Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery Announces Fall In-Person and Virtual Programs and Workshops

ALL EVENT LISTINGS ARE FOR EASTERN TIME

In-Person Programs, Sept. – Nov.

Conversation Circles 

Select Fridays, Sept. 1 & 15; Oct. 17 & 27; Nov. 17 | 10 – 11 a.m. | G Street lobby

Calling all English language learners! Join National Portrait Gallery educators and friends from all over the world. Together, we’ll use portraiture to learn about U.S. art, history and culture. This program takes place every other week. It alternates between in-person gatherings (meet in the G Street Lobby) and online conversations on Zoom. Meet new friends, learn about different cultures and practice your English. For more information, email Beth Evans at evansb@si.edu. Free—Registration Not Required.

Weekend Workshops

Select Fridays, Sept. 8, Oct. 13 & Nov. 10
Saturdays, Sept. 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30; Oct. 7, 14, 21 & 28; Nov. 4, 11, 18 & 25
Sundays, Sept. 3, 10, 17 & 24; Oct. 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29; Nov. 5, 12, 19 & 26

12:00 – 3:00 p.m. | Education Center, E151

Calling all artists! Get creative during our drop-in workshops for all ages. Learn about artists and change-makers and create art inspired by their stories.

Portrait Gallery Kids

Mondays, Sept. 11, 18 & 25; Oct. 2, 16, 23 & 30; Nov. 6, 13, 20 & 27
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Education Center, E151

Children and families are invited to learn, play and create at the Portrait Gallery! Join educators every Monday as we explore topics like colors, emotions, STEM and history. Through close looking at art, hands-on activities, music and movement, Portrait Gallery Kids is a fun way to engage with art and each other. Free—No Registration Required.

Storytime in Explore! Family Space

Mondays, Sept. 11 & 18; Oct. 2, 16, 23 & 30; Nov. 6 & 13
1:30 – 2:00 p.m. | Education Center, E151

Story time in our Explore! space immerses you in tales of artists, presidents, inventors, athletes and more! Before or after story time, enjoy our family space where you can play and learn about portraiture. Free—No Registration Required.

In Conversation with Kenturah Davis

Sunday, Sept. 17, 2 – 3:00 p.m. | McEvoy Auditorium

In partnership with Arion Press, the historic San Francisco letterpress printer, the National Portrait Gallery is proud to present a public conversation with visionary artist Kenturah Davis. In 2023, Arion conceived and produced a new limited edition of Zora Neale Hurston’s 1937 classic, “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” as an artist book featuring works by Davis. 

Join us for a talk led by Rhea Combs, director of curatorial affairs, about Davis’s signature style of “text drawings.” Two recent projects exemplify the ways she fuses the acts of writing and drawing: her portraits of Janie Crawford for Arion’s edition of “Their Eyes Were Watching God” and her acclaimed portrait of Ava DuVernay, now on view in the museum’s “Portrait of a Nation” exhibition. Discover how Davis marks cultural histories by inscribing text and language onto her intricately layered portraits, all while investigating Black identity. Free—Registration Required.

“Kinship”: An Artist Talk with Thomas Holton

Sunday, Sept. 17, 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. |  Meet at G Street Lobby

Join us for an artist talk with Thomas Holton, a photographer featured in “Kinship.” His portraits of the Lams, a Chinese family living in New York City, explore themes of identity and belonging. The artist will discuss the origins of this series and how it connects to his half-Chinese and half-American heritage. Free—Registration Required.

Writing Workshop Inspired by Hispanic Heritage Month

Wednesday, Sept. 20, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. | G Street Lobby

In this creative writing workshop, we will gain inspiration from portraits of Cecilia Vicuñya and other contemporary Hispanic artists and activists in the National Portrait Gallery’s collection. We will explore themes of culture, identity and social justice through guided writing prompts and discussion. Open to writers of all levels and genres, ages 18 and up. Free—Registration Required.

Fotos y Recuerdos Festival 

Saturday, Sept. 23, 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. | Kogod Courtyard 

Join the Hispanic Heritage Month fiesta at the National Portrait Gallery! Back by popular demand, our friends from Lil’ Libros are helping us throw another all-ages celebration. Learn about Latinx trailblazers through vibrant portraits from our collection and the Lil’ Libros book series “The Life of / La vida de”. Attendees can enjoy art, dancing, museum tours, story times and book signings and more. The Washington Ballet will also be attending to lead a story time and salsa and bomba workshop. NPR is the media partner. Free—No Registration Required.

