Discoveries of the Webb Space Telescope and More Programs in September

Smithsonian Associates offers innovative, engaging learning experiences for people of all ages. Hundreds of online and in-person lectures, seminars, performances, hands-on studio arts classes, one-of-a-kind study tours and children’s programs are offered annually. To view the Smithsonian Associates digital program guide, visit smithsonianassociates.org.

Thursday, September 5

Plant-based Cooking: A Harvest of Recipes: Plant-based eating has evolved over centuries, creating a base of beloved recipes from around the globe. Food editor and writer Joe Yonan has spent years reporting on and making plant-based dishes, and his new book, Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking, spotlights vegan food as a unique cuisine worthy of mastery. In conversation with chef and food writer Hetty Lui McKinnon, he discusses the richness of global vegan cuisine and serves up tips for flavorful staples, weeknight meals, and celebratory feasts in your own kitchen. This program is presented on Zoom from 6:45 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET. $20-$30

A Filmmaker's Journey to the Amazon with Céline Cousteau: Filmmaker Céline Cousteau recounts the making of her documentary Tribes on the Edge, which examines the human and ecological threats faced by the Indigenous peoples of the Javari Valley reservation, located along Brazil’s Amazon border with Peru. She examines those aggressive forces—from deforestation to health crises, illegal mining to the dismantling of protections of land and human rights—and why the struggle for survival that played out in the Amazon has implications that reach across the globe. This program is presented on Zoom from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. ET. $25-$30

 

Friday September 6

Underwater Volcanoes: From Indonesia to Iceland, hundreds of islands across the globe were formed by once so-called submarine volcanoes. Submarine volcanoes are exactly what they sound like: volcanoes located beneath the ocean’s surface, which behave differently than terrestrial ones. Dive deep with volcanologist Samuel Mitchell as he explains what is known about these volcanoes and why we should be both curious and cautious about them. This program is presented on Zoom from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET. $20-$25

The Hirshhorn at 50: In celebration of its 50th-anniversary, the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden has installed a major survey of artwork made during a transformative period characterized by new currents in science and philosophy, ever-increasing mechanization and dramatic social change. “Revolutions: Art from the Hirshhorn Collection, 1860–1960” captures shifting cultural landscapes. Marina Isgro, associate curator, offers insights into the exhibition, which comprises rotating artworks in the museum’s permanent collection by 117 artists made during 100 turbulent and energetic years. Participants in the Smithsonian World Art History Certificate program earn 1/2 credit. This program is presented on Zoom from 12 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. ET. $20-$25

 

Saturday, September 7

The Cyanotype: Hands-On History of Photography: Delve into the history of cyanotypes, a photographic printing process that produces a cyan-blue and white print, and create your own cyanotype using chemistry to harness the transformative power of sunlight. Participants in the Smithsonian World Art History Certificate program earn 1/2 credit. This program is presented on Zoom from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. ET. A second session will be held Saturday, September 14. $80-$105

 

Monday, September 9

A Nation in the Balance: Lincoln and the 1864 Presidential Election: No presidential election in American history carried stakes as high as the 1864 contest between Abraham Lincoln and former Union General George B. McClellan. In it, Northern voters would decide the holder of the nation’s highest office—as well as the future of the country. Historian Christopher Hamner traces the buildup to November 1864 through the experiences of Americans who witnessed the election’s turmoil and for whom its outcome was a frightening unknown. This program is presented on Zoom from 6:45 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET. $20-$25

Music as Medicine: Music is one of humanity’s oldest medicines, reflected in cultures across the globe that have rich traditions in using sound and rhythm to ease suffering, promote healing, and calm the mind. Neuroscientist, author, and musician Daniel J. Levitin explores the critical role music has played in human biology; why he finds it one of the most potent therapies today; and how it can contribute to the treatment of ailments from neurodegenerative diseases to cognitive injury, depression and pain. This program is presented on Zoom from 6:45 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET. $20-$25

 

Tuesday, September 10

The Webb Space Telescope: NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has begun a 20-year mission of observation that promises to revolutionize our understanding of the universe. Kelly Beatty, senior editor of Sky & Telescope magazine, reveals how astronomers are using the telescope’s state-of-the-art instruments and enormous optical system to detect extremely faint infrared objects from both the very near and very distant universe—information that can help in identifying the earliest stars and galaxies to form after the Big Bang and in exploring the planetary systems of other stars. This program is presented on Zoom from 6:45 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET. $20-$25

 

