Portrait of Jack Nicholson by Martin Schoeller, courtesy of National Portrait Gallery

When actor Jack Nicholson showed up to his photo shoot wearing a red clown nose, Martin Schoeller did what any photographer would do and snapped the picture. When the entertainment value wore off, the portrait artist asked Nicholson to remove the nose. The moment Schoeller then captured now hangs in the “Portraiture Now: Feature Photography” exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery.

Schoeller, a staff photographer at the New Yorker, discusses the stories behind his portraits, which include subjects like Nicholson, actress Angelina Jolie and President-elect Barack Obama, in an audio slideshow featured this week on the magazine’s Web site.

Schoeller’s commentary provides an interesting perspective on these famous faces. “He looked so much younger then,” he says of Obama, who Schoeller first photographed in 2004 while the President-elect was running for Senate, “He already has aged so much in the last four years from the campaign trail.”

The other voice featured in the slideshow is a second New Yorker staff photographer, Steve Pyke, whose black-and-white portraits of subjects like actor Sir Ian McKellen and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger are also in the Portrait Gallery exhibit.

“Portraiture Now: Feature Photography” will run through September 27, 2009. View the exhibit online at the National Portrait Gallery’s site.

Fasten your seat belts: it's the Bette Davis commemorative stamp.

Monday, January 5: Portrait of George W. Bush

After eight years in office, President Bush is now a museum piece. Come see the newest addition to the National Portrait Gallery’s Hall of Presidents, which marks the first time the gallery has exhibited the official portrait of a sitting president. Free. National Portrait Gallery.

Tuesday, January 6:

Nothing special scheduled for today. Tour the national mall and enjoy the good ol’ standbys.

Wednesday, January 7: Children’s Program: “Hok-noth-da”?”

“Hok-noth-da?”—which means, “Did you hear?” in the Shawnee language—beckons young children to come gather ’round to hear stories by or about Native Americans. Ideal for persons aged 5-9. Free. National Museum of the American Indian, 11 AM. Repeats January 21.

Thursday, January 8: Rapunzel

She’s the girl with the golden hair and she’s letting it all hang out in her pursuit of happiness. The Puppet Co. conveys this timeless tale with hand puppets and is sure to entertain the young as well as the young at heart. Tickets required. Rates are: $6 adults; $5 children (ages 2-16); $4 Resident Members. S. Dillon Ripley Center, 10:15 and 11:30 AM. Repeats January 9.

Friday, January 9: Iranian Film Festival: Banana Skin Film

Hamid is a workaholic who suddenly discovers that he’s dead but finds pleasure in the afterlife as a prankster of a spirit. This film is free, but assigned seating is in effect due to high demand for tickets. Up to 2 free tickets will be distributed per person 1 hour before show time. Freer Gallery of Art, 7:00 PM. Repeats January 11 at 2:00 PM.

Saturday, January 10: Philatelic Movies: Jezebel and Hallelujah!

In 2008, Bette Davis was depicted on her very own stamp—curiously sans cigarette—and benchmarks of black cinema also received philatelic tributes. Today, the National Postal Museum will show the movies that inspired these miniature works of art.

Jezebel is the cautionary tale of why good girls shouldn’t wear red dresses to the most important social event of the year. (Why you may ask? Because you can’t marry Henry Fonda and live happily ever after if you do, that’s why!)

Hallelujah! is the first sound film directed by King Vidor (The Crowd) and sports the music of Irving Berlin. The film tells the story of a sharecropper who falls for a nightclub singer and was added to the National Film Registry in 2008, joining the ranks of 499 other historically, culturally or aesthetically significant films.

While I have yet to see Hallelujah! for myself, I will offer this advice: movies from this era released by major studios that feature a non-white cast are prone to racial stereotypes. If you are able to attend, be able to brace yourself for potentially politically incorrect entertainment.

Movies are free to the public and seating is first-come, first-served. National Postal Museum, 3:00 PM.

Sunday, January 11: ImaginAsia Family Program: Down By The Sea

Artists Dwight William Tyron and Hiroshi Sugimoto plied their craft to explore the sea and sky. Now you can too at this workshop at the Freer Sackler Gallery. Explore the works of Tyron and Sugimoto and then head to the classroom to create your own seascapes fit to tack on the fridge. For ages 8-14. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Reservations are required for groups of 8 or more. To make reservations, call 202-633-0461. Free. Freer Gallery, 2 PM. Repeats January 17, 18, 24, and 25.

