Public Programs

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Media resources for our public programs. See our Event Calendar for all of our public programs.

Architectural details of brutalist style Hirshhorn building at night

Hirshhorn Partners With MTV Entertainment Studios on TV Series Documenting Artists and Art Making

Filmed Onsite, “The Exhibit: Finding the Next Great Artist” Follows Seven Rising Artists, Features Artworks in the Hirshhorn Collection; Launches March 3 on MTV, March 7 on Smithsonian Channel

02.10.2023

Hirshhorn Museum Public Programs

Two women sit outside in green scenery — Still from *Daughter of a Lost Bird* (2020), directed by Brooke Swaney

Smithsonian Presents the Mother Tongue Film Festival, “Coming Home”

Annual Festival Returns to In-Person Events Feb. 23–26

02.07.2023

Public Programs

Two men face forward and smile — Rick Steves and Fred Plotkin

Smithsonian Associates Presents “Rick Steves on Eating in Italy: A Cultured Conversation with Fred Plotkin”

01.23.2023

Smithsonian Associates Public Programs

Three people carry a fourth person laying straight across in their arms — Performance image of Yvonne Rainer’s “Hellzapoppin’: What About the Bees?” (2022). Courtesy of Performa. Photo by Maria Baranova

Hirshhorn Museum To Present Co-Commission and Self-Described ‘Last Dance’ by Acclaimed Avant-Garde Choreographer and Filmmaker Yvonne Rainer

DC Premiere of “Hellzapoppin’: What About the Bees?” Feb. 9–10

01.20.2023

Hirshhorn Museum Public Programs

Panda eating bamboo shoot with a snowy background

Smithsonian Associates Presents “A Panda Story: Celebrating Giant Pandas at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo with David M. Rubenstein”

Program Will Be Presented In Person and Online Jan. 30

01.12.2023

Smithsonian Associates Public Programs

Smithsonian Associates Hosts Summer Camp at the Smithsonian

Camps Offer Kids Opportunities To Connect With the Smithsonian’s Museums and Research

01.11.2023

Smithsonian Associates Public Programs

Oil painting of Abraham Lincoln standing next to a desk — Credit: “Abraham Lincoln,” Willem Frederik Karel Travers, oil on canvas, 1865. On loan from the Hartley Dodge Foundation, and courtesy of the citizens of the Borough of Madison, New Jersey. Photo by Joe Painter, Courtesy of the Hartley Dodge Foundation.

National Portrait Gallery To Install Historic Life-Size Painting of President Abraham Lincoln Ahead of Presidents Day Festivities

Presidential Family Fun Day To Take Place Saturday, Feb. 18

01.10.2023

Portrait Gallery Public Programs

Illustration of two figures surrounded by colorful gradients and flora

Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center Presents Bravespace

New Music Compilation Featuring Over a Dozen Asian American Artists Reflecting on Meditation, Mindfulness and Collective Healing

01.09.2023

Asian Pacific American Center Public Programs

Original pamphlet for the Emancipation Proclamation — The Proclamation of Emancipation by the President of the United States, to take effect January 1st, 1863. Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

National Museum of African American History and Culture To Observe 160th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation Issued by President Lincoln

Museum To Host a Special Screening and Panel Discussion of the New Documentary “Descendant” Jan. 7, 2023

12.28.2022

African American Museum Public Programs

Exterior of National Museum of African American History and Culture with clear blue skies and a reflecting pool

National Museum of African American History and Culture Examines the Impact of Race in December Public Programming

Programming Features Annual Freedom’s Day Eve Programming With Performance by Pianist Matthew Whitaker

12.02.2022

African American Museum Public Programs

Online Native Cinema Showcase Brings Indigenous Films to Audiences Worldwide

Curated Selection of More Than 35 Films From Across the Western Hemisphere and the Arctic Offer Enjoyment for the Entire Family

11.18.2022

American Indian Museum Public Programs

Text saying Our Shared Future: Reckoning with Our Racial Past

Smithsonian Hosts National Conversation on Race

Program at the National Museum of African American History and Culture Will Explore Racism Through Historical and Contemporary Contexts

11.17.2022

Public Programs

Trees festively decorated with brightly colored lights dazzle visitors at ZooLights, powered by Pepco, at Smithsonian’s National Zoo. Credit: Skip Brown, Smithsonian’s National Zoo

ZooLights, Powered by Pepco, Returns Nov. 25

Open Select Evenings Through Dec. 30; Free Reservations Required

11.16.2022

National Zoo & SCBI Public Programs

Bright red airplane with "Oracle" written on wings, hanging upside down — Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum/Jim Preston

National Air and Space Museum Explores General Aviation in Fall GE Aviation Lectures

Programs Will Explore the Use of Aviation for Humanitarian Aid and Sport

11.09.2022

Public Programs

Exterior of National Museum of the American Indian and its veteran's memorials — The National Native American Veterans Memorial, November 2020, On the grounds of the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. Designed by Harvey Pratt (Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes). Photo by Alan Karchmer for the National Museum of the American Indian

National Museum of the American Indian To Dedicate National Native American Veterans Memorial Nov. 11

Ceremony Will Be Part of Weekend-Long Event To Honor Native Veterans

11.08.2022

American Indian Museum Public Programs

Exterior of National Museum of the American Indian and its veterans memorial — The National Native American Veterans Memorial, November 2020, On the grounds of the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. Designed by Harvey Pratt (Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes). Photo by Alan Karchmer for the National Museum of the American Indian

Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian Celebrates Native Veterans With a Weekend of Activities Nov. 12 and 13

Events Coincide With the Dedication of the National Native American Veterans Memorial

11.03.2022

American Indian Museum Public Programs

Exterior of National Museum of the American Indian

Celebrate Native American Heritage Month at National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., and New York City

Festivities Include the Formal Dedication of the National Native American Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

10.14.2022

American Indian Museum American Indian Museum Heye Center Public Programs

National Postal Museum To Host Maynard Sundman Lecture

Lecture Focuses on Polar Philately and the Wilkes Antarctic Expedition

10.12.2022

Postal Museum Public Programs

National Museum of Asian Art 100 anniversary graphic with circular images used in the zeros of "100"

Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art Announces Centennial Celebrations

Lead Exhibitions, Public Programs and Special Initiatives Mark the Institution’s Transformation Into a Global Resource for Understanding Asian Arts and Cultures

10.06.2022

Asian Art Museum Public Programs

Special event with round tables, lighting, and projectors in American History Museum

National Museum of American History To Host Eighth Annual Smithsonian Food History Weekend and Gala in Person Oct. 13–14

Culinary Historian and Cookbook Author Grace Young Presented With Julia Child Award. Featured Presenters Include Francis Lam, Sara Moulton, Gala Menu by Chef Peter Chang. Programming Features Cooking Demonstration, Brewing History and More.

10.06.2022

American History Museum Public Programs