UPCOMING & ONGOING: Today! Meridian Hill/Malcolm X Park Guitar and Drum Circle Find an Indoor Home for the Winter at BloomBars! SUN, Jan 29th - and every SUN in the winter! 2:00pm - 5:30pm, All ages, donations welcome

Meridian Hill/Malcolm X Park Guitar and Drum Circle Find an Indoor Home for the Winter
Sunday, January 29th

and every Sunday in the winter!
2:00pm - 5:30pm

All ages, donations welcome

‎Bloombars hosts an indoor Drum Circle on Sundays when it's too cold to be in the park! "Guitar Circle, 2 pm to 3:30 pm Drum Circle, 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm The Drum Circle in Malcolm X Park is certainly one of Washington, DC’s treasures. And more recently, the Guitar Circle and Meet-up in the lower part of the park has been a harmonious gathering for the string being set. With the temperature starting to dip, we’ve invited everyone to our humble home to keeping the spirit going year-round!"

‎Bloombars

3222 11th St, NW

at Kenyon, next door to Wonderland
Metro: Columbia Heights

UPCOMING: Today! Welcome in The Year of The Dragon! Festivities in Chinatown SUN, Jan 28th from 12:00pm - 5:00pm, Parade starts at 2:00pm! Free

Welcome in The Year of The Dragon!
Sunday, January 28th
12:00pm - 5:00pm
Free
Parade starts at 2:00pm!

The annual Chinese New Year Celebration takes place in Chinatown this Sunday with a Parade, Kung Fu demos, live music and lots more! Some events take place indoors as well.


Events will also take place at the Chinatown Community Cultural Center, 616 H St, NW. Programs and activities will include: live music and dance performances, traditional Chinese calligraphy, children’s crafts, face painting, tai chi and kung fu demonstrations, lion dancing, poetry readings, film screenings, art and photo exhibits, raffle prizes, New Year souvenirs, free giveaways, and much more. Special guest performances by: Wong People and students of Yu Ying Public Charter School.


Also, Chinatown Coffee Company, will be offering a special happy hour from 2:00pm - 5:00pm featuring DC Brau beer for $2.50..


In Chinatown
by the gate, along H St, NW
between 6th & 8th Streets
Metro: Gallery Pl - Chinatown

UPCOMING: Today! Free Arts & Culture Events from CultureCapital.com! SUN, Jan 29th

Here are some more great free arts and culture events happening this week from CultureCapital.com. Please click through for complete details about the event and location details!  

Sunday, January 29th 

Art Lecture
Nineteenth-Century Redux: A New Look at a Great Collection of French Paintings
2:00pm

Lecture given by Mary Morton, curator and head of the department of French paintings,
National Gallery of Art
East Building Concourse, Auditorium
Metro: Judiciary Sq, closes to the East Building


Musical Performance 

Made in America
2:00pm
Come celebrate the indelible spirit of America with the homegrown music of Leonard Bernstein, Joel Puckett, Frank Ticheli, and Aaron Copland.
Schlesinger Hall at NoVa Comm. College, Alexandria Campus
Metro: See metro for best bus access from metro

Culture Capital is a program of the Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington, linking you to the Metro DC's vibrant arts community. 


Want to see more upcoming free events and exhibitions on view in the DC metro area? Visit the customized Inside-Out page on their site designed especially for fans of Free in DC!

UPCOMING & ONGOING: Today! Free Classical Concerts every SUN night at the National Gallery of Art

Classical Music at the National Gallery of Art
every Sunday night
6:30pm
Free


Sunday, January 29th
6:30pm
National Gallery of Art Vocal Ensemble
Music by Fauré, Massenet, and other French composers. Presented in honor of the reopening of the Nineteenth-Century French Galleries.

National Gallery of Art

West Building Main Floor, West Garden Court
Metro: Archives - Navy Memorial, closest to the West Building

UPCOMING: MUSIC: Today! Classical Concert featured cellist Natalie Spehar and others as part of The Angels Concert Series at The Church of the Holy City this SUN, Jan 29th from 3:30pm - 4:30pm, Free, donations welcome

Classical Concert as part of The Angels Concert Series 
Sunday, January 29th
3:30pm - 4:30pm
Free, all donations benefit the Tower Restoration Fund

Classical concert of works by Ravel, Keane Southard, Rachmaninoff performed by Natalie Spehar, cello (pictured), Francis Liu, violin and Jessica Stitt, piano. Light reception follows the performance. 

Church of the Holy City
1611 16th St, NW
at Corcoran, between Q & R St
Metro: Closet access by bus, take the S2 or S4 bus from McPherson Sq or anywhere along 16th St to Q St or you can walk from the Dupont Circle metro, take the Q Street exit and walk over to 16th St

UPCOMING: Tonight! DJ Medusa and DJ Strange Guest DJ at Midnight SAT, Jan 28th from 9:00pm - 3:00am, first 12 people get in free, $5, 18+

DJ Medusa and DJ Strange Guest DJ at Midnight 
Saturday, January 28th
9:00pm - 3:00am
$5, 18+
first 12 people get in free

My friends DJ Medusa and DJ Strange will be guest DJ's Tonight at Midnight - where you can dance to some goth, post punk, wave, industrial & more! They'll be spinning along with DJ JavieR.

The Meeting Place
1707 L St, NW
Metro: Farragut North and walk a half a block (though they are doing track work on the red line this weekend so you may want to keep that in mind). You can also walk about 4 blocks from the McPherson Sq Metro or take the S2 or S4 bus that runs along 16th St to  L St or the 42 bus to Conn & L.

UPCOMING & ONGOING: Free Classes as part of the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop 40th Anniversary Celebration! 40 Free Events in 40 Days! WED, Jan 4th - SUN, Feb 12th, Free, most events require advance RSVP

CHAW Celebrates 40th Anniversary with 40 Free Events in 40 Days!

Starting on Wednesday, January 4th - Sunday, February 12th

See complete schedule here!