“This is the Smithsonian, this is the big leagues!”

Anansi the Impossibe by Verna Aardema

Friday, January 2: Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride
Before Thelma and Louise, there was Amelia and Eleanor. That’s right. Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt. Based on a little-known event, these two strong-willed women slip away from a formal dinner party for some good, clean, high-flying fun. After a reading of Amelia and Eleanor Go For a Ride, kids will be able to participate in an art activity. Free. Air and Space Museum, 11 AM.

And as if I need to state the obvious: an airplane can clear a canyon MUCH better than a 1966 Thunderbird convertible.

Saturday, January 3: Anansi Does the Impossible! An Ashanti Tale
When I was a kid, one of my absolute favorite picture books was A Story A Story, which told the tale of how Anansi the Spider Man performs feats of death-defying skill in order to win back the stories the Sky God stole from his people. That said, I am very pleased to see that this story lives on in this latest retelling by Verna Aardema, which will be read aloud for young and eager ears. Free. National Museum of African Art, 11 AM-12 Noon.

Sunday, January 4: Art a la Cart
You know you want to touch the artworks on the museum walls. (Heck, one time I accidentally set off the alarms at SAAM because I couldn’t tell where the floor ended and the art installation began.) People just like to interact with pretty things, right? If you’re between the ages 7 and 12, come out to the American Art Museum for some hands-on fun that will curb your curiosities in a socially acceptable manner. Hands-on activities are available for your eager mitts, allowing you to explore the world of art on a whole new level. For everyone outside of this age bracket, go elsewhere and take a pottery class. Free. Repeats the first Sunday of every month. American Art Museum, 1-4 PM.

Portrait of Stephen Colbert, courtesy of National Museum of American History

10. Recession buster! Can’t make it to Cabo this year? Put on your flip-flops and floral print shirts and enter the Smithsonian’s very own tropical oasis, the Butterfly Pavilion at the National Museum of Natural History. It promises 95 degrees F and 80 percent humidity.

9. Prepare a Smithsonian-wide scavenger hunt for your kids, nieces or nephews with clues leading to treasures like Dorothy’s ruby slippers, a giant squid and the Wright Flyer.

8. After seeing Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, opening May 22, try to retrace the steps Ben Stiller must have made in filming it.

7. Enter the National Museum of American History’s National Anthem singing contest on YouTube, which will launch in February, for a chance to win a trip to DC and the opportunity to perform your rendition of the “Star-Spangled Banner” on Flag Day, June 14.

6. Eat a meal from every region—Northern Woodlands, South America, Northwest Coast, Meso America and the Great Plains—featured at the National Museum of the American Indian’s café.

5. Sleep over at the Smithsonian National Zoo through its Snore & Roar program. How many people can say they’ve camped out next to a lion’s den? Check this out.

4. Enter a kite in the 43^rd Annual Smithsonian Kite Festival on March 28, 2009. Just make sure its bridle is on the right way. I speak from experience. And, speaking of festivals on the National Mall, go to the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, which runs June 24-28 and July 1-5.

3. Meet Secretary Clough, the Smithsonian Institution’s new Secretary as of 2008—even if it’s just through reading ATM blogger Beth Py-Lieberman’s interview with him.

2. Attempt a Stephen Colbert-esque quest to get your portrait in a Smithsonian museum. (You didn’t hear it here!) Or, at least, take a snapshot with his portrait (above), which now hangs next to Dumbo the Flying Elephant on the National Museum of American History’s third floor.

1. Propose to your girlfriend in front of the Hope Diamond in the National Museum of Natural History. Tell her that you wanted to get her the 45.52 carat blue diamond, but the museum just wouldn’t part with it.

Edison's light bulb, courtesy of National Museum of American History

On New Year’s Eve 1879, after toiling in his laboratory for over a year, Thomas Alva Edison unveiled his electric light bulb to the public in his hometown of Menlo Park, New Jersey. The very bulb is on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.

