Things to Do: Cultural Cocktails (2/2 & 2/21)

For the past few years, I've been an avid supporter of the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Last year, I became a member of the museum and their special interest group the 1869 Society, a group dedicated to young professionals who are interested in the arts.

The 1869 Society hosts a number of events but my favorite is Artini, an annual event that's typically held in February/March. This year's event will be held on March 31st. They typically feature 10-12 local bartenders who will each create one specialty drink based on inspiration from a painting currently on exhibition at the Corcoran. The 4-hour event is attended by young patrons of the arts and local socialites alike.

Ladies, this is your chance to wear that cute new cocktail dress and fellas can wear their best dark suit, tuxes aren't needed. There will be tons of heavy hors d'oeuvres and desserts, plus an ample supply of drinks. As always there will be a great DJ spinning all of the latest music, which makes for a lively evening after sampling each of the drinks.

At the end of the night, one of the bartenders is selected as having the winning Artini. I've never figured out if they actually win anything other than the prestige but it's a great event and the proceeds go towards the Corcoran ArtReach program.

Tickets are not yet available for Artini but for more information and to view photos from the 2011 event, visit http://www.corcoran.org/artini/

Cultural Cocktails -
February 2, 2012 or February 21, 2012
6:30 - 8:30 PM
Cost: Members - FREE, General Admission - $20

For more information and to RSVP for the 2/2 Event: https://getinvolved.corcoran.org/1869culturalcocktails02022012
For more information and to RSVP for the 2/21 Event: https://getinvolved.corcoran.org/1869culturalcocktails02212012

Things to Do: Gaia at the Corcoran

Being a member of the Corcoran's 1869 Society, a group of young professionals interested in the arts ages 25-42, has many benefits! Not only do you receive complimentary access to the museum and discounts at the cafe and bookstore, but you receive first-hand notice about the numerous events that are hosted at the Corcoran. My favorite annual event is Artini and another great event geared towards the younger crowd is Gaia. The next Gaia event is coming up in November, see below for more information.

Gaia at the Corcoran: A Musical Performance Experience
Saturday, November 19, 2011
7:30 – 11:00 PM

Gaia is a DC-based group of musicians, singers, dancers, and DJs who collectively bring you a transcendent and interactive experience. Actively incorporating the art and architecture of the Corcoran with dance and projections, Gaia invites you into the middle of their performance. It is part concert, part nightclub, part performance art. Odds are you have not seen anything quite like it.

MUSIC
Soul - Tamara Wellons
Trip Hop - Avenue To
Vibe Conductor - DJ Stylus
Congas and Jembe - Tom Pipkin
Flute and Tenor Sax - Kolai

DANCE
Urban Artistry

VIDEO ART
D'Blend - Juan Botero & Lina Almansa

Cost:
Corcoran Members - $30
Non-members - $40
Corcoran Students - $20

For more information, click here.

Corcoran Gallery of Art
500 Seventeenth Street NW
Washington, DC 20006
202.639.1700
www.corcoran.org

Things to Do: The Phillips Collection Birthday Bash

Just wanted to share this exciting event with you all. The Phillips Collections, is a quaint museum that has found a special place in my heart. In celebration of their 90th Anniversary they are hosting a Birthday Bash on Saturday, November 5 from 10:00AM - 8:00PM. The best part is it's FREE! If you've never been I highly recommend it. See below for more information.

PHILLIPS EXTENDS HOURS AND OFFERS FREE ADMISSION FOR
90TH ANNIVERSARY BIRTHDAY BASH ON NOVEMBER 5

On the day D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray has proclaimed “Phillips Collection Day,” celebrate the museum’s 90th anniversary with a day of free activities, gallery talks, and live music.

