Calendar of Events

 2008 Smithsonian Institution Calendar of Events

 

   

 

A Celebration of Latino Art and Culture at the Smithsonian

 

September

 

Family Day

Living in Many Worlds: Hispanic Heritage Month Family Day Celebration

Saturday, September 13

1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Kogod Courtyard / Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture

8th St. and G St. NW

Washington, D.C.

Admission is free

 

The whole family is invited to kick off the Smithsonian’s celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month with craft and art making activities, bomba and plena music and dance performances, children’s storytelling, family-oriented bilingual tours, and other interactive activities.  This is the first event in the Smithsonian Heritage Month series “Living in Many Worlds,” which explores the many influences of time and place on heritage and identity. This program is also part of the “Puerto Rico at the Smithsonian”  program series and is sponsored by the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies, the Smithsonian Heritage Months Steering Committee, and the Smithsonian Latino Center.

 

Exhibition

“Posters from the Division of Community Education (DIVEDCO) of Puerto Rico, 1949-1989”

September 17, 2008 — January 18, 2009

Concourse of the S. Dillon Ripley Center

1100 Jefferson Drive, SW

Washington, D.C.

 

As part of the 2008 program series “Puerto Rico at the Smithsonian,” the Smithsonian Latino Center presents an exhibition of iconic Puerto Rican poster art from the late 1940s to the late 1980s.  During that period, the island’s best known graphic artists—Rafael Tufiño, Lorenzo Homar, José Meléndez Contreras, and many others—were enlisted by a government agency known as DIVEDCO (División de Educación de la Comunidad).  Their goal was to create art for social change.  Brilliant, dramatic, colorful, and didactic, these posters illustrate the island’s hopes and aspirations during the first pivotal decades of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and into the 1980s.

 

Annual Gala

“The Smithsonian Latino Center’s Annual ¡Smithsonian Con Sabor! Gala and Legacy Awards”

September 18

Kogod Courtyard / Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture

9th and F Streets, NW

Washington, D.C.

 

School Workshop

“Art for Social Change”

Thursday, September 25

10:00 a.m. — 12:00 p.m.

3rd Floor of the S. Dillon Ripley Center

1100 Jefferson Drive, SW

Washington, D.C.

 

As part of the 2008 program series “Puerto Rico at the Smithsonian”, the Smithsonian Latino Center is offering educational workshops to complement its exhibition of Puerto Rican posters.  These workshops will focus on the use of art to promote social change and issues.  Using the DIVEDCO Poster and Film collections as a basis, topics and themes presented as part of the program will include current social issues such as health, education, and the role of family and the community in society.  The workshops will include a guided tour of the exhibition, classroom discussion, and hands on activities.  Art for Social Change is appropriate for both middle school and high school groups.  To make reservations for this workshop, please contact SLC Education Manager Emily Key, keye@si.edu.

 

October

Performance

Borinquen! Music & Dance of Puerto Rico

 

Oct. 1, 2008

10:15 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

Baird Auditorium

National Museum of Natural History

 

Interactive performance with Grupo Corozo and Raíces de Borinquen that will showcase different Puerto Rican musical and dance traditions including bomba y plena music  —from this enchanting Caribbean island. Performance will include group discussion and instrument demonstrations.  Appropriate for all ages.

 

Tickets required. Group rates available.

202-633-8700

www.discoverytheater.org

 

Family Day

Living and Working in Space

 

Oct. 4, 2008

10 am – 3:00 pm

National Air and Space Museum

National Mall Building

Admission: Free

 

The Smithsonian Latino Center and the National Air and Space Museum present the “Living and Working in Space” family day. How do astronauts live and work in space? This is your opportunity to learn. Explore discovery stations, enjoy arts and crafts activities, and attend a bilingual program about Hispanics in aeronautics and celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.

 

 

Art Lecture

“The Puerto Rican Poster in the 20th Century: Word and Image—with Teresa Tió”

Thursday, October 9

Pyramid Atlantic Art Center

, Maryland

Admission is free

 

In the second half of the 20th Century, Puerto Rico became a major center of graphic art production in Latin America.  The Smithsonian Latino Center and the Pyramid Atlantic Art Center have invited the foremost expert on the Puerto Rican poster-making tradition, Dr. Teresa Tió, to present an illustrated history of one of the island’s most influential art forms.  To reserve a seat at this free event, please email SLCevent@si.edu.  This program is being presented in collaboration with Pyramid Atlantic, a center for contemporary prints, paper, and book arts.  For more about Pyramid Atlantic, including directions from the Silver Spring Metro Station and parking information, please visit www.pyramidatlanticartcenter.org/about/contact.htm#directions.

