Recorded Events

"Portraits Alive!" 2013 -- theatrical gallery tour by teens. "Portraits Alive!" is a theatrical tour that brings the Portrait Gallery's collection to life through original, student-written performances by local teens. From the end of July through early August, the National Portrait Gallery's Education Department offers an opportunity for youth, ages 14 through 16, to perform a tour of visual biographies for visitors to the museum. Recorded at NPG, August, 2013.

Music: "The Gold Lining" by Broke for Free: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Broke_For_Free/Gold_Can_Stay/Broke_For_Free_-_Gold_Can_Stay_-_03_The_Gold_Lining . Used under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

General Colin Powell's portrait, by artist Ronald Sherr, was unveiled and added to the National Portrait Gallery collection on December 2, 2012. Powell was interviewed by NPR's Michele Norris as part of the ceremony. Speaking, in order of appearance: Wendy Wick Reaves, interim director of the National Portrait Gallery; Jack Watson, chair of the National Portrait Gallery's commission; artist Ronald Sherr; NPR's Michele Norris, and General Colin Powell. Recorded at NPG, December 2, 2012. Image: Gen. Colin Powell / Ronald N. Sherr / Oil on canvas, 2012 / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; supported by a grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation and by the Marc Pachter Commissioning Fund

A Conversation with Alice Waters: Chef Jose Andres interviews Alice Waters, activist, author, and chef. Introductions by Martin Sullivan, director of the NPG, and Jack Watson, chairman of the NPG board. On January 20, 2012, The National Portrait Gallery celebrated its newest acquisition with a reception featuring renowned chef Alice Waters and some of the Washington region's most acclaimed masters of the kitchen. A portrait of Alice Waters, by Dave Woody, winner of the NPG's 2009 Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition (OBPC), was installed that evening. Recorded at NPG, January 20, 2012. Image: Alice Waters / Dave Woody / Pigment print, 2010 / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; acquired through the Marc Pachter Commissioning Fund as part of the first prize, Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition 2009

Civil rights leader Vernon Jordan was interviewed at a public event at the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution. Jordan was interviewed by Marc Pachter, former NPG director. Recorded at NPG, April 9, 2012.

A Conversation with Andrew Young: Ambassador Andrew Young, joined by his longtime friend Jack H. Watson Jr., discusses his role in the American Civil Rights movement. Watson is chair of the National Portrait Gallery's Commission; he served as chief of staff for former President Jimmy Carter and is a fellow Atlantan. His portrait is now on view in our exhibition "The Struggle for Justice." Recorded at NPG, April 30, 2011. Image: Andrew Young by Ross R, Rossin, oil on canvas, 2009, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Jack Watson, Copyright 2009 Ross R. Rossin

"1861: The Civil War Awakening" discussion by author Adam Goodheart. Historian, journalist, and travel writer Adam Goodheart discusses his new book "1861: The Civil War Awakening," a gripping account of the early days of the Civil War. Goodheart is director of Washington College's C. V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience. This is a joint program with the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Recorded at NPG, April 23, 2011.

Patti Smith on "Just Kids," her National Book Award-Winning memoir. Patti Smith discussed "Just Kids" at the National Portrait Gallery on December 11, 2010. She was interviewed by the NPG's David C. Ward, Historian. "Just Kids" is a memoir of early 1970s Manhattan and of Patti Smith's friendship with artist Robert Mapplethorpe.

From Harper Collins website: George Washington's death on December 14, 1799, dealt a dreadful blow to public morale. For three decades, Americans had depended on his leadership to guide them through every trial. At the cusp of a new century, the fledgling nation, caught in another war (this time with its former ally France), desperately needed to believe that Washington was--and would continue to be--there for them. Thus began the extraordinary immortalization of this towering historical figure. "In Inventing George Washington", historian Edward G. Lengel shows how the late president and war hero continued to serve his nation on two distinct levels. The public Washington evolved into an eternal symbol as Father of His Country, while the private man remained at the periphery of the national vision--always just out of reach--for successive generations yearning to know him as never before.

Both images, public and private, were vital to perceptions Americans had of their nation and themselves. Yet over time, as Lengel shows, the contrasting and simultaneous urges to deify Washington and to understand him as a man have produced tensions that have played out in every generation. As some exalted him, others sought to bring him down to earth, creating a series of competing mythologies that depicted Washington as every sort of human being imaginable. "Inventing George Washington" explores these representations, shedding new light on this national emblem, our nation itself, and who we are. Recorded at NPG, February 16, 2011.

Presented by the Washington DC Jewish Community Center in collaboration with Catherine V. Dawson and Transformer. David C. Ward in conversation with Tyler Green editor and writer of Modern Art Notes; Victoria Reis, co-founder of Transformer; and Dafna Steinberg, artist and director of Ann Loeb Bronfmann Gallery at Washington DCJCC. Recorded at DCJCC, December 20, 2010.

Steven Weisman discusses his book "Daniel Patrick Moynihan: A Portrait in Letters of an American Visionary"Recorded at NPG, December 8, 2010.