry Blossom time, but this year, it looks like the celebration came early. Several of January's most promising exhibitions highlight Japanese techniques, but obsessive artwork, collector-selected pieces and live frogs...

By Julia Beizer | January 7, 2008; 11:01 AM ET | Comments (0)

On the Walls in 2008

Great exhibits are surely on the horizon in 2008, but the real highlight of the year has to be the opening of three new (or recently shuttered) museum spaces. In fact, we might as well call 2008 the year of...

By Julia Beizer | January 2, 2008; 11:33 AM ET | Comments (0)

A Year in Art

Looking back at a year in pictures and paintings and sculpture, I realize that I've had the good fortune to take in a ton of great art this year. Listed below are some of my favorite local exhibits of 2007...

By Julia Beizer | December 26, 2007; 03:44 PM ET | Email a Comment

Your Favorite Things

For the cover story of today's Weekend section, art critic Michael O'Sullivan asked several prominent Washingtonians about their favorite objects on view in the Washington area. Each of the 13 people profiled in the story offered up something different: the...

By Julia Beizer | December 14, 2007; 09:12 AM ET | Comments (1)

Fishing for a Bargain

Both Saturday and Sunday this weekend are Dollar Days at the Baltimore Aquarium, so you can get in for just $1 per person, instead of the normal $22 admission. That's a serious savings on the best aquarium in the area,...

By Anne | December 6, 2007; 12:59 PM ET | Comments (2)

Comings and Goings

December isn't a super busy month on the local art calendar, but a few notable shows give you reason to leave your house. Get the details on artists envisioning the future, elephants wielding brushes and a DJ-infused reception after the...

By Julia Beizer | December 5, 2007; 01:35 PM ET | Email a Comment

Anne's Wish List: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

My dream holiday wish is going to sound familiar to break-up artists everywhere: I just need some space. No, not from you, of course. I need space to put people. Because I want to have a party. A really big...

By Anne | December 5, 2007; 12:58 PM ET | Email a Comment

Comings and Goings

This month, the best art-viewing opportunities come after dark. Details on evening receptions, activist exhibitions and shows for foodies follow the jump....

By Julia Beizer | November 2, 2007; 08:29 AM ET | Email a Comment

All Eyes on Annie (And Brad. And Demi...)

Annie Leibovitz speaks about her recent project like she's embarrassed that she's just revealed too much. "The show really came out of this book, which was really a moment in my life," she said at yesterday's very crowded press preview...

By Julia Beizer | October 10, 2007; 02:00 PM ET | Email a Comment

Comings and Goings

Celebrity photographs, video portraits and brushy British landscapes are among the highlights on the area art scene this month....

By Julia Beizer | October 3, 2007; 02:15 PM ET | Comments (2)

Museums After Dark

After-hours-museum-party fever is spreading in Washington. The next two Fridays offer promising options for those who like a little art with their nightlife....

By Julia Beizer | September 5, 2007; 11:21 AM ET | Email a Comment

Comings and Goings

Local museums and galleries wake up from their summer slumbers this month to kick off a jam-packed exhibit season. I've listed some of the exhibits I'm most excited about after the jump, but area art spaces are just too rife...

By Julia Beizer | August 31, 2007; 12:24 PM ET | Email a Comment

An Exhibit for the History Books

It's been a good run for "American Treasures," the Library of Congress's rotating history exhibit. For the past 10 years, a relatively small gallery space in the Jefferson Building has been decked with ever-evolving displays of documents, artifacts, artwork and...

By Julia Beizer | August 7, 2007; 10:22 AM ET | Comments (1)

Comings and Goings

Just as summer is winding down, several of the area's best exhibits are coming to a close: most notably, the Hirshhorn's Wolfgang Tillmans exhibit. Even if this month's "Comings and Goings" is heavy on the "Goings," art lovers still have...

By Julia Beizer | August 1, 2007; 03:33 PM ET | Comments (4)

The End Is Near

Time is running out on some of the top exhibits in town; several good shows close this weekend. I've listed some of the best below in the hopes that it saves at least one person from saying, "Man, I meant...