Free, most events require advance registration

The Capitol Hill Arts Workshop will be hosting 40 free events over the course of 40 days beginning January 4, 2012 to celebrate their 40th anniversary. See a complete list of events and register online here!


All events are Free! Kid-friendly events are marked with a *

Pre-registration is required for some events

Call (202) 547-6839 or visit CHAW online to register.

Founded in 1972, CHAW is celebrating it's 40th anniversary!  Read more about the history of CHAW and the impact it has had on the Capitol Hill Community in the Hill Rag article from October 2011 written by Megan Cheek. 

See the complete list of events by date here!

Capitol Hill Arts Workshop

545 7th St, SE

Metro: Eastern Market

ON VIEW: American University Museum at the Katzen Center new Winter Exhibitions SAT, Jan 28th - Feb 28th, March 18th and April 15th, Free

On view  at AU's Katzen Center Winter Museum Exhibitions 
Free
Saturday, January 28th - February 28th, March 18th and April 15th

New exhibitions listed below:

Kids@Katzen: The Photographic Life
Saturday, January 28th - Tuesday, February 28th
Photographs by Kids@Katzen participants inspired by the exhibitions Re-viewing Documentary: The Photographic Life of Louise Rosskam and Wayne Barrar: An Expanding Subterra.

Raoul Middleman: City Limits
Saturday, January 28th - Saturday, March 18th
Baltimore maestro Raoul Middleman’s nudes are not pretty— they are sagging, dimpled, and real. His cityscapes reveal the underbelly of post-industrial rot, his narrative paintings give contemporary life to his personal obsessions. They are intelligent, messy, and utterly masterful.

Regaining Our Faculties: Zoë Charlton, Tim Doud, Deborah Kahn, and Luis Manuel Cravo Silva 
Saturday, January 28th - Saturday, March 18th
Recently returning from sabbaticals (sab·bat·i·cal) adj any extended period of leave from one's customary work, especially for rest, to acquire new skills or training), American University faculty members Zoë Charlton, Tim Doud, Deborah Kahn, and Luis Manuel Cravo Silva used their time wisely.

Anil Revri: Faith and Liberation through Abstraction
Saturday, January 28th - Sunday, April 15th
Anil Revri’s paintings function as aids to meditation, while at the same time the process of their creation is itself an act of meditation. They are beautiful, their craft is breathtaking, but their success depends on whether they further us, and the artist, along in the process of our own enlightenment.


Gabarrón’s Roots 
Saturday, January 28th - Sunday, April 15th
The sculptures and paintings of Cristóbal Gabarrón have been seen in hundreds of exhibitions around the world, but never in Washington, D.C. Here, his vibrantly colored sculptures are larger than life, yet human in scale and effect; his painted tondos evoke archaeological and zoological mysteries.

American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center
4400 Massachusetts Ave, NW
Metro: Tenleytown, take the free AU shuttle bus to campus, tell the driver you want to get off at the Katzen Center

UPCOMING: GALLERY TALK: " Works in Progress: Reflections and Undercurrents: Printmaking in Venice, 1900–-1940" at the National Gallery of Art MON, Jan 30th at 12:10pm and 1:10pm, Free

Gallery Talk at the National Gallery of Art 
Works in Progress: Reflections and Undercurrents: Printmaking in Venice, 1900–-1940

Monday, January 30th 
12:10pm and 1:10pm
Free


Talk by Eric Benker, lecturer, National Gallery of Art 

National Gallery of Art

East Building Concourse, Small Auditorium
Metro: Judiciary Sq, closes to the East Building

UPCOMING: YOGA: Free Yoga Classes in Logan Circle! SUN, Jan 29th at 11:00am and TUES, Jan 31st at 7:00pm, Advance RSVP required

Free Yoga Classes in January in Logan Circle!
Advance registration is required

Please bring your own yoga mat
Free, suggested for those 18 and up

Remaining Free Yoga Classes:

Tuesday January 31st
7:00pm

Sunday, January 29th
11:00am

Jaime Andrews Fitness, a boutique fitness training studio in Logan Circle -offering boot camp style classes, small group and one on one personal training - has partnered up with Ra Amin to offer yoga classes on Tuesdays at 7:00pm and Sundays at 11:00am and all classes offered in January are FREE.

Please email jaime@jafitnesstraining.com to secure a spot and also please be sure to bring your own yoga mat. Note also that the Studio is located in a residential building on the 1st floor, Suite 1, so you'll need to be buzzed in by the person at the front desk.

Jaime Andrews Fitness Training Studio
1440 N St, NW - 1st floor, Suite 1
Metro: McPherson Square or take the Circulator bus along 14th St to the P St/ RI Ave stop to get there closer - it's the Woodley-McPherson line, you can also catch it at 14th & U St.

UPCOMING: BloomScreen and TransAfrica present "Salvador Dawning" - about Brazil's equal rights movement for Afri-Brazilians - this TUES, Jan 31st at BloomBars from 7:00pm - 9:00pm, All ages, by donation

BloomScreen and TransAfrica present "Salvador Dawning"
Tuesday, January 31st
7:00pm - 9:00pm
by donation, suggested $10
All ages, RSVP Requested, but not required

"Salvador Dawning (2011, 54 min) (view trailer) by Kamau Hunter – examines the Movimento Negro – Brazil’s equal rights movement for Afro-Brazilians. Although they comprise 47% of the population, and have made tremendous contributions to the culture and society, Afro-Brazilians face disproportionate social and economic barriers. “Salvador Dawning” tells how today’s Afro-Brazilian leaders are bolstering the rights and quality of life of Afro-Brazilians – through new policies, and programs of workforce and community development. Their struggles and victories provide invaluable lessons for us all. The screening will be followed by a discussion with the film’s Executive Producer – Dr. Keith Hunter." The film is in Portuguese with English subtitles.

