Last weekend the National Gallery of Art reopened the Nineteenth-Century French Galleries, which contain works by Manet, Monet, Renoir, Cézanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Modigliani and Picasso.

The gallery now organizes the paintings thematically and provides textual panels to help visitors understand the reasoning behind the new groupings. In addition, thirteen of the paintings have been restored.

I went last Saturday and was blown away by both the beauty on display and the enthusiasm of the visitors around me. In fact, I was so amazed by the Cézanne pieces that I ran out of time and missed Monet. However that shouldn’t be a problem: the NGA’s price tag (always free) and nearness to Metro mean I can always…Gauguin. Yes, that’s a little Post-Impressionist humor for your Friday.

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It’s been the year of the protestor in DC, and that’s after a 2010 filled with Tea Parties and Rallies for Sanity. We’ve seen protestors on our walks to work, outside and inside our memorials, sitting in the middle of the street and, yes, in our jails. Some protests have gone really well: they’ve raised awareness or made for some badass photo opps, or both.

Others have utterly flopped: did you hear about the Occupy The Art Institute of Washington protest? Yeah neither did anyone else.

So here they are! Relive the all the obnoxious traffic, repetitive catchphrases and handcrafted signage of the most memorable protests of 2011!

6. Silence = Death!

courtesy of Max Cook

Last January protestors took to the streets after the Smithsonian removed David Wojnarowicz’s controversial film from the National Portrait Gallery’s “Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture” exhibit. The decision and resulting outcry made national news and reopened the ever-exciting debate on censorship in national museums. Secretary G. Wayne Clough has since stated that the museum needs to have better communication, even though he claims his decision would be the same now. Seems to me that communication is just fine, at least from the Republicans to the Smithsonian: “We threaten funding; you do whatever we say; the public freaks out; repeat.

5. We’re Just Dancing!

If I Can’t Dance I Want a Revolution
courtesy of ep_jhu

I personally think people should be allowed to dance in front of memorials as long as it doesn’t distract from other people being able to use and enjoy the space, but that’s not the only reason I’m listing the Jefferson Memorial dancing arrests as a memorable 2011 protest. I’m also including it because of the additional protest launched in the comments section to Don’s original post on the topic. People really didn’t like Don… The video in his post contains a sub-saga: watch for the police officer’s respectful warning, then his sighed acceptance that he’s going to have to arrest these folks, then his eventual and quite literal throwdown.

A week later, dancers came back to the Jefferson Memorial and danced without arrest:

Click here to view the embedded video.

4. Stop the Pipeline!

army of sit-ins
courtesy of philliefan99

When protestors first took on the Keystone XL Pipeline, no one had really heard much about it besides the people working on the project and devout environmental activists. After weeks of arrests, marches, hand-holding, hymn-singing and White House sit-ins, the pipeline became part of a national debate. Perhaps the protests were too successful: while most of the activists involved demanded the project be stopped, Republicans have taken on its furtherance as a 2012 election issue.

3. Not in Our Name!

Predator
courtesy of ryochiji

In October a large group of activists marched on the National Air and Space Museum to protest the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the related exhibits at the museum about drones and other military machinery. This particular assembly included mass pepper spraying and arrests, brought together multiple grassroots organizations and emergency response teams and required one of the most popular museums in America to shut down. The sheer drama makes this one of the most awesome protests of 2011.

2. Taxation Without Representation!

2011 04 11 – 7869 – Washington DC – DC Rights Protest – Robert Vinson Brannum
courtesy of thisisbossi

When the mayor of a major metro area shuts down a city street, gathers hundreds of protestors and gets himself arrested, it makes the list. What will his actions come to? That we don’t know yet, but we’re waiting.

1. We Are the 99%!

Yes, we camp………
courtesy of LaTur

You knew it was coming. The most memorable protest of 2011 is obviously the Occupy DC protest that has become a loved and hated part of our everyday lives. Of course, this includes mini protests like bridge-storming and structure-building. It also includes the protestors’ relatively respectful use of McPherson Square, the endearing way they adapted to practicing religious and national holidays from a tent city, and their stunning dedication to assembling even in the freezing cold. They shaped the way we talk about economics this year and inspired some of the biggest local news stories of 2011.

For that reason, among many others, I name them the most memorable protest of 2011. Here’s to even wilder protests next year, but with better traffic…

Good night, Tourmobile. You served our National Mall in an exclusive fashion for 42 years, charging high prices for on-and-off service for tourists around the National Mall, and while things have dropped off lately, you were always a welcome site for tourists in the area.  Their service ends today, and the Park service will be evaluating new providers of service along the Mall in the coming months. For now, pedicabs and bikes will be the modes of transportation around the Mall.

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out of the earth / I sing for them
A Horse nation / I sing for them
out of the earth / I sing for them,
the animals / I sing for them.
~a song by the Teton Sioux

Emil Her Many Horses is, by first appearance, a quiet, unassuming gentleman. A museum specialist in the office of Museum Programs at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI), he is responsible for the facility’s latest exhibition “A Song for the Horse Nation.” A member of the Ogala Lakota nation of South Dakota, his expertise on the Northern and Southern Plains cultures is well served and seen in the exhibit that opens to the public tomorrow.

