Get a Behind-the-Scenes Look at Bill Nye’s ‘The End Is Nye’ Series Plus More Programs in May

Smithsonian Associates offers innovative, online and in-person programming that promotes learning, enrichment and creativity for people of all ages. Hundreds of lectures and seminars, studio arts classes, and study tours are offered annually. To view the Smithsonian Associates digital program guide, visit smithsonianassociates.org.

Tuesday, May 2

Washington's Marvelous Mosaics: Join mosaic artist Bonnie Fitzgerald for a virtual tour of a wide variety of local mosaic treasures at notable Washington, DC public sites, contemporary spaces, and federal and private buildings. Visit the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, home to glorious Byzantine-style mosaics and the remarkable catacomb-like Crypt Church; experience the muralist Lumen Martin Winter’s marble, Italian glass, and gold 20th-century masterpieces in AFL-CIO's headquarters on 16th Street; and many other hidden gems. This studio arts program will be held online from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET. $20-$30

Thursday, May 4

To Have and Have Another: The Life and Times (and Cocktails) of Ernest Hemingway: Award-winning writer and attorney Philip Greene examines the life, prose, travels and adventures of Ernest Hemingway through the lens of his favorite drinks, watering holes and drinking buddies. Enjoy light snacks and four cocktail samples and raise a toast to Papa. This program will be held in person at the S. Dillon Ripley Center from 6:45 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. $55-$70

Tuesday, May 9

Kandinsky: Abstraction’s Architect: Art historian Joseph Cassar explores Russian-born Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944), a leading figure in the development of abstract painting. This lecture begins with Kandinsky’s initial years as a lecturer in law at the University of Moscow (1866–1896) and proceeds with his friendship with artist Gabriel Munter and their travels to Tunisia (1904–05). Cassar also provides a critical analysis of Kandinsky’s abstract paintings and his final years in Paris (1933-44). Enrolled participants in the Smithsonian World Art History Certificate program will earn 1/2 credit. This program will be held online from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. ET. $30-$35

Mercury: Small but Mighty: Mercury, the innermost planet in the solar system, remained relatively unexplored until NASA’s MESSENGER probe orbited and studied it from 2011 to 2015. Join Ronald J. Vervack Jr., who worked on the MESSENGER mission, as he highlights how Mercury provides insight into the formation, evolution, and current state of the solar system. Peter Plavchan, a professor of physics and astronomy at George Mason University, brings that night’s sky right into participants’ living rooms via remote control of the university observatory, weather permitting. This program is part of a series presented in partnership with George Mason University and will be held online from 6:45 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. ET. $25-$30

Wednesday, May 10

Becoming Frank Lloyd Wright: Frank Lloyd Wright is one of the most celebrated architects of the 20th century—and despite a prolific career spanning seven decades studded with glittering accomplishments and triumphs—his personal and professional life was plagued with tragedy, scandal, divorce, murder, and financial setbacks. Bill Keene, a lecturer in history, urban studies, and architecture, looks beyond the buildings to the man with the pencil, triangle, and T-square to shed light on the story of the master himself. Participants enrolled in the Smithsonian World Art History Certificate program earn 1/2 credit. This program will be held online from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET. $25-$30

Bill Nye Dives into Disaster: Behind the Scenes at “The End is Nye”: In Peacock’s “The End is Nye,” Bill Nye, aka “The Science Guy,” uses camera magic to venture into large-scale global disasters, both natural and unnatural. He also teaches audiences how they can survive, mitigate, and even prevent such potential cataclysms. The series focused on topics ranging from viruses and climate change to wide-scale catastrophes like electrical blackouts, apocalyptic dust storms, supervolcano eruptions, and comets slamming into Earth. Nye will be in conversation with co-creator Brannon Braga and the Broh-Kahn Weil Director of Education at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, Carla Easter, to discuss the making of the series and hopeful, scientifically informed ways forward from some of today’s possibly most devastating disasters. This program is presented online from 6:45 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET. $20-$25

Sunday, May 14

Schubert's "Fair Maid of the Mill" with Smithsonian Chamber Players: Between them, tenor Frank Kelley and fortepianist Kenneth Slowik have lived with Franz Schubert's great cycle of love, longing, jealousy, and death—the basic subjects of much of the German Lied repertoire—for well over half a century. This weekend concert showcases their compelling collaboration in Die schöne Müllerin, D795. The Smithsonian Chamber Music Society concerts are held at the Taubman Hall of Music in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History at 7 p.m. $25-$35

Tuesday, May 16

Art and Beauty in Siena: Art historian and author Laura Morelli leads an immersive virtual tour of Siena’s artistic treasures, including the city’s most iconic landmarks: the Gothic cathedral, Siena’s city hall or Palazzo Pubblico, and the unusually shaped town square, the Piazza del Campo. She examines masterpieces by Siena’s most enduring artists: Duccio, Simone Martini, and the Lorenzetti brothers. The historic city offers the best of medieval art and architecture to those who travel there by plane or armchair. Participants enrolled in the Smithsonian World Art History Certificate program will receive ½ credit. This program will be held online from 12 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. ET. $20-$25

