NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY
Remembering Emmett Till, Appreciating Jazz and More in April
New exhibitions, programming for Jazz Appreciation Month and more at the museum in April
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NEW APRIL EXHIBITIONS
Reckoning with Remembrance: History, Injustice, and the Murder of Emmett Till
Opens April 6; Closes Sept. 15
Second Floor, East
During a visit to see his great uncle in Mississippi, 14-year-old Emmett Till, of Chicago, was brutally lynched Aug. 28,1955. When his mutilated body was recovered from the Tallahatchie River, his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley insisted on an open-casket funeral in Chicago to “let the people see what they did to my boy.” In Mississippi, citizens of Tallahatchie County formed the Emmett Till Memorial Commission in 2006 and erected nine historical markers to remember Till. Over the years, the signs have been stolen, riddled with bullets, or thrown in the river but have always been replaced. This temporary display of the defaced River Site historical marker preserves the memory of Till while demonstrating the contested nature of racism’s violent legacy in America. The 317 bullet punctures further serve as a reminder that the racism that caused Till’s death still exists today and that his murderers were never truly brought to justice. In July 2023, the decades-long activism of Mamie Till-Mobley, members of the Till family and Tallahatchie County citizens resulted in the establishment of the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument which includes the site along the Tallahatchie River.
“Zen And the Open Road”
America on the Move Exhibition
First Floor, East
Opens: April 15, 2024; Ongoing
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Robert M. Pirsig’s “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” novel, the museum is placing his 1966 Honda Super Hawk motorcycle in a temporary display within the permanent “America on the Move” exhibition. Visitors will discover Pirsig’s stories related to riding, writing and sailing. Centered on the motorcycle on which Pirsig and his son rode from Minnesota to California and back, which inspired the book, this display will feature his typewriter, a manuscript of: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance,” signed first editions of that book and “Lila: An Inquiry into Morals” as well as a recently attributed book on the 14th century bubonic plague. Pirsig’s lifelong interest in ships and boats will be reflected through artifacts that represent his sailboat, “Arete,” which he purchased with royalties from his best-selling book.
PROGRAM:
“Innovative Lives: Arielle Rausin and coach Adam Bleakney”
Wednesday, April 3; 3 – 4:15 p.m.
Coulter Plaza, First Floor West
In conjunction with the recently opened exhibition “Change Your Game/Cambia tu juego,“ the museum’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation will present a conversation with Arielle Rausin and coach Adam Bleakney to explore how invention and technology in sports can make the difference between victory and defeat. Rausin, paralyzed at age 10 in a car accident, joined the University of Illinois' business school and its wheelchair track team. Working with her coach, Paralympian Adam Bleakney, Rausin used 3-D printing to make custom gloves for wheelchair racers as part of a special college class assignment. In 2026 she founded Ingenium Manufacturing, a company that produces wheelchair racing gloves.
APRIL IS JAZZ APPRECIATION MONTH
The Museum Presents:
The Shenandoah University Jazz Ensemble
Coulter Plaza, First Floor West
Thursday, April 25, Noon – 1 p.m.
The museum is hosting a performance of the Shenandoah Conservatory Studio Big Band. Led by Matt Niess, the ensemble has a long tradition of highlighting prominent jazz composers and significant stylistic periods, providing the performers and audience a breadth of repertoire.
The Museum Presents:
The University of Maryland—College Park Jazz Big Band
Coulter Plaza, First Floor West
Thursday, April 26, Noon – 1 p.m.
The museum is hosting a performance by the University of Maryland—College Park Jazz Big Band, led by Mark Williams, featuring repertoire from the traditional and contemporary jazz lexicon.
Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra Presents:
“Aspects of Ellington”
Note: Baird Auditorium, National Museum of Natural History
10th St. & Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20560
Friday, Apr, 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, the big band ensemble in residence at the National Museum of American History remembers D.C native Duke Ellington who composed dynamic music that inspired vivid visual imagery and emotion. Combining his unconventional orchestration technique with the unique talent of his individual orchestra members, Ellington was able to transpose everyday life into musical works of art. To mark what would have been his 125th year, the SJMO launches Jazz Appreciation Month by highlighting elements of the Duke's music and his orchestra. Songs may include “East St. Louis Toodle-oo,” “Degas Suite,” and “Jack the Bear.”
Ticket Information:https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/sjmo-ellington
Members $25; Nonmembers $30
CHAMBER MUSIC
Smithsonian Chamber Music Society Presents:
The Axelrod String Quartet - Stradivarius and Amati Series
Nicholas and Eugenia Taubman Hall of Music
Sat. April 6, 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.; pre-concert lecture at 6:30 p.m.
Sun. April 7, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Third Floor, West
The 46th season of the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society presents musical masterpieces from the late 16th century to the cusp of the 21st, played on some of the world’s most highly prized instruments. This concert features the Quartet in F Minor, Op. 20, No. 5 by Joseph Haydn; Franz Schubert’s Quartet in D Minor, D810, Death and the Maiden; and 20th-century composer, Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s Quartet No. 2 in E-Flat Major, Op. 26.
To purchase tickets:
Sat. April 6: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/scms-axelrod-quartet-1P0815
Sun. April 7: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/scms-axelrod-quartet-1P0818
Members $30; Nonmembers $35
Smithsonian Chamber Music Society Presents:
The Axelrod String Quartet - Stradivarius and Amati Series
Nicholas and Eugenia Taubman Hall of Music
Sat. April 27, 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.; pre-concert lecture at 6:30 p.m.
Sun. April 28, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Third Floor, West
The 46th season of the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society presents musical masterpieces from the late 16th century to the cusp of the 21st, played on some of the world’s most highly prized instruments. This concert features Dmitri Shostakovich’s Quartet No. 7; Franz Schubert’s Quartet in G Major, D887; and 20th-century composer, Osvaldo Golijov’ Tenebrae for String Quartet.
Sat. April 27: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/scms-axelrod-quartet-1P0816
Sun. April 28: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/scms-axelrod-quartet-1P0819
Members $30; Nonmembers $35
VISITING
What to know:
The museum is open seven days a week, except Dec. 25, between 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Admission is free, and passes are not required. For more information, go to https://americanhistory.si.edu/visit
Food:
The Eat at America’s Table Cafe is open for complete food and beverage service, exploring how to stop food waste with Chef Kyre Rochon’s “WasteNot American Table” menu in April. Special offerings include Herb Chicken Pot Pie, Beef Ragu Pasta Bake, Green Beans Amandine, Fried French Potato Cakes & Caper Remoulade Mediterranean Orange and Pomegranate Salad, Roasted Broccoli Quinoa Salad with toasted hazelnuts. The Leroy Neiman Jazz Cafe offers light lunch, including Chicken Etouffee, Shrimp Creole and Dirty Rice, Cajun Grilled Cheese Sandwich & Creole Tomato Soup and House Made Beignets, as well as hot and cold beverages. The Jazz Cafe proudly serves Starbucks coffee. For more information, visit the website.
Bottled water is allowed in the museum. We recommend bringing a refillable water bottle for fountains.
Stores: Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
ABOUT THE MUSEUM
Through incomparable collections, rigorous research and dynamic public outreach, the National Museum of American History seeks to empower people to create a more just and compassionate future by examining, preserving and sharing the complexity of our past. The museum, located on Constitution Avenue N.W., between 12th and 14th streets, is open daily except Dec. 25 between 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Admission is free. The doors of the museum are always open online and the virtual museum continues to expand its offerings, including online exhibitions, K–12 educational materials and programs. The public can follow the museum on social media via Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. For more information, go to https://americanhistory.si.edu. For Smithsonian information, the public may call (202) 633-1000.
