The collection on exhibit at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC showcases 21 images, including:

• Stieglitz’s series of ten photos of clouds over Lake George, New York, a collection which has not been shown in its entirety since a 1923. 
• Ansel Adams’ photos of the coastline and surf along San Mateo’s coast, south of San Francisco.
• Robert Adams’ images of the Columbia River emptying into the Pacific in Oregon. 

Oceans, Rivers, and Skies: Ansel Adams, Robert Adams, and Alfred Stieglitz
National Gallery of Art
4th and Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20565 (map it)

Dates and Times  – Daily, October 12, 2008 through March 15, 2009. Hours – Monday-Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Sundays 11:00 – 6:00.

Admission – FREE.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Archives – Yellow and Green lines, then a 2-block walk or use the DC Circulator.

Parking – Metered street and paid garage parking is available in the area.

Image – With permission from the National Gallery of Art, Ansel Adams, Surf Sequence 3, San Mateo County Coast, California, 1940, gelatin silver print, 1982, National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Virginia B. Adams. Courtesy of the National Gallery of Art.

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Post from: The DC Traveler

These free public concerts include both classical music by famous composers, such as Beethoven, Bach and Haydn, as well as holiday and live film scores.

One notable concert is on Sunday, November 9^th that includes the screening of the 1914 silent film, In the Land of the Head Hunters, together with a live orchestra to accompany the film.

The fictional documentary film entitled In the Land of the Head Hunters tells the story of the Kwakwaka’wakw people of British Columbia, Canada. Motana, the chief’s son, is in love with Naida, but she has been promised to the evil head-hunting Sorcerer. Motana and his father attempt to rid the region of the head-hunters, killing the Sorcerer, but his true love is eventually captured during an attack on their village, and Motana is left for dead. But he must try to rescue his love from the clutches of the Sorcerer brother.

The film captures the Kwakwaka’wakw art, dances, costumes, architecture and a banned custom — the re-distribution of wealth and property called potlatch, which was outlawed in Canada.  It was also the first full-length film staring only Native Americans and predates the famous, but also mostly staged, Nanook of the North.

Check the museum’s schedule for additional details, Here’s the list for the remained of the year.

• Oct. 12, 2008 – Pianist Gilles Vonsattel plays Bach, Liszt, Schubert and more
• Oct. 19 – Festival Strings Lucerne play Brahms, Mendelssohn, and Sarasate
• Oct. 26 – Vienna Piano Trio play Haydn, Schubert, and Smetana
• Nov. 2 – National Gallery Vocal Arts Ensemble featuring music by 17th century composers
• Nov. 9 – The Coast Orchestra plays live music to the silent film, In the Land of the Head Hunters
• Nov. 16 – Euclid String Quartet plays Ades, Beethoven, and Chernin
• Nov. 23 – The Singers’ Companye perform works bv American composers
• Nov. 30 – Verge Ensemble New play works by American composers
• Dec. 7 – Pianist Till Fellner plays Beethoven Sonata Cycle
• Dec. 14 – New York Opera Society plays a Norwegian Christmas Festival
• Dec. 21 – Alessandra Marc with National Gallery Strings present their Christmas concert
• Dec. 28 – National Gallery Orchestra welcome in 2009 with their New Years concert

National Gallery of Art
West Building Main Floor, West Garden Court
6th Street and Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, DC (map it)
202-842-6941

The museum closes at 6:00 on Sundays. Use the 6th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW entrance, which remains open until 6:30 p.m. There is no entry after 6:30 or late seating.

Dates and Time – Sundays through June 29, 2009, 6:30 p.m. Seating is opened at 6:00, until 6:30 or all seats are taken.

Tickets – Admission is FREE, but first-come, first-seated seating is limited.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Gallery Place – Chinatown, Red, Green and Yellow lines, then a 2-block walk or use the DC Circulator.

Parking – Metered street and paid garage parking is available in the area.

Images – Flickr – piano 

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Post from: The DC Traveler

Afghanistan’s cultural and historical treasures

The works belong to the National Museum of Afghanistan in Kabul. Their collection of over 100,000 items was once one of the finest in Central Asia, and housed antiquities from over 4,000 years of Afghan history, including the periods of Alexandria, Greek, Buddhist, and Muslim periods, among others. 

What made so much of the collection unique was that Afghanistan was located on the Silk Road, which stretched from China to the Mediterranean, and resulted in multi-cultural trading.

