Related Events

Mekong River

Taking Shape: Ceramics in Southeast Asia
Approximately 200 visually striking ceramic vessels from Southeast Asia are on view in this long-term exhibition at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. It highlights two types of ceramics produced in Southeast Asia—soft, porous earthenware and high-fired stoneware. For more information, visit www.asia.si.edu.

Vietnamese Ceramics from the Red River Delta
To mark the tenth anniversary of normalized relations between Vietnam and the United States, the Freer Gallery of Art will display twenty-two works that link its collection of Vietnamese ceramics to former production centers in the Red River delta of northern Vietnam. For more information, visit www.asia.si.edu.

Mekong with the Smithsonian Associates
Journey Along the River of Cultures
Thursday, June 28, 6:45 to 9 p.m.
Leedom Lefferts, who has studied the Mekong region for almost forty years, will take participants on a vicarious tour of Myanmar (Burma), Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam—countries along the Mekong River. Using slides and scenes from his videotapes, he will examine the lives, cultures, and traditions of the river's many peoples.

Connecting Cultures by Connecting Cuisines
Saturday, June 30, 12 noon to 3 p.m.
Learn about the delicious foods of the Mekong region—from Yunnan's distinctive ham and black rice in bamboo poles to Khmer sour soup and Laotian laap. Then, sit down to a lunch of dishes from Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. Contact the Smithsonian Resident Associate Program for registration information at www.ResidentAssociates.org or 202.357.3030.

Films at Baird Auditorium, National Museum of Natural History
Churning the Sea of Time: A Journey up the Mekong to Angkor (2006, 74 minutes)
Friday, June 29, 12 noon
This film records an odyssey through the Mekong Delta, from the exquisite terrain of Vietnam and Cambodia to the great ruins at Angkor. Presented courtesy of Les Guthman, filmmaker.

The Mekong: From the Source to the Delta
(1995, 4 parts at 52 minutes each)
Friday, July 6, noon
Saturday, July 7, 1 p.m.
Through this four-part documentary film, travel the length of the Mekong River for a look at the region's culture, ecology, economy, and politics. Parts 1 and 2, "Turbulent River in Tibet and Southwest China" and "Mother of All Waters in Laos," will be shown Friday. Parts 3 and 4, "Great Water in Cambodia" and "Nine Dragons in Vietnam," will be shown Saturday. Presented courtesy of Along Mekong Productions, Heidelberg, Germany.

Kennedy Center Millennium Stage Concert
Sounds of Yunnan
Thursday, June 28, 6 to 7 p.m.
Participants of the Mekong program will perform on the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. For more information, visit www.kennedy-center.org/programs/millennium.

Northern Ireland

Rediscover Northern Ireland
Through July 2007, this Washington, D.C.-area program will showcase the many facets of Northern Irish life. For more information, visit www.rediscoverni.com.

Northern Ireland with the Smithsonian Associates
Through July, the Smithsonian Resident Associate Program will offer many programs that celebrate Northern Ireland's culture and the beauty of its landscape. For more information and tickets, call 202.357.3030, or visit www.residentassociates.org.

Made in Northern Ireland (MINI): A Dynamic of Change
Through August, the Smithsonian's S. Dillon Ripley Center will display contemporary crafts from Northern Ireland. For more information, visit www.si.edu/visit/whatsnew/ripley.asp.

Titanic in Belfast
This exhibit from the National Museums Northern Ireland tells the story of the Titanic and the recent renaissance of Belfast and Northern Ireland. It will be at Union Station until July 15. For more information, visit www.magni.org.uk.

Kennedy Center Millennium Stage Concerts
Participants in the Northern Ireland program will perform on the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage on the following evenings, from 6 to 7 p.m. For more information, visit www.kennedy-center.org/programs/millennium.

    Friday, June 29
    Four Men and a Dog

    Saturday, June 30
    The Low Country Boys

    Friday, July 6
    Craobh Rua

Roots of Virginia Culture

Return to a Native Place: Algonquian Peoples of the Chesapeake
Through photographs, maps, interactive exhibits, and ceremonial and everyday objects, the National Museum of the American Indian will feature Native peoples from what is now Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware. For details, visit the museum's Web site at www.nmai.si.edu.

Kennedy Center Millennium Stage Concerts
Participants in the Virginia program will perform on the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage on the following evenings, from 6 to 7 p.m. For more information, visit www.kennedy-center.org/programs/millennium.

    Wednesday, June 27
    Scott Fore
    Buddy Pendleton
    Robin Kauffman

    Sunday, July 1
    Lonesome Will
   
    Thursday, July 5
    Bou Counta Ndiaye Ensemble

    Saturday, July 7
    Jeffrey Scott

Documentation

Festival Recording: Challenges, Techniques, and Preservation
Whether for historical documentation or commercial release, recording at a major festival presents a unique set of challenges. This three-day series of panels, presented by The Recording Academy® and moderated by Pete Reiniger of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, will focus on the techniques used to create and archive successful recordings. Please RSVP by Friday, June 22, to the Washington, D.C. Chapter at 202.662.1341 or rsvp_washingtondc@grammy.com.

    Virginia's Mountain Laurel Stage
    Friday, June 29, 9 to 10 a.m.
    Challenges of Festival Recording

    Virginia's Mountain Laurel Stage
    Saturday, June 30, 9 to 10 a.m.
    Festival Recording Techniques

    Smithsonian Folkways Recordings offices
    Sunday, July 1, 9 to 10 a.m.
    Preserving Our Musical Heritage