First Saturday: March

Fun for kids

Storytime

Atrium, 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Let’s play together while reading aloud the children’s book Feathers for Lunch/ Plumas para almorzar. We welcome all ages, especially our youngest visitors and nursing parents.

Fun For Kids

Drop-In Artmaking

Atrium, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

All ages welcome; children must be accompanied by an adult.
First come, first served

Drop-in artmaking is a great way to try your hand at creating art in an informal, relaxed environment. Artmaking activities are designed for all ages and abilities.

Fun for Kids

Kids' Play Space

Atrium, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Designed for our littlest art lovers. Play, build, sort, and stack in a hands-on space. Children must be accompanied by an adult. First come, first served.

Fun for Kids

Face Painting

Education Studio, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Become a work of art! Stop by the Cascade Café to get your face painted from The Face Paint Lady Inc.

Fun for Kids

Sketching Lab

Atrium, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Visit our sketching lab to activate your imagination and ideas. Then, add your sketch to our community display to showcase your creativity. Children must be accompanied by an adult. First come, first served.

Talks

Middle Atlantic Symposium in the History of Art

West Building Lecture Hall, 10:15 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Since 1971 the National Gallery’s Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts has partnered with the department of art history and archaeology at the University of Maryland to present this annual symposium. The event brings together museum and academic communities and provides a platform for the latest research from graduate students in our region.

Performances

Haitian Dance & Drums with La Troupe Zetwal

East Building Mezzanine, 11:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 1:00 p.m. (20 minutes)

Experience the energy and beauty of La Troupe Zetwal in a performance of traditional Haitian dance, drumming, and storytelling. This event is planned in conjunction with the exhibition Spirit & Strength: Modern Art from Haiti, on view through March 9, 2025.

Fun for Kids

Pop-Up Library: Women Artists

Study Center Atrium, 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

The First Saturday Pop-Up Library features special selections from the National Gallery of Art Library. This month’s pop-up showcases books about women artists. 

Talks

Prajjé Oscar Fashion Showcase

Study Center Atrium, 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Meet acclaimed Haitian-American designer and creative director Prince Prajjé Oscar Jean Baptiste and discover his designs through a fashion showcase featuring garments selected to connect to the exhibition Spirit and Strength: Modern Art from Haiti. Plus, hear Jean Baptiste discuss his work and inspirations in short pop-up talks at 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.

Talks

An Afternoon with Author Edwidge Danticat

East Building Auditorium, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

A powerful and widely celebrated voice in contemporary literature, Haitian-American bestselling author Edwidge Danticat has written 15 award winning books, ranging from adult fiction and children’s and young adult literature to memoir, essays, travel narrative, and literary criticism. 

Join Danticat for a reading from her latest books We’re Alone (2024) and Everything Inside (2019), a stunning collection of powerful, emotionally absorbing stories that tackle the complexities of diaspora.

Talks

Exhibition Tour—Spirit & Strength: Modern Art from Haiti

East Building Atrium, 1:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m. (50 minutes)

Join us for a conversational tour featuring some of the most celebrated Haitian artists of the 20th century. Spirit & Strength: Modern Art from Haiti presents 21 works by Haitian artists recently gifted to the National Gallery. Learn about painters Hector Hyppolite, Andre Pierre, Philomé Obin, and Louisiane Saint Fleurant who were known for their images of Haitian daily life, religious traditions, and history. Led by National Gallery educators.

Films

Madan Sara

East Building Auditorium, 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Join us for a post-screening conversation with director Etant Dupain, in person.

Haiti’s economy hinges on the work and legacy of the Madan Sara: generations of women who work tirelessly to buy, distribute, and sell food and other essentials in markets throughout the country. This documentary is both an overview of these women’s daily struggles and communities and a personal reflection about the women who are the backbone of Haitian society.