Best Galleries 1. Gabriel Metsu: This first U.S. monographic exhibit of the works of the 17th century Dutch master Metsu includes among its 33 paintings 14 never before shown in the United States. Metsu had an uncanny ability to make ordinary scenes from daily life feel extraordinary.
Where: East Building, National Gallery of Art, Constitution Avenue between Third and Seventh streets NW
When: Through July 24
Info: Free; 202-737-4215; nga.gov
2. Recollections: Material, Space, Memory: This exhibit of the work of textile artist Victoria Greising stretches strings and fabrics from the floor of the DCAC space to its ceiling, creating the impression you’re walking through a massive model of the human musculature system. Fascinating.
Where: District of Columbia Arts Center, 2438 18th St. NW
When: Through June 12
Info: Free; dcartscenter.org
3. Perspectives: Lu Chunsheng: Chinese video artist Chunsheng’s single-channel video projections bear the echoes of his nation’s ancient history filtered through a lens of modern dislocation.
Where: Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Jefferson Drive and 12th St. SW
When: Through July 17
Info: Free; 202-633-4880; asia.si.edu
4. Max-Karl Winkler: Cuttings from a Winter Garden: Winkler’s startling impressions of winter scenes, all heavy black shadows and sharp corners, offer relief from summer’s swelter.
Where: Washington Printmakers Gallery at Pyramid Atlantic Art Center, 3230 Georgia Ave., 2nd Floor, Silver Spring
When: Through June 26
Info: Free, 301-273-3660, washingtonprintmakers.com
5. Try to See It My Way: This exhibit is based around the idea that even among professionals who archive and display rare and historically significant objects for a living, there are endless ways of contextualizing a museum piece.
Where: Daughters of the American Revolution Museum, 1776 D St. NW
When: Through Sept. 3
Info: Free; dar.org/museum/default.cfm
Best Music
1. National Symphony Orchestra: John Axelrod conducts the tribute to John F. Kennedy and Leonard Bernstein featuring the latter’s “On the Waterfront” Suite, his Symphony No. 3 (“Kaddish”) with new text by Holocaust survivor Samuel Pisar, and other works by Samuel Barber and Aaron J. Kernis.
Where: Kennedy Center Concert Hall
When:7 p.m. Thursday 1:30 p.m. Friday and 8 p.m. Saturday
Info: $20 to $85; 202-467-4600, 800-444-1324; kennedy-center.org
2. “H.M.S. Pinafore”: The New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players perform the rollicking musical commentary about class and ambition filled with mirth and beloved ditties.
Where: Wolf Trap Filene Center
When: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Info: $32 to $50 in-house, $8 lawn; 800-WOLFTRAP (965-3872); wolftrap.org
3. Louisiana Swamp Romp: Trombone Shorty, Sonny Landreth and Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys are just a few of the acts performing at the 22nd annual gathering.
Where: Wolf Trap Filene Center
When: 2 p.m. Sunday
Info: $25 general admission; 800-WOLFTRAP (965-3872); wolftrap.org
4. Shawn Colvin and Rebecca Pronsky: The singer-songwriter from South Dakota who launched her career in town and the Brooklyn-native jazz artist/ethnomusicologist are kindred musical souls.
Where: The Birchmere
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Info: $45; 703-549-7500; birchmere.com
5. Seldom Scene and Red Molly: The world-famous, award-winning bluegrass band and the folk trio find common ground.
Where: The Birchmere
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Info: $25; 703-549-7500; birchmere.com
Also worth noting:
6. Pieces of a Dream: Smooth jazz experts James Lloyd and Curtis Harmon come to town for three days of R&B bliss.
Where: Blues Alley
When: 8 and 10 p.m. Friday to Sunday
Info: $25; 202-337-4141; bluesalley.com
Best Family
1. Fort DeRussy Hike: Discover what life was like for Union soldiers encamped at Fort DeRussy on this 1-mile hike. Learn how the fort helped defend Washington. Ages 8 and older.
Where: Rock Creek Park Nature Center and Planetarium, 5200 Glover Road NW
When: 10 a.m. Saturday
Info: Free; 202-895-6070; nps.gov
2. “A Year with Frog and Toad”: Frog and Toad explore the seasons and learn lessons along the way in this musical.
Where: Adventure Theatre, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo
When: Through Sunday
Info: $15; 301-634-2270; adventuretheatre.org
3. “Jack and the Bean-Stalk”: A parody of the famous British folktale and contemporary children’s entertainment. At 45 minutes long, it’s aimed at young audiences but with lots of laughs built in for adults.
