Arts & Entertainment
Kennedy, King and more
20th century icons among region’s museum highlights for summer

Photo of the Kennedy family (Photo by Jacques Lowe; courtesy of the Newseum)
Washington’s many art galleries and museums are in full swing this summer, with a lot of new exhibitions to see before fall.
The Newseum (555 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.) commemorates the 50th anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy all summer through Jan. 5, 2014 with two new exhibits and an original documentary film. “Creating Camelot: The Kennedy Photography of Jacques Lowe,” features intimate and iconic images of the Kennedy family.
“Three Shots Were Fired” is the Newseum’s summer exhibition that examines Kennedy’s assassination through film footage, and also displays items belonging to Lee Harvey Oswald that have never been displayed. “A Thousand Days” is the Newseum-produced film that documents Kennedy’s presidency.
Tickets to the Newseum are $21.95. For more information on the JFK exhibits and other events at the Newseum, visit newseum.org.

A photo entitled ‘Martin Luther King Jr. with Corretta Scott King and their daughter Yolanda on the steps of the Dexter Avenue Baptist church’ (Photo courtesy of the Portrait Gallery)
The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery (8th and F Streets, N.W.) is currently hosting “One Life: Martin Luther King Jr.,” an exhibition of portraits of MLK to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. The portraits are on display until June of next year.
On Aug. 24th, the Portrait Gallery will host “Family Day” from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. to commemorate King. There will be music, tours of the MLK exhibition and fun activities the whole family can enjoy.
The gallery has many other summer exhibitions, including the “Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition” through Feb. 2014, and “Mr. TIME: Portraits by Boris Chaliapin” through Jan. 2014.
Admission to the National Portrait Gallery is free. For more information, visit npg.si.edu.

‘Still Life with Guitar and Red Tablecloth’ by Georges Braque (Image courtesy of the Phillips Collection)
The Phillips Collection (1600 21st St., N.W.) has four new exhibitions over the summer, including paintings by Cubist pioneer Georges Braque. The exhibit is titled, “Georges Braque and the Cubist Still Life, 1928-1945,” and will be on display until Sept. 1. It is the first in-depth examination of Braque’s career leading up to and during World War II.
Other temporary exhibitions at the Phillips this summer feature geometric panel paintings by Ellsworth Kelly, ink and acrylic landscapes by Sandra Cinto and Baroque-inspired paintings by Baltimore artist, Bernhard Hildebrandt.
Tickets to the Phillips Collection are $12. For more information on events at the Phillips Collection, visit phillipscollection.org.
The Corcoran Gallery of Art (500 17th St., N.W.) has two fascinating exhibits that recently opened this summer. “Ellen Harvey: The Alien’s Guide to the Ruins of Washington, D.C.” will be on display through Oct. 6. Harvey explores the ruins of a post-apocalyptic D.C. through extraterrestrial eyes, with full-scale mixed-media installations.
“WAR/PHOTOGRAPHY: Images of Armed Conflict and its Aftermath,” will be at the Corcoran until Sept. 29. The exhibit chronicles how photography has informed our understanding of war all over the world. Images from conflicts as early as the Mexican-American War to present-day wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are covered.
Admission to the Corcoran Gallery of Art is $10. For more details on these two exhibits and other events at the gallery, visit corcoran.org.