By Julia Beizer | July 24, 2007; 04:33 PM ET | Comments (1)

Comings and Goings

Welcome to July -- when the exhibit schedule slows. way. down. Unlike the last few action-packed months, this one's full of small-scale shows. A tribute to Frida Kahlo, an evolving installation and two non-juried shows of emerging artists follow after...

By Julia Beizer | July 3, 2007; 03:00 PM ET | Email a Comment

Folk Culture on the Front Lawn

It's that time of year again. Beginning yesterday and continuing Wednesdays-Saturdays through July 8, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival transforms the National Mall's wide-open green space into a bustling village full of crafts, foods and cultural traditions from faraway lands. This...

By Julia Beizer | June 28, 2007; 10:49 AM ET | Comments (3)

Lowbrow Styles & Fingerprint Traces

The month may be winding down, but two unique art openings are just getting started in downtown Washington. Saturday night receptions at the Warehouse and Flashpoint serve up wildly different types of contemporary art....

By Julia Beizer | June 27, 2007; 09:33 AM ET | Email a Comment

The Big Ones

Two big museum exhibits have opened in recent weeks, and a third (easily the biggest) opens this Sunday. The large museums lapse into a bit of a lull for the next few months, so here's a round-up of recently-opened exhibits...

By Julia Beizer | June 21, 2007; 10:35 AM ET | Comments (1)

Comings and Goings

Big-time exhibitions of Portuguese treasures and American masters are on tap this month, along with public art projects, outsider-art displays and a trio of photography exhibits....

By Julia Beizer | May 30, 2007; 09:13 PM ET | Email a Comment

Artomatic Watch: The Home Stretch

It's had a good run, but the homegrown arts-free-for-all known as Artomatic comes to a close this Sunday. This is your last chance to see an oversized crocheted head, a beautiful painting of a strawberry on a hook and an...

By Julia Beizer | May 17, 2007; 09:27 AM ET | Comments (3)

Getting in on the After-Hours Action

Those seeking proof that the District hungers for a late-night museum scene need look no further than the Hirshhorn After Hours event in early March. DJ Ian Svenonius laid down some wicked beats and museum-goers dished over drinks and Lite-Brite...

By Julia Beizer | May 16, 2007; 12:25 PM ET | Comments (1)

Sketch Artists

It was shaping up to be a pretty typical Monday before I rolled up to 1644 North Capitol Street. I was there to check out a preview of "The Consolation of Ruin," an exhibition of work by the Borf Brigade...

By Julia Beizer | May 14, 2007; 04:31 PM ET | Comments (39)

Artomatic Watch: Week 5

Workshops, burlesque opera and artist-led tours are the highlights of the Artomatic events this week....

By Julia Beizer | May 10, 2007; 02:41 PM ET | Email a Comment

Artomatic Watch: Week 4

Meet your favorite artists and rock out to a '90s band that's been stuck in our heads since learning about this upcoming concert -- all this weekend at Artomatic....

By Julia Beizer | May 2, 2007; 08:16 PM ET | Email a Comment

Comings and Goings

Photo and video works dominate this month's local exhibitions, but Sheeler-esque paintings, African art pieces and a couple of "body artists" make their way into local galleries as well....

By Julia Beizer | May 2, 2007; 01:27 PM ET | Email a Comment

Artomatic Watch: Week 3

Artomatic takes on art in the digital age this week with presentations and panels. Hip-hop performances, mobile-making workshops and charity concerts are also on tap....

By Julia Beizer | April 25, 2007; 06:51 PM ET | Email a Comment

Alternative to artDC

The city's first international art fair, artDC, opens at the convention center this weekend. Since the fair is new, it's hard to predict what to expect, but one thing's for certain: art dealers and collectors will be out in force...

By Julia Beizer | April 24, 2007; 01:48 PM ET | Comments (3)

Artomatic Watch: Week 2

Tribal dancers, film screenings and art-and-technology presentations are on tap at Artomatic this week....

By Julia Beizer | April 18, 2007; 07:45 PM ET | Email a Comment

Kind of Gross . . . But Definitely Informative

"Bodies . . . The Exhibition," a recently opened science exhibit featuring the plasticized remains of humans, is an exercise in edutainment. The dark, moody lighting is supposed to remind you that you're in on something Very Cool. I can't...

