MAY - June

Sunday, May 1
TIES Gala
The International Ecotourism Society¹s (TIES) annual gala will be held at
the House of Sweden, located at 2900 K Street, N.W. in Washington, DC, on
May 1, 2008, at 6:00 pm. Tickets may be purchased from the TIES office for
$50. The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) is pleased to announce the
guest speaker, Alexandra Cousteau, Co-Founder of EarthEcho International,
for its upcoming fundraiser, Ecotourism Gala & Auction. Granddaughter of
legendary explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Ms. Cousteau is an inspirational
social environmental advocate dedicated to promoting conservation and
sustainable management of water resources.
Ms Cousteau's presentation at the Ecotourism Gala & Auction will highlight
her passion for adventure and conservation, and the importance of the roles
sustainable tourism can play in preserving a healthy planet. "TIES'
Ecotourism Gala & Auction will be an exciting opportunity to share my
experiences and stories," says Ms Cousteau. "I am pleased to represent
EarthEcho International at this event and to share with the sustainable
tourism community our messages about socio-environmental impacts of
individuals' actions."
EarthEcho International is a Washington-based non-profit organization
founded by siblings Philippe and Alexandra Cousteau in honor of their father
Philippe Cousteau Sr. True to Cousteau Sr.'s legacy, EarthEcho
International's mission is to use media and experiences to empower people to
use the resources that can restore and protect Earth's ocean and freshwater
systems.
Tickets are available for sale online at www.ecotourismgala.org, or order
via phone: +1 202 347 9203 x422 or email: events@ecotourism.org.

Saturday, May 3
Walk the Red Carpet
7-11pm at the Nat'l. Democratic Women's Club, 1526 New Hampshire Ave. NW.
Art Auctions! Live Entertainment! Awards!
The annual fundraiser for the club and your chance to support One in Ten's
programming throughout the year.
Proceeds from Walk the Red Carpet fund Reel Affirmations, Plant A Seed,
Laugh Out Loud and many other vital events for the LGBT community.

Tuesday, May 6
Breakfast of Champions
8:00 am- 11:00 am at Carteret Boys & Girls Club, 9501 Dean Park Lane,
Manassas VA. Join the Boys & Girls Clubs and host Lindsay Czarniak (NBC 4
Anchor) for a salute ofVirginia Tech head football Coach Frank Beamer at
their annual Breakfast of Champions event. Other special sports champions
attending include Roy Hibbert, Tyrone Drakeford and Susan Walvius. Tickets
are $50 and all proceeds benefit the Northern Virginia Boys & Girls Clubs.
For tickets call: Liz at 703-365-CLUB or
breakfast@bgcgw.org

Wednesday, May 7
Rays of Hope® Awards Gala
A dinner awards benefit hosted by the National Coalition for Cancer
Survivorship (NCCS), celebrating cancer survivorship recognizing those that
have made significant contributions to cancer survivorship. , including The
Entertainment Industry Foundation, The Boston Red Sox Organization, Bob
Schieffer, CBS¹s Face the Nation, Mike Burg, and Dan Abrams. National
Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) Founded in 1986, NCCS is the oldest
survivor-led advocacy organization in the country, advocating at the federal
level for quality cancer care for all Americans and empowering cancer
survivors. 6:30 p.m. ­ 10:00 p.m. Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, 1301
Constitution Avenue, NW.

Saturday, May 10
Washington Performing Arts Society¹s
Annual Gala and Auction
Takes place at 6 p.m. at the Marriott-Wardman Park Hotel, Washington, D.C.
Honorary Diplomatic Patrons are His Excellency the Ambassador of Mexico and
Mrs. Veronica Valencia-Sarukhan.Single tickets begin at $500. Tables begin
at $5,000. For more information, please call (202) 293-9325 or email
rsvp@wpas.org

Monday, May 19
LEVINE SCHOOL OF MUSIC ANNUAL GALA The Levine School of Music, one of the
nation's leading nonprofit community music schools. Annual Gala celebrating
Levine School's 30th anniversary with a musical program featuring
outstanding Levine alumni and students 6:30 pm at Organization of American
States Building, 17th St. and Constitution Ave. NW. Tickets are $300, with
proceeds benefiting Levine's scholarship fund and extensive community
outreach programs. Single tickets and sponsorships are available by
contacting Levine's Development Office at (202) 686-8011 or by e-mailing
Angie Fraser at afraser@levineschool.org or visit www.levineschool.org.

Smithsonian Celebrates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

The Smithsonian celebrates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in May with a series of films, lectures and performances at museums around the Institution. All programs are free, unless otherwise indicated.