 

 

School Workshop

Catch the Beat- with Luis Garay: Interactive percussion workshop/performance

 

October 14^th, 15^th, 16^th, 17^th

10:15 am & 11:30 am

The Discovery Theater

 S. Dillon Ripley Center

1100 Jefferson Drive, SW

Washington D.C.

 

As part of the 2008 program series, “Puerto Rico at the Smithsonian”, the Smithsonian Latino Center and Discovery Theater’s Catch the Beat will offer elementary students an interactive experience on Puerto Rican music and percussion.  Join us as we explore traditional Puerto Rican instruments and sounds to create the rhythms of the Island.  The workshop will include a performance and interactive music session for the participants.  Catch the Beat is appropriate for elementary age students.  This program is part of the Smithsonian Latino Center’s Cultural Expressions program series.  Please RSVP to Discovery Theater.

 

Tickets required. Group rates available.

202-633-8700

www.discoverytheater.org

 

Films Series

“The Puerto Rican films of DIVEDCO: Melodrama, Civics, and Modernity”

Featuring the short films, “El Resplandor” (1961) and

“Nenén de la Ruta Mora” (1956)

Thursday, October 23

7:00 p.m.—9:00 p.m.

Busboys and Poets

2021 14th St. N.W.

Washington, D.C.

 

This evening’s program features “El Resplandor” and “Nenén de la Ruta Mora,” two of the few DIVEDCO films that specifically address blackness in Puerto Rico.  These films are available only in Spanish; a written, English-language overview will be available for viewers the do not speak Spanish.  For directions to Busboys and Poets, visit http://www.busboysandpoets.com/.

 

November

School Workshop

“Art for Social Change”

Thursday, November 6

Thursday, November 20

10:00 a.m. — 12:00 p.m.

3rd Floor of the S. Dillon Ripley Center

1100 Jefferson Drive, SW

Washington, D.C.

 

These workshops will focus on the use of art to promote social change and issues.  Using the DIVEDCO Poster and Film collections as a basis, topics and themes presented as part of the program will include current social issues such as health, education, and the role of family and the community in society.  The workshops will include a guided tour of the exhibition, classroom discussion, and hands on activities.  Art for Social Change is appropriate for both middle school and high school groups.  To make reservations for this workshop, please contact SLC Education Manager Emily Key, keye@si.edu.

 

Films Series

“The Puerto Rican films of DIVEDCO: Melodrama, Civics, and Modernity”

Thursday, November 6

Featuring the film, “Los Peloteros” (1953)

7:00 p.m.—9:00 p.m.

Busboys and Poets

2021 14th St. N.W.

Washington, D.C.

 

This evening’s program features “Los Peloteros,” a masterpiece of Puerto Rican cinema directed by Jack Delano and featuring the legendary Puerto Rican comic, Ramón Rivero, known as “Diplo”.  This film is available only in Spanish; a written, English-language overview will be available for viewers the do not speak Spanish.  For directions to Busboys and Poets, visit http://www.busboysandpoets.com/.

 

 

Films Series

“Puerto Rican Matinee pt. 1: Contemporary Films from the Island”

Saturday, November 22

1:00 p.m.—2:00 p.m. “La Isla Chatarra” (2007) by Karen Rossi

3:00 p.m. —5:00 p.m. “Ángel” (2007) by Jacobo Morales

McEvoy Auditorium / Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture

8th St. and G St. NW

Washington, D.C.

 

From the fancy rims on pimped-out minivans to the island’s dependency on credit, “La Isla Chatarra” is an award-winning documentary highlighting Puerto Rican car culture.  It is followed by the political thriller “Ángel,” a story about dirty cops and a framed leftist university professor directed by (and starring) Academy Award-nominated director Jacobo Morales.  These films are in Spanish with English subtitles.  Tickets are available one hour before each show and are subject to availability—be sure to arrive early for a good seat!

 

 

December

 

School Workshop

“Art for Social Change”

Thursday, December 4

Thursday, December 18

10:00 a.m. — 12:00 p.m.