Bloombars

3222 11th St, NW  

next to Wonderland, at Kenyon

Metro: Columbia Heights, walk up 14th St, turn right on Kenyon, left on 11th 

UPCOMING: TALK: "The Arts Ripple Effect: A Research Based Strategy to Build Shared Responsibility for the Arts" at Woolly Mammoth WED, Feb 1st from 3:30pm - 5:00pm, Free, RSVP Required as space is limited

The Arts Ripple Effect: A Research Based Strategy to Build Shared Responsibility for the Arts
Wednesday, February 1st
3:30pm - 5:00pm
Free, advance RSVP required as space is limited*

Margy Waller  will lead a talk entitled "The Arts Ripple Effect: A Research Based Strategy to Build Shared Responsibility for the Arts."


Margy was named one of the nation's 25 most "powerful and influential" nonprofit arts leaders, Top Ten Tweeter by SoapboxMedia, and a Rising Civic Star by Cincy Magazine. This event is organized by Marc Eisenberg, Executive Director, Washington Bach Consort.

* There is no charge for this event, but participants must register to staff@cultural-alliance.org . Include the name of the event, your name, title, organization and email address.


More about the speaker: Margy, Vice President, Strategic Communications and Research, founded and has served as Executive Director of The Mobility Agenda, a think tank in Washington DC. Previously she was Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution, with a joint appointment in the Economic Studies and Metropolitan Policy programs. Prior to Brookings, she was Senior Advisor on domestic policy in the Clinton-Gore White House. Before joining the Administration, Margy was Senior Fellow at the Progressive Policy Institute. She also served as Director of  Public Policy at United Way of America, Director of Policy Development at Public/Private Ventures in Philadelphia, and congressional fellow in the office of U.S. Representative Eric Fingerhut (D-OH).

Woolly Mammoth Theatre 
641 D St, NW - near the corner of  7th & D
Metro: Archives - Navy Memorial or Gallery Pl - Chinatown

UPCOMING: GALLERY TALK: Conversations with Curators and Educators on "The French Eighteenth-Century Art of Jean François de Troy" MON, Jan 30th & TUES, Jan 31st from 12:00pm - 12:40pm, Free

Gallery Talk -  Conversations with Curators and Educators

 Jean François de Troy,
The Abduction of Europa,
1716, National Gallery of Art,
Washington, Chester Dale Fund   

The French Eighteenth-Century Art of Jean François de Troy

Monday, January 30th - Tuesday, January 31st

12:00pm - 12:40pm

Free.

Yuriko Baccon, assistant curator of French paintings, in conversation with Diane Arkin, lecturer.

National Gallery of Art

West Building Main Floor, Rotunda

7th & Constitution Ave, NW

Metro: Archives - Navy Memorial

ON VIEW: ART: "ApocalypTOON 2012" features works by Editorial and Political Cartoonists - On view at the Artisphere for one weekend only! FRI, Jan 27th - SUN, Jan 29th, Free

Work by Kevin Kallaugher (“KAL”) 
Economist's editorial cartoonist since 1978

ApocalypTOON 2012 on view this weekend only
at the Artisphere, in partnership with Art Soiree
features works by Editorial and Political Cartoonists
Free
Friday, January 27th - Sunday, January 29th

Note: The opening event on Thursday has a $25 cover but the exhibition will remain on view, for free, all weekend

"With a touch of art, style and humor, Art Soiree  will unveil what 2012 will bring us! This one of a kind exhibition will feature works of the most renowned editorial and political cartoonists such as: Kal (Economist) Tom Toles (Washington Post) Matt Wuerker (Politico) Jeff Danziger (NYTS/CWS, LA Times, Huff Post etc) Daryl Cagle (MSNBC) Damien Glez (La Monde, Courrier International, La Gazette, etc) Dan Piraro (Bizarro) and More… With simple pen strokes these cartoonist foreshadow the future, poke fun at the past and imply hidden motives in ways that elude written or spoken report. The result of this creative license is a unique perspective on future—entertaining, clever, and insightful."imentary bites, cash bar and more…"

Artisphere
1101 Wilson Blvd - Arlington, VA
Metro:  Rosslyn, exit metro and turn right and walk to the corner, which is Wilson, take a left and walk down about a block or so, it's the building with the white dome at the top on the left side of the street. You can also take the Dupont - Georgetown - Rosslyn Circulator express bus there for just a dollar.

UPCOMING & ONGOING: MUSIC: Free Lunchtime Concert Series - every TUES - at The Church of the Epiphany, near Metro Center, 12:10pm - 1:00pm, donations appreciated

The Tuesday Concert Series at the Church of the Epiphany is back!

lunchtime concerts every Tuesday

12:10pm - 1:00pm
Free, donations welcome

After major renovations to the church, the series is back on. The pic in this post is from before the renovations but it captures some of the beauty of the space. If you work near metro center, you should totally check it out!

Below are the remaining performances in  January: 

Tuesday, January 31st
Chris Gekker, trumpet

Church of the Epiphany

1317 G St, NW

Metro: Metro Center

UPCOMING: THEATER: "Locally Grown" Festival at the DC JCC hosts Staged Readings and Performances from DC area Playwrights! Continues MON, Feb 6th - SUN, Feb 19th, $10 for each event or get a Festival pass for $30

Locally Grown: Community Supported Art  
From Our Own Garden

Theater J's new festival focusing on the 
thriving Washington DC playwright scene

"This robust new initiative is inspired in part by the “locovore” and Community Supported Agriculture movements which focus on cultivating, appreciating and utilizing local resources for local consumption. Theater J’s dynamic new initiative translates these principles to DC’s burgeoning theatre scene, fostering the talent of DC playwrights through four mini-commissions, round-table discussions and staged readings."

Locally Grown: Community Supported Art Festival
Remaining readings and performances listed below
$10 each, or purchase a festival pass for $30
Buy your tickets here!


Monday, February 6th
7:30pm
Reading of Hot and Cold
by Gwydion Suilebhan



Sunday, February 12th
5:00pm
Workshop presentation of
The Prostate Dialoguesby Jon Spelman

Monday, February 13th
7:30pm
Reading of Married Sex
by Laura Zam

Sunday, February 19th
5:00pm
Workshop presentation of 
The Prostate Dialogues
by Jon Spelman

Washington DC JCC Theater J
16th & Q St, NW
Metro: Dupont Circle and walk over 4 blocks or you can take any bus along 16th St - S1, S2, S4, S9, right to Q St.