Portrait Signs 

Select Saturdays, Sept. 23, Oct. 28 & Nov. 18
Noon – 1:00 p.m. | G Street Lobby  

Explore the National Portrait Gallery's collection with a Deaf docent. These 60-minute tours in American Sign Language are offered monthly. Free – For more information or upcoming dates, email Jonesve@si.edu, or check Eventbrite. 

1898 Film Series

Sundays, Sept. 24 & Oct. 1
2:00 – 4:00 p.m. McEvoy Auditorium

Join the National Portrait Gallery for a free two-day film program exploring the impact of U.S. expansion during the 20th century. These films are presented in conjunction with the exhibition “1898: U.S. Imperial Visions and Revisions.”

On Sunday, Sept. 24, the National Portrait Gallery will screen “War for Guam,” produced and directed by Frances Negrón-Muntaner. This 57-minute film explores World War II and its enduring legacy in Guam, a U.S. territory since 1898. Rare archival footage and testimony from survivors and their descendants sheds light on the Native people of Guam, the CHamoru, and the militarization of their island. Following the screening, National Portrait Gallery curator Taína Caragol will moderate a public dialogue between filmmaker Frances Negrón-Muntaner; Lauren Swaddell, senior associate with expertise in Pacific conservation and Indigenous engagement at the Pew Charitable Trust; and Neil Weare, civil rights attorney and co-founder of Right to Democracy. 

On Sunday, Oct. 1, the Portrait Gallery will screen two films. “The Spanish American War,” produced by Blackhawk Films, is a 22-minute compilation of brief newsreels of the War of 1898 between the United States and Spain. It offers a rare testament of the parallel—yet coincidental development of U.S. overseas expansion and early films. “Foreign in a Domestic Sense,” directed by Natalia Lassalle Morillo and Sofía Gallisá Muriente, layers narratives of Puerto Ricans who have migrated to Central Florida as a result of political and environmental disasters. Their stories bring to light more contemporary issues around displacement and community. A panel discussion with directors Natalia Lassalle Morillo; Sofía Gallisá Muriente; and filmmaker and professor, Judith Escalona; moderated by Taína Caragol, curator of painting and sculpture and Latino art and history, will explore the film’s relevance to the past and present.

Both Screenings are free—Registration Required.

Curator Tour of “Kinship” with Robyn Asleson

Sunday, Sept. 24, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. |  G Street Lobby

What does the word “kinship” mean to you? Join Robyn Asleson, curator of prints and drawings, for a tour of the exhibition “Kinship,” and discover how each artist interprets this term. Free—Registration Required.

Trivia Night: Con Mucho Mucho Amor

Tuesday, Sept. 26, 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. | Kogod Courtyard

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at the National Portrait Gallery with our happy hour trivia night. Together our friends from New Columbia Pub Quiz, we will test your knowledge of Latinx art, history and culture in the United States – all with questions inspired by the museum’s collection.
Participate individually or in teams of up to six people for a chance to win a prize at this free, fun event. Snacks and beverages will be available for purchase at the museum’s Courtyard Café.  If you’re in it to win it, you can also save the date for future trivia nights this fall on Oct. 24 and Nov. 28. Free—Registration Encouraged.

“Kinship”: An Artist Talk with Ruth Buentello

Saturday, Oct. 7, Noon – 1:00 p.m. | “Kinship” Gallery (first floor south galleries on the F Street side of the museum)

oin us for an artist talk with Ruth Buentello, a painter featured in the museum’s “Kinship” exhibition. Buentello shares family memories and emotions while using art to process and appreciate her closest relationships. Her unique artistic process incorporates composite images and found Telas (fabrics), adding a tangible connection to loved ones of generations past and present. This artist talk will take place in the artist’s Kinship gallery. Free—Registration Encouraged.

Interactive Family Workshop: Memory Collage with Artist Ruth Buentello

Saturday, Oct. 7, 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. | Education Center, E151

Get creative in this free drop-in workshop for visitors of all ages led by Ruth Buentello, a featured artist in the museum’s “Kinship” exhibition. Drawing inspiration from Buentello’s colorful, layered portraits, participants will learn how to create their own family memory collage with photos, paint and fabric. Free—Registration Encouraged.

Writing Workshop Inspired by “1898: U.S. Imperial Visions and Revisions”

Friday, Oct. 13, 10:00 a.m. – noon | G Street Lobby

In this creative writing workshop inspired by “1898: U.S. Imperial Visions and Revisions,” we will focus on the Congressional Joint Resolution to annex Hawai‘i (July 1898) and the subsequent impact on the people, culture and land of Hawai’i. We will use guided writing prompts inspired by works of art and historical documents in the exhibition to explore themes of empire, power and independence. Open to writers of all levels and genres, ages 18 and up. Free—Registration Required.