Twenty-eight years later, also on New Year’s Eve, a young metalworker by the name of Jacob Starr took one hundred 25-watt light bulbs (thanks to Edison) and fashioned them onto an iron and wood ball, five feet in diameter and weighing 700 pounds. He attached the ball to a flagpole atop One Times Square in Manhattan, and at the stroke of midnight, to the cheers of partiers in the street, his invention—the New Year’s Eve Ball—dropped. A tradition was born.

Think of how far we’ve come. This year’s New Year’s Eve Ball, which doubles the size of previous Balls, will be adorned with 32,256 Philips Luxeon Rebel LEDs and 2,668 Waterford Crystals and weigh 11,875 pounds. Apparently, the amount of energy consumed by the lights, which in combination with the crystals can cast more than 16 million colors and billions of patterns, isn’t all that exorbitant. They say it’s equivalent to the energy per hour it takes to use two ovens.

Players get a lesson in forensics at the Natural History Museum

The long-awaited finale to our ARG saga is online! For those who don’t know, ARG’s are “alternate reality games”—a hybrid of mystery stories and online gaming—popular with new media marketers and online communities.

A few months ago the Smithsonian American Art Museum became the nation’s first major museum to sponsor an ARG (always on the edge of the envelope, the Smithsonian). Curators scattered a trail of clues for players to piece together. In addition to their online clue-gathering, gamers gleaned hints through top-secret tours of cemeteries and underground laboratories.

I got to play along. Read the resulting story, which has more information about ARGs and about how I helped save the Smithsonian from a ghostly invasion. See pictures of skeletons, chapels and other clues, here. Or go here to test your wits by trying to solve the mystery yourself.

Georgina Goodlander, curator and clue-master, guest blogged about the ARG over at Museum 2.0. She said it was a success and sponsored “engagement” with the Museum. How else can a Museum become web-savvy?

(Photo courtesy of Georgina Goodlander)

Celebration (1975) by Charles Searles. American Art Museum

Monday, December 29: Kwanzaa: A Musical Tribute

The sounds of the holiday season are many and multifaceted, so come hear The Sounds of Awareness put on a Kwanzaa mini-concert. Free, but reservations required. Call 202-633-4844 to reserve your spot. Anacostia Community Museum, 11:00 AM.

Tuesday, December 30: Reruns

Happy Holidays! American Popular Holiday Songs, 1941-1945 repeats (previously covered here) repeats today. Free, American History Museum, 11 AM, 1 PM, 3 PM and 4 PM.

ZooLights (previously covered here) also repeats. Tickets required. See past blog post for rates. National Zoo, 6-8:30 PM.

Wednesday, December 31: Kwanzaa Family Workshop

Artist Wanda Aikens is on deck to teach you how to make scented and edible items for the holiday as a means to learn about the principle of Kuumba (creativity). Free, but reservations are required. Call 202-633-4844 to reserve your spot. Anacostia Museum, 10:00 AM.

Thursday, January 1: Happy New Year!

Nothing special is scheduled for today, but the museums (and gift shops) are open and waiting for you!

Friday, January 2: Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride
Before Thelma and Louise, there was Amelia and Eleanor. That’s right. Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt. Based on a little-known event, these two strong-willed women slip away from a formal dinner party for some good, clean, high-flying fun. After a reading of Amelia and Eleanor Go For a Ride, kids will be able to participate in an art activity. Free. Air and Space Museum, 11 AM.

And as if I need to state the obvious: an airplane can clear a canyon MUCH better than a 1966 Thunderbird convertible.

Saturday, January 3: Anansi Does the Impossible! An Ashanti Tale
When I was a kid, one of my absolute favorite picture books was A Story A Story, which told the tale of how Anansi the Spider Man performs feats of death-defying skill in order to win back the stories the Sky God stole from his people. That said, I am very pleased to see that this story lives on in this latest retelling by Verna Aardema, which will be read aloud for young and eager ears. Free. National Museum of African Art, 11 AM-12 Noon.

Sunday, January 4: Art a la Cart
You know you want to touch the artworks on the museum walls. (Heck, one time I accidentally set off the alarms at SAAM because I couldn’t tell where the floor ended and the art installation began.) People just like to interact with pretty things, right? If you’re between the ages 7 and 12, come out to the American Art Museum for some hands-on fun that will curb your curiosities in a socially acceptable manner. Hands-on activities are available for your eager mitts, allowing you to explore the world of art on a whole new level. For everyone outside of this age bracket, go elsewhere and take a pottery class. Free. Repeats the first Sunday of every month. American Art Museum, 1-4 PM.