Wednesday, September 11

The Many Faces of the Mona Lisa: Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa has sparked countless theories—from the well-established to the far-fetched. But a set of 16th- and 17th-century copies, scattered in collections from Russia to Spain, complicate the mystery of the world’s most famous painting. Art historian Laura Morelli opens the strange and wondrous world of these "other Mona Lisas," which have made collectors, museum professionals and art historians question everything they think they know about the world's most famous portrait. Participants in the Smithsonian World Art History Certificate program earn 1/2 credit. This program is presented on Zoom from 12 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. ET. $25-$30

 

Tuesday, September 17

The Holding Bowl: A Reflective Writing Workshop: Discover the power of reflective writing guided by the founding instructor of the National Gallery of Art’s popular Writing Salon, Mary Hall Surface. Inspired by contemporary works by American artist Margaret Boozer, poet Jane Hirshfield, and other sources, explore the bowl as a metaphor for our lives and the world. This program is presented on Zoom from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. ET. $40-$45

How Steven Spielberg and George Lucas Changed the Movies: Hollywood has always depended on blockbusters. But beginning in 1974, filmmakers Steven Spielberg and George Lucas changed the way movies were made. Working together (the Indiana Jones series) and separately (E.T. and The Empire Strikes Back), they introduced the age of the modern blockbuster, which features elaborate special effects and thrilling spectacle, in contrast to previous blockbusters defined by prestigious adaptations and star power. Media historian Brian Rose looks at Lucas’ and Spielberg’s four decades of filmmaking. This program is presented on Zoom from 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. ET. $20-$25

 

Thursday, September 19

Ancient Sparta: A Template for Authoritarianism: Ancient Sparta—in its time the most feared of city-states because of its military prowess and the most praised for the political consistency and social stability it provided to its citizens—has been portrayed by political scientists as the model for totalitarian 20th-century dictatorships in Germany, Russia, Italy, and China. Classicist John Prevas analyzes ancient Sparta’s approaches to education, government, and social relations; draws parallels to modern dictatorships; and considers whether it could become the model for a repressive American future. This program is presented on Zoom from 6:45 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET. $20-$25

 

Tuesday, September 24

The Shakers: Pursuing “a New Heaven and a New Earth”: During an era of widespread secular and religious reform initiatives from the late-18th through the early-20th centuries, the Shakers sought to embody a purity of life, re-make human relations, and fulfill a utopian vision of a “New Heaven and a New Earth.” William Dinges, professor emeritus of religious studies at The Catholic University of America, examines the origins of the movement; its theological worldview; and the social, cultural, and historical factors that both contributed to the Shakers’ longevity and led to their demise. This program is presented on Zoom from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET. $25-$30

How the 1950s Changed American Life: Even though the United States escaped World War II with little physical damage, the war shaped the development of American life, society and culture in numerous ways in the years that followed. Some people remember the 1950s nostalgically, but this decade also saw radical changes to the way Americans lived. Allen Pietrobon, a professor of global affairs at Trinity Washington University, explores the ripple effects of the war on how Americans lived, traveled, ate, and grappled with racial issues. This program is presented on Zoom from 6:45 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. ET. $20-$25

 

Wednesday, September 25

Early American Elections and the Origins of Party Politics: How We Got Here from There: Elections during the first few decades of America’s existence were often haphazard affairs. Everything from who could vote to the location of the polls to how long the polls would be open varied from state to state and often from election to election. Historian Rosemarie Zagarri explores how the idea of a two-party democracy evolved less by design and more from a constant push-and-pull between those seeking to cast their ballots and those who made the rules about when, where and how the ballots were to be cast. William Gormley, an expert in government and public policy, draws some connections between the first political parties and the present. This program is presented on Zoom from 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. ET. $20-$25

Sunday, September 29

City of Colors: Inkmaking Workshop: Learn the science and magic of how bright magenta pokeweed, dark black walnut, vibrant orange cosmos and even urban detritus can become ingredients for your palette in the form of beautiful inks. Before the workshop, you receive a guide from workshop leader Jason Logan to take along as you go on a foraging walk to search for ink materials. Then get hands-on in the studio to transform what you gathered into rich, colorful inks, creating place-based art materials that celebrate the stories of where they were found. This program will take place in person at the Smithsonian’s Ripley Center from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. $125-$140

 

Monday, September 30

Witches in the Grimms’ Fairy Tales: Folklorists Sara Cleto and Brittany Warman discuss the versatile figure of the witch in the folkloric medium of the fairy tale. Focusing on the collection of the Brothers Grimm, Cleto and Warman explore the many distinctive witches they gave us and their relationships to self-determination, community and nature. This program is presented on Zoom from 6:45 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. ET. $20-$25

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.