Curator Tour of “Kinship” by Charlotte Ickes

Sunday, Oct. 15, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. | G Street Lobby 

Join Time-Based Media Arts Curator Charlotte Ickes as she leads a tour of the National Portrait Gallery’s “Kinship” exhibition. Learn about each artist's motivation and inspiration for the works that created in this exhibition. Free—Registration Required.

Trivia Night: Spooky Season

Tuesday, Oct. 24, 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. | Kogod Courtyard

Are you afraid of the dark? Join us at the National Portrait Gallery for a spooky happy hour trivia night. With our friends from New Columbia Pub Quiz, we will test your knowledge of urban legends, superstitions, and things that go bump in the night – all with questions inspired by the museum’s collection.

Participate individually or in teams of up to six people for a chance to win a prize at this fun, free event. Snacks and beverages will be available for purchase at the museum’s Courtyard Café.  If you’re in it to win it, you can also save the date for the next trivia night on Nov. 28. Free—Registration Encouraged.

El Día de los Muertos Festival

Thursday, Nov. 2, 5:00 – 8:30 p.m. | Kogod Courtyard and G & 9th Street facade

Join us for our annual celebration of el Día de los Muertos – one of the National Portrait Gallery’s biggest events of the year! Visitors will enjoy live music, dance performances by a local folk dance company, workshops and a variety of activities for all ages. Artists MasPaz and Guache will project their live video artwork, “La Común Unidad: Caminando con los Ancestros,” highlighting the artists’ ancestral cultural heritage. Create calaveras and papel picado to decorate the community altar, get your face painted to look like la Catrina – and more! NPR is the media partner. Free—No Registration Required.

“Kinship”: An Artist Talk with Anna Tsouhlarakis

Saturday, Nov. 4, 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. | Education Center, E151

Join us for an artist talk with Anna Tsouhlarakis where she will discuss her work in the “Kinship" exhibition and her performance "Portrait of an Indigenous Womxn [Removed]" on Nov. 4 from 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. Her work with sculpture, installation, video, and performance redefines the expectations of Native American art. The artist will discuss the message and impact of her works. Free—Registration Required.  

“Portrait of an Indigenous Womxn [Removed]” by Anna Tsouhlarakis

Sunday, Nov. 5, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. | Kogod Courtyard

Join the National Portrait Gallery for the second of two live performances of “Portrait of an Indigenous Womxn [Removed]” by artist Anna Tsouhlarakis. Drawing awareness to the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Movement, Tsouhlarakis will create a sculpture onsite that features existing posters of missing or murdered Indigenous women. Accompanied by a singer with a hand drum, Tsouhlarakis will carry the sculpture through the museum, intentionally passing portraits and galleries that reflect the history and representation of Native Americans – or lack thereof. Tsouhlarakis will then position the sculpture in dialogue with a specific portrait. A gallery educator will remain nearby until 6 p.m. to answer visitor questions. The Nov. 5 performance will pay tribute to Ella Mae Begay and Sumi Juan. Free—Registration Encouraged.

Art and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women’s Crisis

Monday, Nov. 6, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. | McEvoy Auditorium

Kinsale Drake, an emerging poet, editor and playwright, will give a public talk on her work with the changing wxman collective and NDN Girls Book Club. She has performed twice at Carnegie Hall and was the recipient of the Joy Harjo Poetry Award and the Aspen Institute’s Emerging Writer Fellowship. Supported by the American Women’s History Initiative. Free—Registration Required.

Monday, Nov. 6, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.

This keynote panel on the theme of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls will feature activists and scholars Mary Kathryn Nagle, Grace Bulltail, Kathleen Ash-Milby and Ashley Minner. The hour-long public panel will be moderated by performance artist Anna Tsouhlarakis, followed by an audience Q&A. Supported by the American Women’s History Initiative. Free—Registration Required.

Guest Speaker: “Rebecca Gratz: Family, Friends, Faith, and Community”

Tuesday, November 9, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. | Meet in G Street Lobby

Join us for a special talk on the portrait of 19th-century Jewish philanthropist Rebecca Gratz by artist Thomas Sully. Guest Speaker Judith Guston, curator and senior director of collections at the Rosenbach Museum & Library in Philadelphia, will shed light on this important woman and her portrait, which is currently on loan to the National Portrait Gallery. Free—Registration Encouraged.