UPCOMING & ONGOING: COMEDY: Open Mics most TUES, WED & THURS Nights in DC and the Metro Area!

Here's a list of Comedy Nights happening in the DC area

See Standup Comedy To Go and DC Stand Up for more info about stand-up nights and comedy shows in the area.

Tuesday nights in Chinatown
Open Mic every Tuesday Night in DC!
Tuesday, December 27th
at new comedy club, Riot Act

8:30pm - 10:30pm

$10

Buy a Riot Act T-Shirt (which I think costs $20) and wear it to get in Free every Tuesday!

Every Tuesday amateur, local and national headliners gather for a showcase of comedy showcase. Each show begins with a hand full of real first timers cutting the rug in one of their first stage performances ever, followed by local and national comics showcasing their new material. Note, if you want to perform, you need to register in advance.

Riot Act Comedy

801 E St, NW

Metro: Gallery Pl - Chinatown or Archives - Navy Memorial

Wednesday nights in Arlington, VA

Ri-Ra Wednesdays

Ha-Ha at Ri-Ra in Clarendon

8:00pm - 10:00pm

Free

Free Live stand-up comedy show. $25 cash prize joke contest for non-com audience members after the show and ½ price burger night.

Ri-Ra Irish Pub

2915 Wilson Blvd

Arlington,VA 22201

Metro: Clarendon

Thursdays nights in Dupont

Topaz Thursdays

The Laughing Buddha-ha-ha in Dupont Circle

Live Stand-up Comedy Show

8:00pm – 10:00pm

Free

$25 cash prize joke contest for non-com audience members after the show

Topaz Hotel Bar

1733 N St, NW

Metro: Dupont Circle

Saturday nights in Bethesda, MD

Hyatt Saturdays at the Hyatt Hotel

$10 cover for this one

Metro: Bethesda

UPCOMING & ONGOING: MEDITATION: Free Meditation Classes at the Shambhala Center in Cleveland Park every MON, TUES & THURS Night and 1st & 3rd SUN

Meditation Schedule at the Shambhala Center

Free and open to the public, donations welcome

Every Monday night
6:00pm - 6:50pm

Evening meditation practice. No Meditation Instruction on Mondays.

Every Tuesday night
6:00pm - 7:00pm

Evening meditation practice and instruction. Meditation period ends with Buddhist chants followed by tea and refreshments.

Every Thursday night
7:00pm - 7:45pm

Meditation practice and instruction followed by tea and refreshments

8:00pm

Dharma Talk and Open Discussion

First and Third Sunday morning of the month
9:00am – 11:00am

Meditation practice and instruction; practice period begins and ends with Buddhist chants (come and leave anytime during this period).
11:00am - 12:00pm

Dharma talk and open discussion
12:00pm - 1:00pm

Community luncheon

Third Sunday Schedule
9:00am - 11:00am

Meditation practice and instruction; practice period begins and ends with Buddhist chants (come and leave anytime during this period).
11:00am - 12:00pm

Sadhana of Mahamudra (Everyone is welcome and encouraged to join)

Note: The third Sunday practice schedule may be adjusted when other weekend programs are offered; please check the calendar online.

Shambhala Meditation Center of Washington, DC

3520 Connecticut Ave, NW

Metro: Cleveland Park, super close to the metro

ON VIEW: ART: "Amy Hughes Braden: Too Extroverted To Paint" THURS, Jan 19th - SUN, March 11th at the Artisphere in Rosslyn, Free

"Amy Hughes Braden: Too Extroverted To Paint" 

On view at the Artisphere

Free

Thursday, January 19th - Sunday, March 11th

"Plagued by the need for human interaction, stuck in a world of tweets and tags, Amy Hughes Braden will paint large portraits of "tweens" working towards her 2013 show in Artisphere's Mezz Gallery. Amy is an Arlington native and recent graduate of the Corcoran College of Art and Design. Stop by during her onsite residency and tell her about your own awkward experiences as a tween.

The artist will be working onsite:
Fridays
  4:00pm - 8:00pm
Saturdays
  1:00pm - 7:00pm
Sundays
  1:00pm - 5:00pm

Artisphere
1101 Wilson Blvd - Arlington, VA
Metro: Rosslyn, turn right when you exit the metro, take a left on Wilson, look for the domed building on the left about a block down.

ON VIEW: EXHIBITION: Last Chance! "CHINA Town: Contemporary Ceramic Painting from Jingdezhen" at Meridian International Center on 16th St, FRI, Sept 23rd - SUN, Jan 29th, Free

"CHINA Town: Contemporary Ceramic Painting from Jingdezhen"

at the Meridian International Center

Free

Friday, September 23rd - Sunday, January 29th

Read more, and watch an educational video, with English subtitles, about the history of this kind of artwork here! 

"This is the first time an exhibition featuring Chinese painted porcelain from Jingdezhen has been presented in the United States. The display brings together artists of different backgrounds and philosophies, linked by their common appreciation of the ancient ceramic capital of China. Jingdezhen remains an exciting center of innovation for artists exploring ways to transform ancient traditions into art that is relevant in the 21st century." You can also read more about the show here!

Gallery hours:

Wednesday - Friday

2:00pm - 7:00pm

Saturday and Sunday

12:00pm - 6:00pm

Meridian International Center

Cafritz Galleries of the White-Meyer House

across the street from Meridian Hill/ Malcolm X Park

1624 Crescent Place, NW (map)

Metro: Columbia Heights and walk over to 16th St, turn left and walk down hill about 15-20 minute walk, or take the S2 or S4 bus from anywhere along 16th St right there to Crescent Place. You can also catch the S buses from McPherson Sq metro.

