AT THE SMITHSONIAN

Events June 7-9: A Chinese Action Film, Craft Day and Central American Pottery

This weekend, solve a 1920s Shanghai mystery, learn to make crafts from the experts and discover Central America’s past through its ceramics

Paul Bisceglio

June 6, 2013

Learn about Central American ceramics on Sunday in a pottery festival at the American Indian Museum. Photo courtesy of the American Indian Museum

Friday, June 7: The Bullet Vanishes

If you want to spend your Friday evening on the edge of your seat, check out The Bullet Vanishes, a 2012 gun-slinging mystery / action film set in 1920s Shanghai. There are ghosts, detectives and a lot of cool explosions—do you need any other reasons to see it? Mandarin with Chinese and English subtitles. Free. 7 pm. Freer Gallery.

Saturday, June 8: Craft Camp! Family Day

Get your craft on today at the Renwick Gallery, where local artists and craft experts are coming together today to give the best craft lessons in town! Scrap DC is in the house to show how everyday junk can by “upcycled” into new art, Kathleen Manning from Beadazzled is demonstrating the art of jewelry making and Sushmita Mazumdar is showing off her handmade books. If you aren’t feeling particularly inspired, hop on a scavenger hunt for spectacular crafts around the museum’s collection to get the creative juices flowing. Free. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Renwick Gallery.

Sunday, June 9: Ceramica de los Ancestros: A Central American Pottery Festival

Over the last millennium, entire civilizations rose and fell in Central America and left behind little more than ceramics. But these ceramics have been incredible windows into these lost cultures, providing researchers with vital information about the civilizations’ beliefs, rituals and lifestyles. Today, the American Indian Museum celebrates the long history of Central American pottery. Explore a new exhibition dedicated to the Central American craft, see the work of a contemporary Guatemalan ceramicist, learn how pottery flutes are made and make your own clay medallion based on the designs in the museum’s collection. Free. 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. American Indian Museum.

Also, check out our Visitors Guide App. Get the most out of your trip to Washington, D.C. and the National Mall with this selection of custom-built tours, based on your available time and passions. From the editors of Smithsonian magazine, the app is packed with handy navigational tools, maps, museum floor plans and museum information including ‘Greatest Hits’ for each Smithsonian museum.

For a complete listing of Smithsonian events and exhibitions visit the goSmithsonian Visitors Guide. Additional reporting by Michelle Strange.