Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery Announces May Programs

ALL EVENT LISTINGS ARE FOR EASTERN TIME 

In-Person Programs, May

Sketch Break  
Select Thursdays, May 1 & 15, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.  
In the Galleries 

Join us for a sketching session in our galleries. Create, connect and sketch with fellow artists while drawing inspiration from the Portrait Gallery’s collection. Participants can expect guided instruction from an artist educator before heading into the galleries to sketch on their own. Open to all skill levels, ages 18 and up. All materials will be provided. Participants are welcome to bring their own sketchbooks. Free – Registration Encouraged.  

First Thursdays: Come Look with Us
Thursday, May 1, 5:30 – 6:15 p.m.
G Street Lobby

Need to wind down after work? Let the National Portrait Gallery's educators share their favorite artworks with you. Participants spend time slowing down, conversing and looking at a portrait in the galleries. Free – Registration Required.

Conversation Circles  
Select Fridays, May 2, 16 & 30, 10 a.m. – noon 
G Street Lobby 

Calling all English-language learners! Join National Portrait Gallery educators and friends from all over the world to learn about U.S. art, history and culture through portraiture. Meet new friends, learn about different cultures and practice your English. For more information, email Beth Evans at evansb@si.edu. Free – No Registration Required. 

Paint Ball
Friday, May 2, 7:30 – 9:30 p.m.
Kogod Courtyard

Do you like making art? Taking pictures with your friends? Winning prizes? Our Teen Museum Council planned Paint Ball so visitors aged 13 to 19 can have one last party before the school year ends. Please bring a school ID or some form of identification to verify you are eligible to participate. Free – Registration Required.

Spanish-Language Walk-In Tours
Sunday, May 4, 2 – 3 p.m. 
G Street Lobby

Join a volunteer docent on select Sundays for lively tours of the Portrait Gallery in Spanish. We hope to see you there! Free – No Registration Required.

Curator Tour: “Felix Gonzalez-Torres: Always to Return”
Wednesday, May 7, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
G Street Lobby

Join curators Charlotte Ickes and Josh Franco for a tour of “Felix Gonzalez-Torres: Always to Return.” This exhibition focuses on artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres’s deep engagement with portraiture and how history is told and inherited. Free – Registration Required.

Sketch Break After Dark
Thursday, May 8, 5 – 7 p.m.  
In the Galleries

Join us in the galleries for a drop-in sketching session with artist educator Laurain Park! Create, connect and sketch with fellow artists while drawing inspiration from the Portrait Gallery's collection. All materials will be provided. Open to artists of all levels, ages 18 and up. Free – Registration Required.

In-Gallery Portrait Signs  
Saturday, May 31, noon – 1 p.m. 
G Street Lobby   

Portrait Signs is a Deaf-led tour in American Sign Language. Tours explore portraiture, history and biography through the lens of our special exhibitions and permanent collection. Dates and topics are continually updated. Free – Registration Required.

No/Bodies: Tattoos and the Work of Felix Gonzalez-Torres
Saturday, May 31, 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
McEvoy Auditorium

Join us for a panel exploring the relationship audiences have with Felix Gonzalez-Torres’s work through tattooing. Co-curators Charlotte Ickes and Josh T. Franco will be in conversation with art historian Julia Bryan-Wilson and curator Meg Onli, both of whom have chosen to express their appreciation for Gonzalez-Torres and his work by getting tattoos. We look forward to a fantastic conversation about art, the body, memory and the unexpected. Free – Registration Required.

Portrait Gallery Kids  
All Mondays except May 26, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 
Education Center, E151  

Children and families are invited to learn, play and create at the National Portrait Gallery. Join educators every Monday to explore a new topic and different materials. Participants will look at art, enjoy hands-on activities, listen to music and participate in story time. Portrait Gallery Kids is a fun way to engage with art and each other. Our friends from DC Public Library will join us on the second Monday of each month for a special story time about the day’s theme! Free – No Registration Required. 

Portrait Gallery Art Studio
Select Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays, 1 – 4 p.m. 
Education Center, E151 

Calling all artists! Join the National Portrait Gallery for a free, drop-in art program. Every weekend, visitors of all ages are invited to explore a different artistic medium while drawing inspiration from the Portrait Gallery’s collection and exhibitions. On select weekends, learn from featured guest artists, who will lead specialized workshops and share their expertise in various artistic disciplines. To stay informed about upcoming guest artist workshops, please check the Portrait Gallery’s Eventbrite page. Free – No Registration Required. 

Virtual Programs, May

Drawn to Figures 
Select Thursdays, May 8 & 22, 11 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 National Portrait Gallery exhibition or a portrait from the collection. Open to all skill levels, ages 18 and up. Free – Registration Required. 

Conversation Circles  
Select Fridays, May 9 & 23, 10 – 11 a.m. 
Online 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. Meet new friends, learn about different cultures and practice your English. For more information, email Beth Evans at evansb@si.edu. Free – No Registration Required. 

Virtual Young Portrait Explorers  
Select Tuesdays, May 13 & 27, 11 – 11:30 a.m. 
Online via Zoom  

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