UPCOMING: DC Capoeira Classes - January Promotion $10 drop-in classes on TUES & THURS Nights and SAT & SUN Mornings near Columbia Heights Metro

DC Capoeira Classes - January Promotion
View and share facebook invite
$10 classes throughout January
Classes held at All Souls and BloomBars

Tuesday and Thursday nights at All Souls
7:00pm - 8:00pm

Saturdays at All Souls
10:30am - 12:00pm 

Sundays at BloomBars
11:00am - 12:00pm

"Looking for a fun way to stay in shape? Capoeira is a unique martial art from Brazil, that combines strength, cardio, and music for a challenging and exciting sport! January Special - drop-in price of $10, normally $15. Cash, check and credit cards accepted at the end of class (no pre-registration required).

January Special $10 for adults (dropin) or $80 for a month pass. $8 for those under 18, class is best for those 12+ No prior experience is necessary. Beginners should wear loose fitting clothing and light footwear. Advanced capoeiristas should wear traditional white capoeira pants and a t-shirt. Shirts and Pants are available for purchase.

About Capoeira: "Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art disguised as a dance and performed to musical instruments and traditional Brazilian songs. It is comprised of specific offensive and defensive movements and, unlike in other martial arts, the participant is constantly in motion because of the basic movement, the ginga. The movements also consist of positions on the ground, kicks, sweeps and acrobatics. Some believe that capoeira originated in Africa, others say that it was formed in Brazil. The regional style of capoeira originated in the 1930s in Brazil and, unlike capoeira angola, is usually practiced to a quicker beat and kicks are performed in an upright and aggressive style."

Note:  There is also a class on Sundays from 11:00am - 12:00pm at BloomBars in Columbia Heights, on 11th St between Lamont and Kenyon, NW

All Souls Unitarian - in the gym
corner of 16th & Harvard - near Columbia Rd
Metro: Columbia Heights or take the S2 or S4 bus, on weekday eves you can take the S1 or S9 to Irving and walk back a block

ON VIEW: ART: "Michael Craig-Martin: Drawings" and "Let's Eat! Works from the GW Permanent Collection" at GWU's Luther Brady Gallery, WED, Dec 7th - FRI, Feb 17th, Free

Two Exhibitions on view at GWU Luther Brady Gallery

Michael Craig-Martin: Drawings
Free
On view Wednesday, January 11th - Friday, February 17th

The center piece of the Michael Craig-Martin: Drawings exhibition is a large 5 ft. x 4 ft. wall drawing created on site especially for the gallery. The show includes more than 30 drawings of subjects drawn from ordinary life, which he portrays using a mechanical line. On January 10, 2012, the artist created a large wall drawing in the Luther W. Brady Art Gallery. This video was created by William Atkins and Christopher Boyes from the Office of External Relations.

Let's Eat! Works from the GW Permanent Collection 

2nd floor cases
Free
On View Wednesday, December 7th - Friday, February 10th

This exhibition is produced in conjunction with First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! Museums & Gardens campaign and GW's Urban Food Task Force. Pairing paintings, sculptures, and prints from GW's notable permanent collection with healthy recipes related to their subjects, this exhibit hopes to demonstrate how small changes in one's diet can make a difference.
All of the recipes are available online: Let's Eat Recipes

Luther Brady Art Gallery
2nd Floor Casings
805 21st St, NW
Metro: Foggy Bottom

UPCOMING & ONGOING: JAZZ: 355 Jazz Masters Quartet play at India Garden on Rockville Pike this SAT, Jan 14th - and every SAT in Jan and Feb- 6:30pm - 9:30pm, Free, All ages

355 Jazz Masters Quartet play at India Garden on Rockville Pike
every Saturday in January and February
6:30pm - 9:30pm
Free, all ages

355 Jazz Masters, a high-energy, toe-tapping, hard-bop and contemporary funky jazz quartet - with Rich Durbin, Colton Hammond, Craig Falk, and Steve Silverman - plays every Saturday night from 6:30-9:30 in January and February 2012 at India Garden Restaurant in Rockville, across from BMW and Best Buy.

India Garden Restaurant
Woodmont Station Center
1321-C Rockville Pike - Rockville, MD
Metro: Twinbrook, take a bus along Rockville Pike or walk, just under one mile (map). Take a right on Chapman, Left on Halpine, then straight up Rockville Pike.

ON VIEW: ART: "The Exceptional Everyday: Design Post-Process Nine Contemporary Norwegian Industrial Designers" at the Corcoran's Gallery 31 from WED, Dec 21st - SUN, Jan 22nd , Free

The Exceptional Everyday: Design Post-Process
Nine Contemporary Norwegian Industrial Designers
at the Corcoran's Gallery 31
Free
Wednesday, December 21st - Sunday, January 22nd

"The Exceptional Everyday showcases the dynamic and witty work of nine contemporary Norwegian industrial designers. Each object in the show tweaks a seemingly mundane object or process and, in doing so, creates an exceptional experience. Kristine Bjaadal's Underfull Tablecloth, for example, transforms an everyday annoyance--spilled beverages on a white tablecloth--into a magical moment. The spill causes a butterfly pattern rather than a stain. While the objects in the show exemplify the rigor and attention to detail typically associated with Scandinavian design, they also embody creative collaboration with the user."

Corcoran Gallery of Art

Gallery 31 (free admission to this exhibition space)

500 17th St, NW

Metro: Farragut West or Farragut North and walk about ten minutes down 17th St

UPCOMING: Please see facebook for more events Today, Tonight and Tomorrow that I didn't have time to create individual posts for! Lots of good ones!

Please visit Free in DC on facebook for more events

I don't have time to craft individual posts for every event so I often post facebook events and links to events on the Free in DC facebook page.

FYI in case you aren't on facebook, you don't actually need to have a facebook account to view the info. You can just click on the link above.

OF NOTE: Honoring MLK: You can watch the MLK Day at the National Cathedral which took place on MON, Jan 16th online now! Free

MLK Day Celebration at the National Cathedral 

Monday, January 16th

2:00pm - 4:00pm

Free

NOTE: Though this event has passed, you can still watch it online here!