3rd Floor of the S. Dillon Ripley Center

1100 Jefferson Drive, SW

Washington, D.C.

 

These workshops will focus on the use of art to promote social change and issues.  Using the DIVEDCO Poster and Film collections as a basis, topics and themes presented as part of the program will include current social issues such as health, education, and the role of family and the community in society.  The workshops will include a guided tour of the exhibition, classroom discussion, and hands on activities.  Art for Social Change is appropriate for both middle school and high school groups.  To make reservations for this workshop, please contact SLC Education Manager Emily Key, keye@si.edu.

 

Films Series

“The Puerto Rican films of DIVEDCO: Melodrama, Civics, and Modernity”

Thursday, December 4

7:00 p.m.—9:00 p.m.

Featuring the films, “Juan sin seso” (1960) by Luis Maisonet and “Modesta” (1955) by Benji Doniger

Hirshhorn Museum / Ring Auditorium

Washington, DC

Admission is free

 

Presented in conjunction with an exhibition in the Ripley Center of Puerto Rican posters produced by a government agency called DIVEDCO, this film series presents Puerto Rican films from the 1950s and 60s whose stories and images were determined by the public policies and cultural negotiations happening on the island during those pivotal decades of political, social, and economic change.  This evening’s program features “Juan sin Seso,” a humorously didactic film about the dangers of consumerism, and “Modesta,” a comical but poignant declaration (and negotiation) of women’s rights on the interior of the island.  Tickets are available one hour before the show and are subject to availability—be sure to arrive early for a good seat!

 

Films Series

“Puerto Rican Matinee pt. 2: Contemporary Films from the Island”

Sunday, December 7

12:00 p.m. —2:00 p.m. “Cayo” (2005) by Vicente Juarbe

3:00 p.m. —5:00 p.m. “Maldeamores” (2007) by Carlos Ruiz Ruiz and Mariem Pérez Riera

McEvoy Auditorium / Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture

8th St. and G St. NW

Washington, D.C.

 

Set on the island of Culebra, “Cayo” is a touching love story about friendships lost and regained.  With stellar acting, “Maldeamores” is the award-winning film produced by Benicio del Toro.  A dark comedy about love and relationships, “Maldeamores” will be followed by a short discussion on filmmaking in Puerto Rico.  Tickets are available one hour before each show (or after 11:30 a.m.) and are subject to availability—be sure to arrive early for a good seat!

 

Writers Talk

“Fantasy at the Hands of Puerto Rican Writers—with Beatriz Santiago-Ibarra and Rafi Torres”

Saturday, December 6, 2008

6:30 p.m.—8:30 p.m.

Busboys and Poets

2021 14th St. N.W.

Washington, D.C.

Admission is free

 

From 19th century novels to pulp fiction, writer Beatriz Santiago-Ibarra from the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture interprets the broad topic of fantasy in the literature and popular writing of Puerto Rico.  Santiago-Ibarra is the best-selling author of the fantasy novel El ultimo centauro (The Last Centaur), published in 2006.  Mixing performance and lecture, she will be accompanied by musician and actor Rafi Torres.  Be sure to arrive early—limited seating is available.  For directions to Busboys and Poets, visit http://www.busboysandpoets.com/.

 

Films Series

“Ambulante at the Smithsonian – New Documentaries from Mexico”

“Trazando Aleida” (Christiane Burkhard, 2008)

Thursday, December 11

7:00 p.m.—9:00 p.m.

National Museum of Natural History - Baird Auditorium

10th Street and Constitution Ave, NW

Washington, D.C.

This documentary tells the story of Aleida Gallangos, a 32 year old Mexican woman who, up until four years ago, did not know her real identity. Her parents disappeared in 1975 during what is known as the Guerra Sucia (Dirty War) and both her brother and herself were adopted by different families and lost track of one another for almost 30 years. During these last years, Aleida has dedicated herself not only to tracing back and reconstructing her family background, but to search for her brother and to continue their relationship after an unexpected meeting in Washington D.C. The documentary seeks to put a face, a voice, and a name to one of the hundreds of cases of missing people in Mexico during the sixties.  In Spanish with English subtitles; auditorium doors open 30 minutes before the show.  A discussion following this screening will be led by the film’s director. Screening organized in partnership with the Mexican Cultural Institute.