Under the Taliban’s control in 1996, the Taliban ransacked what was left in the museum after the Soviet occupation. Many items in the collection were sold on the black market and smuggled out of the country or simply destroyed. 

The Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul exhibit opening on Saturday at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC includes over 200 pieces that date from 2200 BC to 200 AD and highlights four archaeological sites across the country. The works includes over 100 gold pieces and ornaments, sculptures, bronzes, ivories and glassware, some local pieces, while others were bartered by traders that traveled the Silk Road.

This exhibit is a rare chance to see some amazing artifacts from the region.

In addition to the exhibit, a 28-minute documentary film Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul will feature footage of the 2004 recovery of some of the artifacts.

The National Gallery of Art will also offer a diverse selection of exhibit-related lectures, docent-led gallery talks, musical concerts, films and learning activities for the entire family.

After touring the exhibit, enjoy some Silk Road-inspired cuisine at the National Gallery of Art’s Garden Café. The café will feature both buffet and à la carte menus featuring signature dishes from local chefs, including Tim Elliott from Mie N Yu in Georgetown, Chef Lala from Bamian Afghan Cusin in suburban Falls and, Church among other.

I recently had the opportunity to sample many of the special Silk Road dishes that were created especially for the exhibit at an event at the Embassy of Afghanistan. And trust me, this is one time you should seriously consider dining at a museum café.

Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul
National Gallery of Art – East Building, Upper Level
4th and Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20565 (map it)

Dates and Times  – Daily, May 25 – Sept. 7, 2008  Hours – Monday – Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Sundays 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Tickets – Museum, exhibit, concerts, tours and movie admission is FREE.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Archives – Yellow and Green lines, then a 2 block walk.

Parking – Metered street parking is available in the area.

Images – all National Museum of Afghanistan, ©Thierry Ollivier / Musée Guimet. 1) Male or female head (Aï Khanum, Temple with niches, Courtyard), 2nd century BC, unfired clay, 3) Pair of bracelets in the form of antelopes (Tillya Tepe, Tomb II), 1st century BC-1st century AD, gold, turquoise, and carnelian, 4) Pair of pendants depicting the “Dragon Master” (Tillya Tepe, Tomb II), 1st century BC-1st century AD, gold, turquoise, garnet, lapis lazuli, carnelian, and pearl, 6) Goblet depicting figures harvesting dates (Begram, Room 10), 1st-2nd centuries AD, glass and paint, Jug in the form of a kinnari (Begram, Room 13), 1st-2nd centuries AD, ceramic 

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Post from: The DC Traveler

The current exhibit of 80 of John’s paintings, prints and drawings at the National Gallery of Art follow the recurring theme of “the target, the mechanical “device,” repetitive colors and their names, and imprints of the human body. 

One piece on display, False Start (shown above), was sold last year to a private collector for $80 million. His most famous piece, American Flag is not part of the exhibit.

Jasper Johns – An Allegory of Painting
National Gallery of Art
East Building, Upper Level and Mezzanine
4th and Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20565

Dates and Times – Daily, through April 29th, Mondays – Saturdays 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Sundays 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Tickets– Not required, as admission is free to the National Gallery of Art and to this exhibit.

Nearest Metro subway stations– Judiciary Square – Red line, Archives – Yellow and Green lines or Smithsonian – Blue and Orange lines then a short walk

Parking – Metered parking is available.

Photo credits: All copyright of New York Museum of Modern Art or National Gallery of Art
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Post from: The DC Traveler

If you get cold, the Pavilion Café serves hot chocolate, coffee and tea (even beer or wine), as well as sandwiches and salads, but closes a couple hours before the rink closes. 

National Gallery of Art   
Sculpture Garden
Constitution Avenue, NW at 7th Street NW
Washington, DC

Rink Hours 
- Monday – Thursday, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
- Friday & Saturday 10 a.m.- 11 p.m.
- Sunday 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. 
Through March 15th, weather permitting

Admission – $7 for a two-hour sessions –starts on the hour, $6.00 for seniors and kids

Skate Rental – Figure skates only are available to rent for $3.00 with ID and lockers for $.50 with $5.00 deposit.

Additional Information or rink conditions call 202-289-3360 then press 6.

Admission to the National Gallery is free.

Nearest Metro subway stations – Judiciary Square – Red line, Archives – Yellow and Green lines or Smithsonian – Blue and Orange lines then a short walk

Parking – Metered parking is available. 

Photo credits: flickr
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Post from: The DC Traveler