Things to Do

November Art Openings, Museum Exhibitions, and Events in Washington

See three new shows at the Corcoran, check out nail art at the Fridge, and hail the return of FotoweekDC.

Ivan Sigal, “Kabul, Afghanistan,” 2002. Image courtesy of the artist. © Ivan Sigal.

Museum Exhibitions

This month sees not one, not two, but three shows opening at the Corcoran.
“Ivan Sigal: White Road,” on display November 3 through January 27, displays photographs taken from 1998 to
2005 when the Washington resident, a nonprofit fellow and photographer, was traveling
in Central Asia. The black-and-white images capture the way the end of the Soviet
Union affected the lives of residents in outlying states.

“Taryn Simon: A Living Man Declared Dead and Other Chapters I-XVIII” comes from the Museum of Modern Art, where the
New York Times described it as a “virtuoso turn.” Simon photographs members of famed bloodlines
to explore heritage, genetics, and culture. November 10 through February 24.

Also opening November 10 is
“NOW at the Corcoran—Enoc Perez: Utopia.” The show includes two bodies of work by the modernist artist—one based on the Marina
Towers in Chicago, and one on the Watergate complex in DC. Through February 10.

The latest contemporary artist showcased in the Phillips Collection’s Intersections
series is French sculptor and photographer
Xavier Veilhan. The show’s star is a bright-red resin bear on the corner of 21st and Q streets,
but the exhibit also includes 17 other Veilhan works, from installations to paintings.
November 3 through February 10.

At the American Art Museum,
“The Civil War and American Art”—centered on Winslow Homer, Eastman Johnson, Frederic Church, and Sanford Gifford—features
59 paintings and 18 photographs that reveal how artists struggled to document the
war. November 16 through April 20.

At the Sackler Gallery, a new show arrives to showcase Saudi Arabia’s little-known
pre-Islamic heritage.
“Roads of Arabia: Archeology and History of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” on display from November 17 through February 24, comes to the museum from the Louvre,
Berlin’s Pergamon Museum, and St. Petersburg’s State Hermitage Museum.

There are two photography shows opening at the National Geographic Museum this month.

“Birds of Paradise: Amazing Avian Evolution” reveals extraordinary images of the brilliantly colored rare birds, taken in their
natural habitat in Papua New Guinea and Australia. November 1 through May 28.

“Greatest Photographs of the American West: 125 Years of Majesty, Spirit, and Adventure”

comes from the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and reveals
portraits of life on the frontier spanning more than a century. Through January 31.

At the National Museum of Women in the Arts,
“High Fiber: Women to Watch” displays contemporary textiles and works of fiber art from innovative up-and-coming
female designers. The show includes decorative sculptures by Ligia Bouton, furniture
by Debra Folz, and wall and hanging art by Tracy Krumm. November 2 through January
6.

Gallery Shows

Continuing at Connersmith through December 20 is
“Kenny Hunter and Julie Roberts: Nothing Lasts Forever,” a show of new work by the Scottish painter and sculptor.

See work by some stellar local artists this month at Rockville’s VisArts.
“Review <> Renew” displays work by Sam Gilliam, Tom Green, Lisa Brotman, Manon Cleary, and more. Through
December 29.

At Artisphere through January 5 is
“Roberto Bocci: Streams + Spaces in Between: Arlington, Virginia, and Washington,
DC.”
The show reveals Bocci’s 100-foot panorama mapping the distance between Arlington
and DC.

In the Canadian Embassy’s gallery through March 15 is
“Inuit Ullumi: Inuit Today,” an exhibition
showcasing the culture of Canada’s arctic
regions.

At Honfleur Gallery,
“Steppin’ Out: Michael B. Platt” runs November 2 through December 21, displaying large-scale cutout images inspired
by newspaper photos by the Howard University professor.

Also running November 2 through December 21 at sister gallery Vivid Solutions is
“Divine Revelations: Passages From the Life of Our Lady,” a specific photography installation recreating masterpieces in Catholic art by local
photographer Caroline Mayorga.

November 3 through 25 at the Fridge, see nail art taken one step further in
“D’s Nails by DECOY,” an exhibition featuring photographs, DC-inspired nail designs, and $30 custom manicures.

U Street’s Project 4 Gallery has an exhibition of ornately painted canvases by Fulbright
fellow
Katherine Tzu-Lan Mann. November 3 to December 15.

At Woolly Mammoth from November 5 through December 2 is an exhibition accompanying
the company’s new production,
“You for Me for You” by Mia Chung. Work by Song Byeok, a former Korean propaganda painter, will be on display
in the theater’s lobby.

Opening November 9 at the Mexican Cultural Institute is
“Luces y Sombras: Fourteen Travelers in Mexico,” a collection of different images of the country’s landscape, architecture, and culture
taken throughout the 20th century.

Also opening November 9 is
“Benjamin Bellas: Losing Something You Never Had” at CulturalDC’s Flashpoint gallery. The installation is inspired by Bellas’s uncle,
who was lost at sea, and includes photographs, sculptures, videos, and personal items.
Through December 21.

A nice counterpoint to the Phillips Collection’s stellar
Per Kirkeby exhibit
comes to the Robert Brown Gallery, which also presents prints and drawings by the
Danish artist, November 10 through December 15.

Art Events

This weekend, November 1 through 4, the Phillips Collection hosts a weekend of international
programming, including
Phillips After 5 November 1, a discussion with
Xavier Veilhan about his new show (see above) November 4, and a concert by violinist
Andrey Baranov November 4.

This month heralds the return of
FotoweekDC! The festival, celebrating its fifth anniversary, is making the Warner Theatre its
base this year, with exhibitions hosted there and at several other galleries and spaces
around town. November 10 through 18.

Also returning this year is
Crafty Bastards, the annual arts and crafts fair hosted by the
Washington City Paper. This year’s event on November 10 is at the spanking new Union Market in Northeast.

On November 10 is downtown Silver Spring’s
Holiday Destination event, with arts, crafts, entertainment, and the unveiling of a new sculpture.

November 16 through 18, the
Sugarloaf Craft Festival in Gaithersburg assembles more than 400 artists to sell their wares ahead of the
holidays.

November 16 through 18, furniture and interiors store
Theodores hosts an art show, with more than 500 original works on sale.

November 29, the Hirshhorn hosts a
Mingle at the Museum exhibition for Barbara Kruger’s Belief + Doubt.