NMAI’s latest offering is a touching and brilliant display of how the horse has deeply impacted and affected Native cultures since their introduction to the Americas in the 17th century. “The exhibit tells the history of the horse; that they were here once before, migrated to Europe, and returned as the horse we know today,” explained Her Many Horses. “They changed Native culture. The horse had a major impact on hunting, warfare, travel, spirituality. These were big changes.” Changes that extend beyond the European vision of the animal.

Seen as a beast of burden, a tool, a weapon, the horse was brought and used by European explorers and colonists early in America’s “New World” history. And their introduction, according to many Natives, was probably one of the biggest positive changes brought about by the white man.

Emil Her Many Horses, NMAI Museum Specialist (photo courtesy NMAI)

Exploding across the Plains after the Pueblo Uprising in 1680, the value of the horse was readily apparent to many tribes. Their acceptance quickly altered the very fabric of tribal life and culture as Natives admired the animal’s grace, beauty, bravery, and determination. “When American Indians encountered horses—which some tribes call the Horse Nation—they found an ally, inspiring and useful in times of peace, and intrepid in times of war,” said NMAI Director Kevin Gover (Pawnee). “This exhibition shows how these splendid creatures came to represent courage and freedom to many tribes across North America.”

“The horse really became a fellow creature that lives with us,” explained Her Many Horses. “They are a comrade, ally, friend. What we try to establish is a relationship with a fellow living being, something that really reaches into the realm of companionship, as opposed to that of a simple tool or resource.”

That relationship can be seen in Her Many Horses’ own family history. The name is Lakota and that of his paternal great-great-grandmother. “More accurately, the English translation would be ‘Many Horses Woman,’ meaning she owned many horses,” he said. When the first census was made on the Ogala Lakota reservation in South Dakota, her name became the family’s last name. The census takers, however, had mistranslated “Tasunka Ota Win” into English as “Her Many Horses.” And so it stuck.

‘DSC_0123′
courtesy of ‘bhrome’
Among the Lakota, horses were a measure of wealth, but not in the traditional European sense. To the Lakota—and many other tribes—a more important demonstration of wealth came from giving away horses or other items in honor of a family member. Possession was not as important as generosity. Horses could be given away at naming and memorial ceremonies, or at giveaways, which celebrated anything from the return of a war veteran, honoring a graduating student, or the marriage of a daughter.

In the exhibit is a piece familiar to Her Many Horses. It is familiar because he made the toy painted tipi himself. “I made it to talk about the origins of my last name. It shows a woman—my grandmother—surrounded by many horses. To me, it became an honorable name to have.”

The opening of the exhibit is exciting to Her Many Horses. An expansion of the original exhibit at NMAI’s New York City George Gustav Heye Center location, this one adds an additional 15 major objects. One of the centerpiece displays is a 19^th century 38-foot round tipi that stands 16 feet tall. Cavorting across the surface are 110 hand-painted horses, both with and without riders, all in full gallop. “The tipi is Hunkpapa-Lakota, showing horse raiding and battle scenes all along the outside,” said Her Many Horses. His glee at being able to set it up for visitors was evident. “If you look at the drawings, you can see who’s the enemy. It’s Lakota versus the Crow—you can tell because of the hairstyles. It’s kind of a war record of the warrior who lived within.”

‘DSC_0023′
courtesy of ‘bhrome’
The tipi was a challenge for the staff to set up, taking them four afternoons. “We knew it had been re-sized, plus it wasn’t being set on open ground but a slick display surface,” he said. It’s safe to say the effort was worth it; the tipi is an exquisite testimony to how personal the horse was to one individual in the tribe; a sentiment still shared across the Native landscape today.

Other objects of life and culture of the Plains tribes decorate places of honor in the exhibit. “We included pieces that are associated with famous people, such as the rifles of Geronimo, Chief Rain-in-the-Face, Chief Joseph,” said Her Many Horses. “And we have photographs of many of these people, showing that link between the object and the person.” These placards are entitled Honor In the Name, introducing them to visitors and providing a glimpse of past lives to those in the modern day.

But primarily, the horse dominates. So entwined into the lives of tribes, they are the subject of beaded artwork on tipi bags, shaped into dance sticks, decorate jackets. Objects of everyday use with the horse, such as saddles, saddlebags, and horse masks, are given individual touches of color and life, providing an intimate look into the relationship between the owner and the animal. “I want the public to walk out of there understanding not just how the horse revolutionized Native life, but how that thread continues even today,” Her Many Horses said.

‘DSC_0096′
courtesy of ‘bhrome’
Bridging that gap of history to the modern, Her Many Horses invited Native artists to create their own contemporary art for the exhibit. He believes it’s critically important to show that continued thread of relationship still impacts Native life in today’s world. “We may no longer depend on the horse for travel, for hunting, for warfare – but it’s still important to us, our culture.”

To that end, NMAI will celebrate the opening of its new exhibit with a variety of events on Saturday, October 29. Partnering with the Washington International Horse Show, celebrating its 53^rd year through this weekend at the Verizon Center, both WIHS and NMAI are providing free programs and activities at both locations. (A free shuttle will run between the museum and the Verizon Center on Saturday only.)

Central to Saturday’s events is a presentation of the U.S. and Crow Nation flags on horseback between Crow equestrian and artist Kennard Real Bird and the DC Mounted Police. Following the presentation, K.J. Jacks of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma will sing the U.S. national anthem. The presentation will happen in the museum’s outdoor Welcome Plaza.

