Last month, the New York Times wrote that Richmond is “emerging as a new player on the Southern art and culinary scene.” Indeed, but why take a Noo Yawker’s word for it when you can slide on down I-95 and check it out yourself?

Next weekend, the Visual Art Center’s 45th Craft + Design Show kicks off under the rotunda at the Science Museum of Virginia. The building, once the Broad Street Station, is a work of art itself. Designed by John Russell Pope, the architect behind the National Archives building, the Jefferson Memorial, and the National Gallery of Art’s west building, it’s on the National Register of Historic Places and alone worth the drive.

If you’ve ever been to the annual Smithsonian Craft Show, you’ll find that this one has a lot in common, except that Richmond’s show is 18 seasons wiser. There’ll be 75 superstar artists representing 17 states displaying works in fiber, glass, jewelry, mixed media, and wood. Says Karen Cauthen Miller, VAC’s special-events coordinator: “This show provides a unique opportunity to meet the artists, learn their stories, and collect their objects.” That intimacy is a major draw because half of the artists have never shown in Richmond. And lest you think it’s a fusty museum exhibit, a special partnership with Quirk Gallery (where Noah Scalin of Skull-A-Day fame displayed selections this summer) promises fun, youthful art at hang-it-in-the-kids’-rooms prices.

A first timer to the show, I got a sense of the scene by catching up with two Maryland artists who made the cut: Joseph Craig English, a printmaker/painter/sculptor from Washington Grove, and Eric Burris, a metalsmith/jeweler out of Silver Spring.

Between Ping-Pong, McDonald’s, and fortune cookies, the United States and China have a rich history of cultural exchange. Therefore, it’s only appropriate that on the week President Obama tours China, the National Geographic Museum is welcoming the long-awaited exhibit “Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China’s First Emperor.”

Described as “one of the most important archaeological discoveries in the world” by the museum’s director, Susan Norton, the exhibit—debuting Thursday and on display through March—features 100 relics and 15 life-size terra-cotta figures that had remained buried for more than 2,000 years in the tomb of China’s first emperor, Qin Shihuangdi (ruling from 221 to 210 BC). Discovered when a group of farmers went into a field to dig a well, the necropolis reveals an estimated 7,000 warriors in a virtual underground city created to protect the emperor as he journeyed into the afterlife. The display is the largest showcase of terra-cotta figures ever to travel to the United States and marks the first time the National Geographic Museum has charged money for an exhibit. So far, more than 96,000 advance tickets have been sold.

We got an early glimpse of the exhibit this week. Here are some of the highlights:

Low-ceilinged and striped with neon, the newest exhibit at the International Spy Museum feels more like a top-secret command center than an educational gallery. Glossy black walls are lined with flashing lights and flickering computer screens. Headlines scroll along a red-lettered marquee, and at the front of the room, a color-coded map of the United States outlines the location of power grids.

Suddenly, the lights fizzle out and the sleek little room is plunged into darkness. The computer screens fade until one video slowly comes into greenish focus, outlining a budding crisis: A cyber attack has shut the system down, incapacitating major parts of the infrastructure.

That means no communication.

No transportation.

No electricity.

No food.

No water.

Photograph by Kyle Jameson

A bull, an octopus, and a shark—just some of the aluminum creatures on display at Union Station as part of Washington’s first “Art of Can” exhibition.

Sponsored by Red Bull, the energy-drink company that “gives you wings,” the exhibit kicked off last night, attracting a crowd of art wonks and caffeine addicts alike.

Through October 19, Washingtonians are invited to check out (for free!) some of the country’s most highly carbonated contemporary artworks—all created or inspired by Red Bull’s iconic blue-and-silver cans—on display at Union Station’s main lobby.

Fifty-six works are on display, including an eight-foot octopus and a larger-than-life bull, which incorporates more than 2,000 cans into the design. The artists responsible for the sculptures come from all walks of life: students, industrial designers, sales professionals. Most are from the United States, but some have traveled from as far away as the United Kingdom.

Check out photographs of the exhibit. 

Monday, August 10
Israeli artist Irit Zohar’s colorful canvases are on display through August 31 at the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue. The exhibit, called “Painting in Action,” can be viewed Monday through Friday 10 to 4.

Tuesday, August 11
Take the Portraits Alive! tour at the National Portrait Gallery with the museum’s Teen Ambassadors. Students who participated in an eight-week seminar will walk you through the gallery, stopping at nine portraits to perform their dramatic interpretations of well-known figures such as Rudolph Valentino and Angela Davis. Meet in the F Street lobby for the 2:15 performance, which takes place every day through Friday.

Monday, July 27
Show your support for universal access to clean water at the Science Club in DC’s downtown. The Global Water Challenge throws its launch party from 6 to 8 PM, where you’ll find out more about the water crisis and what the organization is doing to help. To RSVP, click here. Free.

Tuesday, July 28
Humidity is reaching a summertime high, but the seals at the National Zoo aren’t feeling it. Meet at the sea-lion pool at 11:30 AM for a free training demo with the friendly ocean mammals.

Wednesday, July 29
A graphic-arts specialist at the American History Museum demonstrates how Civil War generals used tabletop printing presses to give orders to their troops. Meet on the first floor. 11 AM to 1 PM.

In case you missed it last month, Community Night at the Spy Museum means free admission from 5 to 9 PM. Click here to reserve a spot.

Monday, July 20
Liz Taylor fans will be happy to know that Giant is free on the screen at the National Theatre tonight at 6:30. Watch Brock Hudson and the iconic actress fall in love in the dusty plains of Texas in this 1950s classic, which garnered ten Academy Award nominations. Tickets are distributed 30 minutes before showtime on a first-come, first-served basis. Click here for more information.

And how could we forget? Screen on the Green kicks off tonight! Here’s the full schedule.

Tuesday, July 21
How philanthropic Is The Philanthropist? The Hudson Insititute (1015 15th St., NW) hosts a free lunch, screening, and panel discussion in the name of examining the NBC show’s portrayal of the professional philanthropy world. The event kicks off with an optional 10:45 AM episode viewing, followed by a luncheon buffet and a 12:10 talk on where the series gets it right and where it stretches the truth. Tom Fontana, the co-creator and writer of the show, will be on hand. To reserve a spot and find out more, click here.