Feature Event

The Institution will kick off Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Sunday, May 4, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum with "Sharing Stories/Sharing Heritage: Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Family Day Celebration." The event will include workshops on origami, letter writing and stamp designing; presentations by artist Sushmita Mazumdar, storyteller Kathy Mathieson, origami artist Marcia Mau and children's book author and stamp illustrator Kam Mak; and performances by Hawaiian dance group Halau O Na Hali'a, South Asian "fusion dance team" Chamak and the Northern Virginia Rondalla, a string orchestra that plays traditional Filipino folk music. Children's books with Asian-American themes will be available for purchase.

Performances

The Smithsonian's Freer Gallery of Art will present "The Legacy Tour" Friday, May 9 at 7:30 p.m. in the museum's Meyer Auditorium. Two of the leading father-son teams in Indian music will join forces for this celebration. Partha and Purbayan Chatterjee will play the sitar, a plucked string instrument. They will be joined by Anindo and Anubrata Chatterjee, who will play the tabla, a set of hand drums. The performance is free, but tickets are required. Free tickets (up to four per person) can be reserved in advance through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling (202) 397-7328 or (800) 551-7328. Two tickets per person will be distributed at the Meyer Auditorium one hour before show time on a first-come, first-served basis. A preconcert gallery tour of Indian art will begin at 6:45 p.m.

The Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History will present "Asian Pacific Heritage Music and Dance" Saturday, May 17 at 2 p.m. in the museum's Baird Auditorium. This seventh annual event will include performances by Shizumi Kodomo, the Wat Thai Dance Group of Washington, D.C., and the Cambodian American Heritage Dance Troupe.

Film

The Freer Gallery of Art will present "The Marines Who Never Returned" (1962, 110 minutes, Korean with English subtitles) Friday, May 2 at 7 p.m. in the museum's Meyer Auditorium. Frequently cited as one of the true classics of Korean cinema, Lee Man-hee's ambitious production conveys intimate moments of camaraderie and friendship among a band of soldiers during the Korean War. Two free tickets per person will be distributed at the Meyer Auditorium one hour before the screening on a first-come, first-served basis. This film is part of the Korean Film Festival D.C.

Lectures

The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum will present "Most Honorable Son: A Japanese American B-24 Gunner in World War II" Thursday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m. in the museum's IMAX Theater. Ben Kuroki, one of the few Japanese Americans admitted to the Army Air Corps, will discuss a career that included more than 30 missions in Europe. The evening will include a screening of the PBS documentary "Most Honorable Son" and a discussion with the director, Bill Kubota. Admission is free, but tickets are required. Visit www.nasm.si.edu/events/lectures/ticketsform.cfm.

The Smithsonian American Art Museum will feature "Electronic Superhighway: Continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii" Thursdays, May 15 and 29 at 4 p.m. Docent coordinator Carol Wilson will discuss the huge video map of the United States by artist Nam June Paik, the first to use the phrase "electronic superhighway." Paik's installation reminds visitors that each state has a distinct identity and culture, even in today's information age. Participants meet in front of the work in the Lincoln Gallery on the third floor.

For Children

The Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian will present "A Hawaiian Festival" Saturday and Sunday, May 17 and 18, from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The museum will celebrate Hawaiian culture, language and history with a day of music, storytelling, films, lectures and hula performances.

Workshops

The Smithsonian American Art Museum will feature "Sumi-e Ink Workshop" Saturday, May 24, from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard. Local artist Jamaliah Morais will demonstrate the freestyle techniques that are seen in the museum's exhibition "Obata's Yosemite." Register by Friday, May 16 by e-mailing saamprograms@si.edu or by calling (202) 633-8490. There is a $50 fee for materials. Participants may take the materials home.

Demonstrations

The 22nd annual "Asian Arts and Crafts Festival" will feature Thai fruit and vegetable carving; Philippine weaving; Chinese paper folding; Korean calligraphy, watercolors and ceramics; and Mongolian mask making. The festival will take place Friday, May 9, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the National Museum of Natural History's rotunda.

Exhibitions

The Smithsonian's Arthur M. Sackler Gallery will present "MURAQQA': Imperial Mughal Albums from the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin," from Saturday, May 3 through Sunday, Aug. 3. This exhibition features 86 masterpieces-many not previously shown in the United States-from the renowned collection of the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin, Ireland. These works illustrate the artists' sophistication in creating the art of the book in the early 17th century. On display in lavish imperial albums are Mughal paintings and calligraphies commissioned by the Emperor Jahangir (1605-1627) and Shah Jahan (1627-1658) that depict images of the imperial family in private settings; Sufi saints and mystics; allies and courtiers; and natural history objects.

All programs are subject to change. For more information about the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month programs, visit www.smithsonianeducation.org/heritage_month or e-mail heritagemonths@si.edu. For general Smithsonian information, call (202) 633-1000 or (202) 633-5285