Washington, DC History & Culture

Italian Renaissance Art at National Gallery of Art - In-Person Tour (FREE)

Sun, Jun 14 · 10:30 AM EDT

National Gallery of Art, 201 6th St NW, Washington, DC, US

Italian Renaissance Art at National Gallery of Art - Guided In-Person Walking Tour Hosted by Deirdre

Sunday, June 14, 2026
10:30 AM to 12:00 PM EDT
National Gallery of Art
6th and Constitution Avenue, Washington, DC 20565
https://www.meetup.com/DCHistoryAndCulture/events

Please note that this is a live in-person guided walking tour of the Italian Renaissance Art Exhibit at National Gallery of Art.

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Right here, in the heart of Washington, DC, is one of the most magnificent collections of Italian Renaissance Art outside of Italy. Some of us may have even visited some of the galleries once or twice when family was in town but may not have fully understood how revolutionary these artists were.

Our guide will be Deirdre, a member of the non-profit community organization Washington DC History & Culture. While not an art historian, her approach to this project is show what Art was in the Middle Ages and the huge leap that occurred during this brief period of time known as the Renaissance.

The tour will take about one hour allowing time at the end for questions.

This program is presented by the non-profit community organization Washington, DC History & Culture:
Experience the history and culture of Washington, DC - and the world!

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Registration: FREE and all are welcome including children and groups. As this is a very limited space event, please keep your RSVP up-to-date if you're no longer able to attend.

Weather: The event is inside the National Gallery of Art.

Total Walking Distance: We will be standing/walking for an hour. There is some benches in the various galleries but it is limited.

Photography/Recording. Photography is generally permitted. Please stay at least two feet away from all artwork, and of course, do not touch.

Metro: Archives (Yellow and Green lines)

Parking: There is street parking, but it is limited.

Meeting Point: We will meet at 10:30 am in the Rotunda. Look for Deirdre. She will be wearing a green dress. Note: we recommend arriving at 10:00 am when the Museum opens to have enough time to get through security.

Additional Questions: Anything that can’t be answered by the above event description, Google, or common sense please let us know.

Tina Turner - Music History Livestream

Sat, Jun 20 · 8:00 PM EDT

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Online

Online

Tina Turner - Music History Livestream - Hosted by Robert Kelleman

Let’s listen to and watch great music by Tina Turner, including hit songs like “Proud Mary” and “What’s Love Got To Do With It."

Did you know that it was 50 years ago this summer, 4th of July weekend 1976, in Downtown Dallas, Texas, that Tina famously fled her abusive husband Ike Turner at the Statler Dallas Hilton (1914 Commerce St.) and found refuge at the Ramada Inn, now the (1011 S. Akard St.)?

Tina Turner Escapes Ike - What’s Love Got To Do With It Movie Scene (viewer discretion is advised)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT3S-9srAn8

This was a personal and professional turning point for Tina as she found happiness and success as a solo artist.

Music History Livestreams present noteworthy songs and a biographical overview of our featured artists along with the historical and cultural context of their music.
During and after our program you'll have the opportunity to discuss the songs with your fellow music lovers via Zoom.

Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939 - May 24, 2023) was a singer, songwriter, actress and author. Dubbed the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she broke both racial and gender barriers in rock music and became a prominent figure in popular culture. Known for her vocal prowess and stage presence, Turner is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with estimated sales of over 100 million records worldwide.
Turner rose to prominence in the 1960s as the lead vocalist of the husband-wife duo Ike & Tina Turner, known for their explosive live performances with the Ikettes and Kings of Rhythm. After enduring marital abuse, she ended her personal and professional relationship with Ike Turner in the 1970s and embarked on a solo career. Following the 1983 international hit "Let's Stay Together", she made a comeback with her multi-platinum fifth solo album, Private Dancer (1984). The single "What's Love Got to Do with It" won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1985 and became Turner's only number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Her worldwide chart success continued with the Top 10 singles "Better Be Good to Me", "Private Dancer", "We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)", "Typical Male", and "I Don't Wanna Fight".
Turner's Break Every Rule World Tour became the highest-grossing tour by a female artist of the 1980s and set a Guinness World Record for the then-largest paying audience in a concert (180,000). Her success as a live performer continued with the Wildest Dreams Tour (the first tour by a woman to earn $100 million) and the Twenty Four Seven Tour (the highest-grossing tour of 2000). In 2009, she retired from performing after completing the Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour. As an actress, Turner appeared in the feature films Tommy (1975), Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) and Last Action Hero (1993). Her life was dramatized in the biographical film What's Love Got to Do with It (1993), which was based on her autobiography I, Tina: My Life Story (1986). She was also the subject of the jukebox musical Tina (2018) and the documentary film Tina (2021).
Turner received 12 Grammy Awards, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and three Grammy Hall of Fame inductions. Rolling Stone ranked her among the greatest artists and greatest singers of all time. She was the first black artist and first woman to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone and was the first female black artist to win an MTV Award. Turner has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with Ike Turner in 1991 and was later inducted as a solo artist in 2021. Turner was also a 2005 recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors. In 2013, Turner relinquished her U.S. citizenship and became a citizen of Switzerland. She resided there until her death in Küsnacht in 2023.