‘DSC_0106′
courtesy of ‘bhrome’

Award-winning bead worker and porcupine quill worker Juanita Fogarty Growing Thunder (Assiniboine/Sioux), whose own art is displayed within the exhibition, will hold demonstrations throughout the day. Children will be able to “dress” a full-sized horse mannequin using pieces that simulate many of those in the exhibit. S.D. Nelson (Lakota/Standing Rock Sioux), a children’s book author and illustrator, will host special storytelling sessions and lectures for both kids and adults.

It’s a jubilee worthy of the exhibition, and one that Emil Her Many Horses and the museum’s staff have worked tirelessly to bring together. It’s a celebration of the horse through many pathways, one that gives a glimpse into the history, life, and culture of many of the 38 Native communities represented.

‘beaded horse mask 1′
courtesy of ‘bhrome’

In the exhibition’s companion book of the same name, Her Many Horses points out one particular piece that succinctly symbolizes the power and value of the horse in the Native community. A beautiful and elaborate Lakota horse head cover is on display. Covered in exquisite designs among a glimmering background of white beads, the cover was used at a 1904 Fourth of July parade at the Pine Ridge Reservation. Alone, it is a fascinating work of art in geometric design and stitching.

What stands out, however, is that it appears to have been made with the intention to be recycled later on as different objects. A critical Native eye can discern where a pair of women’s beaded leggings could be fashioned from the “face” of the horse. A pipe bag, from the “cheeks.” Tipi bags (or, “possible” bags, because pretty much anything possible could be stored inside them) and moccasins could also have been made from the upper and lower neck areas.

The resourcefulness of the artist is evident; fortunately for us today, never followed through. The union of gifts never passed on and remains a delicate and intricate symbol of traditions brought together through the celebration of the horse. It stands as a beaded and colorful declaration of the art and the grace of the animal.

To Emil Her Many Horses, it is an expression of life and of culture that will hopefully never fade. “The Horse Nation continues to inspire, and Native artists continue to celebrate the horse in our songs, our stories, and our works of art.” With the opening of this latest exhibit, Her Many Horses honors his Lakota roots. Through the blend of art and artifacts, stories and characters, community and culture, he presents the public a valuable gift worth more than a simple object. He gives away to all of us a view into part of the past, the present, and the future of Native America.

And that is a song worthy of the Horse Nation.

A Song for the Horse Nation opens on Saturday, October 29 and will remain open through January 7, 2013. The National Museum of the American Indian is located at the corner of 4th Street and Independence Avenue, SW. The closest Metro station is L’Enfant plaza, servicing the Blue, Yellow, Orange, and Green lines. For more information, visit the museum’s website. WeLoveDC will have a full review of the exhibit on Monday; you can see some of the items in the exhibit on my Flickr site.

There’s been a few news tweets about the SlutWalk that happened this weekend and unsurprisingly several of them – maybe most – have touted photos. I’m not condemning that – I like looking at provocatively dressed women myself. But don’t miss the very serious reason it’s called SlutWalk and involves protesting while scantily-clad: to combat a perception that dressing a certain way is in any way permission or a valid reason for other people to use your body against your will.

If that seems implausible in 2011, well, the whole impetus for this now nation-wide and multi-country phenomenon was the somewhat astonishing statement from a Canadian officer of the law during a lecture on health and safety.

“You know, I think we’re beating around the bush here,” he reportedly told them. “I’ve been told I’m not supposed to say this – however, women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimised.”

I’m (sadly) not surprised that someone would say a version of “If you wear that skirt you’re just asking to be raped,” but I can’t say I expected to hear it from a police officer.

Holly Kearle writes very eloquently here about the point of SlutWalk and why she participated. She’s also the force behind the excellent Stop Street Harassment blog. If you’ve got the time to look at some skin you’ve got the time to read what she wrote about this event. I’d encourage you to keep up with the SSH blog as well.

It’s easy for us men to be blind to the reality of the million little shitty things that happen to women in our society – we’re not the target of the harassment. We might not ever see it going on, but it does. Constantly. Take ten seconds at Holla Back DC and see the sort of unbelievable crap that happens all the time, ranging from crappy inappropriate talk about mustache rides to stalking and physically threatening behavior against a fifteen year old girl.

SlutWalk might not be how you want to confront this sort of thing in our society – Holla Back DC’s Chai Shenoy didn’t feel like it was a productive thing for her – but the women who stood up and told their fellow DC residents that how they look or dress isn’t cause to mistreat them have good cause to think making the statement is necessary. Make their sacrifice of their time worthwhile and look past just the pictures.

Tomorrow afternoon, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian is hosting a free outdoor concert to kick off their yearly Indian Summer Showcase. This year, the Indian Country/Country Indian concert will feature Victoria Blackie (Navajo), Rebecca Miller (Six Nations, Canada), and Becky Hobbs (Cherokee). The concert will take place at 5 pm outside on the Welcome Plaza in front of the museum’s main entrance.

I was fortunate enough to squeeze some time from Victoria and Becky to talk about their music, their heritage, and what inspires them in their artistry.

First, there’s Victoria Blackie. Last year’s winner of the Debut Artist of the Year at the Native American Music Awards, she also performed at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her voice has been described as powerful with lots of soul, hearkening back to the days of Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, and other female greats of the past. And don’t let her small stature fool you (she’s 5’1”); her voice is strong enough to pull you in and versatile enough to appeal to a wide range of country enthusiasts.

Victoria Blackie (photo courtesy of the artist)

“Music has always been a part of my life,” she insists. Her family has had a strong influence on her life and singing. From her mother’s Native side, “many of my immediate and extended family are well-known dancers and ceremony and powwow singers. I learned to dance many different styles, including Jingle dancing and I’ve performed at many powwows.” From her Hispanic father’s side, both grandparents were live radio singers in Mexico and her aunt¬, Martha Chavez-also Victoria’s vocal coach and manager-is a professional singer. “My father can belt out a mean song too,” she laughed.

Her heritage is a key component of her music. “It’s music that comes from the heart and soul,” she said. “When I write my music, they mostly deal with life experiences. I hope to someday write an entire CD dealing with my traditions and heritage.” She is extremely proud of who she has become, a blending of Hispanic and Navajo traditions, and is not hesitant to share who she is with her audience through her artistry. Her success comes from her talent, not her race. “I don’t think people are really looking at me because I’m Native American, I just feel I have a strong set of pipes and a strong Native community that has been very supportive,” she said. “I went to Japan at an early age because of my talent, sang at the Olympics because someone somewhere heard me sing the National Anthem.” Despite a shoestring budget, she has persevered in her career, counting on her natural talent and genuine personality to win people’s hearts. Judging by the thousands of her followers on Facebook and Myspace, she is succeeding.

Click here to view the embedded video.

But it’s more than just belting out tunes to a listening audience, hoping to sell CDs. Victoria approaches each concert as an opportunity to connect with her audience, sharing her music. “Whenever I put on a show I’m taking them on journey through time, enjoying what the greats of country music started,” she said. “I get to do what I love best—and that’s singing country music!” She doesn’t have a favorite song to perform, either. “I have so many to choose from! I love to perform songs that I can have fun with and let loose,” she replied.

A budding success in the Native American artist community, she is quick to offer advice to those young Natives looking to find their own way. Her advice should ring true to everyone, actually. “Don’t give up! If you can believe in yourself anything is possible,” she eagerly shared. “May not happen today or tomorrow but taking it step by step and pushing yourself to become a better individual is only going to take you into the right direction. Educate yourself in whatever your desire is! Carry a can do attitude and don’t put yourself down.”

Becky Hobbs (photo courtesy of the artist)

Victoria’s enthusiasm is equaled in energy and passion by fellow country singer and songwriter Becky Hobbs. A member of the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma, Becky is known primarily for performing in over 40 countries and writing songs that have been recorded by such popular country artists as Alabama, Conway Twitty, George Jones, Loretta Lynn, and Emmylou Harris. (Little known fact? She was also a member of the Baton Rouge southern rock band Swampfox for two years.)

Her start into music began with starting piano lessons at age nine. “Shortly after that, I started writing songs. It was a lot easier to make up my own, than to read the big notes on the paper! At 15 years of age, I started my own all-female rock band,” she laughed. “We played mostly cover songs, but also played several songs that I wrote. The older I get, the more I realize that writing songs is a God-given talent.”

Eventually she took that talent to Nashville in the 80s and her career steadily took off. But even so, she never forgot her roots. Her Cherokee heritage was the catalyst for her latest project, one she holds dear to her heart. “Three years ago, I embarked on the project of my life,” she explained. “I co-wrote a musical with Nick Sweet, called NANYEHI-BELOVED WOMAN OF THE CHEROKEE. It’s based on the life of my fifth-great grandmother, Nancy Ward, who was a war woman-turned peacemaker in the 1700’s.” This past January, Becky released a CD of 17 songs written for the musical.

Despite her heritage, she has never been pigeonholed by the music industry as a “Native American artist.” She finds it amusingly odd. “I started writing Cherokee-themed songs in the early 90’s, such as ‘Let There Be Peace’ and ‘Pale Moon,’” she smiled. “I hope that by having established myself as a country artist, I can bring more people over to appreciate Native American music.”

Attending a Becky Hobbs show isn’t a quiet and calm performance, however. She was emphatic about that when asked what people should expect. “I want to move people….either move them to tears, or to stomping their feet. Music is communication, from soul to soul,” she pointed out. Through that connection, she knows she can then communicate with audience. “With NANYEHI-BELOVED WOMAN OF THE CHEROKEE, I want people to know who this amazing woman was, and what an important role she played in American history. This will, in turn, allow people to learn more about the Cherokee people and our rich history.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

But sometimes, it’s the audience that connects with her, and not the other way around. A while back, she was deep in the middle of a nine-country African tour. “One night, before the show, my band and I were told that over half of our audience had AIDS,” she said. “Before I went out on stage, I prayed for guidance, and before the show was over, we had the whole audience up on their feet, singing and clapping along. It made me feel good to bring some joy to people who were hurting. Music is so healing.” She knew that the audience hadn’t just connected with her, they moved her with their joy for life despite their circumstances.

It’s those moments that help define Becky as an artist. While she loves a lot of her work, including performing her honky tonk and rockabilly songs, it’s the songs she wrote that touch people when she performs them, no matter how old they might be. Her most popular—and arguably most moving—song has been the 1993 hit ‘Angels Among Us,’ recorded by Alabama as a Christmas single. “’Angels’ has touched more people than any other song I’ve written,” she said. “I am honored that it has been used to raise money for numerous charities throughout the world, namely St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.”

Like Victoria, Becky hopes her work inspires others to find success despite their circumstances. “Set your sight on what you would like to contribute to our world, i.e., a service, business, music, or art,” she says. “Feel the power of your ancestors behind you, and know that you are not alone. Then work your tail off to make it happen.”

The Indian Country/Country Indian concert is free to the public and will be held rain or shine at NMAI’s Welcome Plaza. The museum is located at 4th and Independence Ave, SW on the National Mall. Closest Metro access is L’Enfant Plaza, which services the Blue, Orange, Yellow, and Green Lines. For more information, call 202-633-1000 or visit the museum’s website.

Derek A. Bencomo, Hana Valley, First View from the Peaks and Valleys Series, 1997, milowood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Fleur and Charles Bresler in honor of Kenneth R. Trapp, curator-in-charge of the Renwick Gallery (1995--2003); photo courtesy Smithsonian American Art Museum

Some great stuff’s going on this month at the Smithsonian’s American Art Museum (SAAM) and the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI). While there’s a ton of events and exhibits happening at both locations, I’ve highlighted some of the more interesting things you may want to check out. Got a free afternoon or in need of some weekend inspiration this month? Well, there’s something here for everyone.

John Gossage, Untitled, from The Pond, 1985, Gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of anonymous donors, 2007.40.2; courtesy Smithsonian American Art Museum

The following activities and events are the Smithsonian American Art Museum, located at 8th and F Streets NW in Penn Quarter. (All activities are free.)

In the Gallery with the Collector (Oct 6, Noon)
Collector Fleur Bresler leads a gallery talk about ”A Revolution in Wood,” sharing the stories and anecdotes she collected along with the artworks in the exhibition. This program takes place at the Renwick Gallery, located on Pennsylvania Avenue at 17th Street, NW.

Art à la Cart – Rockwell Activity Cart (Oct 10, Noon – 3pm)
Ever wanted to recreate your favorite Rockwell painting? Play the role of director and create a Rockwell-inspired scene using props and tools from the museum’s Rockwell activity cart, then upload photos to flickr.com/groups/normanrockwell. (Follow @beingrockwell on twitter for activity cart updates throughout the month.)

Steinway Series – National Chamber Ensemble (Oct 10, 3pm)
In celebration of the bicentennial of Robert Schumann’s birth, the National Chamber Ensemble performs his passionate “Sonata in A Minor” for violin and piano, virtuoso music for violin and guitar by Paganini and Piazzola, and Franck’s “Sonata in A Major.”

Conversation with John Gossage (Oct 14, 7pm)
Photographer John Gossage finds moments of grace and elegance in even the most mundane places. Join the artist and curator of photography Toby Jurovics for a conversation about “The Pond” and its role in the history of American landscape photography.

Art and Photography Critic Mark Feeney (Oct 27, 7pm)
Mark Feeney, Boston Globe arts and photography critic and winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for criticism, presents “Four Photographers on Three Wheels: William Eggleston’s ‘Tricycle’ and Before.” Reception follows. The lecture will also be webcast live at americanart.si.edu. Free tickets required and available beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the museum’s G Street Lobby.

Ghosts of a Chance and Return of the Spirits (Oct 31, 2:30 – 6pm)
Decipher codes, follow treasure maps, send text messages, and uncover hidden objects to save the museum from a haunting! Halloween costumes are encouraged. Located on the 3rd floor of the Luce Foundation Center; please register before 4pm.

Alma Boliviana, traditional dances of the Andes; photo courtesy NMAI

The following activities and events are at the National Museum of the American Indian, located at the eastern tip of the National Mall at 4th and Independence Avenue SW. (All activities are free.)

Several films are playing in the museum’s Rasmuson Theater from Oct 16 through Oct 31, including Cultures of Resistance: Battle for the Xingu; Iauaretê: Waterfall of the Jaguars; and Jim Thorpe, the World’s Greatest Athlete. (See NMAI’s website for descriptions and times.)

Native Dance: Folk Traditions of Bolivia (Oct 16, Noon – 4pm)
Watch popular folk dances from Bolivia that are often danced for Carnival, including caporales and the diablada.  Fraternidad Folklórica Cultural Caporales Universitarios San Simón, from Cochabamba, Bolivia will be joined by local dancers and by singer Ñeca Rodriguez. There will be a small exhibition of Bolivian art during the day, featuring the work of Eusebio Chocque Quispe, Mamani Mamani, and Taller de Artesanias Ñawpa Wassi.

Days of the Dead/Dias de los Muertos (Oct 30 & 31; 10:30am – 4:30pm)
The museum’s annual Dia de los Muertos program celebrates life through food demonstrations by the museum’s Mitsitam Cafe’s Executive Chef Richard Hetzler and various presentations, including “La Danza de los Tecuanes,” papel picado with Tlisza Jaurique (Mexica/Yaqui/Basque/Xicana), and kite demonstrations by Evelyn Orantes (Guatemalan Maya). Hands-on activities include painting your own calavera and making papel picado. 

If you aren’t attending a rally, maybe you just want to avoid the Mall entirely this weekend. The Black Family Reunion will be held on the Mall between 7th and 14th all day on Saturday, and Unite in Action will be holding a March on DC that day as well from 12-4, marching pretty much the entire length of the Black Family Reunion.