Some serious bling: The Hope Diamond at the Natural History Museum

Friday, December 26: Holiday Celebration at National Museum of the American Indian

It’s a jam-packed day of festivities at the National Museum of the American Indian!

Father and Son Storytelling (3rd level, Resource Center, 11 AM and 1 PM)

Owen and Lyle James share present Native stories passed down through the generations.

Music and Dance Performance (1st level, Potomac Atrium, 12 Noon, 2 PM, and 3:30 PM)

Mele Kalikimaka one and all! (OK, so that’s not bona-fide Hawaiian for “Merry Christmas”—but gosh darn it, it’s fun to say!) Come out and see Halau O’Aulani perform classic and contemporary dances from the Hawaiian islands.

Films (Rasmuson Theater, 12:30 PM and 3:30 PM)

“Christmas at Moose Factory” explores the holiday traditions of an old settlement on the shore of James Bay through the eyes of a child.

“Wapos Bay” is a Canadian stop-motion animated television series set in Saskatchewan. In this episode, “A Time to Learn,” young Talon must deal with piles of schoolwork and missing sled dogs before he can go out with his father to learn the family tradition of going out on the trapline.

All events are free. National Museum of the American Indian. Continues Dec. 27 & 28

Saturday, December 27: Kwanzaa Stories at the Anacostia Community Museum,

The Honorable Baba C and Tomorrow’s Voices will teach you about this seven day festival by way of storytelling and music. Free, but reservations are required. To make a reservation, call 202-633-4844. Anacostia Museum, 11:00.

Sunday, December 28: National Museum of Natural History—Extended Hours!

That’s right—you get to hang out at one of the most popular museums on the mall for a few more hours! The Natural History Museum will be open from 10:00 A.M. to 7:30 P.M. through January 3.

Glenn Crider and the holiday stamps, courtesy of Glenn Crider

Meet the real-life Herr Drosselmeyer. Glenn Crider of Mechanicsville, Virginia, like the famed godfather in The Nutcracker story, is a clockmaker turned toymaker, known especially for his custom-made nutcrackers (and, on special occasions, to rock festive suspenders from his lederhosen). Crider says he is one of four nutcracker craftsmen in the United States and “the only guy that will do it from A to Z,” meaning that he does both the artistic and mechanical work involved—designing the figures from their hair color to accessories, cutting and fitting the wooden parts together and painting their eyes and other intricate details.

It was for his expertise that the United States Postal Service commissioned him to make four nutcrackers, which New Milford, Connecticut-based photographer Sally Andersen-Bruce shot for one of this year’s holiday stamp series.

The USPS first contacted Crider back in the spring of 2006 to see if he would be interested in the project. “I said, ‘Oh yeah, I’m interested in about a nanosecond!’” says the artist.

He provided them some sketches by July and was working on the nutcrackers by August. Typically, it takes Crider about two or three days to make an original, and he enlists some help from his father and ten part-time elves who work for his toy company T.R.C. Designs. But he spent a month perfecting the foot-tall drummer boy, king, Santa and soldier nutcrackers for the USPS. A year went by before he received confirmation that they would definitely be released in stamp form. This past October he was in New York City to unveil them at the Mega Stamp Show (who knew there was such a thing?) for this holiday season.

Crider, who makes duplicates of all his nutcrackers for his personal collection, has amassed over 400 originals, ranging in size from one inch to four feet, since he fiddled with his clock-making tools and taught himself the old-style, German toy-making tradition in 1983. He has designed nutcrackers for several ballet companies around the country and even a John Smith commemorative figurine for the 400th anniversary of Jamestown in May 2007 made from a scrap wood from the replica of the ship Susan Constant docked in the James River. “[But] By far this is the most interesting,” says Crider. “It’s a life-changing event.”

The four nutcrackers, stamps and large graphic blowups of the stamps, on loan from the USPS, are on display in the Smithsonian National Postal Museum’s Franklin Foyer through January 7. Out-of-towners, keep your eyes peeled on incoming Christmas cards.