Where: 1st Stage, 1524 Spring Hill Road, McLean
When: Noon Sunday to Tuesday, noon and 6 p.m. Saturday; through June 19
Info: $15; 703-854-1856; 1ststagetysons.org
4. See, Hear, Sketch: Forest of Fawns: By early summer, white-tailed deer mothers are moving through the woods with their fawns. We’ll hear a fawn tale or two and learn how to make a fawn sketch. Drawing materials provided, or bring your own sketchbook. Info: 703-228-6535. Ages 5 to 7.
Where: Meet at Long Branch Nature Center, 625 S. Carlin Springs Road, Arlington
When: 3 to 4:15 p.m. Sunday
Info: $3; registration necessary: 703-228-4747; program No. 642941-A
5. Wild Ones: Hike Long Branch: For children 6 to 10 years old. Go for a hike through the park to spot some local wildlife and sniff out some spicebush. Info: 703-228-635.
Where: Meet at Long Branch Nature Center, 624 S. Carlin Springs Road, Arlington
When: 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. June 8
Info: $3; registration required: 703-228-4747; program No. 642921
Best Brainfood
1. Green Genes Lecture Series: Before Flowers and Fruit: Ferns and Gymnosperms: During the height of the Age of Dinosaurs 150 million years ago, it was warm, wet and there was lots of carbon dioxide. Ferns and gymnosperms dominated the landscape. Flowers and fruits were still millions of years in the future. Learn about these plants’ living descendants and how “green genes” and the fossil record help explain their evolution and protect endangered species.
Where: Conservatory Classroom, the United States Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW
When: 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Saturday
Info: Free; preregistration required: program LH060411; usbg.gov
2. “The Glass Menagerie Project”: Georgetown University Theater and Performance Studies Program and Arena Stage remount Tennessee Williams’ most autobiographical work and a diverse array of performances and interactive installations that use the play to explore how Williams arrived at the masterpiece.
Where: Arena Stage 1101 Sixth St. SW
When: June 9 to July 3
Info: Tickets for play begin at $35; 202-488-3300; arenastage.org
3. Oscar Hijuelos: “Thoughts Without Cigarettes”: From Morningside Heights to pre-Castro Cuba and back again, this memoir by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author delves back into his upbringing in a working-class neighborhood and relives his catastrophic childhood visit to Cuba.
Where: Politics and Prose Bookstore, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Info: Free; 202-364-1919; politics-prose.org
4. Experience Nature Through the Art of Photography: This celebration of nature photography has become one of the most prestigious competitions of its kind, uncovering new photographers and new perspectives from around the globe.
Where: Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW
When: Through Sept. 25
Info: Free; 202-633-1000; mnh.si.edu/exhibits/natures-best
5. “Night and Day”: Washington Shakespeare Company’s production of Tom Stoppard’s rarely mounted 1978 play looks at a British newspaper strike through the prism of journalists covering a civil war in Africa, and introduces us to the a scintillating, witty expatriate wife of a British mine owner.
Where: Artisphere, 1101 Wilson Blvd. NW
When: Through July 3
Info: $25 to $35; 888-841-2787; artisphere.com
Best Gatherings
1. Showtunes and Cocktails: Shed your inhibitions, connect with your inner diva and belt out show tunes with other theater lovers, bandleader and pianist extraordinaire Glenn Pearson and a few special guests from Washington stages at this monthly gathering.
Where: Quill Bar, The Jefferson, 1200 16th St. NW
When: 10 p.m. Monday and Tuesday
Info: Free; helenhayes.org
2. World’s Fair Weekend: The Art Deco Society is hosting the eighth annual Exposition of 20th Century Decorative Arts. In addition to the Expo, the nation’s oldest Modernism show, featuring more than 40 dealers offering merchandise from all major design movements of the 20th century, the weekend will feature an “after hours” party Saturday and an all-day bus tour of Art Deco Richmond on Sunday.
Where: Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale and the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW
When: Saturday to Tuesday
Info: 202-272-2448; nbm.gov, adsw.org
3. Salsa Tuesdays: Come join others to dance or get lessons at Artisphere. Next week: Cedric Watson and Bijou Creole.
Where: Ballroom, Artisphere, 1101 Wilson Blvd. NW
When: Lessons 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. June 7, dancing 8 to 11 p.m.
Info: $15 lesson/dance; $12 dancing; 888-841-2787; artisphere.com
4. Gretchen Morgenson and Josh Rosner: “Reckless Endangerment”: Looking back some 15 years for the roots of the recent financial crisis, Morgenson, the New York Times’ business columnist, and Rosner, managing director at independent research consultancy Graham Fisher & Co., trace both the reckless actions of Wall Street and thegovernment agencies that failed to regulate the mortgage industry.
