Around the Mall

PHOTOS: Wynton Marsalis, Honoring Duke Ellington

The artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center celebrates the jazz legend who won affection at home and abroad

February 7, 2013

Events Feb 8-10: Foreign Film, Valentine’s Workshop and Russian Chamber Music

This weekend, catch Iranian star Leila’s Hatami’s latest, craft a little love and hear from the National Chamber Ensemble

February 7, 2013

Making Progress: Future Home of the African American History Museum

A New Welcome Center Offers A Sneak Peek at the New Museum

February 6, 2013

The Director of the Indian Museum Says It’s Time to Retire the Indian Motif in Sports

Are teams like the Indians, the Braves and the Redskins reflecting racial stereotypes?

February 6, 2013

The Two-Bedroom Apartment in Jersey That Had Its Own Chinese Art Collection

Some 5,000 items filled Paul Singer’s apartment, now 63 go on display

February 5, 2013

Bangs, Bobs and Bouffants: The Roots of the First Lady’s Tresses

Michelle Obama’s modern look has a long history

February 5, 2013

Welcome to Blackdom: The Ghost Town That Was New Mexico’s First Black Settlement

A homesteading settlement founded out of reach of Jim Crow is now a ghost town, but postal records live on to tell its story

February 4, 2013

Events February 5-7: Tachyons, Middle Eastern Landscape and Ai Weiwei

Hear about the one thing in the world that may be faster than light, consider Western media’s depictions of the Middle East and discuss Ai Weiwei’s art

February 4, 2013

The Uncertain Promise of Freedom’s Light: Black Soldiers in The Civil War

Sometimes treated as curiosities at the time, black men and women fighting for the Union and organizing for change altered the course of history

February 1, 2013

The Making of a Millennial Jazz Musician: Elijah Jamal Balbed

After being put in “baby jazz” in high school, Balbed has made a name for himself in the Washington, D.C. scene

January 31, 2013

Events February 1-3: Maya Angelou, Black History Month Festivities and a Teen Poetry Slam

Meet world-renowned Civil Rights poet Maya Angelou, celebrate Black History Month and watch Washington D.C.’s most articulate teens battle in rhyme

January 31, 2013

Trash and the Future of Traveling Museum Exhibits

A traveling exhibit ditches the trucks and goes digital to teach environmentally-friendly ways of living

January 30, 2013

Oscar Peñas: A Music Man on a Mission

A Spanish jazz musician finds his home with international collaborations

January 29, 2013

PHOTOS: A Tale of Two (Super Bowl) Cities

Take a tour of San Francisco and Baltimore with historical photographs from the collections

January 29, 2013

Time Capsule: A Peek Back to the Day When Elvis Made It Big

On this day in 1956, Elvis appeared on the CBS program, The Stage Show, to skeptical critics and enthused audiences

January 28, 2013

Events January 29-31: Ancient Chinese Artifacts, Opera Masters and Rock-and-Roll Trivia

This week, see chinese artifacts once collected in a New Jersey apartment, learn about two of opera’s greatest composers and show off your rock knowledge

January 28, 2013

Museums Delay Opening Due to Weather

Smithsonian museums in the Washington, D.C. area as well as the National Zoo will open at noon Monday, due to inclement weather

January 28, 2013

PHOTOS: Orchids of Latin America

Known for being particularly eye-catching, the orchids of Latin America are part of religious, cultural and even culinary life in the region

January 25, 2013

Very Seinfeld: A Museum Exhibit about Visiting Museum Exhibits

“A Day at the Museum” examines documents that tell the stories of artists’ trips to museums over the past two centuries

January 25, 2013

Q+A: How To Save the Arts in Times of War

From Iraq to Libya, Corine Wegener works to preserve priceless objects of human history

January 24, 2013