The Culture Communiqué — from Cultural Tourism

Meet James Bond’s villains, uncover their evil schemes, and...

dcculture — Wed, 22 May 2013 17:26:20 -0400

Meet James Bond’s villains, uncover their evil schemes, and explore their exotic lairs and weapons in this special exhibit commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Bond films. See over 100 film artifacts from the archives of EON Productions, the 007 series film producers, in Exquisitely Evil: 50 Years of Bond Villains on display now at the International Spy Museum through December 31.

(In the meantime from our audio player located to at the upper left corner of this post, listen to Michael Sulick, former director of the CIA’s National Clandestine Service, discussing his book Spying in America — which presents a history of more than thirty espionage cases inside the United States. This event took place at the International Spy Museum on January 15, 2013.)

On Sunday at 4 pm, the Smithsonian Anacostia Community...

dcculture — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:53:20 -0400

On Sunday at 4 pm, the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum welcomes native Washingtonian and author Breena Clarke, who will read from her novels River Cross My Heart and Stand the Storm.

River Cross My Heart is set in DC and was selected as one of Oprah’s books in her club.

The event is part of DC by the Book.

The Fortress — presented on Tuesday by the Karabakh...

dcculture — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:28:23 -0400

The Fortress — presented on Tuesday by the Karabakh Foundation at West End Cinema — tells the story of a film crew that arrives in a remote border village in the mountains of Azerbaijan to shoot a historical account of war, heroism, and love when a real war erupts. This moving tale of life imitating art was selected to represent Azerbaijan in the Foreign Language Film category at the 81st Academy Awards. The film is in the Azerbaijani language with English subtitles.

The Embassy of South Africa invites you to “The Ubuntu Art Exhibition”

dcculture — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:55:37 -0400

The Embassy of South Africa celebrates the life and legacy of a man who inspired his country, Nelson Mandela. A leader of his people, Mandela was the first black president of South Africa. Mandela helped bring an end to apartheid and devoted his time to bring peace and social justice in South Africa and around the world. To honor his legacy, The Embassy of South Africa plans to unveil a statue of Mandela in September 2013.

The Ubuntu Art Exhibit brings together works from South Africa’s most emerging and established artists to create pieces that reflect the spirit of their country. Selected pieces from the exhibit are on display at the Ronald Reagan Building through June 12, 2013. You can even get the chance to own one of the magnificent pieces by bidding online here. All auction proceeds will benefit the Mandela statue.

You can also join The Embassy of South Africa for a live auction and reception on June 13, 2013. For more information email: henriquezj@dirco.gov.za.

At a time when incendiary rhetoric and personal attacks...

dcculture — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:39:16 -0400

At a time when incendiary rhetoric and personal attacks characterize culture war debates, Chris Stedman — author of Faitheist: How an Atheist Found Common Ground with the Religious — works to build bridges across some of our deepest differences. How does a self-described “queer atheist” find common ground between faith communities and the nonreligious, between gay and straight? Find out on Thursday at 7 pm inside the Newseum when Charles Haynes, director of the Religious Freedom Education Project, interviews Stedman about his efforts to promote understanding, religious liberty, compassion and pluralism in our crowded and often hostile public square.

Listen to this clip of Stedman speaking to Minnesota Public Radio in advance of tomorrow’s talk.

On May 4, 2013, the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia welcomed...

dcculture — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:56:55 -0400

On May 4, 2013, the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia welcomed guests as part of our annual Passport DC Around the World Embassy Tour. This is the fifth year that the Saudi Embassy has participated in our event and opened its doors to the public.

This year, visitors were thrilled with their experience at the Saudi Embassy. Taking pictures in traditional Saudi clothing, getting a FREE henna tattoo, seeing a traditional dance by Saudi children, and eating delicious Saudi cuisine for lunch, visitors had the chance to explore Saudi culture like never before.

Check out what took place at the Saudi Embassy and make sure you visit the embassy next year!