Highlights include:

• Free admission to Degas’s Dancers at the Barre: Point and Counterpoint
• Cupcake party favors while supplies last (10 a.m.–noon)
• Hands-on art-making inspired by Will Ryman’s outdoor sculpture of colossal pink roses (10 a.m.–2 p.m.)
• Hourly gallery talks on Renoir’s Luncheon of the Boating Party and European Masterworks (11 a.m.–6 p.m.)
• “Happy Birthday” sing-along led by on-air talent from ABC7/WJLA-TV (noon)
• Ballet students from the Kirov Academy of Ballet of Washington D.C. practicing in the Degas exhibition (12:30–3 p.m.)
• Interactive self-guide to the collection by illustrator Elizabeth Graeber
• Musical performances throughout the day, featuring Parisian-inspired accordionist Manny Bobenrieth, The Capital Hearings a cappella group, Teiber Trio, Tommy Cecil Quartet, Yvonne Johnson Trio, and DJ Neville C.
• Cash bar with wine, beer, champagne, and light snacks (4:15–8 p.m.)
  

The Phillips Collection
1600 21st Street, NW
Washington, DC 20009
202-387-2151
http://phillipscollection.org

Things to Do: Africa Underground "No Boundaries"

Just came across this and had to share. Looks interesting...

National Museum of African Art Launches Third Installment of Africa Underground- "No Boundaries"

Africa Underground is back with an evening of delights at the National Museum of African Art, Friday, September 30, from 7 to 11 p.m. Coming on the heels of a hugely successful second installment of African Underground in May, this edition will also see the museum's doors held open after hours, giving revelers the chance to enjoy refreshments, dance, and experience the museum's exhibitions, ambiance and performances from around the continent.

The first and second Africa Undergrounds sold out in days, and this installment will include several exciting new elements including entertainment by the bands 'Sahel' and 'Eme & Heteru', fashions by world renowned designer Korto Momolou, with 'Afrobeat' face painting by lunchbox theory and music spun by DJ Underdog throughout the night.

The Sahel, a stretch of land between African desert and rainforest, is an ancient symbol of trade and travel where people from various continents have throughout time exchanged goods, ideas and cultures. Like the Sahel much of the worlds contemporary dance music is a product of distinct African roots with middle eastern and European influences; blended colors of culture on the canvas of African rhythms. SAHEL are a band of musicians from diverse backgrounds who believe in honoring multicultural evolution by performing currently relevant music like Zouk, Mbalax, Saba Reggae and Salsa. SAHEL is inspired by tradition and dedication to the progress of music that moves the world.

Eme & Heteru are a band lead by singer/songwriter, Eme Awa who have been part of the Washington, D.C. live music scene for the past ten years. They combine the rich styles, melodies and rhythms from East, South and West Africa in addition to Reggae to create their unique sound, a combination of Afrobeat and reggae music Eme Awa calls "AfroRoots Music." He has had four Wammie nominations and will also play music from Central Nigeria to compliment the museum's exhibition Central Nigeria Unmasked."

Cost: $25
Advance online purchase only, one free drink with ticket purchase
Must be 21 to be admitted (IDs will be checked at the door).

For more information:
visit: http://africa.si.edu/underground/
email: africanartevents@si.edu
phone: 202.633.4651

Things to Do: 1869 Society Cultural Cocktails

I'm a member of the Corcoran's 1869 Society and wanted to share this upcoming event...

Kick off the fall with an evening of culture and cocktails... and clues! Go on a scavenger hunt through the galleries, where you'll discover the Corcoran's internationally-recognized collection and the special exhibition Chris Martin: Painting Big. Take a break and enjoy beer, wine, and hors d'oeuvres while mingling amidst three 26-foot-tall canvases Martin created specifically for the Corcoran's grand atrium.

Completed scavenger hunt questionnaires will be entered into a drawing for two tickets to NOW at Night, a fundraiser for the Corcoran's contemporary art program on Friday, October 21. Get your tickets early at a special rate of $100; prices increase September 19. For more information, visit www.corcoran.org/nowatnight.

Thursday, September 15
6:30 - 8:30PM
1869 Society Members: FREE
Non-1869 Society Members: $20

To register for Cultural Cocktails, please click here or call 202.639.1770.

