The Smithsonian announced today the launch of Smithsonian Open Access, an initiative that removes Smithsonian copyright restrictions from about 2.8 million of its digital collection images and nearly two centuries of data. This means that people everywhere can now download, transform and share this open access content for any purpose, for free, without further permission from the Smithsonian.
The Smithsonian Board of Regents has elected Steve Case as its chair, effective Jan. 28, 2020. He will succeed David M. Rubenstein, who has served as chair since January 2017 and will remain on the board’s executive committee. Case, chairman and CEO of the investment firm Revolution, has been a member of the board since 2011.
With back-to-school season underway, just the sight of this pencil sharpener may bring back memories of school days past. Generations after it was first introduced, this style of sharpener can still be found in schools today.
For the first time in its 47-year history, Smithsonian Gardens is presenting a campus-wide exhibition featuring multiple exhibits across the Smithsonian. “Habitat,” on display through December 2020, includes 14 distinct exhibits in indoor and outdoor garden spaces at various Smithsonian museums, all exploring a central theme: protecting habitats protects life.
The summer solstice is the longest day of the year and occurs when one of Earth’s poles has its maximum tilt toward the sun, and the sun reaches its highest position in the sky. The Smithsonian’s fifth Secretary Charles G. Abbot (from 1928–1944) was particularly interested in solar changes. An astrophysicist by trade, Abbot studied solar radiation at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.
The Smithsonian’s Sidedoor has returned with new episodes and a new host. Now in its fourth season, the podcast invites listeners to step behind the curtain into a fascinating world of Smithsonian stories.
The Smithsonian will celebrate the first Saturday of summer—“Solstice Saturday”—with free parties, programs and performances June 22. In addition to programs for adults and children throughout the day, most Smithsonian museums will be open until midnight. Visitors who stay late can hear live music, enjoy dance parties and explore museum exhibitions.
The Smithsonian Institution’s Board of Regents announced today it elected Lonnie G. Bunch III, director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, as the 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian, effective June 16. Bunch is the founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which opened in September 2016. Bunch’s election is unprecedented for the Smithsonian: He will be the first African American to lead the Smithsonian, and the first historian elected Secretary.
The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery will present “In Mid-Sentence,” a selection of photographs from the museum’s collection that, when seen together, showcase the camera’s ability to capture people in dialogue. Featuring more than 25 images of people in the midst of public speeches, intimate confessions, shared jokes, political confrontations and other forms of verbal exchange, the exhibition will explore the power of visual communication.
The Smithsonian Latino Center’s first gallery space, the Molina Family Latino Gallery, will be dedicated to celebrating the U.S. Latino experience and open at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in 2021. The gallery, designed by Museum Environments/Branded Environments LLC, will feature 4,500 square feet of bilingual stories for all audiences.
The Smithsonian has announced specific plans for the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative, Because of Her Story. The initiative strives to be the nation’s most comprehensive undertaking to document, research, collect, display and share the rich, complete and compelling story of women in America. It will greatly increase the Smithsonian’s research and programming related to women in the U.S., past and present.
The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, welcomed a new fawn to its herd of endangered Eld’s deer Oct. 26. The fawn is doing well and her mother, Ampika, is very attentive and has been nursing and caring for the fawn since her birth. Female Eld’s deer usually live in small groups, or in pairs with their fawns, and are more commonly found in larger herds during the breeding season.
Institution-wide Initiative To Feature 365 Days of Music
he Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian is hosting a three-day free public program to celebrate Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), with an after-hours event, performances, family activities and Mexico’s premier indigenous music ensemble, Pasatono. The Day of the Dead is a festival celebrated from midnight Oct. 31 through Nov. 2 by people in Mexico, parts of Central and South America and in many Latino communities across the U.S. as a way to honor family and friends that have passed away. This celebration originates from the indigenous cultures of Mesoamerica, including the Mexica (Aztec) and Maya.
The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) welcomed a litter of three cheetah cubs Sept. 22.
Pepón Osorio created “El Chandelier” for a performance piece that explored the life of a Puerto Rican woman living in New York.
Ian Fleming borrowed the name of a real-life American ornithologist for his fictional British spy.
The Smithsonian’s podcast “Sidedoor” returns Aug. 8 with an episode that takes listeners inside one of the most exclusive places in all of Washington, D.C.: the National Gem Collection vault.
Today the Smithsonian released its third installment of Second Opinion: “The State of the Arts in 21st-Century America,” which examines the importance, impact and future of the arts in America. Launched in 2017, Second Opinion is a digital platform that convenes thought leaders to explore some of the critical issues facing our nation and the world.
The dwarf lantern shark (Etmopterus perryi) is the smallest shark, and it can fit in a human hand.
RSS
Medicine keyboard_arrow_right
Sciencekeyboard_arrow_right
Life keyboard_arrow_right
Business keyboard_arrow_right
Journal News keyboard_arrow_right
By Location keyboard_arrow_right
Meetings, Grants, and Events keyboard_arrow_right