Editor’s Note: All programs are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. Visitors should be prepared for a security check upon entrance to the museum. Program attendees should arrive 30 minutes in advance. For a complete schedule of activities check: https://americanhistory.si.edu.
Opening Displays
Giving and the Arts (within Giving in America)
Opening March 22
Artifact Walls, Third Floor, Center
Sting’s 1978 Fender Stratocaster guitar, Lin Manuel Miranda’s costume from the Broadway musical “Hamilton,” Misty Copeland’s ballet slippers and Kermit the Frog are among the objects that will update the museum’s permanent “Giving in America” exhibit with the story of philanthropy and the arts. “Giving in America” is a long-term exhibit that looks at the history of philanthropy’s role in shaping the United States and it is updated annually to address a key theme in American giving. A 10-foot section of the display will showcase how artists and arts and culture organizations contribute time, talent and treasure to advance causes that range from education to humanitarian aid.
Art in Industry
Opening March 22
Artifact Walls, Third Floor, Center
“Art in Industry” will look back at a time when Americans embraced artistic skills as a way to build a consumer-oriented industrial economy. This display looks at artistic industries as varied as publishing and pottery from the 1830s to the 1930s through three lenses: learning, working and selling. From the Arts and Crafts Movement to industrial design, the display will showcase objects such as an 1894 ornate cash register, electric toasters, pocket watches, cameras and ceramics, including vases and tableware. Also on view will be engraving tools and drawing instruments.
Featured Events
Evenings at American History
Innovative Lives: How Women Have Shaped the Alcohol Industry
March 16; 6:30 p.m.
Wallace H. Coulter Plaza
First Floor, West
Ticket purchase required: purchase.tickets.com
Women have been working in the American alcohol industry since before the founding of the nation. From brewing early colonial beer to playing important roles in Prohibition, they have helped shape this industry and continue to make an impact. Join us in raising a glass to this history and hear from present day practitioners. The evening will feature a panel discussion with:
- Emily Bruno and Julie Verratti, founders of Denizens Brewing Co., Silver Spring, MD
- Carol Stoudt, founder of Stoudts Brewing Co., Lancaster, PA
- Meredith Grelli, co-owner of Wigle Whiskey, Pittsburgh, PA
- Leslie Przybylek, curator of the Heinz History Center, Pittsburgh, PA
A reception with tastings and activities follows the panel. The event is a joint program by the museum's and the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation. For more information, please visit americanhistory.si.edu
“Cooking Up History"
Alon Shaya: An Odyssey of Food, My Journey Back to Israel
March 17; 1 p.m.
Wallace H. Coulter Performance Plaza, Demonstration Kitchen
First Floor, West
2018 marks the tricentennial of the founding of New Orleans and this program features one of that city’s most celebrated chefs, Alon Shaya. With his innovative interpretation of modern Israeli cuisine, Alon has brought dishes ranging from Labneh to Schnitzel not only to the forefront of New Orleans’ Creole food scene, but also to the nation’s. During this program, Alon will prepare several dishes from his new cookbook, “SHAYA: An Odyssey of Food, My Journey Back to Israel,” while speaking to food historian Ashley Rose Young about his professional and personal experiences with food. Books will be available for purchase and signing. For more information, please visit: s.si.edu/CookHistory.
Book signings
Book signing with Chef Alon Shaya
March 17; 2 p.m.
First Floor, West
Chef Alon will be signing copies of his book "SHAYA: An Odyssey of Food, My Journey Back to Israel" at 2 p.m. directly after his "Cooking Up History" demonstration. Books will be available for purchase at "Cooking Up
History." For more information, please visit: s.si.edu/CookHistory.
Performances
March 29; 7:30 p.m.
Wallace H. Coulter Performance Plaza
Ticket purchase required: https://americanhistory.si.edu/smithsonian-jazz
Norman Granz was the primary source for the recording and dissemination of jazz from the 1940s-1980s. Throughout his unparalleled career, Granz produced recordings across a broad spectrum of artists including Lester Young, Miles Davis, Benny Carter, Billy Holiday, Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane, and Ella Fitzgerald. In 1944, he produced the first in his series of “Jazz at the Philharmonic” concerts in Los Angeles. Hear the SJMO perform the music of jazz’s greatest artists as presented by Norman Granz.
Smithsonian Chamber Music Society
Axelrod Quartet
March 17 and 18; 7:30 p.m.
Pre-concert lecture at 6:30 p.m.
Hall of Music, Third Floor, West
Ticket purchase required: http://smithsonianassociates.org/chamber
The Axelrod Quartet—Marc Destrube (violin), James Dunham (viola), Marilyn McDonald (violin) and Kenneth Slowick (violoncello)—will perform Haydn’s Quartet in C Major, Op. 33, No. 3, “The Bird” (1781); Béla Bartók’s Quartet No. 1, Op. 7 (1908-9) and Felix Mendelssohn’s Quintet in A Major, Op. 18 (1832). The ensemble will be playing instruments made by Antonio Stradivari and Nicolo Amanti.
About the Museum
The National Museum of American History explores the infinite richness and complexity of American history through its collections and research. The museum helps people understand the past in order to make sense of the present and shape a more humane future. It is currently renovating its west exhibition wing, developing galleries on business, democracy and culture. For more information, visit https://americanhistory.si.edu. The museum is located at 14th Street and Constitution Avenue N.W., and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). To learn more about the museum, check https://americanhistory.si.edu. Admission is free. For Smithsonian information, the public may call (202) 633-1000.
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