Image from Smithsonianchannel.com

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He’s a man of a thousand faces and a hundred and one aliases. But just who is this guy who annually breaks into our homes to leave us presents? The Smithsonian Channel’s new program, “In Search of Santa Claus”, tries to detangle the intricate web of Santa Claus lore, beginning with Saint Nicholas of Myra and culminating with the modern incarnations of the jolly old soul.

Believe me, it’s easier trying to bait this guy with cookies and steal a peek at him on Christmas Eve than it is to figure out his life story.

Here’s all the verifiable information we have about the real-life Saint Nick: he was a popular fourth-century bishop of Myra. Yup, that’s about it. Leaves a lot to the imagination, doesn’t it? Well, that’s what happened.

Several legends developed around the man and his reputation as a philanthropist. One involved him saving kidnapped children from a butcher intending to serve them up to his customers. (Sounds like something from another story, yes?) Another has him giving a sack of gold each to three girls so that they might have a dowry to get married. (The universal emblem of pawnbrokers is sometimes said to have come from this legend.) The Saint Nicholas mythology snowballed as the figure became increasingly popular throughout Europe—where different regions had their own spin on the figure, adapting him into their own stories and legends—and later, the United States where he became a pop culture icon in the early 20th century.

Cultures throughout the Western World have their own variations on the Santa Claus story. What are some of the Santa stories that you’ve come to know and love?

“In Search of Santa Claus” will air on the Smithsonian Channel on December 24 at 1, 5, and 9 PM and on December 25 at 12:00 A.M. and then 12, 8 and 11 P.M. Preview video clips are available on their site.

Courtesy of the National Museum of American History

This past Sunday, on a stage in the foyer of the National Museum of American History, three theatrical performers sang a version of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” I had never heard before—the original version. “Have yourself a merry little Christmas / It may be your last / Next year we may all be living in the past,” they crooned. “Faithful friends who are dear to us / Will be near to us no more.”

Dark, right? Off-putting, for sure. Had I not heard the singers preface their performance by saying they were going to sing the more melancholy, original lyrics, I would have thought them perverse for tampering with the coveted carol, as passing museumgoers might have. But the rest of the audience and I, in the know, gasped simultaneously at the first departure from the more familiar lyrics and then broke into nervous laughter at the rest.

So the story goes, Judy Garland, who sang the song in the 1944-film Meet Me in St. Louis, found the original lyrics too depressing for wartime. Hugh Martin, the songwriter, somewhat begrudgingly revised the song to have a more optimistic bent. Among other tweaks, “It may be your last / Next year we may all be living in the past” became “Let your heart by light / Next year all our troubles will be out of sight.” And, in 1957, at Frank Sinatra’s request, Martin changed the penultimate line, “Until then we’ll have to muddle through somehow,” to “Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.” (The name of Sinatra’s album, with his version of the song, was A Jolly Christmas, after all.)

To hear the stories behind more holiday classics from the World War II era, attend a showing of the museum’s 20-minute “Home for the Holidays” musical program, scheduled at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. on December 24 and 26-31.

Still from Christmas at Moose Factory.

Monday, December 22: Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest

If you haven’t already seen this show, you only have until January 15 to catch it. Here on the Castle’s walls is the creme de la creme of amateur photography that will hopefully open your eyes and broaden your perceptions of the world around you. And remember: when you take in pieces of eye candy, it never goes straight to your thighs. Free. Smithsonian Castle, 8:30-5:30.

Tuesday, December 23: Reruns

Nothing new today, but sometimes it’s fun to revisit a tried-and-true favorite. Seasons of Light (previously covered here) and Zoo Lights (previously covered here) repeat today.

Wednesday, December 24: Broad Stripes, Bright Bars

Meet Mary Pickersgill—the savviest seamstress this side of Betsy Ross who stitched the Star Spangled Banner—and the other colorful characters involved with the flag that inspired our national anthem. Come learn the story of the flag—on display after a painstaking 8-year restoration—and help Mary piece a flag together. Free. National Museum of American History. 11:30-11:50. Repeats 12:30, 1:30, 2:00, 4:30

Thursday, December 25: Zip. Zilch. Nada.
Sorry, kids, this is the one day a year that the museums are closed. You can knock yourself out by standing out in the cold looking at the awesome exteriors of the museums, but that’s about it. It’s a good day to spend at home. Not that I’m biased, but might I suggest curling up with the latest issue of Smithsonian magazine? Or, if you’re still strapped for gift ideas, get that special someone our snazzy newsstand-exclusive issue on Abraham Lincoln.