Things to Do: Phillips After 5

So I've been planning on going to a Phillips After 5 event for over a year now. Recently, I came across a posting about it on Yelp! and decided I'd share it with others, in the event that you've never heard about it. I'm hoping to make an appearance there soon.

Phillips After 5 is a cultural event comprised of art, music, food and libations (cash bar) and is held the first Thursday of every month from 5:30-8:00PM at The Phillips Collection, a small, modern art museum located in Dupont Circle.

Schedule for July 7th
Staged Reading of Six Degrees of Separation (6:30PM)
In John Guare's award-winning play, a con artist wins his way into the home of New York art dealers and dines in the shadow of their two-sided painting by Wassily Kandinsky. Alan Paul, associate director of the Shakespeare Theatre Company, directs.

Gallery Talk (6:00PM & 7:00PM)
Kandinsky's Experimental Process: Creating at least 15 preparatory studies for Painting with White Border, Kandinsky experimented with orientation and composition while moving freely among media such as pen, watercolor, and oil.

Tasting (5:00 - 8:30PM)
Sample a variety of beer paired with Top Chef DC Carla Hall's cookies!

Admission: $12; free for members. Cash bar.
RSVPs are required: http://tinyurl.com/savvypaf

The Phillips Collection
1600 21st St NW
Washington, DC 20009
202.387.2151
http://www.phillipscollection.org

Things to Do: National Geographic Events in April

Just came across a few upcoming events at the National Geographic Building. In addition to having numerous events, they have traveling photographic exhibitions that are completely FREE to peruse. They also have a cafe with outdoor seating for you to enjoy the warmer months.

Frances Mayes: Every Day in Tuscany April 12 -- Frances Mayes, best-selling author of Under the Tuscan Sun, has recently published Every Day in Tuscany, about her renovation of a 13th-century house in the mountains above Cortona. Enjoy her Italian memoirs as she converses with National Geographic Traveler editor Don George. The event will be preceded at 6:30 p.m. by a reception featuring recipes from Every Day in Tuscany.

Here On Earth, National Geographic April 20 --Tim Flannery, internationally acclaimed scientist, explorer, and conservationist, has discovered more than 30 mammal species and earned the title Australian of the Year 2007. He wrote the best-selling book The Weather Makers. His new book Here On Earth offers the message of hope that we are equipped more than ever to improve our relationship with the planet on which our biological, economic, and cultural futures depend. Co-sponsored with the Embassy of Australia.

Melali: The Drifter Sessions. Live Music Event April 30 --Join us for a look at the exhilarating and pioneering surf film Castles in the Sky, followed by a conversation with legendary surfer Rob Machado, filmmaker Taylor Steele, and composer Jon Swift about the intimate relationship between surf films and music. Then dive into another Steele/Machado collaboration, Melali: The Drifter Sessions, which will be accompanied by live music by the Melali Sessions Band.

Creativity Through Quilting April 30 --Discover your creativity at this free quilting event, with influences of traditional African American quilting that can be traced back hundreds of years, many believe quilts were used to guide freedom-seeking slaves to safety on the Underground Railroad. Participants will learn how to create traditional fabric block pattern design, a quilt symbol that’s been used on the Underground Railroad.

Learn more: http://events.nationalgeographic.com/events/locations/center/grosvenor-auditorium/

National Geographic
1600 M Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
202.857.7700

Things to Do: Lego Architecture @ The National Building Museum

Recently, I went to the National Building Museum for the first time. I really don't know why I'd never been before but it was definitely worth the wait. Just walking in the atrium area, it sets you back into another era. It's absolutely breathtaking. It seemed as if most of the people in the museum just sat in the atrium instead of visiting the exhibits because it was busy with people standing around and kids running back and forth in the play area.

Although the museum has a lot to offer, my entire purpose for going was to check out the LEGO Architecture: Towering Ambition exhibit. I've always had a passion for architecture, it was even my major in college for 3 years, but that's another story.