Special Celebration at the National Cathedral! Tribute honoring the life of Dr. King. Featured groups such as Malcolm X Dancers & Drummers, St. Augustine Gospel Choir, poet Tony Keith, Urban Nation H.I.P.–H.O.P. Choir, Washington Performing Arts Society’s Children of the Gospel Choir, and CityDance with singers from School Without Walls will “rock the nave” from 2 to 4 pm.  A coat and winter clothing drive is also planned. 

The National Cathedral

3101 Wisconsin Avenue

Metro: Tenleytown and take any of the 30 series bus (31, 32, 36, or 37) south on Wisconsin Avenue to  Woodley Avenue or Dupont Circle and take the N2, N3, N4, or N6 bus until you reach the corner of Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues. Walk north on Wisconsin 1/2 block to the Cathedral.

UPCOMING: Free Capoeira for Beginners Classes every MON in January from 6:30pm - 7:30pm, All ages welcome

Capoeira Angola Beginners Classes
Mondays nights throughout January
6:30pm - 7:30pm
Free, All ages welcome

Capoeira Beginners classes are being offered for free during the month of January on Monday nights for anyone interested in learning more about the art of capoeira angola. Experience the music of capoeira as well as stretching, strengthening and conditioning exercises and movements. 

Universal Capoeira Angola Center
1351 U St. NW
Metro: U Street, take the 13th St exit, the school is located between 13th and 14th St.

ON VIEW: EXHIBIT: Last Chance! Special Featured Document on Display at The National Archives "150th Anniversary of the Medal of Honor" On view through MON, Jan 16th, Free

Special Featured Document on Display at The National Archives
150th Anniversary of the Medal of Honor 
Free
10:00am - 5:30pm, last admission is at 5:00pm
On view through Monday, January 16th

In 1861, Abraham Lincoln signed an act to recognize "gallantry in action." A century and a half later, the Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded. This special Featured Document Display will include a Civil War–era Medal of Honor and written testimony of the heroic actions of Pvt. Samuel E. Eddy during an 1865 battle.

The National Archives
East Rotunda Gallery
between 7th & 9th on Constitution Ave, NW
Metro: Archives - Navy Memorial

ON VIEW: ART: Last Chance! "Floating Utopia: Mobile Art Gallery Designs" at the Artisphere Works In Progress Gallery WED, Dec 4th - MON, Jan 16th, Free

Floating Utopia: Mobile Art Gallery Designs
On view at the Works In Progress Gallery at the Artisphere
Wednesday, December 14th - Monday, January 16th
Free

"See drawings from and a team of seven German architecture students under the direction of Andreas Queneau for a Step Van Truck designed as a mobile art gallery. Interact with this exhibit by designing your own customized version of this truck. The exhibit also includes utopian plans for a mobile greenhouse and diagrams showing various uses of recycled lunar devices for community engagement. Floating Lab Collective is a group of Metropolitan DC-based artists working collectively on public art, new media and social research. Their goal is to expand public art practices that provoke discourse about social issues."


Artisphere 
1101 Wilson Blvd - in Arlington, VA
Metro: Rosslyn, turn right from metro exit to get to Wilson, turn left on Wilson, look for the domed building about a block down.

UPCOMING & ONGOING: Free Performances Every Day at The Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, 6:00pm - 7:00pm

Free performances every night on The Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center

Watch in person or live stream the show online! 

6:00pm - 7:00pm
Free

To see the schedule click here

The Kennedy Center - Millennium Stage

2700 F St, NW

Metro: Foggy Bottom and take the free shuttle

ON VIEW: "Art @ Work" at the Joan Hisaoka Gallery at the Smith Center FRI, Jan 13th - SAT, Feb 18th, Free

Art @ Work - at the Joan Hisaoka Art Gallery at the Smith Center

Free

On view Friday, January 13th - Saturday, February 18th

Joan Hisaoka Art Gallery at the Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, in partnership with Albus Cavus, an arts group that transforms communities through public art, presents an open reception for Art @ Work! A number of my friend John Grunwell's latest pieces will be featured alongside with works by lots of other awesome DC-area artists, most of whom work in the arenas of "street art" and graffiti. "

"Art @ Work, a collaboration with the Albus Cavus arts group, features over 40 local graffiti artists working with local children and residents to beautify DC’s public spaces, including DECOY, Ben Tolman, Kelly Towles, Aniekan Udofia, CHE, and Jazirock! Over the course of 3 on-site mural workshops, visitors will work together with graffiti-mural artists to transform the gallery into a working studio, creating a large-scale mural that will be permanently installed in a local neighborhood."

Joan Hisaoka Art Gallery at the
Smith Center for Healing and the Arts
1632 U St, NW
Metro: Closest reached by bus, take the S1, S2, S4 or S9 bus from anywhere along 16th St to U St or you can walk about 4 long blocks from the U St metro.

ON VIEW: ART: Honfleur Gallery presents "Visual Audio: Inquiries Into Found Media" FRI, Jan 13th - FRI, Feb 24th, Free

"Visual Audio" On view at Honfleur
Free
Friday, January 13th  - Friday, February 24th

Honfleur Gallery's newest exhibit, "Visual Audio: Inquiries Into Found Media," is a collaboration by Radio Transmission Ark and the Vernacular Preservation Society that combines atmospheric sounds, writings, drawings and more from the surrounding Anacostia community.

Note: While in the area you should also swing by Vivid to check out their new photography exhibition, just a few blocks away from Honfleur.

Honfler Gallery
1241 Good Hope Rd, SE
Metro: Closest reached by bus, you can take the new Circulator express bus, which you can catch from the Eastern Market Metro or you can walk from the Anacostia Metro.

ON VIEW: ART: "Decathlon" at the DCAC in Adams Morgan FRI, Jan 13th - SUN, Feb 5th, Free

DC Arts Center Decathlon 
Free
Friday, January 13th - Sunday, February 5th

"After centuries of specialization in art that has relied on labels like painter, sculptor or photographer, DCAC asked artists working in the DC metropolitan area to submit proposals that explore the significance of what being "unspecialized" means to being a working artist today. The semi-finalists of the decathlon, Shanthi Chandrasekar, Lee Gainer, Lisa Rosenstein, and Mary Woodall, will exhibit their works at DCAC. This exhibition will culminate in a medal ceremony, but only one artist will walk away with gold!"

