Go Where The Locals Go

Degas sculpture, West Building, National Gallery

Last week we visited a fantastic bookstore in DC. If you’re more of a movie buff, stay an extra day in Washington this fall and head straight from the conference wrap-up to the National Gallery of Art’s special film program: This Other Eden: Ireland and Film. Take Metro’s red line from the conference hotel (Marriott Wardman Park) to the Judiciary Square stop and head to the gallery auditorium to enjoy The Secret of Roan Inish, set in 1940’s coastal Ireland (2 PM, Saturday 10 September). As with most everything at the Smithsonian Museums, it’s free.

The National Gallery includes two main buildings spread across five city blocks as well as an outdoor sculpture garden…my favorite. Exhibits rotate but you can also always find permanent installments by perennial crowd-pleasers such as Andy Warhol, Henri Matisse and Edgar Degas. There are also two lovely fountains on the gallery grounds (the largest can be found in the middle of the sculpture garden; in winter, this one becomes an ice skating rink). Guided tours and audio tours are-- you guessed it-- free of charge.

If you prefer live action to the cinema, go where the locals go and treat yourself to a wonderfully unique DC tradition: Jazz in the Garden. The gallery's annual outdoor performance series showcases a variety of styles (from swing to Latin) and this season’s swan song will be on Friday 9 September from 5:00-8:30 PM.  The concerts are popular, so go early, grab a bite to eat from the Pavilion Café and meet me there. Oh, and by the way…the performance is free!

Atrium area, West building

Fountain, center of sculpture garden

West building exhibits

East building, National Gallery