Memorial Day City Hop

dcculture — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:41:00 -0400

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Did you know that Memorial Day is traditionally seen as the start of the summer season? Get out and enjoy the summer breeze with a city hop around DC in celebration of Memorial Day. Honor all the men and women who have served in our military for the United Sates with these exciting Memorial Day weekend activities and events.

Start your celebration this Friday and join the Memorial Day Downtown Shabbat with Chazzan Larry Paul and Musician Robyn Helzner. Enjoy a Carlebach-inspired service, dinner and Shabbat singing at the Historic 6th and I Synagogue (600 I Street NW). Come honor the Jewish fallen heroes of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Over the weekend, honor our veterans and well-known Americans by taking a guided tour of the National Mall with Bike and Roll. See the Washington Monument, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, World War II Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, the new Martin Luther King Jr Memorial, and more. Stop and take a walk to explore the memorials in depth. Reserve your tour here.

On Memorial Day, head down to the Soldiers’ Home National Cemetery (21 Harewood Road NW) and participate in a FREE wreath laying ceremony to remember our fallen soldiers. Stick around to take a FREE tour of the cemetery and President Lincoln’s Cottage. Be sure to bring a picnic lunch so you can enjoy the beautiful grounds and cool breezes on this historic hilltop after your tour.

Although seldom discussed, gays and lesbians have always been a...

dcculture — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:09:12 -0400

Although seldom discussed, gays and lesbians have always been a presence in Latin music: on stage, behind the scenes, and in song. Join Jim Byers (host of WPFW 89.3 FM’s Latin Flavor) for a discussion ranging from such pioneers as Johnny Rodriguez and Chavela Vargas to Ricky Martin and Albita.

The talk takes place on Saturday from 2 to 4 pm at the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum.

After a six-year absence, Brooke Wyeth returns to her Reaganite...

dcculture — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:45:29 -0400

After a six-year absence, Brooke Wyeth returns to her Reaganite parents’ Palm Springs enclave for the holidays. But the warm desert air turns chilly when news of her upcoming memoir threatens to revive the most painful chapter of the family’s history. Perception and reality grapple with love and mercy as old family wounds are opened, childhood memories are tested, and the Wyeth clan learns that some secrets cannot stay buried forever. Full of surprisingly touching moments, Pulitzer Prize nominee Jon Robin Baitz (A Fair Country) brings dysfunctional family drama to new heights in this witty, deeply enjoyable work NY1 called “one of the best new plays of the decade.”

Other Desert Cities is playing now through May 26 at Arena Stage.

Festivities Celebrating Haiti’s Flag Day Kicks off This...

dcculture — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:41:00 -0400

Festivities Celebrating Haiti’s Flag Day Kicks off This Saturday!

The Embassy of Haiti kicks off two weeks of events on Saturday, May 18, Haiti’s Flag Day. Haiti’s Flag Day is a celebration of the nation’s history and independence. “Our flag is a symbol of the country’s revolution and freedom,” said Paul G. Altidor, Haiti’s ambassador to the United States.

The Embassy is offering a series of events to showcase Haiti’s history and culture. “We want to share the best parts of Haiti,” said Ambassador Altidor, who along with a team from the Embassy chose the participating chefs after reviewing nominations:

Festivities include storytelling, crafts, and children’s activities at the Embassy, discussions about the flag’s significance and design, an evening to sample sumptuous delights prepared by chefs flown in from Haiti, and a week to taste Haitian cuisine at Chef José Andrés’s local restaurants!

Chef Stephen shares his views on Haitian food:

What should people know about Haitian food?

We have such an incredible variety in our gastronomy and an incredible array and variety in Haitian cuisine. It has stayed in its artisanal state.

What are some staples of Haitian food?

Fresh thyme, garlic, green peppers, peppers similar to habanera—which are called pimenc bouk—they have a much stronger flavor and are a little more spicy, parsley, onions are staples that go into any Haitian cuisine. And red beans and rice is the national rice.

Click here to learn more and make a reservation for any of the events!

Art Museum Day at the Corcoran Gallery

dcculture — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:37:33 -0400

Celebrate Art Museum Day at the Corcoran Gallery of Art and College of Art + Design this Saturday, May 18… for FREE! Art Museum Day is a celebration of the museums in our world and participating museums offer free admission and special events.