By Julia Beizer | April 17, 2007; 04:27 PM ET | Comments (6)

'Interval' on Your iPod

"Gene Davis: Interval," a focused investigation into the Washington artist's work, opens at the Kreeger Museum tomorrow. Big, bright, stripey canvases dominate the show, and they are truly stunning. This exhibit is the cornerstone of the entire ColorField Remix series...

By Julia Beizer | April 13, 2007; 05:32 PM ET | Comments (1)

Artomatic Watch: Week 1

On Friday, Artomatic, the area's homegrown free-for-all art fair, opens in Crystal City. I just got back from the space, which is actually two floors of an in-transition office building, and things are shaping up. The sixth floor is a...

By Julia Beizer | April 11, 2007; 07:02 PM ET | Comments (7)

Comings and Goings

Local art fans, start your engines. April is shaping up to be a bacchanalia for the eyes. We have Artomatic coming up, in addition to a citywide celebration of color field painting and D.C.'s first international art fair. We'll run...

By Julia Beizer | April 2, 2007; 03:16 PM ET | Comments (2)

Modernism: Good for the Brain, Hard on the Feet

Architecture, film, design, craft, painting, photography: In the early part of the 20th century, the modernist movement touched all of these art forms. Contemporary art and craft have been feeling the effects ever since. "Modernism: Designing a New World, 1914-1939,"...

By Julia Beizer | March 14, 2007; 09:00 AM ET | Email a Comment

Artomatic Is Back

It's official. Artomatic, the out-there art fair, opens in the former U.S. Patent and Trademark Building in Crystal City on Friday, April 13, and continues until Sunday, May 20. The visual and performing arts extravaganza is known for its inclusive...

By Julia Beizer | March 6, 2007; 04:20 PM ET | Comments (5)

Lite-Brite at the Museum

It's been a while since the Hirshhorn rocked the night hours with DJs, gallery tours and a cash bar, but thankfully the evening events are back. This Friday, the modern art museum stays up late for Hirshhorn After Hours, an...

By Julia Beizer | March 5, 2007; 04:37 PM ET | Comments (3)

Comings and Goings

The Corcoran is all about sleek lines and sexy curves this month with "Modernism: Designing a New World." Opening on March 17, the exhibit presents more than 400 modernist objects, including chairs, lamps, photographs, clothing, a built-in kitchen and even...

By Julia Beizer | February 28, 2007; 11:58 PM ET | Email a Comment

Comings and Goings

We're reviving a little tradition here at Guru Central: the Comings and Goings column. In this monthly guide, we'll give you the scoop on what's opening, what's closing and what museum or gallery reception is most worth your time. Februrary...

By Julia Beizer | February 1, 2007; 07:17 PM ET | Email a Comment

Jasper Johns: A Sneak Peek

The National Gallery of Art shakes off the winter doldrums this Sunday with the opening of a major exhibition on legendary artist Jasper Johns. Read on for some first impressions and a photo gallery of some of the works on...

By Julia Beizer | January 24, 2007; 03:09 PM ET | Email a Comment

Collages, Sculptures and Pictures of 'Marilyn'

Lovers of the visual arts will be busy this weekend. Galleries in Bethesda and Logan Circle open their doors for coordinated receptions on Friday and Saturday nights showing off a ton of local talent. Want to check them out? Read...

By Julia Beizer | January 10, 2007; 12:53 PM ET | Comments (3)

Forecast on the 2007 Art Scene

2006 is a hard act to follow. The Reynolds Center opened. The "Boating Party" returned to the Phillips. Dada came and conquered. But just because 2007 has a lot to live up to doesn't mean it has nothing to offer....

By Julia Beizer | January 5, 2007; 04:55 PM ET | Comments (1)

Out With the Old: Artsy Edition

With the New Year fast approaching -- have you made your NYE plans yet? -- we thought we'd take the week to look back at some of our favorite D.C. happenings of 2006. As the resident art girl, I've had...

By Julia Beizer | December 26, 2006; 02:14 PM ET | Email a Comment

Send Them to the Other Mall

Ah the holidays. The season of love, giving ... and hard-to-entertain relatives. If your aunt and uncle are taking up too much room in your apartment, send them to the National Mall for a day of good, old-fashioned culture. The...