Tina Turner
What’s Love Got To Do With It -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGpFcHTxjZs&list=RDoGpFcHTxjZs&start_radio=1

State of Shock - Live Aid Duet with Mick Jagger -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wyuwJP-u9Q&list=RD9wyuwJP-u9Q&start_radio=1

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Zoom Connection Link
Click (or Copy and Paste) and Follow the Instructions:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81764605670?pwd=NmxDYThSSDh6QzdkUXJjZTBzelBaQT09
Meeting ID: 817 6460 5670
Passcode: 482534
Dial by your location
• +1 253 205 0468 US

Connecting a few minutes early is recommended.
If you experience any technical issues please restart your Zoom session and/or your device.
When all else fails please follow the directions.

***

Your host for this program is Robert Kelleman, the founder/director of the non-profit community organizations Washington, DC History & Culture and Texas History & Culture.

Washington, DC History & Culture
A non-profit community organization.
Experience the history and culture of Washington, DC - and the world!

YouTube Previously Recorded Programs:
http://www.Youtube.com/c/WashingtonDCHistoryCulture

Donations Support Our Non-Profit Community Programs - Thank You!
PayPal: DCHistoryAndCulture@gmail.com
Venmo: @DCHistoryAndCulture
GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/d29491c0

We look forward to seeing you. Thanks!

Robert Kelleman
rkelleman@yahoo.com
202-821-6325 (text only)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertkelleman/

Open House and Tour at the Woodlawn History Center at SERC

Sun, Jun 21 · 1:00 PM EDT

Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, 647 Contees Wharf Road, Edgewater, MD, US

Please join me on Sunday, June 21st--the Summer Solstice--at the Woodlawn History Museum on the campus of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) in Edgewater, Maryland. I have been a docent at Woodlawn for the last year.

On June 21st, I will be onsite as a docent to welcome you at the Woodlawn History Museum between 1-4pm. Please note that the Museum is open from 1-4pm on the 21st--but the SERC campus and its trails are open from 8am-5:30pm. You can plan your visit to take in the other parts of the SERC campus. Please note: no pets are allowed on the grounds. Admission is free.

The Woodlawn History Museum is housed in the 1735 Woodlawn House, making it the oldest building in the Smithsonian collection.

The Woodlawn House tells the stories of the people who have lived and worked--and continue to work as part of SERC--in the House and surrounding property.

TOURS OF THE WOODLAWN HISTORY MUSEUM: On June 21st, I will be offering a 1:30pm tour. Rhea Rao, another docent, will be onsite to help out. During the tour, we will take a look at the architecture of the building as well as the exhibits.

You are welcome to join the tour at 1:30pm--or you can walk through the house on your own between 1-4pm. The exhibits are well displayed; further information is available through QR codes.

If you are interested in doing a tour at 2:45pm, please let me know. You can send me a message via Meetup.

The 2,654-acre campus spans forests, wetlands, marshes, and 15 miles of protected shoreline. SERC's unique history establishes it as one of the nation's leading environmental research centers.

The campus includes other sites, walking trails, and public access for kayak launching--but no swimming is allowed. For more information on what you can do, see https://serc.si.edu/visit/plan-your-visit.