To add more excitement, join the Corcoran on Facebook and Twitter and share why you love art museums to get 15 percent off in the Corcoran Shop all day Saturday. Tag #ArtMuseumDay to be part of the museum-loving community.

Don’t stop there, we have something even better. This summer, enjoy FREE Summer Saturdays at the Corcoran. Admission to the museum will be free every Saturday, May 25-August 31, 2013. Come out and explore Gallery tours, workshops, demonstrations, and performances!

Jane Freundel Levey is a historian and writer specializing in...

dcculture — Fri, 10 May 2013 14:44:00 -0400

Jane Freundel Levey is a historian and writer specializing in the history of Washington, DC. This native Washingtonian loves oral history and has a fondness for radio, setting the tone for Jane About Town — her regular audio podcasts on local arts, culture, and heritage found in our nation’s capital.

In this episode of Jane About Town, Jane shares her thoughts on historical drama The Mountaintop, closing Sunday at the Arena Stage.

Here is the transcript of this podcast, dated May 10, 2013:

The Mountaintop by Katori Hall closes at Arena Stage May 12.
I’m a historian. I’m a theater lover. I will tell you that the hardest thing to put on stage, in my estimation, is history. If it’s too historically accurate, it is dull and plodding. If it’s too theatrical, it distorts the historical facts.

The Mountaintop, by Katori Hall, is the first drama based on a historic figure (and an iconic one) that I think successfully overcomes this inherent limitation.

It’s a moving, at times surreal, yet always compelling evening of theater. Everyone should see it.

Hall examines the last night of the life of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Set in the Lorraine Motel (now preserved as part of Memphis’s National Civil Rights Museum), she imagines the human side of the man revered today. He has a cold, he’s nervous, he misses his wife and kids, he’s worried about bugs (the kind that spy in his room), he’s out of cigarettes, he needs to finish another speech. Into the story Hall sends a very attractive and cheeky maid with coffee and towels. The two engage in a steadily building conversation that starts with flirtatious banter (that’s also true to King’s personal life) and escalates to profoundly moving examinations of King’s faith and mission.

Hall’s script moves between her imagination and King’s actual words. But it’s the risks she takes with this saintly figure that make the experience so moving. There are moments when I found myself thinking, “oh no, she wouldn’t.” And then she did, selling me on a number of surprising twists that I won’t spoil here. One choice that I thought worked very well, even though it threatened to fall into my “too historically accurate” basket, was to grant King a moment of foresight during which a slideshow of civil rights events occuring after his death is made apparent to him and to us. Others have criticized this moment of stepping away from the drama as distracting and ill-thought. I’m a historian. To tie the recent past into King’s history is not a pedestrian gesture. It’s profoundly important.

Go see the Mountaintop before it leaves town. Follow this sensational cast – Bowman Wright and Joaquina Kalukango – to another city if you miss it here.

Talking TERMINATORS w/ NoPlace + t r a n s f o r m e r

dcculture — Thu, 09 May 2013 12:19:00 -0400

Transformer has partnered with the Office for Contemporary Art Norway and the Royal Norwegian Embassy to bring Oslo-based arts collective NoPlace to DC for a six-week exhibition titled Terminators — in which all of the work is created to deconstruct and terminate.

The show opens this weekend, but we had lunch on Wednesday with NoPlace curator Karen Nikgol and Transformer director/co-founder Victoria Reis at the Corcoran Gallery of Art to get an insider’s perspective on the making of Terminators.

No Place started in February 2011 and since organized 75 exhibitions in six different countries.

Nikgol explains their mission and how they began:

“In a very abstract way [our mission is] quite Buddhist. We started with this notion of emptiness, yet silent poetry in the way this project was conceived and it slowly developed into a community while still keeping those conceptual ideas. No Place is a space and a concept. It is trying to be nonexistent while at the same time it does, in fact, exist physically. Based on Thomas Moore’s Utopia, this notion of a paradise where nothingness exists, no egos exist, [No Place] can just be filled with certain types of people at all times, creating a community.”

Terminators, an exhibition of works in a variety of disciplines by Norwegian artists Tor Jørgen Van Eijk, Ole Martin Lund Bø, Donkey and Punch, Sebastian Helling and Henrik Pask, opens this Saturday, May 11, with a reception from 6–8 pm and will be on display through June 20.

The artists are exhibiting in Washington, DC — “inner core of the United States, where decisions that affect the rest of the world are made,” says Nikgol — for the first time and they all explore the theme of deconstruction in their artwork.

“Order and deconstruction share an interconnectedness wherein strategies of order can only be comprehended once broken down and analyzed,” Nikgol adds. ”The works of all the artists in Terminators deconstruct and terminate, affording the viewer the benefit of bearing witness to both the process of deconstruction, and the ever-present sense of nostalgia that deconstruction carries with it. In this way, Terminators is not really about deconstruction — it is about the reflection inherent in terminating.”

One story’s ending is another’s beginning. On Sunday, the...

dcculture — Wed, 08 May 2013 14:15:00 -0400

One story’s ending is another’s beginning. On Sunday, the Urban Corps transatlantic hip-hop festival produced by Alliance Française will launch with Flow, in association with Urban Artistry.

At this park jam event featuring live painting, skate-boarding, dance, Capoeria, parkour, music, and more, urban artists and urban artophiles will be able to experience Garfield Park as a haven for urban culture before it closes for construction in June. This park, renovated and rejuvinated by Albus Cavus as part of the Open Walls program, features wall-paintings by legendary visual artists such as Pop Master Fable, Scotty76, HKS181, and others.

Participation will include French dancers from the Company De Fakto and KLP.

The Alliance’s Urban Corps transatlantic hip-hop festival comes back to DC in its second edition with a powerful compilation of urban dancers, musicians, and speakers. Their distinct backgrounds in arts such as mime, acrobatics, DJing, video and, of course, American urban tradition come together to present an all-around unrivaled vantage point on metropolitan culture and identity. A week packed with performances, this year’s Urban Corps features film, dance, music, and discussion as mediums for the exploration of urban art.

Did you enjoy last Saturday’s Around the World embassy...

dcculture — Wed, 08 May 2013 10:38:00 -0400

Did you enjoy last Saturday’s Around the World embassy tours, which kicked off our month-long Passport DC international cultural programming?

Well, get ready to take a Shortcut to Europe this Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm with the EU Open House — featuring 28 embassies of European Union member nations highlighting their country’s culture!

Holly Morris of Fox 5 News gives you a sneak-peek at the fun from inside the Embassy of Sweden.

Anointed as one of “the next generation of artist...

dcculture — Tue, 07 May 2013 18:32:00 -0400

Anointed as one of “the next generation of artist spaces” by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Transformer has continued to be one of the most ground-breaking arts organizations here in our nation’s capital. Established over a decade ago by the venerable team of Jayme McLellan and Victoria Reis, Transformer’s unique gallery space — a converted alley passage — has been the home of experimental work by many emerging artists across multiple artistic disciplines, from both the local area and across the country.

Now, through a joint partnership with the Royal Norwegian Embassy and the Office for Contemporary Art Norway, Transformer will welcome Oslo-based arts collective No Place for a six-week show called Terminators — in which all of the work is created to deconstruct and terminate.

The exhibition opens with a 6 pm reception on Saturday.

Inviting open dialogue through visual formats, No Place member and Terminators curator Karen Nikgol states:

“Order and deconstruction share an interconnectedness wherein strategies of order can only be comprehended once broken down and analyzed – particularly through aesthetic expression. Our aim is that the sense of deconstruction as presented in an orderly environment will produce an understanding of how strategies of order are built and created. Deconstruction begets termination, or finality. It is in finality that one is able to apply the retrospective view, to look back and understand. The works of all the artists in Terminators deconstruct AND terminate, affording the viewer the benefit of bearing witness to both the process of deconstruction, and the ever-present sense of nostalgia that deconstruction carries with it. In this way, Terminators is not really about deconstruction – it is about the reflection inherent in terminating.”