By Julia Beizer | November 28, 2006; 05:04 PM ET | Comments (1)

Sight: City Hall

At last night's opening of the new City Hall Art Collection, Council Chair Linda Cropp talked about renovations to the District government's headquarters in the last decade. "You know when you move everything into a new house and you look...

By Julia Beizer | November 1, 2006; 12:27 PM ET | Comments (2)

Panda Love

On Thursdays, there are some Got Plans? questions that we just don't get to before the chat ends. As I was looking through the unanswered questions at 2:06 p.m. yesterday, this question really bummed me out: Petworth: Hi Gurus! So,...

By Julia Beizer | October 13, 2006; 04:20 PM ET | Comments (1)

Asian Art: Open Until Moonrise

If you've been reading around these days, you may have heard about a little event going down on the National Mall this Saturday called "From Sunrise to Moonrise." In honor of the 100-year anniversary of Charles Lang Freer's gift of...

By Julia Beizer | October 4, 2006; 11:51 AM ET | Comments (2)

Art Hopping

Logan Circle's galleries are some of my favorites around here -- reliably hosting some of the edgiest and most thought-provoking exhibitions in town. The shows this month are likely to be no exception and this Saturday is one of your...

By Julia Beizer | September 12, 2006; 04:20 PM ET | Email a Comment

New Kids on the Block

Anyone wondering what's new on the contemporary art scene need look no further than three Washington galleries this month. Work by newly minted BFA and MFA graduates are on view at Irvine Contemporary, Project 4 and Conner Contemporary. There are...

By Julia Beizer | August 16, 2006; 08:49 AM ET | Comments (1)

Local Artists Bring the Funk to DCAC

Depending on the exhibition, the gallery at the D.C. Arts Center can be a very vibrant space or a very bleak one. Vibrancy wins out this month with the center's "Wall Mountables" installation, a show with a concept almost as...

By Julia Beizer | July 31, 2006; 05:37 PM ET | Email a Comment

Fringe for the Eyes

Nearly every kind of performance art will invade downtown over the next 10 days in conjunction with the much-anticipated Capital Fringe Festival, which kicks off today. The visual arts are not a huge part of Fringe festivities, but three events...

By Julia Beizer | July 19, 2006; 05:46 PM ET | Email a Comment

Where the AC Blows Freely All Day

We might have gotten a break in the weather today, but the fact remains that it's going to be hot and humid all summer long. For decades, summer tourists have found respite from the heat in the city's museums. This...

By Julia Beizer | July 19, 2006; 02:40 PM ET | Email a Comment

Wild World of Rousseau

I'm not much of an artist myself -- creatively clipped T-shirts are about as close as I come -- but I can't imagine painting a place I'd never seen. Colors, light, shape, line: don't you first need to see those...

By Julia Beizer | July 11, 2006; 02:04 PM ET | Email a Comment

A Few More Days for Archives

Friday Update: The Archives exhibits -- including the Charters of Freedom display in the Rotunda -- will reopen tomorrow, Saturday, July 15. The William G. McGowan Theater will be closed until further notice. **** The National Archives building on the...

By Julia Beizer | July 11, 2006; 12:38 PM ET | Email a Comment

Film Series and First Fridays

It may have been a short week, but I couldn't be more psyched that Friday's around the corner. Tomorrow night you can go gallery-hopping in Dupont and check out exhibits of cartoons and works by local artists. Read on for...

By Julia Beizer | July 6, 2006; 04:25 PM ET | Comments (1)

Archives Outdoors

The National Archives Building on the Mall will be closed at least until July 11. Electrical equipment damaged in last week's storms needs to be reparied and tested, said Miriam Kleiman, public affairs specialist for the Archives. The building will...

By Julia Beizer | July 5, 2006; 02:26 PM ET | Email a Comment

Feeding at Folklife

The Smithsonian Folklife Festival is up and running! As we strolled along the grounds today, it was hard to believe that rain had pelted the Mall just a few days before. The sun was shining and a good lunchtime crowd...

