Washington, DC History & Culture

Chicago History & Culture Weekend Trip - Saturday, August 8 & Sunday, August 9 - Hosted by Robert Kelleman

You’re invited to join us in Chicago for 3 Meetup events on Saturday, August 8 and Sunday, August 9 with tours of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Chicago Riverwalk, and the Maxwell Street Market. During our weekend trip you’ll also have free time to visit additional sites on your own.

These programs are hosted by our Chicago History & Culture Meetup group - details below.

Obviously this is not an online/virtual program over Zoom.

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Pollock Screening: Ed Harris As Jackson Pollock - Art History Livestream - Hosted by Robert Kelleman

Let's honor and remember one of America's greatest modern artists, Jackson Pollock, on the 70th anniversary of his death (August 11, 1956).
We'll be screening the 2000 film "Pollock", which features an all-star cast including Ed Harris in the title role.

The first portion of our program, approximately 15-20 minutes, will be a brief overview of the film, including its historical context, plot summary, things to look for, accuracy, etc.
The second portion of our program will be a full screening of the film.

During and after the screening we invite you to participate in a discussion of the film with your fellow art lovers via Zoom.

Paul Jackson Pollock (January 28, 1912 – August 11, 1956) was an American painter. A major figure in the abstract expressionist movement, he was widely noticed for his "drip technique" of pouring or splashing liquid household paint onto a horizontal surface, enabling him to view and paint his canvases from all angles. It was called all-over painting and action painting, because Pollock covered the entire canvas and used the force of his whole body to paint, often in a frenetic dancing style. This extreme form of abstraction divided critics: some praised the immediacy of the creation, while others derided the random effects.
A reclusive and volatile personality, Pollock struggled with alcoholism for most of his life. In 1945, he married artist Lee Krasner, who became an important influence on his career and on his legacy. Pollock died in August 1956 at age 44 in an alcohol-related single-car collision when he was driving. Four months after his death, Pollock was given a memorial retrospective exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City. A larger, more comprehensive exhibition of his work was held there in 1967. In 1998 and 1999, Pollock's work was honored with large-scale retrospective exhibitions at MoMA and the Tate Gallery in London.

Pollock is a 2000 American independent biographical drama film centered on the life of American painter Jackson Pollock, his struggles with alcoholism, as well as his troubled marriage to his wife Lee Krasner. The film stars Ed Harris, Marcia Gay Harden, Jennifer Connelly, Val Kilmer, Robert Knott, Bud Cort, Molly Regan, and Sada Thompson, and was directed by Harris.
Marcia Gay Harden won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for portraying Lee Krasner. Ed Harris received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his portrayal of Pollock. The film was a long-term personal project for Harris based on his reading of the 1989 biography Jackson Pollock: An American Saga, written by Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith.

THIS IS AN IN-PERSON EVENT IN WASHINGTON, DC.
Back by popular demand is a trip to the Library of Congress--and a new summer book exchange event! We normally do a book exchange around the holidays. At the last one, folks said they would be interested in doing one during the summer--and taking in the new exhibit. So here it is!

We will take in the treasures of the Library of Congress and then share lunch and a book exchange at the Madison Cafe in the Madison Building. Even if you have participated before, consider coming. There is an exciting new exhibit to see, and the book exchange has always been a lively and enjoyable event! Maybe you can bring the book you took home from one of our previous book exchanges!

Please read through the entire description of the event.

I have 19 passes for the 10am entry. I won't be doing a formal tour but will guide you through the Library. During our walk through, we may engage with one of the volunteers from the Library of Congress who can give more information about what we're looking at.

WHAT WE WILL SEE: The walk through will introduce you to the basic elements of the Jefferson Building and the Madison Building. After entering the Jefferson Building and checking our items into the cloak room, we will move to the Main Floor. We may or may not have to get passes to do the walk through of the Reading Room. We will have to wait until the day of the tour to find out.

If you wish to do the walk through, please see the information below about the special requirements for doing so. There are very strict requirements as to what you can bring into the Reading Room. You should plan accordingly.

We will view the Gutenberg Bible and the Great Hall, and, if open, the Librarian’s Ceremonial Office.