Hispanic Heritage Month’s Celebration at the National Portrait Gallery

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with programs to highlight and pay tribute to the invaluable contribution of Latinos to American history and culture.

Recently, the Portrait Gallery opened the first exhibition of the “One Life” series devoted to a Latina figure, Dolores Huerta, as well as the exhibition “Eye Pop: The Celebrity Gaze,” which features seven Latino personalities within the 53 portraits.

As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, the museum features various events for the whole family: Portrait Story Days, Face to Face, Young Portrait Explorers and a Family Day.  

Program
Face to Face: Luis Muñoz Marín
Thursday, Sept. 17; noon
National Portrait Gallery curator Taína Caragol leads a “face-to-face” conversation about Luis Muñoz Marín, the poet, journalist and first governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Participants should meet at Muñoz Marín’s portrait in “Twentieth-Century Americans,” third floor, gallery S342.

Living Self-Portrait: Dolores Huerta
Thursday, Sept. 24; 7–8 p.m.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Nan Tucker McEvoy Auditorium
Dolores Huerta was a champion of the farm workers’ movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Hear more about her life and activism in a live interview with Taína Caragol, curator of Latino art and history at the Portrait Gallery. Huerta’s story is also told in the special exhibition “One Life: Dolores Huerta,” on view now.

Portrait Story Days: Dolores Huerta
Saturday, Oct. 3; 1 to 4 p.m.
Education center, first floor, room E151
Young visitors and their families may drop in to listen to a story about labor leader and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta, then complete a hands-on art project. 

¡Sí se puede!—Dolores Huerta Family Day
Sunday, Oct. 4; 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard
Join the museum in celebrating the work of labor leader and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta during Hispanic Heritage Month with the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian Latino Center. Storytelling with artist and author Joe Cepeda and music by Luis Orozco will entertain and enlighten visitors of all ages. Hands-on activities and bilingual tours of the exhibition “One Life: Dolores Huerta” will also be offered.

Young Portrait Explorers: Dolores Huerta and César Chávez

Monday, Oct. 5; 10:30–11:30 a.m.
Toddlers up to age 5 and their adult companions are invited to become a Young Portrait Explorer and discover the National Portrait Gallery through history and art. Activities include looking at a portrait or two, listening to a story and participating in a hands-on activity. Registration required: http://www.eventbrite.com/org/810710525. Class size is limited to 25 participants.

Portrait Story Days: César Chávez

Saturday, Oct. 10; 1–4 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 11; 2–5 p.m.
Education center, first floor, room E151
Young visitors and their families may drop in to listen to a story about civil rights activist César Chávez, then complete a hands-on art project. 

Portrait Story Days: Sonia Sotomayor
Sunday, Oct. 18; 2–5 p.m.
Education center, first floor, room E151
Young visitors and their families may drop in to listen to a story about Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, then complete a hands-on art project. 

National Portrait Gallery

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery tells the multifaceted story of America through the individuals who have shaped its culture. Through the visual arts, performing arts and new media, the Portrait Gallery portrays poets and presidents, visionaries and villains, actors and activists whose lives tell the American story.

The National Portrait Gallery is part of the Donald W. Reynolds Center for American

Art and Portraiture at Eighth and F streets N.W., Washington, D.C. Smithsonian

Information: (202) 633-1000. Website: npg.si.edu. Connect with the museum at @NPG, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Tumblr.

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