The summer’s just begun, and there are lots of great arts and cultural events to find around DC! See some below, and let us know if we missed anything good!

(By the way — this is also the first weekend to catch our July exhibits here in the gallery!)

Friday through Monday: Helen Frankenthaler for kids

Where: The National Gallery of Art. For ages 4–7, the free program Investigate: Helen Frankenthaler explores the painter’s inspiration and process, then invites the kids to make a painting without using brushes! The whole thing takes about an hour. Artists featured later this month: Georgia O’Keeffe, Wassily Kandinsky, and Sam Gilliam.

Saturday: Edward Hopper film screening

Where: The Smithsonian American Art Museum. Shirley: Visions of Reality is a 2013 film that’s part of SAAM’s summer lineup of film screenings. The title character is an American woman living in the 1930s through the 60s, and whose story brings to life 13 different Edward Hopper paintings. Should be a fun watch for Hopper fans!

Saturday: Workhouse Art Walk

Where: Workhouse Arts Center, Lorton, VA. Each month, this artist community throws an open house of sorts known as the Second Saturday Art Walk. One of this month’s featured artists is Art Leaguer and painter Kathleen Best Gillmann!

Through Sunday: Smithsonian Folklife Festival

Where: The National Mall. The 2017 edition of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival is here for just a few more days! The theme this year is Circus Arts. Do check their Twitter (and the schedule) before heading out — they were partially closed Thursday due to rain.

Bonus: Jumpstart in Abstraction ($195)

Where: The Art League. Looking for something a little more hands-on? This weekend (Saturday and Sunday) is our Jumpstart in Abstraction workshop with instructor Marsha Staiger. It’s designed for those with no painting experience or those who just want to learn a different approach.

You can register online, or see our full slate of Summer workshops.