Here are the trails you can explore:

• Fox Creek Nature Trail (1.3 miles, loop)
  Travel through time and discover how Native Americans, farmers, and scientists have used the land through the centuries. This trail starts at the Reed Education Center and takes a loop through the forest. Follow the blue trail blazes on the trees.
• Discovery - Muddy Creek Trail (1.3 miles round trip, no loop)
  Stroll along the waters of the Rhode River and Muddy Creek and enjoy the quiet beauty of the marshes. To access the Discovery Trail, start at the Reed Education Center and follow the waterfront section of the Fox Creek Nature Trail for about 1/4 mile until you pass a boardwalk. Go left at the fork after the boardwalk. Follow the pink trail blazes on the trees.
• Hog Island Trail (1.3 miles)
  The Hog Island Trail begins about halfway along the discovery Trail, near its southern tip. Cross a marsh boardwalk before ascending to Hog "Island," a semi-isolated hilltop crowned with oak, holly and mountain laurel.
• Contee Watershed Trail (1.6 miles, loop)
  Start at the Contee Mansion Ruins (the two brick chimneys on a hilltop about 1/2 mile past the entrance), and take in a scenic overlook of the Rhode River. From there, the trail dives into the forest and alongside a stream, with additional overlooks of the woods along the way.
• Squirrel Neck Loop (1.0 miles, loop)
  The trailhead starts just beyond the Contee Mansion Ruins, forming a mile-long loop through the forest. The trail runs parallel to the Contee Watershed Trail for about 1/4 mile.
• Woodlawn History Trail (1.0 miles no loop)
  Discover how humans have shaped and reshaped the land that is now the SERC campus, on a walk through history. Start at the Woodlawn History Center near the entrance.

There is a pavilion at the Reed Education Center where you can have a picnic lunch.

Please view the FAQ's for more information on visiting SERC.

SPECIAL NOTE: When you RSVP, you are registering for the 1:30pm tour.
If your plans change, please keep your RSVP current.

I hope to see you on Sunday, June 21st, as we celebrate the longest day of the year at the Woodlawn House Museum at SERC!

If you have any questions, feel free to post them here, or send me an email at savemytourspot@gmail.com.

Thank you!

MaryBeth

Photo Woodlawn History Center (Credit: Michael Barnes/Smithsonian)

1976, The Year In Music, Part 1 of 2 - History & Culture Livestream

Fri, Jun 26 · 8:00 PM EDT

·

Online

Online

1976, The Year In Music, Part 1 of 2 - History & Culture Livestream Hosted by Robert Kelleman

Fifty years ago, in 1976, we were celebrating our nation’s bicentennial and the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Disco was extremely popular, but there were many other great music genres including classic rock, funk, soul, soft rock, and county.

Let’s explore the 1976 year in music, including how the unique sounds of that era related to other pop culture forms such as film, television, fashion, media, the visual arts, sports, literature, politics, etc.
This will be a two-part series on Friday, June 26 and Saturday, June 27

During the program you’ll have the opportunity to discuss the songs and artists with your fellow music lovers via Zoom.

The series may potentially be repeated later this year in November or December.

1976, The Year In Music …

Paul McCartney & Wings
Elton John
Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
Diana Ross
Queen
KC and the Sunshine Band
The Bee Gees
Lou Rawls
David Bowie
Donna Summer
Rufus & Chaka Khan
Chicago
Fleetwood Mac
Paul Anka
Earth, Wind & Fire
Electric Light Orchestra
David Ruffin
& More!

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Zoom Connection Link
Click (or Copy and Paste) and Follow the Instructions:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81764605670?pwd=NmxDYThSSDh6QzdkUXJjZTBzelBaQT09
Meeting ID: 817 6460 5670
Passcode: 482534
Dial by your location
• +1 253 205 0468 US

Connecting a few minutes early is recommended.
If you experience any technical issues please restart your Zoom session and/or your device.
When all else fails please follow the directions.

***

Your host for this program is Robert Kelleman, the founder/director of the non-profit community organizations Washington, DC History & Culture and Texas History & Culture.

Washington, DC History & Culture
A non-profit community organization.
Experience the history and culture of Washington, DC - and the world!

YouTube Previously Recorded Programs:
http://www.Youtube.com/c/WashingtonDCHistoryCulture

Donations Support Our Non-Profit Community Programs - Thank You!
PayPal: DCHistoryAndCulture@gmail.com
Venmo: @DCHistoryAndCulture
GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/d29491c0

We look forward to seeing you. Thanks!

Robert Kelleman
rkelleman@yahoo.com
202-821-6325 (text only)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertkelleman/