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Fine Arts

Smithsonian’s annual Garden Fest will be held in the Enid A. Haupt Garden on Tuesday. Come learn about composting and worm farming!

Events May 10-12: Plant Potting, Super Science Saturday and a Musical Tribute to Mother’s Day

This weekend, celebrate the earth by playing in a garden, unlock the mysteries of astronomy and take mom to hear some great classical music

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U.S. Gives Mongolia Its Tyrannosauras Skeleton Back

The U.S. government is returning a Tyrannosaurus skeleton to Mongolia and the Metropolitan Museum of Art is giving two statues back to Cambodia

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Want to See How an Artist Creates a Painting? There’s an App for That

The Repentir app reveals an artist’s creative process by allowing users to peel back layers of paint with the touch of their fingertips

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Events May 3-5: American Civil Rights, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and Interactive Robot Games

This weekend, tour America’s shift towards equality, meet local Asian Pacific American writers and celebrate Children’s Day

Spotlight

The latest Smithsonian exhibitions showcase Civil War photography, Buddhist figures and Time magazine cover portraits

The Hirshhorn’s Bubble, which would be erected for two months each fall, would require about 60,000 square feet of membrane material.

The Real Deal With the Hirshhorn Bubble

The Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum looks to expand in a bold new way

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Egypt’s Murals Are More Than Just Art, They Are a Form of Revolution

Cairo’s artists have turned their city’s walls into a vast social network

Kota Ezawa recreates famous moments in history and pop culture with basic animation software. He is visiting the Hirshhorn on Thursday to talk about his art.

Events April 30-May 2: Origins of the Renaissance, Native Crafts and History Reanimated

This week, hear how a Roman emperor may have started the Renaissance, make your own Native art and meet digital animation artist Kota Ezawa

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The Eyes Have It

In the wake of the Boston bombing, Amy Henderson explores parallels between the era of Edison and the mediascape of today that helped solve the crime

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VIDEO: Earth Art on the Mall

Four artists left their mark for the Smithsonian’s first ever land art installation as part of a new exhibit about African artists and the earth

The Cyrus Cylinder is sometimes called the oldest declaration of human rights. See it on display and hear its story on Tuesday at the Sackler Gallery.

Events April 23-25: Cyrus Cylinder, Collage Art and a Craft Show

This week, hear about one of history’s most important artifacts, see how assemblage changed the definition of art and peruse crafts by 121 artists

Nick Cave’s exuberant sculpture, “Soundsuit,” from 2009 marks a recent application of assemblage.

Collage Turns 100 and Continues to Inspire

From Georges Braque to a suit of easter baskets, mixed media remains a potent form of visual expression

A Native doll by Juanita and Jess Rae Growing Thunder. Three women from three different generations of the Growing Thunder family are at the American Indian Museum on Friday to discuss their work and people.

Events April 19-22: Native American Dolls, Finding Your Way, A Troubled Korean Family and Earth Day

This weekend, meet Native doll makers, learn how clocks help us navigate, watch a mother and son reconnect and reduce your carbon footprint

An artist’s rendering of Fog Bridge at the Exploratorium in San Francisco.

An Artist Creates Artificial Fog in San Francisco

Fujiko Nakaya works with an unusual medium. The Japanese artist is sculpting fog clouds at the Exploratorium’s new site at Pier 15

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Sequestration to Cause Closures, Secretary Clough Testifies

Gallery closings, fewer exhibitions and reduced educational offerings are some of the impacts he listed before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

The Earliest Stop Motion Animations Are Weirdly Wonderful

These animations remind us that you don’t need Pixar’s budget to make something wonderful

Learn how to knit! Classes run by Smithsonian Associates start on Tuesday.

Events April 16-18: Art Classes, 19th Century Laundry and the Peacock Room

This week, learn how to knit or make pottery, appreciate how much of a luxury your washing machine is and experience the prettiest room on the Mall

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When The Gap Was Everywhere

Through staged fashion shoots, an artists’ collective critiqued the ascendant sportswear retailer

Nam June Paik’s “Video Flag” (1985-96). Celebrate the avant-garde artist’s life and work on Sunday with a symposium and performance organized by some of his most prominent contemporaries.

Events April 12-14: Experimental Films, Airplanes, Nam June Paik and Cherry Blossoms!

This weekend, watch shorts from a South Korean film festival, learn about flight, celebrate the work of an avant-garde great and enjoy the cherry blossoms

How to Turn a Paper Image of a Record Into a Beautiful Music

You can’t make sounds from books, except when you can

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