Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery Announces Winter Programs

ALL EVENT LISTINGS ARE FOR EASTERN TIME 

In-Person Programs, Dec. – Feb.

Day With(out) Art  

Sunday, Dec. 1, 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Kogod Courtyard, McEvoy Auditorium, and outdoors at G and 8th Streets N.W.

Day With(out) Art is an international day of action and awareness that was first organized in 1989 by a group of artists who were responding to the AIDS crisis. This year, the National Portrait Gallery will mark the day by removing four works of art from its walls and presenting a series of short films that were commissioned by Visual AIDS. Attendees can join curator-led tours of the multisite exhibition Felix Gonzalez-Torres: Always to Return or interact with gallery educators. In the Kogod Courtyard, the museum will present art activities, a table from Whitman Walker Health, an oral history listening station and the DC Public Library Book Bike. Additionally, Whitman Walker mobile clinics and the American University Humanities Truck will be parked outside the museum on G Street. Free – Registration Encouraged.  

 

Spanish-Language Walk-In Tours 

Select Sundays, Dec. 1, Jan. 5 & Feb. 2, 2 – 3 p.m.  
G Street Lobby 

Join a volunteer docent for a lively tour of the National Portrait Gallery (in Spanish). Free – No Registration Required. 

 

(Group Material) A Collective Voice: A Conversation on Art, Culture, and Democracy

Sunday, Dec. 1, 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
McEvoy Auditorium

Join a multigenerational discussion featuring the co-curators of the exhibition “Felix Gonzalez-Torres: Always to Return” (Josh T Franco and Charlotte Ickes), art historian Claire Grace, former member of Group Material Doug Ashford, and contemporary artist Chloe Bass. The panelists will explore the influence of Group Material’s temporal work while considering how their art practice, along with that of Felix Gonzalez-Torres, use art and community to shift perspectives around culture, representation and the power to re-position equity within democracy. Free – Registration Required.

 

Portrait Gallery Kids  

Select Mondays, Dec. 2, 9, & 16; Jan. 6, 13, & 27; Feb. 3, 10, & 24, 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. Free – No Registration Required. 

 

Conversation Circles  

Select Fridays, Dec. 13; Jan. 10 & 31; Feb. 14 & 28, 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. 

 

Sketch Break  

Select Thursdays, Dec. 12; Jan. 16 & 30; Feb. 6 & 20, 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.  

 

In-Gallery Portrait Signs  

Select Saturdays, Dec. 28, Jan. 11 & Feb. 15, 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.

 

Writing Workshop: Creating Community Change with Creative Writing

Sunday, Jan. 26, 10 a.m. – noon
G Street Lobby

Sharing our personal stories helps us build connections across cultures, promoting awareness so that we can better understand complex social issues and improve our communities. In celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s advocacy and service, visitors are invited to reflect on the potential of our voices, experiences and words to create positive change in our communities. We will draw inspiration from portraits of artists and activists and use guided writing prompts to develop stories that explore our lived experiences and dreams for the future. Open to writers of all levels and genres, ages 18 and up. Free – Registration Required.

 

A Day of Action

Sunday, Jan. 26, 1 – 4 p.m.
Kogod Courtyard

Activate and uplift! Get inspired and find your voice! Art is activism and portraiture is powerful. Honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his commitment to community action by joining the Portrait Gallery and our partners for A Day of Action.

Geared toward mobilizing teens and young adults, but open to all, this event featuring local social justice organizations and community groups will empower visitors. Learn from changemakers who are doing the work and be inspired by the activists highlighted in some of the Portrait Gallery’s exhibitions, “The Struggle for Justice,” “Brilliant Exiles: American Women in Paris, 1900–1939,” “Felix Gonzalez-Torres: Always to Return” and “This Morning, This Evening, So Soon: James Baldwin and the Voices of Queer Resistance.” Free – Registration Encouraged. 

 

In Conversation with Fred Gray and Michael Shane Neal

Sunday, Jan. 26, 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
McEvoy Auditorium

The museum recently acquired a portrait of Fred Gray, the nationally recognized Civil Rights attorney who famously defended Rosa Parks and was awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden in 2022. Join us for a conversation between Gray and artist Michael Shane Neal. Free – Registration Required. 

 

No/Bodies: Tattoos and the Work of Felix Gonzalez-Torres

Thursday, Jan. 30, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
McEvoy Auditorium

Join us for a panel exploring the relationship audiences have with Felix Gonzalez-Torres’s work through tattooing. Co-curators of the exhibition “Felix Gonzalez-Torres: Always to Return,” Charlotte Ickes and Josh T Franco, will be in conversation with four people who have chosen to express their appreciation for the artist and his work by getting tattoos: art historian Julia Bryan-Wilson, writer Alicia Inez Guzmán, curator Meg Onli, and Gonzalez-Torres’s nephew Mario Gonzalez. We look forward to a fantastic conversation about art, the body, memory and the unexpected.  Free – Registration Required.

 

A Montage of Dance

Sunday, Feb. 9, 3 – 4:30 p.m.
Kogod Courtyard

Inspired by the “Brilliant Exiles: American Women in Paris: 1900–1939” exhibition, A Montage of Dance will showcase performances that draw parallels between American women in Paris at the turn on the 20th century and modern women today. Four Washington-based choreographers, Madeline Maxine Roman, artistic director of Gridlock Dance; Jamison Carico and Shanice Mason, independent choreographers; and Diana Movius, artistic director and founder of Moveius Contemporary Ballet —the Portrait Gallery’s choreographer-in-residence—will underscore women’s contributions and the impact of these cultural arbiters. They will use the “Brilliant Exiles” exhibition to explore the impact of creativity, freedom and innovation as cultural signifiers with three performances. Free – Registration Required.

 

For Teens, By Teens: Pop-Up Event

Wednesday, Feb. 12, 5 – 6:30 p.m.
Kogod Courtyard

Calling all teens! Join the National Portrait Gallery’s Teen Museum Council for an event inspired by the museum’s current exhibitions. Free – Registration Required. 

 

Presidential Family Fun Day

Saturday, Feb. 15, 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Kogod Courtyard

Celebrate Presidents’ Day at the Portrait Gallery’s yearly festival for all ages! Whether you want to learn about U.S. presidents through guided tours of the museum’s “America’s Presidents” exhibition, story times, or art-making and writing activities, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Free – Registration Encouraged.

 

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 a featured guest artist, 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, Dec. – Feb. 

Virtual Writing Hour 

Select Tuesdays, Dec. 3 & 17; Jan. 7 & 21, 5 – 6 p.m.  
Online via Zoom

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

 

Virtual Young Portrait Explorers  

Select Wednesdays, Dec. 4; Jan. 8 & 22; Feb. 12 & 19, 11 – 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 looking at portraiture, movement activities and artmaking. Recommended for children ages three and up and their adult companions. 

Dec. 4: Duke Kahanamoku
Jan. 8: Coretta Scott King
Jan. 22: Martin Luther King Jr.
Feb. 12: Abraham Lincoln
Feb. 19: Leah Chase

Free – Registration Required. 

 

Drawn to Figures 

Select Thursdays, Dec. 5 & 19; Jan. 9 & 23; Feb. 13 & 27, 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. 

 

Virtual Portrait Signs  

Select Thursdays, Dec. 19 & Jan. 23, 5 – 6 p.m.  
Online via Zoom   

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. 

 

Conversation Circles  

Select Fridays, Dec. 6 & 20; Jan. 3 & 17; 24 & 31; Feb. 7 & 21, 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.