Smithsonian Resident Associates Program

Month

Programs listed below are in chronological order.

In Search of Justice: Unsolved Murders from the Civil Rights Era Monday, February 6, 2012 at 6:45 p.m. During the Civil Rights era, many crimes were committed and some remain unsolved. Tonight, join the experts in a look back at this unrestful time and what unsolved murders are still waiting for justice to be served. Maybe you can help.
Diving to Great Depths Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 6:45 p.m. Join Michael Lang, Director of Smithsonian Marine Science Network, in this final lecture of a three-part lecture series about the ocean's mysteries. Freediving world-record holder Tanya Streeter talks about the adaptations of both mammals and humans who can dive to great depths on just a single breath.
Regency England’s Pleasures and Paradoxes Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 10 a.m. Explore the era that brought us Jane Austen, and other fascinating Brits. Regency England was an era for lavish palaces and country homes, obeying the intricate etiquette of the upper class, scandals, and more.
Cartography: From Ptolemy to Crisis Mapping Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 6:45 p.m. Maps today seem so easy to use, but there was a time when only the elite had access to and understood them. Tonight, geographer Matthew Jennings explores their history, design, and use and shares how they reflect our vision of the world and ourselves.
Joe Torre on Managing Major League Baseball Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 7 p.m. Joe Torre, Major League Baseball's recent executive vice president of Baseball Operations, and former manager of the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Braves, and Cardinals, joins a discussion on managing major league baseball.
Stomp and Shout: Celebration of Gospel Music Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 6:45 p.m. Michele Fowlin explores the heritage of this constantly evolving slice of American music. Also, hear timeless spirituals performed by members of the Eleanor Roosevelt High School choir.
Our Explosive Sun: The Source of the Northern Lights Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 6:45 p.m. Our sun is a variable star that hurls billions of tons of gas towards Earth and creates the Northern Lights. Solar physicist Paal Brekke explains this phenomenon as well as solar storms that can be a hazard for technology.
The Enigmatic Frank Sinatra Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 6:45 p.m. American popular music specialist Robert Wyatt highlights the extraordinary life and career of the legendary singer and actor Frank Sinatra through film clips and music recordings.
Renaissance Pilgrimage: Sacred Quests Saturday, February 25, 2012 at 9:30 a.m. Take a vicarious pilgrimage to some of the most revered religions sites in Christendom, including Canterbury, Santiago de Compostela, Lourdes, Rome, and Jerusalem.
The Reconstruction Era: 1865-1877 Saturday, February 25, 2012 at 10 a.m. University of Maryland historian Michael Ross looks back to the period following the Civil War (1865-1877) and explores how the bitter conflicts of this era redefined the rights of all Americans.
Bach's St. Matthew Passion All-Day Seminar Saturday, February 25, 2012 at 10 a.m. Kenneth Slowik examines what many consider to be Bach's greatest masterpiece, St. Matthew Passion, as the Friends of Music record label prepares to release a new recording of the work.
The First North American Migration—Not a Strait Route? Wednesday, February 29, 2012 at 6:45 p.m. In this evening seminar, Natural History Museum curator Dennis Stanford presents provocative new theories about the first North Americans, such as they may have crossed the Atlantic, much earlier than we think.
Caravaggio and Rembrandt, Baroque Rebels Saturday, March 3, 2012 at 10 a.m. Two radical Baroque artists—Caravaggio and Rembrandt—defied the dominant ideal in painting. Aneta Georgevska-Shine explores the points of contact and distinct differences in their art.
An Amazonian Odyssey Tuesday, March 6, 2012 at 7 p.m. Ed Smith, Smithsonian staff biologist within the National Zoo's Amazonia Department, leads a virtual tour of the vast Amazon basis where our planet's most diverse species and enormous biomass live and are obscured by jungle and flooded forest.
Art Deco: Vibrant, Eclectic, and Dynamic Saturday, March 10, 2012 at 9:30 a.m. Art historian Bonita Billman discusses the development of Art Deco, highlighting architecture, furniture, interiors, fashions, advertisements, and movies.
Identifying and Collecting Fine Prints Saturday, March 10, 2012 at 10 a.m. Renowned artist/printmaker Helen Frederick provides collectors and art aficionados with a comprehensive overview of the medium of printmaking. Participants explore how to develop an eye for quality prints and criteria to assess the value of prints.