DCAC - DC Arts Center - in Adams Morgan
2438 18th Street NW
Metro: Woodley Park and walk or take the Circulator bus to Adams Mill or you can take the 42 or 43 bus along Conn Ave or from Dupont toward Mt Pleasant and get off at 18th & Columbia.

ON VIEW: ART: Photography: "Second Look: Selections from a Print Lab's Archives" at Vivid Solutions in SE from FRI, Jan 13th - FRI, March 30th, Free

"Second Look: selections from a print lab's archives" at Vivid Solutions
Free
Friday, January 13th - Friday, March 30th

This group photography show, specifically geared towards exhibiting works, highlights the range of specialized skills and creative visions of VS Print Lab’s customer base. The images printed at Vivid Solutions DC Print Lab include work from photographers: Adam Davies, Ben Droz, Bobby Bruderle, Bobby Washington, Bruce McNeil, Danny Harris from The People's District, David Rehor, Ed Mays, Eric Gottesman, Jonathan French, Laila Abdul-Hadi Jadallah, Marlon Norman, Michael Platt, Nicholas Huynh, Pat Padua, Otis P. Motley and Deborah Terry. This show was collectively curated by Vivid Solutions DC Print Lab staff and The Gallery at Vivid Solutions. Read more on Vivid's website here.

You can also check out the show down the street at Honfleur which is also hosting an opening on the same night from 7:00pm - 10:00pm

The Gallery at Vivid Solutions 
2208 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE
Metro: Anacostia or you can take the new Circulator bus to Anacostia from Eastern Market Metro.

ON VIEW: ART: Arlington Arts Center hosts three new shows! "She Got Game" Gillian Schroeder's "herd" and "Students Select Students" FRI, Jan 13th - SUN, March 18th, Free

Three new exhibitions on view at the Arlington Arts Center
She Got Game, Gillian Schroeder's herd  and Students Select Students
Free
Friday, January, 13th - Sunday, March 18th

AAC celebrates the opening of two new exhibitions. For She Got Game, curator Jeffry Cudlin has brought together 11 artists—female, male, and transgendered—who explore shifting contemporary perceptions of women’s bodies, gender roles, and identities through the lens of sports spectacle. In the Wyatt Gallery, AAC Resident Artist Gillian Schroder presents new work in her solo exhibition herd.


Pictured: work by Cory Oberndorfer.


Save the date for these free performances related to She Got Game 

Saturday, February 11th
12:00pm - 4:30pm
Performances by Amber Hawk Swanson and Kristina Bilonick

Saturday, March 17th
3:00pm - 5:00pm
Performance by Holly Bass

Arlington Arts Center
3550 Wilson Blvd -  Arlington, VA
Metro: Virginia Square, just across the street from the metro on Wilson

OF NOTE: For more Free events happening this month, please see CultureCapital.com's INSIDE-OUT page custom designed for Free in DC readers!

Did you know that CultureCapital has a special INSIDE-OUT page designed specifically for Free in DC readers! This page highlights 4 weeks or more FREE events, shows and exhibitions in the DC metro area!

Free in DC has teamed up with CultureCapital to provide you with CultureCapital INSIDE-OUT a quick guide to Metro DC's vibrant Arts & Culture scene. Like Free in DC, this INSIDE-OUT will feature cool, free, and super cheap things to do in Metro DC... proving that you needn't spend a lot of money to live a rich life in this town!

CultureCapital and TICKETPLACE.org (half-price, advance sale tickets) are programs of the Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington serving the arts & culture community and the public for over 30 years!

ON VIEW: ART: Last Chance! ART Options Debut Art Exhibit "Creativity in Our Community" at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel WED, Nov 2nd - January 2012, Free

ART Options debut Art Exhibit, Creativity in Our Community

on view at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel

Free

Wednesday, November 2nd - January 2012

Some background about the program: After the closing of VSA Washington DC (formerly an affiliate of the Kennedy Center) in August, St. John's Community Services (SJCS) successfully transitioned the program, its staff, and artists to ART Options, a community-based, arts-infused program for people with disabilities.

Creativity in Our Community features paintings which share the stories of those artists supported by SJCS who use art as a vehicle to communicate and ultimately inspire. The exhibit, which is on display in the Mandarin Oriental gallery space, will be available to view and purchase at the opening evening and through January 2012.

Celebrate with St. John's Community Services new program, ART Options, and its debut art exhibit Creativity in Our Community, at the Mandarin Oriental to celebrate. The exhibit features paintings which share the stories of those artists supported by SJCS who use art as a vehicle to communicate and ultimately inspire.

Mandarin Oriental

1330 Maryland Avenue, SW

Metro: Smithsonian or L'Enfant Plaza

ON VIEW: ART: Solo Show for Mike Weber at Long View Gallery THURS, Jan 19th - SUN, Feb 19th, Free

Long View Gallery Opening for LA-based Artist Mike Weber
Free
Thursday, January 19th - Sunday, February 19th

"Mike Weber spent his childhood exploring rural farmland outside of St. Louis, Missouri. Like any inquisitive child, he was drawn to investigate the abandoned homesteads that dotted the landscape. These forgotten buildings, full of history and littered with hints of their grandiose past, left a lasting impression on the youngster. Recalling his experiences in these abandoned homes brings up mysterious childhood emotions for Weber." See pdf invite.

View press release to read more.

Long View Gallery
1234 9th St NW
Metro: Mt Vernon Sq - Convention Center

ON VIEW: ART: Milena Spasic's "Kosovo Series" at the Washington Studio School in Dupont MON, Jan 9th - FRI, Feb 10th, Free

Milena Spasic's "Kosovo Series" 

On view at the Washington Studio School

Free

Monday, January 9th - Friday, February 10th

Washington Studio School is pleased to exhibit the paintings of DC artist Milena Spasic. 