Robinson Crusoe: The Classic Castaway: Daniel Defoe's fascinating account of the survival—and eventual triumph—of Robinson Crusoe represents how a lone human builds a new life in the wilderness: finding a secure home, obtaining and storing food, making clothing, keeping fire alive, marking time and establishing a spiritual life. Defoe's prose style is entirely accessible to 21st-century readers. Join public humanities scholar Clay Jenkinson for an evening with this splendid and influential work of English fiction. This program will be held online from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. ET. $30-$35

Wednesday, May 17

Jazz and Blues on Film: While 20th-century jazz and blues artists have been well documented in books and documentaries, the cinematic achievements of these remarkable performers have either been downplayed or deeply undervalued. In a 2-session course, film historian Max Alvarez, reveals the tremendous impact blues musicians and singers had on commercial films from the late 1920s to the early 1960s, where they easily stole any musical comedy, show business biopic, or edgy melodrama, in which they had fleeting cameos. As a bonus, Alvarez pays tribute to a 1986 French film many consider to be the greatest ever made about jazz and blues: Bertrand Tavernier’s ’Round Midnight starring brilliant tenor sax player Dexter Gordon. This program will be held online from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. ET. $50-$60

Friday, May 19

Hillwood: A Collectors Vision of Beauty: Enjoy a spring day exploring Hillwood Estate, Museum, and Gardens, the former residence of Marjorie Merriweather Post. Set on 25 acres adjacent to Rock Creek, Hillwood’s gardens feature a diverse and fascinating array of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants. Don’t miss the working greenhouse, the source of the orchids and other tropical plants that fill Hillwood with color and fragrance year-round. During a three-course lunch at the Merriweather Café, enjoy a special curator talk on Hillwood’s latest acquisitions, then tour the Georgian-style mansion that reflects the distinctive artistic focus of Mrs. Post. Participants enrolled in the Smithsonian World Art History Certificate program will earn ½ credit. Tour participants meet on site at 4155 Linnean Ave NW, Washington, DC at 10 a.m. $150-200

Saturday, May 20

The Civil War at Chancellorsville: Career military intelligence officer Colonel Marc Thompson, USAF Retired, leads a visit to the significant locations associated with the battle of Chancellorsville that raged in the Virginia Wilderness in May, 1863. Thompson’s extensive experience in analyzing and assessing adversary operations, along with his intimate knowledge of the Chancellorsville battlefield, provide him with some unique perspectives on combat leadership and the fog of war that impacted the battle’s participants. A stop is made where Lee and General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson planned the May 2 attack and then follows Jackson’s advance to the site where his troops crushed the Union's IX Corps. This bus tour departs from the Holiday Inn Capitol, 550 C Street., SW at 8:30 a.m. and returns at 7:30 p.m. $150-$200

Tuesday, May 23

George Gershwin: Our Love Is Here to Stay: Join pianist and Gershwin authority Robert Wyatt, co-editor of Oxford University Press’s The George Gershwin Reader, in a lively program exploring the George Gershwin’s life and legacy. The evening’s talk is highlighted by film clips, music recordings, and rare film footage obtained from the Gershwin family, along with unpublished photographs of the composer and his friends. Archival recordings of his 1934 radio program, “Music by Gershwin,” are also featured. S’wonderful! This program will be held online from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. ET. $30-$35

The Mosque: Linking Religious and Architectural Traditions: Beginning with an introduction to the mosques built in the first centuries of Islam and their component parts, Nancy Micklewright, a specialist in the history of Islamic art and architecture, discusses how the buildings functioned as the religion was taking shape. Her tour of mosques around the world ends in the greater Washington area, where mosques in a variety of styles and sizes can be found, serving a range of Muslim communities. From one of the smallest and oldest to one of the newest and most grand, Micklewright explores how these buildings maintain a connection with a building tradition that stretches back to the 7th century CE.  Enrolled participants in the Smithsonian World Art History Certificate program earn ½ credit. This program will be held online from 6:45 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET. $20-$25

Thursday, May 25

Bob Dylan and American Memory: Join Timothy Hampton, a professor of comparative literature at the University of California at Berkeley, as he examines some of Dylan's most famous songs to reveal his deep interest in historical themes and social change, as well as how his music asks us to think about the way the past is remembered and shaped by art. This program will be held online from 6:30 p.m. to 7:45. p.m. ET. $20-$25

Wednesday, May 31

A Journey through Ancient China: Ethnic Identity in Chinese History: The Chinese people are often perceived as a relatively homogenous ethnic group, but the reality is far more complex and surprising. Justin Jacobs, a professor of Chinese history at American University, analyzes the earliest ideas regarding civilization and barbarism, the crucial role of northern nomads and their creation of the ethnonym “Han,” and just what it meant to be considered “Chinese” or “Han” in different places and times throughout history. This program is part of a series: Journey Through Ancient China and will be held online from 6:45 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. ET. $25-$30

To view the Smithsonian Associates digital program guide, visit smithsonianassociates.org.

Lauren Lyons | READ MORE

Lauren Lyons is a public affairs specialist at Smithsonian Associates.