By Julia Beizer | June 30, 2006; 03:45 PM ET | Email a Comment

Museum Closings Update

Friday Update: The National Museum of American History reopens tomorrow, July 1! Archives is still closed and expects damages will cost $2 million to repair. **** The National Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian Castle Information Center are back...

By Julia Beizer | June 29, 2006; 03:32 PM ET | Email a Comment

Arts Revival Downtown

It's a good weekend for the arts community in Chinatown. The Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery reopen this Saturday after a six-and-a-half-year renovation. But before it opens, you can look inside the museums' revamped home --...

By Julia Beizer | June 29, 2006; 09:48 AM ET | Email a Comment

Rainy Day Blues for Mall Museums

Well the last few days have been a bloody disaster, eh? The rain has been torrential, the traffic's been horrendous and the downtown museums were just one of the many spots that this storm system has sacked. We've got the...

By Julia Beizer | June 27, 2006; 03:58 PM ET | Email a Comment

An Exhibit to Bank On

Nothing frustrates me more about the D.C. gallery scene than the hours. While many of the spaces have nighttime receptions, regular hours at most galleries directly coincide with my 9-5. The Cultural Center Gallery at the Inter-American Development Bank is...

By Julia Beizer | June 1, 2006; 05:34 PM ET | Comments (1)

Goin' Green

The real estate market is hot. Shows like "Extreme Home Makeover" are even hotter. If you're into ecological living or actually enjoy Saturday trips to Home Depot, a new National Building Museum exhibition is for you. "The Green House: New...

By Julia Beizer | May 24, 2006; 10:57 AM ET | Comments (1)

Party Arty

The art scene and the bar scene mix freely this Friday with two big events in the D.C. museum and gallery world. The Hirshhorn hosts another After Hours event from 8-11 p.m. At March's After Hours event, ages ranged from...

By Julia Beizer | May 9, 2006; 05:07 PM ET | Email a Comment

Beyond Cinco

Cinco de Mayo says as much about Mexican culture as St. Patrick's Day says about the Irish, but thanks to the Cultural Institute of Mexico, there are real opportunities coming this month to learn more about our neighbors to the...

By Julia Beizer | May 8, 2006; 11:21 AM ET | Email a Comment

Sheeler Delight

With Dada and Cezanne almost out the door, the National Gallery of Art is gearing up for another landmark exhibition, "Charles Sheeler: Across Media." This small exhibition, which opens on Sunday, is a treat to see. Sheeler dabbled in photography,...

By Julia Beizer | May 2, 2006; 12:30 PM ET | Email a Comment

Hours Extended for 'Cezanne'

Because of the Cezanne exhibit's overwhelming popularity, the National Gallery has just announced that it will offer extended viewing hours May 6-7, the exhibit's final weekend. "Cezanne in Provence" will be open until 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 6, and...

By Julia Beizer | April 27, 2006; 09:09 AM ET | Email a Comment

Artists, Performing

Stationary sculptures and canvasses are all fine and good, but sometimes a little action in art is refreshing. This week, a couple of performance artists spice up the museum scene. Tonight, the Corcoran's Hammer Auditorium hosts a presentation of experimental...

By Julia Beizer | April 26, 2006; 11:02 AM ET | Email a Comment

American History Update

The museum announced today that it will close on Labor Day (Sept. 4) to begin its renovation project. The museum is scheduled to reopen in summer 2008, but anyone who has ever been anywhere near a construction project knows these...

By Julia Beizer | April 12, 2006; 01:53 PM ET | Comments (1)

History Hunting in the Nation's Capital

News from the National Museum of American History was a shock to my inbox yesterday: "The museum will begin closing some of its exhibition galleries this spring and summer, and the entire museum will close to the public in the...

By Julia Beizer | April 11, 2006; 10:02 AM ET | Comments (8)

From the Made-Up Words Department . . .

As he described the new Sant Building of the Phillips Collection today, museum director Jay Gates called the architecture "Phillipsian." That's not in any dictionary I've ever read, but I think I know what he means. The museum's new wing,...