The Terminators artists are:

Tor Jørgen Van Eijk
Working with film, Van Eijk approaches the reality of video art as he deconstructs structures within film through layered imagery until the work itself terminates all imagery, leaving only frequencies.

Ole Martin Lund Bø
Working in painting and installation, Lund Bø isolates the different aspects of painting, revealing the complex nature of the works while deconstructing them to expose their purest form. Through this deconstruction, Lund Bø terminates the bare level of aesthetics and object fascination.

Donkey and Punch
Artist duo Kaya Gaarder and Linda Lerseth work with performance video, putting themselves in different sets they build and design. By doing this, they terminate their old identities and out themselves in a new context and surrounding.

Sebestian Helling
Working with painting in a strongly expressive manner, Helling’s destructive movements terminate his personality and past – juxtaposing destructive gestures with vibrant colors, simultaneously conveying themes of destruction and happiness.

Henrik Pask
Working with text, installation, and painting, Pask deconstructs these mediums in order to explore the notion of false realties and the way we interpret actuality. In this way, Pask recontextualizes these artistic modes, terminating our traditional view of them, and introduces new ways to perceive these traditional mediums.

After a successful online fundraising campaign (using the video...

dcculture — Tue, 07 May 2013 17:37:00 -0400

After a successful online fundraising campaign (using the video above), We Happy Few Productions brings their reimagined version of William Shakepeare’s The Tempest to the Capital Fringe Festival at Fort Fringe.

Through movement, original music, and Shakespeare’s transcendent language, We Happy Few puts The Tempest on a living, breathing island — its primal magic conjured in the bodies and voices of an eight-actor ensemble.

The show’s run wraps up on Sunday, so grab your tickets online now.

Our annual Passport DC month of international cultural...

dcculture — Tue, 07 May 2013 14:38:00 -0400

Our annual Passport DC month of international cultural programming kicked off this past Saturday with our iconic “Around the World” embassy tours, thanks to the involvement of diplomatic staff from over 40 countries!

Tim Cox, chairman of the board for Cultural Tourism DC, spoke to Fox 5’s Holly Morris about it yesterday from Joy of Motion Dance Center.

Were you one of the tens of thousands who participated? Fill out this quick survey and let us know what you thought of the program — then check out the official Passport DC calendar to find more great events happening all month long!

Mother's Day City Hop

dcculture — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:36:00 -0400

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Mother’s Day is right around the corner! It’s time to celebrate motherhood and show appreciation to mothers and mother figures. Instead of celebrating the traditional way by giving gifts, flowers, and candy, enjoy Mother’s Day outdoors in the nation’s capital. Take your mother on a city hop to all of her favorite places.

Start your day at the Tudor Place (1644 31st Street NW) with a Mother’s Day Tea. Mothers will enjoy teas, finger sandwiches, and delicious deserts while exploring tea etiquette. After the tea, you will be able to create a special craft to take home for your mother.

Skip over to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo (3001 Connecticut Avenue, NW) for Fiesta Asia Planet Family with your mother of course! Enjoy an afternoon of fun family time with cultural performances and activities for the entire family. You and your mother will even get to learn some new dance moves together.

Hop over to the Tidal Basin (East Basin Drive, SW) and end the day with Memorials by Moonlight Walking Tour. Mothers will enjoy Washington’s most iconic sites at night. The sites include Thomas Jefferson Memorial, George Mason Memorial, Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial plus views of the Washington Monument and more.

BONUS: The Muslim Women’s Association invites you to an International Mother’s Day Bazaar. Check it out here.

Last night, we had the chance to check out The Pink Line...

dcculture — Fri, 03 May 2013 11:11:00 -0400

Last night, we had the chance to check out The Pink Line Project’s Glow Sessions with Dance For The Dying at the Heurich House Museum. Glow Sessions welcomes emerging musical talents in DC, and to say the least, Dance For The Dying rocked it! Everyone gathered around on their blankets to see the band perform while enjoying a nice picnic. The garden at the Heurich House Museum was a unique venue for the musical series, that made it worth your while. Be sure to check out The Pink Line Project’s upcoming Glow Sessions.