The Black Family Reunion and a Tea Party rally also shared the Mall last year, in fact- only last year it was the much larger 9/12 FreedomWorks Taxpayer March on Washington. That rally is also happening again this year, but it’ll be on Sunday, and since the Black Family Reunion is only one day this year, the two will not conflict.

So while the 9/12 Tea Party rally in 2009 caused some issues for the Black Family Reunion from marchers using the Reunion’s portapotties and food vendors due to inadequate facilities for their own rally, it looks like it won’t happen this year. It seems the Saturday rally’s permit has been adjusted downward for a group of 2,000 or less.

There is a movement afoot to bring a demonstration to DC that will actually be awesome. A movement determined to bring Stephen Colbert to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to call America back to it’s core values, namely truthiness. This movement is gaining traction but is still in its infancy. But I’m spreading the word.  I want this vision to become a reality. Join your voices with the literally dozens of other patriots calling for Stephen Colbert to call us back to our roots.  Maybe if you tweet something awesome, it will end up on the Report.

PS: Colbert Nation, if this rally actually happens, pick up your trash.

To the Tea Party tourists visiting this weekend:

We’d like to welcome you to the nation’s capital.

Please note that despite some serious misunderstanding and outrageous assumptions made beyond the Beltway, DC really is a safe city to visit. We do recommend, however, that you just avoid Baltimore completely. Think of it as our certifiably insane sibling to the north, with delusions of class. (And yes, I am kidding. We DCites do have a sense of humor, especially at Baltimore’s expense. And Philadelphia’s.)

Despite some ramblings of various cantankerous individuals, the District does have a lot to offer you on your visit. We bust a lot of myths about our fair city here on this site; please take a moment to see if we’ve answered any of the ones you’ve heard. We also showcase a lot of amazing arts, theater, restaurants, individuals, and other great things about the DC area here; I invite you to check out what else lies beyond the Mall and maybe sample some of our wares.

‘Thumbs Up for At Attention’
courtesy of ‘Karon’

Does DC have issues? Yes – but then again, so does every other city around the globe. However, many cannot claim to be the most photogenic, or the most picturesque, or one of the best caretakers of a national heritage. Washington, DC can make a very strong claim for any of these titles. You’d agree, if you took the chance to explore what we have to offer, and not avoid sections of our fair area on the advice of those who don’t live here or seem to care about DC.

I know we’ve gotten a bad rap in decades past, but we’re over it. We’re a multicultural melting pot, a crossroads of ethnicities, creeds, religions, ideologies, philosophies, and politics. Sure, we may vote a certain way on some issues, we may stand on the right and walk on the left on our escalators, and we do have our share of shameful public figures – but again, so does every city and every town in this great country. We are not an island unto ourselves, but more a cross-sectional look at what is America.

‘Eleanor Holmes Norton and Nigel Lythgoe’
courtesy of ‘kimberlyfaye’

It saddens many of us locals that we’re painted so broadly with the political brush. It’s a stereotype we can all do without, but is perpetuated by those who refuse to really look and experience the fullness of the District. We are who we are and if you’d stop to ask us, you’d find that out. We love our city passionately, much as you may love a sports team, or your alma mater, or your own neck of the woods. And as much as your hackles are raised when someone disparages your own, so much more us. We feel we must constantly defend ourselves, even though we don’t have representative rights. And that constant vigilance against those who besmirch our character makes us cranky, irritable, and flippant. Is it right? Probably not. But then, is it right for others to so blatantly blanket us with bad stereotypes and third-hand outdated references and comparisons?

We’re the epicenter of the United States. It comes with being the capital, and we know that. We accept it. We thrive in it. Our city’s culture remains as diverse as our people; something that you will find evident when you arrive, no matter what Metro line you ride.

‘wait until the train stops’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99′

So please understand – we do want you here. We want you to shop our shops, eat our food, enjoy our venues. We want you to experience DC for what we are, so when you return home, you arrive with a greater capacity to understand, enjoy, and celebrate the District for what it is, not what it’s rumored to be. This is, after all, your capital, too. What we don’t want, however, is rudeness, intolerance, and self-righteousness, so we ask that you simply leave those at home with the bottles of shampoo and the nail clippers. Come with open eyes, and we’ll embrace you with open arms. Come with blinders on, and prepare to face our stubborn cantankerousness, for it is mighty.

If you can’t do that…well, it’s your loss, not ours. We’ll keep taking care of the place for you, until you finally decide to truly come home to Washington, DC.

Did anyone else see the large meteors that fell over DC, last night? I was at Screen on the Green last night watching 12 Angry Men (always awesome) and I saw two flaming chunks of rock fall over the Capitol.  And I’m not talking about dainty shooting stars. These were large enough and close enough to be seen despite the city’s light pollution and definitely caught the attention of most of the movie goers. You could even see the rocks beginning to break up and shed chunks of debris.  They kind of looked like fireworks right before the explode.  Did anyone else see them, or am I crazy?

After years of scouring, the DDOT historians have posted some fantastic photos of our beloved city from the 1940s thru the 1960s to their Flickr account. The set features cityscapes from all over the district, including an awesome shot from an open air parking lot on H Street NE, a Harlem-esque looking F & 13th Street, and Tenley Circle with streetcar tracks.

My favorite pic is the shot of Rosslyn looking over the Key Bridge to DC taken in 1945.  It’s amazing to think of the now skyscraper filled neighborhood as only having two and three storied buildings. Some may remember one of last remaining relics of that era, Tom Sarris Orleans House, which tragically closed in 2008. That place was definitely a DC insiders go to.