By Julia Beizer | April 10, 2006; 03:09 PM ET | Comments (1)

Capture the Castle

First Fridays in Dupont Circle traditionally involve art lovers wandering from gallery to gallery, taking in the latest cutting-edge exhibits, talking up the newest up-and-comers and scarfing down free jug wine and cheese. Starting tomorrow, the landmark Brewmaster's Castle is...

By Fritz Hahn | April 6, 2006; 02:20 PM ET | Email a Comment

When It Rains, It Pours

Usually it's hard to fit in art activities in this town when you work a 9 to 5. Sure, there's First Friday, Third Thursday, Betheda Art Walk, Second Thursday Art Night and other gallery romps, but for the most part,...

By Julia Beizer | March 29, 2006; 12:13 PM ET | Email a Comment

And the Beat Goes On

The National Gallery announced yesterday that it will extend its performance of George Antheil's film score for "Le Ballet mechanique" until May 14, the last day of the museum's "Dada" exhibit. It was supposed to close next Wednesday, but the...

By Julia Beizer | March 24, 2006; 03:11 PM ET | Comments (3)

Glimpses of Greatness

The new Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture is set to open on July 1, and if yesterday's press preview is any indication of the changes being made to home of the National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian...

By Julia Beizer | March 24, 2006; 10:04 AM ET | Comments (2)

National Gallery: Ready to Rock

Loyal Got Plans? readers have seen me plug this performance almost every week since the middle of February, but for those of you who haven't heard about "Le Ballet mechanique" at the National Gallery, consider this post a get-thee-to-the-Mall call....

By Julia Beizer | March 14, 2006; 03:41 PM ET | Comments (1)

Feelin' Artsy?

It's the first Friday of the month, do you know where your artsy friends are? From 6-8 p.m. on the first Friday of each month, Dupont Circle galleries host a neighborhood open house of sorts, often giving out free wine...

By Julia Beizer | March 3, 2006; 01:16 PM ET | Email a Comment

Art and Soul

Beads will be flying around town for Mardi Gras tomorrow night, but a different sort of celebration is on tap at the Warehouse. A new exhibit, "Arty Gras," opens at the gallery with king cake, a jazz band and a...

By Julia Beizer | February 24, 2006; 05:17 PM ET | Email a Comment

In or Out? It Makes a Difference

So I checked out "Wall Snatchers" last night. The new graffiti art exhibit had some high points, but I left the show wanting something more. The exhibit features the work of six artists -- Bask, Eon, Mister Never, Nick Z,...

By Julia Beizer | February 24, 2006; 12:19 PM ET | Comments (3)

Inside the Factory

Pop-art fans mourning Monday's closing of the Corcoran's Warhol exhibit have something to smile about. A new exhibit opened at Irvine Contemporary this weekend that fulfills all Andy-related desires. The not-so-creatively titled exhibit "Celebrity Photographs from the Warhol Years" is...

By Julia Beizer | February 22, 2006; 12:23 PM ET | Comments (2)

More Than Meets the Urinal

For me, the dada art movement of the early 20th century brings to mind one iconic image: Marcel Duchamp's "Fountain" (1917), a store-bought urinal the artist wished to display at a New York gallery. But clearly, as National Gallery's new...

By Julia Beizer | February 14, 2006; 01:23 PM ET | Email a Comment

Getting a Date with the Man from Provence

There's something about those French painters. Last year, an exhibition of more than 200 paintings by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec drew record crowds to the National Gallery. This year, an exhibition of Paul Cezanne's work is creating just as much buzz....

By Julia Beizer | February 7, 2006; 11:24 AM ET | Comments (3)

Aquarium Walkabout

Recently, I took I-95 north to go down under. After more than three years of construction, the new "Australia: Wild Extremes" permanent exhibit at the Baltimore Aquarium is open, and the crowds have been many people thick. Buying advance timed...

By Anne | January 20, 2006; 11:28 AM ET | Email a Comment

Arts Abound in 2006

The D.C. art scene has so much going for it in 2006, it's hard to limit my picks to a simple few. Nevertheless, here are five upcoming events that I'm already excited about. Many, many more are likely to follow....

By Julia Beizer | January 4, 2006; 12:04 PM ET | Comments (2)

Can You Keep a Secret?

