An Evening of Spoken Word and Song with Patti Smith

WHEN: Friday, Feb. 1; 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: The Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and PortraitureNan Tucker McEvoy AuditoriumEighth and G Streets N.W. Washington, D.C.

WHO: Patti Smith, performer and artist

In a special concert benefiting the Archives of American Art and sponsored by Washington Life Magazine, Smith will perform songs, poems and readings inspired by the personal papers and writings of America's most treasured artists found within the Archives' collections. An innovative and electric performer, Smith is best known for her early influence in the punk movement. In March 2007, Smith was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The Smithsonian's Archives of American Art enlivens the extraordinary human stories behind America's most significant art and artists. It is the world's largest and most widely used resource dedicated to collecting and preserving the papers and primary records of the visual arts in America. Its collections, comprising 16 million items, are the world's largest single source for such information.

Tickets are $50 for general admission and $40 for Archives' members. For tickets and information, the public may contact the Archives at (202) 633-8768 or visit the Archives' Web site at www.aaa.si.edu.

SI-67-2008