Paper Tigers and Folding Dinosaurs Saturday, March 10, 2012 at 10 a.m. Paper folding or origami is a fun way to create things such as flowers, reptiles, or even a frog! And it makes learning math fun. Today, parents and kids make something together to take home along with instructions for additional origami designs.
American Values or Imported Elegance? Art Collecting in the Gilded Age Tuesday, March 13, 2012 at 6:45 p.m. Art historian Linda Skalet discusses the great art collectors of the Gilded Age in the U.S. Some chose European works and others, like William Evan's and Charles Lang Freer's collections, formed the core of the American Art Museum and the Freer Gallery of Art.
Origami and the Mathematics of Art Wednesday, March 14, 2012 at 6:45 p.m. Do you want to brush up on your geometry skills while creating something beautiful? Tonight, find out how simple paper folding can create a myriad of stunning designs—or reptiles—with math and origami expert John Montroll.
Vietnam: War and Legacy Wednesday, March 14, 2012 at 7 p.m. In a conversation with veteran journalists Bernard Kalb, Marvin Kalb, and Deborah Kalb, draw from their five years of interviews and research to explore how, in their own words, "Vietnam refuses to be forgotten."
Fun that Counts: Beyond the Numbers Thursday, March 15, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. Mingle at the Museum event: Math is everywhere from style and design to animation and outer space. Explore the interactive side of mathematics after-hours at the Smithsonian’s newest International Gallery exhibit, Math Alive with Ellen Dorn, Director of Special Exhibitions, and Betsy Burstein Robinson and Seth Waite, Exhibition Project Managers. Enjoy light refreshments and a specialty cocktail.
The Treasure Below: Excavating at the Ancient Port of Constantinople Thursday, March 15, 2012 at 6:45 p.m. A tunnel being constructed under the Marmara Sea has revealed the ancient port of Constantinople with shipwrecks and cargoes from the 5th century B.C. The latest dig uncovered 8,500 year-old skeletons. Project director Ufuk Kocabas discusses these discoveries.
Myths to Live By: From Homer to Steve Jobs Saturday, March 17, 2012 at 9:30 a.m. From Homer to Tolkien, myths create compelling characters faced with unique challenges. Scholar Seth Lerer examines mythology, past and present, to show how myths are used as moral narratives and discusses how new myths are created.
Walt Whitman and Civil War Washington Tuesday, March 20, 2012 at 6:45 p.m. Kenneth Price discusses Walt Whitman's decade in Washington when he cared for wounded Civil War soldiers and wrote perhaps the most memorable of all Civil War poetry, Drum-Taps. Price recently found 3,000 Whitman documents. This program includes readings.
Propaganda in Porcelain Wednesday, March 21, 2012 at 6:45 p.m. In this lecture, learn how China's Qing Dynasty used porcelain design as a tool for propaganda to promote its new rulers and image within society.
A New Fight: Air War in the Pacific Wednesday, March 21, 2012 at 7 p.m. Craig Symonds, professor emeritus of history at the U.S. Naval Academy, examines the battles of the Coral Sea, Midway, the Philippine Sea, and Leyte Gulf to show how the aircraft carrier transformed World War II naval combat.
An Eye on the Universe: The Hubble Space Telescope Saturday, March 24, 2012 at 10 a.m. Astrophysicist Mario Livio shows and describes the greatest achievements of the Hubble Space Telescope, including stellar birth and death, extrasolar planets, dark energy, dark matter, and ordinary matter, and what questions remain to be addressed.
An Astronomer’s View of Chile: The Country that Teaches the Stars Tuesday, March 27, 2012 at 7 p.m. With astronomer Ryan Foley, explore the findings of Smithsonian-Harvard Center for Astrophysics astronomers working in Chile. Learn about the biosphere where they live, new astronomical research, plans for future telescopes, and the twin Magellans.
Food That’s Out of This World Thursday, March 29, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. This evening, explore the transformation of food in orbit from the popularization of Tang to the 180 different types of food on the menu and the science and technology that keep it edible. Vickie Kloeris, manager of NASA's Space Food Systems Laboratory, provides insights.
Threads of Time: The Art of Navajo Weaving Thursday, March 29, 2012 at 6:45 p.m. Joe and Cindy Tanner, Navajo art experts, highlight the unique aesthetic and enduring appeal of Navajo weaving. Showcasing stunning weavings, they discuss the unique designs and colorful techniques found in these textiles.