“Forces of Nature: The Future of Environmentalism” Panel

Tuesday, Nov. 14, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. |McEvoy Auditorium

In conjunction with the exhibition “Forces of Nature: Voices That Shaped Environmentalism,” join the Portrait Gallery and co-host Monterey Bay Aquarium in a pivotal discussion around the future of climate action and environmental justice. Hear from Wanjiku "Wawa" Gatheru, environmental justice warrior, Rhodes Scholar at University of Oxford and founder of Black Girl Environmentalist; Dolores Huerta, labor and environmental activist; Julie Packard, executive director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium and ocean conservationist; and Dorceta Taylor, a professor at Yale University, author, and a leading environmentalist who continue to shape the country’s sustainability and environmental efforts. The free event will be held Nov. 14 in the museum’s McEvoy Auditorium from 6-7 p.m. NPR is the media partner. Free—Registration Required.

Writing Workshop Inspired by “Forces of Nature: Voices that Shaped Environmentalism”

Wednesday, Nov. 15, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. | G Street Lobby

Join the National Portrait Gallery for an interactive poetry writing workshop exploring the themes of environmentalism and environmental justice. Attendees will create poetry inspired by portraits of scientists, activists and artists whose work has influenced attitudes toward the environment in the United States. Experiment with poetic forms to express an environmental message. Open to writers of all levels, ages 18 and up. Free—Registration Required.

Trivia Night: Family Ties

Tuesday, Nov. 28, 5:00 – 6:45 p.m. | Kogod Courtyard

Get ready for family time this holiday season! Join the National Portrait Gallery and our friends from New Columbia Pub Quiz for a happy hour trivia night highlighting the stories of iconic families and communities featured in the museum’s collection. Participate individually or in teams of up to six people for a chance to win a prize at this free, fun event. Snacks and beverages will be available for purchase at the museum’s Courtyard Café.  If you’re in it to win it, keep an eye out for more dates this winter by signing up for our newsletter! Free—Registration Encouraged.

 

Virtual Programs, Sept. – Nov.

Conversation Circles 

Select Fridays, Sept. 8 & 29; Oct. 13 & 20; Nov. 3
10:00 – 11:00 a.m. | Virtual Via Zoom

Calling all English language learners! Join National Portrait Gallery educators and friends from all over the world. Together, we’ll use portraiture to learn about U.S. art, history and culture. This program takes place every other week. It alternates between in-person gatherings and online conversations on Zoom. Meet new friends, learn about different cultures and practice your English. For more information, email Beth Evans at evansb@si.edu.  Free—Registration Not Required.

Drawn to Figures

Select Thursdays, Sept. 7 & 28, Oct. 5 & 26, Nov. 2 & 16
11:00 a.m. – noon |  Online via Zoom

Discover your inner artist in this live virtual drawing workshop. Facilitated by artist Jill Galloway, each program will highlight a Portrait Gallery exhibition or portrait from the collection. Open to all skill levels, ages 18 and up. Free—Registration Required.

Virtual Young Portrait Explorers 

Select Wednesdays, Sept. 13 & 27, Oct. 11 & 25, Nov. 8 
11:00 – 11:30 a.m. | Online via Zoom 

Join educators with the National Portrait Gallery as we learn about art, history and more! This 30-minute virtual workshop incorporates close looking at portraiture, movement activities and artmaking. Recommended for children ages three and up and their adult companions. Free—Registration Required.

Virtual Portrait Signs 

Thursday, Sept. 14, Oct. 19 & Nov. 2
5:00 – 6:00 p.m. | Online via Zoom  

Explore the National Portrait Gallery's collection with a Deaf docent. These 60-minute tours in American Sign Language are offered monthly, both in person and on Zoom. Free—For more information or upcoming dates, email Jonesve@si.edu, or check Eventbrite. 

Virtual Writing Hour

Select Tuesdays, Sept. 19 & 26, Oct. 10 & 24, Nov. 14 & 28
5:00 – 6:00 p.m. | Online Via Zoom

Join us for a virtual, creative writing hour at the National Portrait Gallery! We’ve set up a virtual space where writers can create, connect, and draw inspiration from the Portrait Gallery’s collection. Bring your own happy hour beverage of choice and write with us. We will provide writing prompts, and you are also welcome to bring your own writing project-in-progress. Attendees will write for about 30 minutes and end each session with a brief discussion or reading. Free—Registration Required.

Portraiture in a Pandemic: From AIDS to COVID-19

Tuesday, Oct. 10, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. |  Online via Zoom

This program will explore portraiture during two recent pandemics — the AIDS crisis in the 1980s and 90s, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Moderated by Portrait Gallery Director of History and Research Michael Hussey, this conversation will feature a leading a scholar. This program is hosted by PORTAL, the museum’s scholarly Center, and is part of the Tommie L. Pegues and Donald A. Capoccia Conversation Series in LGBTQ+ Portraiture. Free—Registration Required.