Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at the Smithsonian
By admin - Posted on September 3rd, 2007
Aug. 31, 2007 -- From Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, the Smithsonian celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with a series of performances, lectures, exhibitions, family activities and tours at various museums around the Institution. All programs are free, unless otherwise indicated.
Feature Event
The Smithsonian will present "An Afternoon with Carmen Lomas Garza" Sunday, Sept. 16 in the S. Dillon Ripley Center. A family festival will be held from 1 to 4 p.m., and an adult program will be held from 5 to 6:30 p.m.
The family festival, recommended for children ages 7 and older, will feature the many sides of Garza, artist and author of such children's books as "In My Family" and "Family Pictures." At 1 p.m., she will read from her books, and she will hold a book signing. At 2:30 p.m., she will conduct a workshop on the art of decorative paper cutting. The adult program will feature a lecture by Garza at 5 p.m. in the Ripley Center's lecture hall. She will discuss her artwork, some of which is highlighted in the Ripley Center's exhibition "Mexican Treasures of the Smithsonian," which opens Sept. 5, and at the Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. This is the first event in the Smithonian Heritage Month series Sharing Stories/Sharing Heritage, which explores the ways objects and stories connect people to their heritage and to each other.
For a full calendar of events, visit www.smithsonianeducation.org/heritage.
Performances
On Friday, Sept. 14, the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History will present the musical groups Chéjere and Sonex. In this double-feature concert, the two groups will combine contemporary Afro-Latin, hip-hop, funk and electronic music with son jarocho and son huasteco, two Mexican regional styles that are a cultural mix of indigenous and imported sounds. The performance will take place at 6 p.m. in the museum's Baird Auditorium.
The Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian will feature a performance by Ranferi Aquilar (Maya) Saturday, Sept. 15, at 5:30 p.m. on the outdoor Welcome Plaza. A founding member of Guatemala's best-known rock band Alux Nahual, Aquilar will blend traditional Mayan music with the guitar and other modern instruments to create new arrangements of ancient sounds. This outdoor performance is part of Indian Summer Showcase 2007.
Lectures
Art critic Judy Pomeranz will present "The Giants of Barcelona: Picasso, Miro, Dali and Guadi" Wednesday, Sept. 19, at 6:45 p.m. at the Meyer Auditorium at the Smithsonian's Freer Gallery of Art. Pomeranz will highlight the masterpieces of these four "giants" of modern art who lived and painted in Barcelona, Spain, as the19th century raced into the 20th century. Tickets are required. Call (202) 633-3030.
The Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery will present "The Spanish Contribution to the Independence of the United States" Thursday, Sept. 27 through Saturday, Sept. 29. Scholars from Spain, Mexico and the United States will discuss Spain's role in the history of the United States, particularly the American Revolutionary War. This lecture complements the National Portrait Gallery's exhibition "Legacy: Spain and the United States in the Age of Independence, 1763-1848," which opens Sept. 27. Reservations are required. Call (202) 633-1240 or e-mail npglegacy@si.edu.
Family Activities
The Smithsonian's National Zoological Park will host "Fiesta Musical," its annual all-day fiesta, Sunday, Sept. 16, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. This event for the whole family includes costumed dancers, traditional crafts, Latino music and food, animal demonstrations and science presentations. For more information, visit www.nationalzoo.si.edu.
"Mexico-Fest" at the National Museum of Natural History will feature a day of craft making and performances that highlight the artistic and cultural traditions of Mexico. Museum scientists also will discuss their research activities in Mexico. This program will be held Saturday, Oct. 13, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Tours
The Smithsonian Latino Center will offer interactive bilingual tours of the exhibitions "Mexican Treasures of the Smithsonian" and "Lola Alvarez Bravo" Sept. 5 through Nov. 11 at the S. Dillon Ripley Center's International Gallery. To make an appointment for a tour, call (202) 633-1268 or visit www.latino.si.edu.
Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, the Renwick Gallery will offer daily docent-led tours highlighting the work of Hispanic artists. The tours will take place weekdays at noon and weekends at 1 p.m. from the Information Desk.
Exhibitions
The Smithsonian Latino Center will present "Mexican Treasures of the Smithsonian" from Sept. 5 through Nov. 11 at the S. Dillon Ripley Center. This exhibition highlights objects from several Smithsonian museums that reveal the full range of the Mexican presence in the Smithsonian's collections. Featured art and artifacts range from pre-Columbian indigenous objects to contemporary artworks, including an Aztec obsidian mirror, historical maps, coins and currency, flags, stamps and costumes worn by Mexican-American artists Lydia Mendoza and Selena.
The Smithsonian Latino Center will feature "Lola Alvarez Bravo" from Sept. 5 through Nov. 11 at the S. Dillon Ripley Center. This exhibition showcases the landmark style of Lola Alvarez Bravo (1907-1993), Mexico's first female photographer. It highlights more than 50 vintage photographic prints spanning six decades that reveal Bravo's diverse subject matter and technique, including street photographs, images documenting indigenous people and traditional culture in Mexico, portraits and Surrealist-inspired photomontages.
"Mexican Cycles: Festival Images by George O. Jackson de Llano" opens at the National Museum of Natural History Sept. 26 and will be on view through Feb. 15, 2008. This traveling exhibition, organized by the Mexico-North Research Network, features 135 photographs of the religious festivals of indigenous communities across Mexico taken between 1990 and 2001 by Mexican American photographer George O. Jackson de Llano.
This information is subject to change.
Source: Smithsonian Institute
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