Can I just say how amazing it was. Seeing the LEGO version of many world famous buildings, along with the listings of how many pieces it took and how much time it took to build them, was totally unbelievable. At the end of the exhibit there were tons on LEGO pieces, where kids and adults alike could sit down and build their own masterpieces. The exhibit runs through September 5, 2011. Admission into the museum is "free" but to enter the LEGO exhibit it's $5 per person.

In case you're interested, Living Social is offering a great deal to the National Building Museum and it includes 6 passes LEGO Architecture exhibit. The deal lasts through Saturday. For more information, click here.

(Note: If you don't have a Living Social account, it's FREE to sign up and you'll receive $5 off of your first purchase)

Things to Do: Mingle at the Museum

In search of finding new and interesting thing in DC, I just came across this after hours event at the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History. These events seem to sell out quickly and they have extremely limited tickets available at the door. Information I pulled from the museum's website is posted below.

Art and Soul of South Africa

Featuring Carolyn Malachi

Thursday, March 24 - 6:30PM to 9:00PM

Be entertained and inspired in an evening that combines traditional art with a modern spin. Enjoy Grammy-nominated artist Carolyn Malachi’s unique blend of jazz, pop, r&b, and spoken word as she performs works by some of South Africa’s soul music artists. Browse the museum galleries to view the second exhibition in the Artists in Dialogue series, in which exciting artists—including South Africa’s Sandile Zulu and Brazil’s Henrique Oliveira—are invited to an encounter in which each artist responds to the work of the other. The result is an original, site-specific work based on their encounter in the museum.

Let spontaneity of the exhibit and the music move you to create your own work of art. Then, reward your creative effort with tempting South African-style hors d’oeuvres.This evening is in collaboration with the Smithsonian African Art Museum and made possible in part by South African Tourism.

Schedule
6:30PM - 9:00PM
• Carolyn Malachi performs
• Art activity inspired by Artist Dialogue exhibit
• Stroll through the exhibition gallery
• Food service provided by Purple Onion Catering
• Cash bar featuring Heineken products

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Featured Exhibition: Artists in Dialogue II: Sandile Zulu and Henrique Oliveira
The Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art (NMAfA) is organizing the exhibition, "Artists in Dialogue: Sandile Zulu and Henrique Oliveira," as the second in a series of exhibitions in which exciting artists (at least one of whom is African) are invited to a new encounter -- one in which each artist responds to the work of the other, and resulting in original, site-specific works at the museum. The exhibition will also include a selection of works by each artist to reflect who they are coming into the encounter.
Read More About this Exhibition

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GENERAL INFORMATION

• One drink ticket included with admission.
• Additional drink tickets may be purchased with either cash or credit card.
• Must be at least 21 with a valid photo ID to attend.
• All ticket sales are final.
• All bags will be searched by security.
• Personal items can be checked in designated coat rooms or lockers at your own discretion. The museum is not responsible for any lost or stolen items.

Things to Do: Indoor Scavenger Hunts

Recently, I was talking to a coworker about scavenger hunts and how I was looking for some in the area that didn't involve running around the city during the dead of winter. He in turn shared with me a list of scavenger hunts at local museums that one of his friends had compiled. Enjoy!

The Murder at the National Gallery Scavenger Hunt (For Adults Only)
Saturday, January 29 or February 26 at 2:00PM
The National Gallery of Art
6th and Constitution Avenue NW Washington, DC 20565
A murdered curator has left behind a cryptic trail of clues connected with secrets in works of art. As your team gathers answers about the art, you begin to piece together a sordid tale about greed, lust, pride, revenge and treachery, all revolving around the museum’s planned multimillion-dollar purchase of a Da Vinci. The murder victim knew too much—and now it’s up to you to learn what he knew and discover what drove one of four suspects to commit murder. To find out, you’ll have to crack a secret code left in the victim’s appointment calendar. Can you figure out who dunnit? Be prepared for our most challenging hunt.