Looking for non-partisan entertainment? Put Joyeux Noel on your NetFlix list. It’s a schmaltz-less film about the World War I Christmas Truce where German, French and Scottish troops converge on the front lines, set aside their differences and enjoy a few fleeting hours of camaraderie.

There! You have your educational fix for the day and we can all sleep soundly. Moving on…

Friday, December 26: Holiday Celebration at NMAI

It’s a jam-packed day of festivities at the National Museum of the American Indian!

Father and Son Storytelling (3rd level, Resource Center, 11 AM and 1 PM)

Owen and Lyle James share Native present passed down through the generations.

Music and Dance Performance (1st level, Potomac Atrium, 12 Noon, 2 PM, and 3:30 PM)

Mele Kalikimaka one and all! (OK, so that’s not bona-fide Hawaiian for “Merry Christmas”—but gosh darn it, it’s fun to say!) Come out and see Halau O’Aulani perform classic and contemporary dances from the Hawaiian islands.

Films (Rasmuson Theater, 12:30 PM and 3:30 PM)

Christmas at Moose Factory explores the holiday traditions of an old settlement on the shore of James Bay through the eyes of a child.

Wapos Bay is a Canadian stop-motion animated television series set in Saskatchewan. In this episode, “A Time to Learn,” young Talon must deal with piles of schoolwork and missing sled dogs before he can go out with his father to learn the family tradition of going out on the trapline.

All events are free. National Museum of the American Indian. Continues Dec. 27 & 28

Saturday, December 27: Kwanzaa Stories

The Honorable Baba C and Tomorrow’s Voices will teach you about this seven day festival by way of storytelling and music. Free, but reservations are required. To make a reservation, call 202-633-4844. Anacostia Museum, 11:00.

Sunday, December 28: National Museum of Natural History—Extended Hours!

That’s right—you get to hang out at one of the most popular museums on the mall for a few more hours! The Natural History Museum will be open from 10:00 A.M. to 7:30 P.M. through January 3.

Christmas Morning (1947) by Ernest W. Watson. Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Friday, December 19: Discussion: Remembering Christmases Past
Members of the Harmony Hall Regional Center and Maryland National Park and Planning Commission remember family, special foods, gifts and gatherings from Christmases past. Free, reservations required. Call 202-633-4844 to reserve your seat. Anacostia Museum, 11:00.

Saturday, December 20: Jim Henson’s The Christmas Toy
Come on down for a free screening of Jim Henson’s The Christmas Toy. As Christmas approaches, Rugby the Tiger fears that he will no longer be his owner’s favorite toy. His efforts to hold onto his Number 1 spot in the playroom have him encounter his potential replacement: Meteora, Queen of the Asteroids—an out of this world action figure who doesn’t realize she’s a toy. (Is this starting to sound familiar? Naw, didn’t think so.) This 1986 holiday classic is great family entertainment and will be followed by a puppet-making activity. Admission: $10 for adults; $9 for children (ages 2-16); $9 for Resident Associate Members. Call 202-633-8700 for tickets. S. Dillon Ripley Center, 12 Noon.

Sunday, December 21: Taking Shape: Ceramics in Southeast Asia
I think even Hyacinth Bucket (that’s “Bouquet” to you) would have to admit that her Royal Doulton with the hand painted periwinkles looks a little shabby next to the Freer’s Hague Collection. This collection spans 4,000 years of ceramic arts from Cambodia, Viet Nam, Laos, Thailand and Burma (present-day Myanmar). Curator Louise Cort will lead a tour of the collection and will also introduce you to the museum’s first online catalog that will offer web surfers an opportunity to get an up-close look at these amazing artworks. (This catalog will be available on December 13.) Free. Freer Gallery of Art, 1 PM.

(And by the way, Hyacinth’s china—most likely the Braganza line—was discontinued in 1996. Maybe it could find its way into a museum some day.)

In an earlier performance video, “Ganesh in the Garden,” we talked to a Rajasthani dance group about retelling the stories of Hindu Gods.