Rachel: Well, I’m fresh off a stint in Nashville to audition for American Idol. It didn’t go my way but I learned a lot and am ready to rock out harder than ever before after being “cut” from the program before ever seeing any air-time. I’ve got a gig booked for Saturday night at the Tonic Lounge (located at 2036 G Street NW, near the Foggy Bottom Metro). I’m not the only entertainment on tap, several artists from the DC area will take the stage too. So grab a drink at the bar, stay for the tunes, and if you’re a Glee fan I guarantee a solid new cover added to my repertoire from the second half of last season’s show. Not gonna tell you what it is, you’ll have to stop by to hear it. Show starts at 8 p.m. with a $5 cover. I’ll also have albums on sale with proceeds going to the National Kidney Foundation in honor of my late father who received a heart transplant in 1999. Hope to see you there! It should be a rockin’ good time.

Patrick: Weeks of no social life ends this weekend. Noises Off! opens this Saturday at Keegan Theatre in Dupont Circle. As the stage manager I’ll be in the booth playing the role of incompetent sound technician #1. No seriously, come see the show and watch the actors freak out at me during Act III. The show will run through August so I hope to see everybody there eventually. While I’m running the show I’ll also be trying to figure out where to eat and drink before and after performances- anybody have any suggestions for places I should check out around 17th Street?

Max: Friday night I’ll be killing two birds with one museum at the Hirshhorn After Hours – drinking alcohol and viewing the Yves Klein exhibit that I’ve heard great things about.  I’ll also be swinging by the opening for PORTRAY, a photography exhibit curated by Frank Hallam Day at Addison Ripley in Georgetown. Saturday night I’l be attending the closing party for Mixology II at Curator’s Office, a photography show that benefits Doctors Without Borders, and then checking out work by the new 2010 Hamiltonian Fellows.  Sunday I’ll be sleeping as much as possible, but I’d like to go see Inception since everyone seems to be freaking out about it.

”
courtesy of ‘julianne’s’

Dave L.: To commemorate a personal milestone of reaching my late 20s (trust me, that’s impressive if we’ve met), I’ll be ringing in the celebrations with my good friends Dave Matthews and Zac Brown at Nationals Park. After the show, it’s a whirlwind weekend of the normal activities: alumni league softball with a chance to win the division, a little bit of a cookout/pool party, some craziness at Little Miss Whiskey’s, and then practicing for four upcoming gigs: one next week and three in August.

Rebecca: Sometimes there’s nothing grander than keeping one of your weekend nights completely open, so that’s what I’m doing with my Friday night. I may go down to the Waterfront. I may go check out Inception. I may check out Drive-By Truckers at the 930 Club. I don’t know. I’ll go where the mood takes me. Saturday: I’m desperate for some farmers market produce, so the Georgetown Farmers Market is calling my name. Depending on the level of hotness and humidity, I’d like to bike down to the Mall and tour around. Haven’t gone down there in a while. Sunday: Relazing by the Volta Park pool sounds like a good idea. I hope I can catch some sort of a tan for my pasty whiteness.

Jenn: I’m breathing a deep sigh of relief as I face off a weekend not as crazily jam-packed as usual. Tonight I’m off to see my last Fringe show, Terre Haute, about the correspondence between Timothy McVeigh and Gore Vidal. Should be a barrel of laughs (just kidding, I think it will be a deeply philosophical debate). Friday sees me out on 17th Street to slurp some oysters at Hank’s and then sip some raki at Agora (hmm, dangerous combo?). I’m sure I can slip some Rickey’s in there somewhere, the contest ends soon so get out there and enjoy. The rest of the weekend is devoted to the zen of house chores. They have to be done sometime!

‘Silver Strollers’
courtesy of ‘Kevin H.’

Tom: Given the horrific weekend forecast, I’m moving all my activities to the early morning: a quick trip to the farm and the farm markets in the morning on Saturday, and light yard maintenance on Sunday.  Of course, there are a lot of great places to hide in the shade and from the heat in this kind of weather, and I may let my air conditioning off the hook for the weekend.  I was thinking I might go down to the Sculpture Garden and put my feet in the fountain, or go see Toy Story 3, finally.  I’m also thinking that in that kind of heat, there’s no way I’m cooking. I’m thinking Ray’s River East.

Kirk: This weekend is my first in town in two weeks, so I’m thinking I’ll stick with some of my classic activities.  Like Rebecca, I’m keeping my Friday open to see where the winds of fortune direct me.  I’m guessing it will be to Red Derby, but who knows.  I’ve had this urge to cook all week and I’m planning on using Saturday morning and afternoon to satiate it, and then some.  On Saturday night I might cruise over to HR-57 to catch some jazz, and then on Sunday I’ll probably take a contemplative stroll through the National Cathedral, listening to whatever guest choir happens to be signing.

Michael: This Saturday I am going to see these guys and I can’t wait!

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Last night’s premiere of TopChefDC, filmed in April, has me thinking back to the cooler days of spring when the city was infiltrated with tourists on their yearly pilgrimages to see the cherry blossom.  While I long for the chillier weather and the beautiful, cotton candy cherry blossoms, I’m good with our present normal levels of tourists.

