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First Saturday: November

First Saturdays

  • Saturday, November 4, 2023
  • 10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
  • East Building, Multiple Locations
  • Festivals
  • In-person

All activities are free, and most are first come, first served. Some activities require registration.

On the first Saturday of each month the East Building comes alive with art making for all ages, films, pop-up experiences, and more. Learn about upcoming First Saturdays.

Commemorate Native American Heritage month with performances, drop-in artmaking, and tours. Plus, view the exhibition The Land Carries our Ancestors: Contemporary Art by Native Americans.

Fun for kids

Storytime

Atrium, 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Let’s play together while reading aloud the children’s book My Heart Fills with Happiness by Monique Gray Smith in English and Spanish. We welcome all ages, especially our youngest visitors and nursing parents.

Details

Fun for Kids

Sketching Lab

Atrium, 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

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

Visit our sketching lab to activate your imagination and ideas. Then, add your sketch to our community display to showcase your creativity. 

Details

Fun For Kids

Drop-In Artmaking

Atrium, 11:00 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.

Details

Fun for Kids

Kids' Play Space

Atrium, 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Children must be accompanied by an adult.
First come, first served

Designed for our littlest art lovers. Play, build, sort, and stack in a hands-on space.

Details

Fun for Kids

Pop-Up Library

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

Enjoy special selections from the National Gallery of Art Library along with quiet activities for kids.

Details

Performances

Music on the Mezzanine with Lakota John

East Building, Mezzanine, Multiple Performances, 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Treat yourself to a performance by guitarist, producer, and songwriter Lakota John (Lumbee), whose sound weaves blues into the Indigenous music of his ancestors. Hailing from North Carolina and shaped by his Dad’s music collection, he picked up the guitar at 7 years old and has since been touring nationally and internationally. Lakota John blends elements of folk, jazz, rock, and blues to create his unique sound, and continues to learn alongside his mentors.

Details

Focus: Exhibitions

Exhibition Tour: The Land Carries Our Ancestors

East Building, Ground Level, Information Desk, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

This exhibition tour introduces works by contemporary Native artists from across the United States. Looking at a range of styles and techniques—including weaving, beadwork, sculpture, painting, printmaking, drawing, and photography—we’ll consider how these artists visualize Indigenous knowledge of land and reflect on our relationship to landscape. 

Details