When the Obamas strolled over to the Corcoran last night, sadly this photo wasn’t still hanging. Photograph by Flickr user RRCarroll.

What’s a First Family to do on a Sunday evening when there’s no football on? In the case of the Obamas, you can always stroll across the street to the nearest art gallery and take in a contemporary exhibition or two. Which is precisely what happened last night when Barack and Michelle Obama and their daughters, Malia and Sasha, visited the Corcoran Gallery of Art for some after-hours culture.

Presumably it isn’t tricky to persuade a museum to stay open late when you’re commander in chief, because even though the Corcoran usually closes at 5 PM on Sunday, doors stayed open for the First Family, who, according to White House pool reports, walked over around 6:30. Corcoran representatives weren’t at liberty to disclose exactly what the Obamas looked at, but reports say they took in the “30 Americans” exhibition, as well as some of the Corcoran’s contemporary work. They also got a sneak preview of “Shadows of History: Photographs of the Civil War from the Collection of Julia J. Norell,” which doesn’t officially open till February 4.

The “30 Americans” exhibition, which opened last fall, is a showcase of some of the most influential African-American artists of the past three decades, and includes work by Kara Walker, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Nick Cave, and Kehinde Wiley. You can read our review of the show here. There’s no official word on whether the Obamas got to see Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro’s “Are We There Yet?,” a playful, site-specific installation about space and consumption, or “Where We’ve Been, Where We’re Going, Why,” in which Healy and Cordeiro craft space-themed images out of Legos. But we’re sure that after seeing his own inauguration depicted in Lego form, the President is a bit harder to impress, so maybe it’s just as well.

Patrick Heusinger and Patrick Breen in the Broadway production of Next Fall. Photograph courtesy of the show’s website.

Monday, January 30

ART: The National Gallery of Art’s new exhibition, “Picasso’s Drawings, 1890–1921: Reinventing Tradition,” opened yesterday. The collection, which features some 55 works, explores Picasso’s artistic development over a 30-year period. “What’s fascinating is how distinctly the exhibition traces the evolution of a style, from inconspicuous early drawings to fully fledged experiments” says arts editor Sophie Gilbert. Read the full review here. The exhibit runs through May 6. Free.

Looks like this single critter had a blast at last year’s Woo at the Zoo. Photograph by Mehgan Murphy/National Zoo.

Saturday, February 11

SCAVENGER HUNT: Track down naughty novelties during the Watson Adventures’ Naked Scavenger Hunt at the American Art Museum. Items include a tempting she-devil, a giddy drinker, and a startling Lite-Brite picture. And yes, clothes are required. Tickets ($24.50) can be purchased through the event’s website. 1 PM. The scavenger hunt runs through February 12.

Pablo Picasso’s “Self Portrait” (1901/1902), part of the National Gallery’s upcoming exhibition of the artist’s work from three decades of his life.

Some talents are so gargantuan, so utterly incomparable, that they seem to be ordained, not earned. Most normal mortals could hardly begin to aspire to the dizzying heights of Mozart, or da Vinci, or Wayne Gretzky, no matter how many years of tedious slog they put in. So it can be strange, then, to see a legend deconstructed—reduced to early experiments, simple sketches, and occasional flashes of the genius that would come later.

Such is the feeling of “Picasso’s Drawings, 1890–1921: Reinventing Tradition,” which opens in the National Gallery of Art’s West Building Sunday. The show accompanies the unveiling of the revamped French Galleries upstairs, and could hardly offer more of an intriguing juxtaposition. Many of the French paintings are masterpieces—polished, composed, slick. What you see in the Picasso show instead is the growth of one of the 20th century’s most formidable and groundbreaking talents, in three decades of work starting when the artist was nine and ending when he was 40.

Adam Green and Euan Morton star in the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s staging of The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Photograph by Scott Suchman.

Thursday, January 26

ART: Art Soiree hosts Apocalyptoon 2012’s opening reception at the Artisphere. The pop-up exhibit will feature works from the country’s top cartoonists, including the Washington Post’s Tom Toles, the Economist’s Kal, and MSNBC’s Daryl Cagle. Guests can enjoy live music, complimentary snacks, and a cash bar. Tickets ($25) can be purchased through the Artisphere’s website. 6 PM. The exhibition runs through January 29.

THEATER: Don’t miss opening night of Josephine Tonight! at MetroStage. Directed and choreographed by Maurice Hines, the musical follows Josephine Baker’s journey from small-town girl to French movie star. Tickets for tonight’s pay-what-you-can performance are available at the door; tickets for future performances ($45 to $50) can be purchased through Box Office Tickets. 8 PM. The play runs through March 18.

MUSIC: Clarinetist Jörg Widmann joins the National Symphony Orchestra in “Armonica.” The program will also feature works by Mozart and Schubert. Tickets ($20 to $85) can be purchased through the Kennedy Center’s website. 7 PM. The show runs though January 29.

Jazz-funk artist Roy Ayers performs at Blues Alley tonight. The venerable musician has brought us hits including “Everybody Loves the Sunshine,” “Running Away,” and “We Live In Brooklyn, Baby.” Tickets ($40) can be purchased through the club’s website. 10 PM.

Sigmund Freud’s reclining couch, one of the photographs featured in “Annie Leibovitz: Pilgrimage.” Photograph by Annie Leibovitz.

For Annie Leibovitz, putting icons front and center is nothing new. The Vanity Fair contributing photographer and longtime Rolling Stone staffer is renowned for her iconic shots of celebrities—from John Lennon cradling Yoko Ono to a naked, pregnant Demi Moore to infamous teen star Miley Cyrus with a sheet draped provocatively over her bare back. The prestige of a Leibovitz portrait signifies the following: that the subject is either famous, beautiful, powerful, or all three combined.

The Mark Morris Dance Group performs L’Allegro. Photograph by Elaine Mayson Photography.

Monday, January 23

MUSIC: Violinist Joshua Bell joins pianist Sam Haywood at the Kennedy Center. “The only criticism that comes to mind about [Bell’s] performances is that they are sometimes too beautiful,” says writer Charles T. Downey. Tonight’s concert will feature works by Mendelssohn, Brahms, Ravel, and Gershwin. Tickets ($45 to $115) can be purchased through the KenCen’s website. 8 PM.