After-Hours Program for Visitors 21+ Features a DJ, Art and Community Recipe Exchange
The Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum will welcome visitors 21 years and older for “After Dark: Stories We Carry,” an evening of art, music, memory and connection, Thursday, Nov. 12, from 7 to 10 p.m. The event is free, but registration is recommended.
Inspired by the museum’s current exhibition, “We Make History,” the evening invites visitors to reflect on the memories, traditions, people and places that have shaped their lives and consider how those stories become part of people’s collective history. Visitors can experience the museum after hours with music from DJ Jerome Baker III while enjoying spiked apple cider, hot chocolate and snacks. They can also participate in a hands-on art activation with the Pyramid Atlantic Art Center and trade family and community recipes at Rooted Recipes, an interactive exchange that celebrates the stories passed down through food.
“History lives not only in books and archives, but in our kitchens, around our dining room tables and in the traditions we pass from one generation to the next,” said Katelynd Anderson, interim director of the museum. “This ‘After Dark’ program is an invitation to experience the museum in a new way and to bring your own story into the conversation.”
The museum’s current exhibition, “We Make History,” will also be open during the event. It explores how history happens and is preserved and shared, anchored by stories of Washingtonians whose legacies as change makers and history keepers have had generational impact. Objects on view include the family diary of Adam Francis Plummer, believed to be the only known example of a multigenerational diary started by an enslaved person in the United States; singer Marian Anderson’s coat; a guitar belonging to Chuck Brown, the “Godfather of Go-Go”; and a jersey from the Washington Spirit, the city’s professional women’s soccer team.
The schedule and events are subject to change; check the website for updates.
About the Anacostia Community Museum
Founded in 1967, the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum shares the untold and often overlooked stories of communities furthest from opportunity in the greater Washington, D.C., region. In celebrating stories of resiliency, joy and strength, the museum inspires those who visit to translate their ideas into action. For more information about the museum, visit anacostia.si.edu or follow the museum on X, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.