When Germantown resident Frank Warren started PostSecret in late 2004, I doubt he imagined where the idea would go. Warren's "community art project" -- a blog comprised of handmade postcards sharing the secrets of anonymous senders -- now gets more...

By Julia Beizer | December 14, 2005; 12:15 PM ET | Comments (1)

Fine Art, Straight Up

Washingtonians who like a little substance with their alcoholic substances should check out tomorrow night's event at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. The program, dubbed Hirshhorn After Hours, is designed to highlight "Gyroscope," the museum's most recent reinstallation of...

By Julia Beizer | November 15, 2005; 10:28 AM ET | Comments (1)

For the Kid Who Has Hit Every Hayride in Town

Instead of engaging in the typical constume-and-candy frenzy this Halloween weekend, two Smithsonian museums are hosting family events to celebrate the Mexican and Central American holiday Dia de los Muertos. Day of the Dead, as it is known in English,...

By Julia Beizer | October 26, 2005; 01:22 PM ET | Email a Comment

DC Chic

My kudos to the Kennedy Center, which, in addition to the Corcoran, is one of the few local arts centers to devote space to the world of fashion. Last spring, the Ken Cen hosted a terrific show on the influence...

By washingtonpost.com | October 6, 2005; 09:55 AM ET | Email a Comment

The Blessings of Liberty

With all the buzz about Talk Like a Pirate Day, I wondered if the first-ever Constitution Day might be overshadowed. And perhaps it already has been, since Constitution Day was Saturday (September 17 was the day the Constitution was signed...

By Anne | September 19, 2005; 11:06 AM ET | Email a Comment

The Art of the Weekend

Ah, the summer weekend. Each one is a tug-of-war between the allure of basking in the sunshine and the appeal of staying inside to take advantage of the area's cultural offerings. Do you take a leisurely stroll or hole up...

By washingtonpost.com | June 1, 2005; 01:26 PM ET | Email a Comment

Art on the Go

Every time a new exhibit opens, most of us have the best intentions to see it right away, but weeks go by and suddenly that same show has come to its close. In the next few weeks, some of the...

By washingtonpost.com | April 25, 2005; 06:43 PM ET | Email a Comment

Zeisel at Hillwood

Eva Zeisel may be familiar to design aficionados and Crate and Barrel shoppers (the latter is now selling her Tomorrow's Classic line), but the industrial designer's body of work is more fully realized in a new retrospective at the Hillwood...

By washingtonpost.com | April 15, 2005; 06:15 PM ET | Email a Comment

First Friday

Dupont Circle art galleries have been hosting First Fridays for decades, staying open late the first Friday of each month, boasting their latest talent or collection and sometimes offering refreshments. It's a great time for infrequent gallery-goers and regular visitors...

By washingtonpost.com | March 28, 2005; 07:40 PM ET | Email a Comment

Academy 'Anatomies'

View Enlarged Photo and CaptionWashington has its share of museums on the Mall and gallery districts, but it's also full of great works of art in unexpected places. The National Academy of Sciences pursues lofty goals of research and stewardship,...

By washingtonpost.com | March 15, 2005; 01:33 PM ET | Email a Comment

Face Time With Modigliani

View Enlarged Photo and CaptionThe Modigliani retrospective that drew hordes to New York's Jewish Museum last summer has made its way to Washington, the final stop on its tour. Lucky us, the retrospective of the Italian-born, Parisian-based painter opens at...

By washingtonpost.com | February 24, 2005; 05:51 PM ET | Comments (2)

Photography at Hemphill

View Enlarged Photo and CaptionLogan Circle's Hemphill Fine Arts is boasting two new photography shows. The larger of the two is a collection of works by Max Hirshfeld. Entitled "One Shot," the series features single figures captured in varying urban...

By washingtonpost.com | February 23, 2005; 05:29 PM ET | Email a Comment

To Ruscha, With Love

View Enlarged Photo and CaptionIt's true there's never a bad time to visit the National Gallery, but right now there's extra incentive with the launch of the museum's latest show "Cotton Puffs, Q-tips, Smoke and Mirrors: The Drawings of Ed...

By washingtonpost.com | February 14, 2005; 02:03 PM ET | Comments (2)

 

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