Events: Music of Eastern Europe, Chinese Jade and a Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Lunder Conservation Center
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Monday, February 28: Ira Aldridge: The African Roscius
Tonight's Cultures in Motion performance pays tribute to the life of celebrated 19th-century Shakespearean actor Ira Aldridge. The play examines the life of an African American who was forced to emigrate to Europe in the early 1800s in order to practice his craft and who defied all the odds and soared to the highest heights of his profession. Free. National Portrait Gallery, 7:00 PM.
Tuesday, March 1: Tour: New on View
This continually changing tour is a great way to keep up with the Freer and Sackler Galleries' ever-expanding holdings, and today, take an in-depth look at the newly reinstalled galleries of ancient Chinese jades and bronzes in the Freer. Free. Freer Gallery, 2:00 PM
Wednesday, March 2: Behind-the-Scenes Introduction to the Lunder Conservation Center
The Lunder Conservation Center is a special facility of several laboratories shared by the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery where visitors can watch behind glass walls conservators examining, treating, and preserving artwork.
Today, get a behind-the-scenes look at the Lunder Conservation Center—the special laboratory facility where visitors can watch conservators examine, treat and preserve artwork—learn how museum conservators use science, art history, and skilled hands to preserve objects in both museums' collections. Free, but please register at the Luce Foundation Center information desk (3rd floor, west wing, mezzanine) before 3 PM on the day of the program. Participants also meet here. This event repeats most Wednesdays year-round. American Art Museum/National Portrait Gallery, 3:00-3:30 PM.
Thursday, March 3: Composers of the Caucasus: Continuum
Tonight, the New York-based ensemble Continuum performs rarely heard gems by composers from Azerbaijan, Armenia, and the Republic of Georgia. The full concert program includes Oleg Felzer's Vestige, for clarinet, violin, and piano; Faradzh Karayev's Postludium II, for piano; Franghiz Ali-Zadeh's Three Watercolors, for soprano, flute, and prepared piano; Alexander Aslamazov's Napyev, for clarinet solo; Suren Zakarian's In Statu nascendi—Seven Miniatures for String Quartet; Josef Bardanashvili's Metamorphoses; Zurab Nadareishvili's Cadenza for Viola; Sulkhan Tsintzadze's Quartet Miniatures; and Giya Kancheli's Psalm 23, for soprano and ensemble. Free, but tickets are required. Freer Gallery, 7:30 PM.
Friday, March 4: Historic Theater: Time Trials of Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold is generally remembered as a traitor—but has popular opinion clouded historical fact? Take a spot on the jury panel, meet Benedict Arnold and decide if this infamous Revolutionary War figure was a patriot or a total rat fink. These 20-minute interactive performances reveal the people behind the objects on view and the emotions in their stories. Free. American History Museum, 11:00 AM. This performance will repeat today at 1:00, 2:30 and 4:00 PM.
For updates on all exhibitions and events, visit our companion site goSmithsonian.com