Today’s DC Craft lets you add a little bit of cherry blossom to your abode with this reinterpreted cherry blossom vinyl wall decal. The wall decoration comes in 17 potential colors, and features a series of 4 birds perched on blooming branches.  Chose pink for the branches, and you’ve got a DC-centric piece of wall art.

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We all know and realize that with Memorial Day behind us, the inevitable is obvious. It’s summertime. That also means it’s tourist season yet again. Which, in this case, is a good thing.

Having tourists in town can make for some decent changes, one of which I happen to be a huge fan of — the National Park Service extending the Washington Monument’s hours of operation.

District visitors and residents can now take the 500-foot-level trip to the monument’s observation area open at 9 a.m. and don’t close until 10 p.m. That’s five extra hours of time to gallivant around on of Washington’s most beloved icons.

Tickets are free and available either online or by calling (877) 444-6777. The National Park Service as advised individuals to allow at least two weeks before your tickets will be mailed to your home.

Free same-day tickets are also available beginning at 8:30 a.m. daily on a first come, first serve basis at the National Park Service’s Monument Lodge, located on the 15th Street side of the Washington Monument grounds.

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Summer is my favorite season, I’ve made no secret of that on this here blog over the years. DC comes alive in the summer, with events galore. And if you’re new to DC, or new to We Love DC, or even an old faithful reader (and we love you for that, truly) I just wanted to take some time to point out that we’ve got you covered for summer.

So here is my short list of things I love about summer in DC and links to articles that we’ve written in the past to help you get the most out of it. (We call this unabashedly re-purposing content.)

So without futher ado:  

‘mmm…free goo…’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99′
1) Ice Cream: Last summer I rounded up all my favorite spots to eat ice cream, and you guys all told me in the comments the places that I missed.

‘Donovan House Pool Side Bar’
courtesy of ‘InspirationDC’
2) Rooftop bars: I wrote up a list of everyone’s favorite rooftop bars.

‘Chilled Soup, Hot Summer’
courtesy of ‘LaTur’
3) Cold food for hot days: Last summer I wrote up a whole article on my favorite cold foods, included recipes and told you the best places to get them if you didn’t want to make them at home.

‘Rehoboth Beach’
courtesy of ‘InspirationDC’
4) Going to the beach: My girlfriends and I visited Rehoboth and I recounted the lovely experience for you.

‘Just Another Sight’
courtesy of ‘M.V. Jantzen’
5) The Mount Vernon Trail: One of my favorite places to run and cycle in DC is even better in warm weather.

‘This Makes Rosslyn Fun’
courtesy of ‘M.V. Jantzen’
6) Outdoor film festivals: Last year when HBO took away (and then gave back) Screen on the Green, Tiffany went looking for alternatives for you. Most of them will be happening again this summer. Personally, I love Rosslyn’s films (this year they’re doing I love the 90s!)

‘Stella on the Harbor’
courtesy of ‘needlessspaces’
7) The Food & Wine Festival: I had so much fun at the National Food and Wine Festival at National Harbor last year that I’m dying to go back.

We’ve gotten word that a delivery truck has crashed into the Hirshhorn. Driver sustained serious injuries, but not life-threatening. Minor damage to the building; the truck broke through flower pot barriers and hit a window at the entrance, shattering it.

Update from DC Fire/EMS Twitter: update – loaded UPS truck crashed into front entrance of Hirshorn – driver pri 2 – serious – perimeter expanded – expect some traffic closur

More from WUSA9, WTOP, WJLA, FOX5, and Post Now.

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There’s a reason that community activism is done best by communities instead of organizations. It feels right to work together for a common cause to demonstrate solidarity of opinion and effort, instead of just being hit up for money. That’s exactly what the save the screen on the green guys did this morning. Instead of providing me with the tools to contact HBO and request that they keep up this valuable community feature, or asking my help in identifying sponsors to help defray event costs, they came straight for my wallet this morning:

HBO hasn’t yet decided whether or not they’ll host “Screen on the Green” this year, so we’re back in action. Fans like you have already helped, “liking” us on Facebook and tweeting about our cause.

But we need your support. We need $2,000 to upgrade our website and prepare it for our next letter writing campaign.

Will you chip in $20 to help build our website and save “Screen on the Green”?

Look, I love Screen on the Green, too, and we were one of the first sites to break the news last year when HBO pulled the plug, but what I want was community outreach, not a hand in my wallet so you can build a website. I want this to be an event that returns year after year, too, but that isn’t built off solicitations and exhortations without giving me the opportunity to help you with my labor and efforts.

So really, bite me.

The 2010 Washington DC Triathlon is looking for a few good men and women to sign up for a variety of volunteer positions, Thursday, June 17 through Race Day, Sunday, June 20th.

This is a great way to get first hand experience with Sprint and Olympic distance triathlons and feel the pulse and spirit that these events bring with them. Did I mention that volunteers get a free t-shirt? Woot!

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WOW!  Alexandria’s Sandburg Middle School has developed ten awesome DC podcast tours that offer fabulous insights into our city’s neighborhoods, monuments, museums and local shops/restaurants.  Each podcast is accompanied by a informational guide that includes the closest metro stop, address, entrance fees and relevant website. How useful! The tours and voice overs are all performed by Sandburg students, and can be easily downloaded to your ipod or mp3 player. What a stellar find and what a stellar way for students and DCers to learn about our nation’s capital.