Featured Events in Washington D.C. in July, 2024(December Updated)

Artificial lights have become such a common nighttime fixture that we take them for granted. But what do brighter nights mean for people and wildlife? The effects of light pollution extend beyond our reduced view of the stars, but solutions can have an immediate impact. Through more than 100 photographs, nearly 250 objects, interactive experiences, tactile models, and a theater program, discover why the dark night matters, rekindle your connection to the night sky, and consider how much light at night is enough—for whom, for what purpose, and who gets to decide?

Enjoy powerful portraits by one of the greatest photographers of the 20th century. Gordon Parks: Camera Portraits looks at a renowned American photographer and how he forged a new mode of portraiture after World War II. Parks merged the documentary photographer's desire to place his subjects where they lived and worked with the studio photographer's attention to clothing, persona, and expression. In doing so, he believed he could create portraits of individuals who embodied their cultural significance. He applied this approach to American icons like boxer Muhammad Ali and conductor Leonard Bernstein, as well as Harlem gang leaders and Detroit couples, revealing the humanity and cultural dignity of each individual. Drawing primarily from the Corcoran Collection, this exhibition features approximately 25 portraits created by Parks between 1941 and 1970. Explore Parks' innovations in portraiture through some of his most famous photographs. Learn how his portraits tell larger stories about the Civil Rights Movement, the African American experience, and American culture.