‘Super Highway’ by Nam June Paik (Photo courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum)
The Smithsonian American Art Museum (8th and F Sts., N.W.) has an impressive collection of works in the summer exhibition, “Nam June Paik: Global Visionary.” The exhibit is on display through Aug. 11, and showcases Paik’s revolutionary use of television screens as a visual arts medium.
Also on display through Jan. 5, 2014 is “A Democracy of Images,” a compilation of photographs from the museum’s permanent collection that document the evolution of American photography from early daguerreotypes to contemporary digital works.
Admission to the Smithsonian American Art Museum is free. For more information, visit americanart.si.edu.
The Smithsonian National Gallery of Art has a wide array of summer exhibits featuring artists from all over the world. Leaving the gallery soon on July 28th is “Edvard Munch: A 150th Anniversary Tribute.” The exhibit, which has been on display since May 19, showcases ominous paintings and prints by the hugely famous Norwegian artist.
“Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes: When Art Danced with Music,” is on display at the National Gallery until Sept. 2. The exhibition features 130 original costumes, set designs, paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings and film clips from what is now regarded as the most innovative dance company of the 20th century.
Admission to the National Gallery is free. For more details on the museum’s other exhibitions and events, visit nga.gov.
The Galleries of Dupont Circle, which dot R Street west of Connecticut Ave., N.W., host joint first Friday openings from 6-8 p.m. each month. The next opening is Aug. 2. For more information, visit dupontcirclearts.blogspot.com.
Arts & Entertainment
Catherine O’Hara, ‘Schitt’s Creek’ star and celebrated queer ally, dies at 71
Actress remembered for memorable comedic roles in ‘Beetlejuice’ and ‘Home Alone’
Catherine O’Hara, the varied comedic actor known for memorable roles in “Beetlejuice,” “Schitt’s Creek,” and “Home Alone,” has died at 71 on Friday, according to multiple reports. No further details about her death were revealed.
O’Hara’s death comes as a shock to Hollywood, as the Emmy award-winning actor has been recently active, with roles in both “The Studio” and “The Last of Us.” For her work in those two shows, she received Emmy nominations for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series and outstanding guest actress in a drama series.
In 2020, O’Hara won the Outstanding Lead Actress in a comedy series award for her work in the celebrated sixth and final season of “Schitt’s Creek.” She was also known as a queer ally and icon for her theatrical and often campy performances over multiple decades. In “Schitt’s Creek,” she played Moira Rose, the wig-loving mother of David Rose (played by series creator Dan Levy). David is pansexual, but the characters around him simply accept him for who he is; the show was embraced by the LGBTQ community with how naturally David’s sexuality was written and portrayed. That show ran from 2015 to 2020 and helped bring O’Hara and her co-stars into a new phase of their careers.
In a 2019 interview with the Gay Times, O’Hara explained why the show got LGBTQ representation right: “Daniel has created a world that he wants to live in, that I want to live in. It’s ridiculous that we live in a world where we don’t know how to respect each other and let each other be. It’s crazy. Other shows should follow suit and present the world and present humans as the best that we can be. It doesn’t mean you can’t laugh, that you can’t be funny in light ways and dark ways. It’s all still possible when you respect and love each other.”
Additional credits include “SCTV Network” (for which O’Hara won a writing Emmy), “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Six Feet Under,” “Best in Show,” “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” and “Dick Tracy.” O’Hara also lent her voice to “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Chicken Little,” “Monster House,” and “Elemental.” O’Hara was expected to return for Season 2 of “The Studio,” which started filming earlier this month.
Friday, January 30
Friday Tea Time will be at 12 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Bring your beverage of choice. For more information, contact Mac ([email protected]).
Spark Social will host “RuPaul’s Drag Race S18 Watch Party” at 8 p.m. This event will be hosted by local drag queens TrevHER and Grey, who will provide hilarious commentary and make live predictions on who’s staying and who’s going home. Stick around after the show for a live drag performance. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Saturday, January 31
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ+ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Sunday, February 1
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community and Conversation” at noon at As You Are. This event is for those looking to make more friends and meaningful connections in the LGBTQ+ community. Look for the Go Gay DC sign on the long table near the front window. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Monday, February 2
“Center Aging: Monday Coffee Klatch” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more information, contact Adam (adamheller@thedccenter.org).
Tuesday, February 3
Universal Pride Meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group seeks to support, educate, empower, and create change for people with disabilities. For more information, email [email protected].
Wednesday, February 4
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom upon request. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.
Center Aging Women’s Social and Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group is a place where older LGBTQ+ women can meet and socialize with one another. There will be discussion, activities, and a chance for guests to share what they want future events to include. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Thursday, February 5
The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5:00 pm if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.
Virtual Yoga Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This free weekly class is a combination of yoga, breath work and meditation that allows LGBTQ+ community members to continue their healing journey with somatic and mindfulness practices. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
a&e features
D.C. LGBTQ sports bar Pitchers listed for sale
Move follows months of challenges for local businesses in wake of Trump actions
A Santa Monica, Calif.-based commercial real estate company called Zacuto Group has released a 20-page online brochure announcing the sale of the D.C. LGBTQ sports bar Pitchers and its adjoining lesbian bar A League of Her Own.
The brochure does not disclose the sale price, and Pitchers owner David Perruzza told the Washington Blade he prefers to hold off on talking about his plans to sell the business at this time.
He said the sale price will be disclosed to “those who are interested.”
“Matthew Luchs and Matt Ambrose of the Zacuto Group have been selected to exclusively market for sale Pitchers D.C., located at 2317 18th Street, NW in Washington, D.C located in the vibrant and nightlife Adams Morgan neighborhood,” the sales brochure states.
“Since opening its doors in 2018, Pitchers has quickly become the largest and most prominent LGBTQ+ bar in Washington, D.C., serving as a cornerstone of D.C.’s modern queer nightlife scene,” it says, adding, “The 10,000+ SF building designed as a large-scale inclusive LGBTQ+ sports bar and social hub, offering a welcoming environment for the entire community.”
It points out that the Pitchers building, which has two years remaining on its lease and has a five-year renewal option, is a multi-level venue that features five bar areas, “indoor and outdoor seating, and multiple patios, creating a dynamic and flexible layout that supports a wide range of events and high customer volume.”
“Pitchers D.C. is also home to A League of Her Own, the only dedicated lesbian bar in Washington, D.C., further strengthening its role as a vital and inclusive community space at a time when such venues are increasingly rare nationwide,” the brochure says.
Zacuto Group sales agent Luchs, who serves as the company’s senior vice president, did not immediately respond to a phone message left by the Blade seeking further information, including the sale price.
News of Perruzza’s decision to sell Pitchers and A League of Her Own follows his Facebook postings last fall saying Pitchers, like other bars in D.C., was adversely impacted by the Trump administration’s deployment of National Guard soldiers on D.C. streets
In an Oct. 10 Facebook post, Perruzza said he was facing, “probably the worst economy I have seen in a while and everyone in D.C. is dealing with the Trump drama.” He told the Blade in a Nov. 10 interview that Pitchers continued to draw a large customer base, but patrons were not spending as much on drinks.
The Zacuto Group sales brochure says Pitchers currently provides a “rare combination of scale, multiple bars, inclusivity, and established reputation that provides a unique investment opportunity for any buyer seeking a long-term asset with a loyal and consistent customer base,” suggesting that, similar to other D.C. LGBTQ bars, business has returned to normal with less impact from the Trump related issues.
The sales brochure can be accessed here.
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