The Washington Studio School 

2129 S St, NW

Metro: Dupont Circle.

ON VIEW: ART: "Liana Finck: The Bintel Brief " at Sixth & I Historic Synagogue WED, Jan 11th - FRI, March 2nd, Free

Liana Finck: The Bintel Brief  on view at Sixth & I
Free
Wednesday, January 11th - Friday, March 2nd

The exhibit showcases pieces from Liana Finck’s upcoming graphic novel based on The Jewish Daily Forward’s “Bintel Brief” advice column. Through the column, young immigrants sought advice on a variety of heartbreaking and absurd dilemmas. Finck’s illustrations capture these letters as seen from the point of view of a narrator – an omniscient but relatively helpless columnist inspired by the Forward’s founding editor, Abraham Cahan.

Liana Finck graduated from Cooper Union and received a Fulbright Fellowship to Brussels to write a graphic novel about Georges Remi, the creator of the beloved comic book character Tintin. She is a recipient of the prestigious Six Points Fellowship, a two-year grant for emerging Jewish artists.

Sixth & I Historic Synagogue
600 I St, NW
Metro: Gallery Place - Chinatown, you can also take the Circulator bus, Union Station-Georgetown Route, from lots of stops along K St downtown to 5th & Mass.

ON VIEW: ART: "Yours Truly: Figurative Paintings in Encaustic and Mixed Media" at The Popcorn Gallery at Glen Echo SUN, Jan 15th, 3:00pm- 5:30pm, Free

Yours Truly: Figurative Paintings in Encaustic and Mixed Media
Free
Saturday, January 14th - Sunday, January 29th

Enjoy Figurative art (nudes) on display and the encaustic paintings of Marcie Wolf-Hubbard, many of which focus on the grace of the figure. The “back and forth” of additive collage imagery is married with encaustic’s mysterious depth and transparency. Wolf-Hubbard is an instructor at Glen Echo Park teaching collage and mixed media for children and adults. More info: call (301) 634-2222 or click here.

Hours: Saturday & Sunday
12:00pm - 6:00pm
and by appointment

The Popcorn Gallery at Glen Echo Park (directions)
7300 MacArthur Blvd, in Glen Echo, MD
Metro: Friendship Heights and Bethesda metro stations Montgomery County Ride-On bus #29, operating daily from Friendship Heights and Bethesda metro stations on the Red Line. For information on rates and schedules for the 29 bus route click here.

ON VIEW: ART: Hillyer, in Dupont, features works by Lucinda Murphy and Monica Stroik from FRI, Jan 6th - FRI, Jan 27th, Free

Hillyer features works by Lucinda Murphy and Monica Stroik
Free
Friday, January 6th - Friday, January 27th

"Lucinda Murphy has been fascinated by science and the process of evolution, from the Big Bang to computers.  Most recently, Murphy has focused on exploring order and chaos from both the scientific sense and in the sense of how we perceive the difference; literally and psychologically." Her work is pictured above.

"Monica Stroik's paintings reflect the fact that each of us makes daily choices, some conscious and others unconscious, which all have consequences. On a personal level, these paintings are specifically tied to an experience that happened many years ago, the effect of which affects Stroik on an almost daily basis, the degree to which is tied to the choices she makes."

Hillyer
9 Hillyer Court, NW
Metro: Dupont Circle, Q St north exit. The gallery is located in the alleyoff of 21st St between the two Phillips Collection buildings, turn right when you get back there and you'll see the gallery

ON VIEW: ART: January All-Media Exhibit at The Art League in Old Town, Alexandria WED, Jan 4th - MON, Feb 6th + Opening Reception on THURS, Jan 12th 6:30pm - 8:00pm, Free

Opening Reception for the January All-Media Exhibit 
at The Art League in Old Town, Alexandria
Thursday, January 12th

6:30pm - 8:00pm
Free
On view Wednesday, January 4th -  Monday, February 6th

Juried by Alan Beland, this exhibit by Art League members will feature artwork of all media and subject matter. Gallery hours:  Open every Thursday evening until 9:00pm, Monday - Saturday 10:00am - 6:00pm and Sunday 12:00pm - 6:00pm.

The Art League
105 North Union St  (map)
inside of the Torpedo Factory in Old Town, Alexandria, VA

Metro: King St and take the free trolley or a bus from the metro down King St to the Waterfront

ON VIEW: ART: New York Society of Etchers Invitational at Washington Printmakers Gallery from WED, Jan 4th - SAT, Jan 28th, Free

New York Society of Etchers Invitational at WPG
Free
On view Wednesday, January 4th - Saturday, January 28th


Join WPG for the opening of our 13th annual January Invitational, featuring works by members of the New York Society of Etchers - which focuses on providing exhibition opportunities to intaglio printmaking specialists in New York City, and is internationally recognized as an artist-run print organization with dozens of major exhibitions. Currently, there are close to 300 New York printmakers associated with the New York Society of Etchers, some of whom will be exhibiting at WPG.

Washington Printmakers Gallery 
at the Pyramid Atlantic Art Center
8230 Georgia Avenue, 2nd Floor
Metro: Silver Spring

PAST: ART: "The Invention of Glory: Afonso V and the Pastrana Tapestries" at the NGA East Building, SUN, Sept 18th - SUN, Jan 8th, Free

The Invention of Glory: Afonso V and the Pastrana Tapestries 


On view at the National Gallery of Art
Sunday, September 18th - Sunday, January 8th
Free

The Pastrana Tapestries were commissioned in the late 1400s, likely by the king of Portugal, Afonso V (1432-1481), to commemorate his 1471 campaign in Morocco. Exquisitely rendered in wool and silk by Flemish weavers in Tournai, the tapestries depict a vivid world set against maritime and urban landscapes.

National Gallery of Art
East Building - 4th & Constitution Ave, NW
Metro: Federal Triangle is closest to the East Building, you can also walk through the West Building to get there, the Archives - Navy Memorial metro station is closest to the West Building.