The Naked at the Art Museum Scavenger Hunt (For Adults Only)
Saturday, February 12 or 13th at 1:00PM
American Art Museum
F Street at 8th Street, Washington, DC 20004
Go in search of the naked and the naughty in the American Art Museum. Highlights include a tempting she-devil, an Eve who’d get you to bite an apple, a giddy drinker, native men with no need for a gym, a startling Lite-Brite picture, and a nude that gives new meaning to the word “hot.” No knowledge of art, or nudity, is required.

Murder at the Museum of American History Scavenger Hunt (For Adults Only)
Saturday, February 19 at 2:00PM
The National Museum of American History
14th Street and Constitution Avenue, Washington, DC 20560
Someone, or something, has been bumping off National Museum of American History staffers involved in the recent discovery of a long-lost invention by Benjamin Franklin. This “infernal machine” has a murky past: Freemasons supposedly used it as part of a secret ritual. Are the deaths caused by the invention, or part of the fabled “Curse of the Freemasons”? Or is a serial killer on the loose? Your team of sleuths will have to crack a secret code and uncover the museum’s secrets to solve the mystery and stop the killings. This hunt is for adults only. For murder hunts, we strongly recommend hunting with a team of three or more.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit http://watsonadventures.com/schedule_washington.html

Things to Do: Spy at Night Tour

One of the best parts of living in the Washington, DC area is being surrounded by so many forms of cultural entertainment, most widely-known are the museums.  Everyone has heard of the Smithsonian Institution and their collection of museums and art galleries, all of which are free and open to the public.

In addition to the Smithsonian, we have several others but some of my favorites are the Newseum, the National Museum of Crime & Punishment and The International Spy Museum.  Although these three are not free, they are definitely worth the cost of admission.

The Spy Museum is one of my favorites because I'm very inquisitive and I love a challenge. I'd been the Spy Museum before but it wasn't until recently that I found out they have so much more to offer than just general admission and self-guided tours. They also have several other "experiences" including Spy in the City, Spy at Night, Operation Spy and Spy City Tour (which is a scavenger hunt that takes you around Washington, DC).

Recently, I went on a date and he decided on the Spy at Night / Operation Spy package.  I thought it was a great idea so I was game.  We arrived there a little earlier than the scheduled time and they allowed us to walk around inside of the museum for about 30 minutes before our scheduled start time.  They have many intriguing exhibits and the museum features the many espionage tools that exist, past and present. 

Fast forward to the tour,  It began with a small group of about 14 of us being briefed by a "spy". We were told we had a mission to complete and throughout the hour long journey, we operated cameras, listened to wire taps, disarmed bombs, and even did a little running.  I won't go into much more but it was a lot of fun and made for a great date.  At the end, they give you a refreshing a cocktail prepared by one of the bartenders from Zola, their neighboring restaurant. 

If you're looking for something fun to do in the city on a Friday or Saturday, make sure you check out the Spy at Night tour.

International Spy Museum
800 F Street, NW
Washington DC 20004
202.eye.spy.u
http://www.spymuseum.org/

Things to Do: Free Saturdays @ The Corcoran

A friend recently shared with me that the Corcoran Gallery of Art is introducing a promotion called Free Summer Saturdays beginning May 29 and ending September 4, 2010.  Since, it's a private museum and not part of the Smithsonian which are always free, this is the prime time to take advantage.   

Last time I was at the Corcoran was for the 1869 Society's Annual Artini fundraiser in March.  It's a beautiful museum with many diverse works of art.  During the summer, they will offer free guided tours, demonstrations and programs for families (for free or at minimal cost).  I already see a few that I'll be registering for. 


If you've never been to the Corcoran or haven't been in a while, this is the perfect chance for you to take advantage of seeing amazing art for the low cost of nothing.  They also have a full service cafe so make a day, or even a date, out of it.


Corcoran Gallery of Art
500 Seventeenth Street NW
Washington, DC 20006
http://www.corcoran.org/