Where: Politics and Prose Bookstore, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW
When: 7 p.m. June 7
Info: Free; 202-364-1919; politics-prose.org
5. “A Time to Kill”: A stage adaptation of John Grisham’s best-selling courtroom drama considers the meaning of justice when a man takes the law into his own hands following an unspeakable crime committed against his daughter.
Where: Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW
When: To June 19
Info: Tickets start at $55; 202-488-3300; arenastage.org
Best Outdoors
1. The Yards Park’s 15 Week Concert Series: Spend your Friday evenings on the river, relaxing on the terraced lawn steps with family and friends and listening to live music from the Yards Park’s boardwalk stage. Concerts will feature a wide range of live musical performances including jazz, salsa, reggae and more. Food by Devine Foods and Smokin’ Somethin’ BBQ. Enjoy the Kids Activity Zone with your children.
Where: N and Third streets SE
When: 6 to 8 p.m. Friday
Info: Free; capitolriverfront.org
2. Gambrill State Park, Black Locust Trail: This trail warmly invites the hiker as it opens to the northwest with a gentle rise and an abundance of magnificent mountain laurel. While the northward trek toward Bootjack Spring is an easy to moderate jaunt, the gain and the sometimes very rocky path make this portion of the hike less than pleasant for young hikers. Beginning at North Frederick Overlook, the remainder of the hike is more leisurely with an overall descent back south toward the trail head.
Where: Near Thurmont
When: Any day
Info: Contact: Maryland Department of Natural Resources; 301-271-7574; localhikes.com
3. Visit Gravelly Point: Take a picnic and enjoy the water, the wildlife and the planes zooming in and out of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport at Gravelly Point, just north of Alexandria.
Where: Off northbound George Washington Parkway
When: Dawn to dusk any day
Info: 703-289-2500
4. Difficult Run: Variety is the word to describe this 4.8-mile round-trip hike. Descend to Difficult Run and follow it as it winds to the Potomac River. After a short, steep climb to the ridge, follow the rim of Mather Gorge toward Great Falls, a channel believed to be 180 million years old. Pass by remains of Matildaville, named by Lighthorse Harry Lee in honor of his wife, and the Potowmack Canal, planned by George Washington and operated for 26 years before being bought out by the Chesapeake and Ohio Co. Follow the trail as it winds along to Great Falls. For hikers, dogs, bikes, horses.
Where: McLean
When: Year-round
Info: Contact: Great Falls Visitors Center: 703-285-2965; localhikes.com
Best Theater
1. “Don Quixote”: Synetic Theater’s take on the classic, farcical but inspiring figure of the knight errant who adores Dulcinea and takes on the world as he journeys through Spain to joust at windmills. This new play by Roland Reed is adapted by Paata Tsikurishvili.
Where: Synetic Theater, 1800 S. Bell St., Arlington
When: To July 3
Info: $40 to $50, discounts available
2. “Bootycandy”: Robert O’Hara’s kaleidoscope of lessons in sex education speaks the truth with humor about growing up gay and African-American in the United States.
Where: Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D St. NW
When: Through June 26
Info: Tickets begin at $30; 202-393-3939; woollymammoth.net
3. “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”: This six-time-nominated Tony Award-winning musical tells the story of five eccentric kids vying for first prize, bragging rights and, most important, a trip to the National Spelling Bee Competition.
Where: Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St.
When: Through July 3
Info: $40; 703-892-0202; keegantheatre.com
4. “bobrauschenbergamerica”: Forum Theatre presents a fantastical road trip through the American landscape, written as Robert Rauschenberg might conceive it had he been a playwright instead of a painter. Inspired by one of America’s greatest visual artists, Charles Mee creates a Rauschenberg-esque collage of images, music and dance that paints a distinct history of a nation and culture as well as a glimpse into its future.
Where: Roundhouse Theatre, 8641 Colesville Road, Silver Spring
When: Through June 25
Info: $25
5. First Light Discovery Program: Theater of the First Amendment proudly announces its 2011 First Light Discovery Program, featuring staged readings from student, community and professional playwrights. This unique program provides playwrights with the opportunity to develop new plays while working with theater professionals.
Where: TheaterSpace, George Mason University, Fairfax campus
When: 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, 8 p.m. June 10, 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. June 11
Info: Free; theaterofthefirstamendment.org/first-light
