Smithsonian Associates Presents January Program Highlights

The January issue of the Smithsonian Associates’ program guide features a variety of educational and cultural programs, including seminars, lectures, studio arts classes, performances for adults and children and local and regional study tours. Highlights this month include:

Masterworks of Five Centuries Concert Series

Saturday, Jan. 7, and Sunday, Jan. 8; lecture: 6:30 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.; concert: 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

National Museum of American History’s Music Hall

The 40th season of the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society features masterpieces from the early 17th to the early 21st century, played on some of the world’s most highly prized instruments. Artistic director, Kenneth Slowik, presents a pre-concert lecture, shedding light on the glorious music and the life and times of the featured composers. The concert features English Consort Music of the Elizabethan and Jacobean Eras.

A Partnership That’s Out of This World: Navigating Space Relations

Wednesday, Jan. 25; 6:45 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.

Smithsonian’s S. Dillon Ripley Center

The International Space Station (ISS), located 250 miles above the Earth, has hosted astronauts from more than 18 different countries and functions as an international collaborative research laboratory. Cathy Lewis, curator of international space programs and spacesuits at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, discusses the multinational and bilateral agreements that led to the creation of the ISS and the important scientific research conducted on board.

Mario Batali on Regional American Cooking

Saturday, Jan. 28; 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

National Museum of Natural History’s Baird Auditorium

Chef, restaurateur and television personality Mario Batali steps outside the realm of Italian cooking and talks with Washington Post food and dining editor Joe Yonan about his new book, Big American Cookbook: 250 Favorite Recipes from Across America (Grand Central Life & Style), an exploration of the United States for delicious recipes representative of all sorts of regions and cultures. The famous chef discusses American food culture throughout the generations and his personal additions to traditional recipes.

Connie Britton: Actress as Advocate

Tuesday, Jan. 31; 6:45 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.

National Museum of Natural History’s Baird Auditorium

Most famous for portraying Tami Taylor on Friday Night Lights, Connie Britton bridges the gap between acting and advocacy by serving as goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme, which champions the eradication of poverty and the empowerment of women. In conversation with NPR’s Linda Holmes, Britton will discuss her acting career as well as her national and international charity work.

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