Portraying Mexico: The Revolutionary Art of Rivera, Kahlo, Siqueiros, and Orozco Thursday, March 29, 2012 at 6:45 p.m. Art expert Gregorio Luke presents the powerful art of muralists and painters Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Jose David Siqueiros, and Jose Orozco, who burst into the public arena after the 1920 Mexican Revolution and then into the international art community.
Puccini: A Master of the Verismo Style Thursday, March 29, 2012 at 6:45 p.m. Through lecture highlighted by CD and DVD recordings, singer and composer Colleen Fay opens up the inner workings of three of Puccini's major operas—La Boheme, Tosca, and Madama Butterfly to enhance the understanding of his genius.
The Wonder of Renaissance Music Saturday, March 31, 2012 at 9:30 a.m. Musicologist and viola da gamba player Tina Chancey explores the lively musical repertoire, forms, and instruments of the Renaissance period (1450-1600) through lectures highlighted by recordings, demonstrations, and live performances.
The Artistic Legacy of Ancient Greece Saturday, March 31, 2012 at 9:30 a.m. Explore the evolution of Greek art from its early dependence on Egyptian ideas to its emergence as a universal visual language that can be seen in the art, sculptures, and buildings of the European Renaissance and 19th century America.
The Splendor of St. Petersburg, Russia’s Imperial City Monday, April 2, 2012 at 6:45 p.m. George Munro, Smithsonian Journeys study leader with Russian cities, takes you on a virtual tour of one of Europe's most magical cities. Learn about the city's rich history and culture as you explore its major sites, courtyards, canals, and rivers.
In the Realm of the Monarch Butterfly Wednesday, April 4, 2012 at 6:45 p.m. Monarch butterfly expert Alfonso Alonso tells the amazing story of millions of monarchs, who travel up to 2,700 miles in their migration to central Mexico for the winter. New genetic research suggests they find their way via magnetic fields.
Math and Music—Closer Than You Think Monday, April 9, 2012 at 7 p.m. NSO musicians use excerpts from composers, such as Ravel and Richard Strauss, to guide you through several mathematical concepts found in music in this evening featuring live performance, film clips, and audience participation.
Excavating in Ancient Oman Wednesday, April 11, 2012 at 6:45 p.m. Join us for an evening of excavations in ancient Al Baleed in southern Oman. Bruno Frohlich assisted in the dig during the recent Arab Spring movement where worlds collided as he unearthed important history while practicing diplomacy.
Smithsonian Gardens’ Guide to Creating Beautiful Container Arrangements Saturday, April 14, 2012 at 10:30 a.m. Smithsonian Garden's horticulturists Cindy Brown and Melanie Pyle show how shrubs, annuals, perennials, tropicals, and ornamental herbs and vegetables of varied colors and textures can be combined to create stunning container arrangements.
Iconography in Biblical Times: Giving Form to the Spirit Tuesday, April 17, 2012 at 6:45 p.m. Learn the stories behind the ancient southern Levant area's rich assortment of iconographic artifacts created from objects venerated by the ancient cults and religions of the Israelis, Canaanites, and Philistines.
The White House Collection of American Crafts Thursday, April 19, 2012 at 7 p.m. Michael Monroe, former curator-in-charge of the Renwick Museum, talks about the White House Craft Collection championed by President and Mrs. Clinton that featured 75 works of contemporary craft created by renowned artists.
Mark Morris: Dancing Beyond Boundaries Friday, April 20, 2012 at 7 p.m. Mark Morris has always followed his passions for opera and dance as a creator, choreographer, and director. His originality in thinking and lifelong commitment to the arts is rewarded tonight as he receives the Benjamin Franklin Creativity Laureate Award.
The Genomics Revolution and the Origins of Life Tuesday, April 24, 2012 at 6:45 p.m. Recent research in the field of genomes has opened up new information about the relationship between genome structure and function in different species. This groundbreaking research might help us conserve endangered species and fight disease.
Rise of the Nazi Juggernaut Wednesday, April 25, 2012 at 6:45 p.m. How did Adolf Hitler establish and consolidate his control over the German economy and society and launch a war of conquest and extermination on a scale never seen? Historian Marcus Jones explores the Nazi aggression that led to World War II.
Formed by Fire: The American Spirit Thursday, April 26, 2012 at 6:45 p.m. Smithsonian study tour leader Anthony Pitch provides a vivid account of the capture of Washington by British military invaders in 1814 who torched the White House and Capitol and marked the lowest and most humiliating moment in American history.

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