 

 

Art Lecture

“Puerto Rican Art Now – with Antonio Martorell”

Friday, December 12

7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Ring Auditorium, Hirshhorn Museum

Independence Avenue at Seventh Street SW

, DC

Admission is free

 

The Smithsonian Latino Center presents one of Puerto Rico’s best known artists, Antonio Martorell, who will discuss the work of Puerto Rican artists since the 1980s and their presence in museums and galleries on the island and in the global art market.

 

Films Series

“Ambulante at the Smithsonian – New Documentaries from Mexico”

“La canción del pulque” (Everardo González, 2003)

Saturday, December 13

12:00 p.m.—1:30 p.m.

National Museum of Natural History - Baird Auditorium

10th Street and Constitution Ave, NW

Washington, D.C.

A portrait of daily life at the pulquería La Pirata. A homage to ranchera music, to the barrio, to pulque (a traditional alcoholic drink which has existed since indigenous times), and to all those who drink it. This program contains some strong language and some difficult scenes for children—minors should be accompanied by adults or guardians.  In Spanish with English subtitles; auditorium doors open 30 minutes before the show.  A discussion following this screening will be led by the film’s director. Screening organized in partnership with the Mexican Cultural Institute.

 

“Los ladrones viejos: las leyendas del artegio” (Everardo González, 2007)

Saturday, December 13

3:00 pm-5:00 pm

National Museum of Natural History - Baird Auditorium

10th Street and Constitution Ave, NW

Washington, D.C.

 

This is the story of a generation of thieves who were famously successful in the 1960s in Mexico, and of the codes of conduct that they lived by. It is also the story of the Mexican criminal underworld: the numerous “categories” of delinquents who inhabited the city, their alliances with the police authorities that allowed them to continue their illegal activities, the betrayals that followed, and finally, the price they eventually had to pay.  In Spanish with English subtitles; auditorium doors open 30 minutes before the show.  A discussion following this screening will be led by the film’s director. Screening organized in partnership with the Mexican Cultural Institute.

 

Films Series

“Ambulante at the Smithsonian – New Documentaries from Mexico”

“XV en Zaachila” (Rigoberto Perezcano, 2002)

Sunday, December 14

12:30 pm-2:00 pm

National Museum of the American Indian - Rasmuson Theater

4th Street and Independence Ave, SW

Washington, D.C.

 

A town, a family, a daughter, a bull to be killed, eight godfathers, a party that lasts two days, six chamberlains, 850 guests... and all this for her fifteenth birthday.  In Spanish with English subtitles; auditorium doors open 30 minutes before the show.  A discussion following this film will be facilitated by the National Museum of the American Indian. Screening organized in partnership with the Mexican Cultural Institute.

 

“Trópico de Cáncer” (Eugenio Polgovsky, 2004)

Sunday, December 14

3:30 pm-5:00 pm

National Museum of the American Indian - Rasmuson Theater

4th Street and Independence Ave, SW

Washington, D.C.

 

At the height of the Tropic of Cancer in the desert of San Luis Potosí, Mexico, various families survive by hunting animals which they sell on the freeway.  In Spanish with English subtitles; auditorium doors open 30 minutes before the show.  A discussion following this film will be facilitated by the National Museum of the American Indian. Screening organized in partnership with the Mexican Cultural Institute.

 

January, 2009

 

Family Day CANCELED!

“Puerto Rican Holiday Festival”

Sunday, January 4

1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

3 p.m. Screening of the concert film “Queridos reyes magos” (2005)

Baird Auditorium / National Museum of Natural History

10th and Constitution Avenue, NW

Washington, D.C.

  Learn about traditional Puerto Rican crafts, holiday music, Puerto Rican flora and fauna, and much more.  This program includes a 3pm screening of the 2005 Banco Popular holiday concert film “Queridos reyes magos.”

 

School Workshop

“Art for Social Change”

Thursday, January 8

10:00 a.m. — 12:00 p.m.

3rd Floor of the S. Dillon Ripley Center

1100 Jefferson Drive, SW

Washington, D.C.

  Using the DIVEDCO Poster and Film collections as a basis, topics and themes presented as part of the program will include current social issues such as health, education, and the role of family and the community in society.  The workshops will include a guided tour of the exhibition, classroom discussion, and hands on activities.  Art for Social Change is appropriate for both middle school and high school groups.  To make reservations for this workshop, please contact SLC Education Manager Emily Key, keye@si.edu.