Washington Capitals

12/30 @ Sabres Won 4-2
1/1 vs. Lightning Won 7-4
1/3 vs. Rangers Won 2-1

Washington Wizards

12/29 @ Houston Won 89-87
12/30 @ New Orleans Lost 85-97
1/2 @ Boston Lost 83-108
1/4 vs. Cleveland Won 80-77

Upcoming

Washington Capitals

1/6 vs. Flyers
1/9 vs. Blue Jackets
1/10 @ Canadiens

Washington Wizards

1/6 @ Orlando
1/7 vs. Toronto
1/9 @ Chicago
1/10 vs. Charlotte

Washington Capitals

12/23 @ Rangers Won 5-4
12/26 vs. Sabres Won 3-2
12/28 vs. Maple Leafs Won 4-1

Washington Redskins

12/28 @ 49ers Lost 24-27

Washington Wizards

12/23 @ Charlotte Lost 72-80
12/25 @ Cleveland Lost 89-93
12/27 vs. Oklahoma City Won 104-95

Upcoming

Washington Capitals

12/30 @ Sabres
1/1 vs. Lightning
1/3 vs. Rangers

Washington Wizards

12/29 @ Houston
12/30 @ New Orleans
1/2 @ Boston
1/4 vs. Cleveland

Washington Capitals

12/16 @ Islanders Won 5-4
12/18 vs. Blues Won 4-2
12/20 @ Flyers Lost 1-7

Washington Redskins

12/21 vs. Eagles Won 10-3

Washington Wizards

12/15 vs. Indiana Lost 98-118
12/17 @ Detroit Lost 74-88
12/19 vs. Philadelphia Lost 103-109
12/21 vs. Dallas Lost 86-97

Upcoming

Washington Capitals

12/23 @ Rangers
12/26 vs. Sabres
12/28 vs. Maple Leafs

Washington Redskins

12/28 @ 49ers

Washington Wizards

12/23 @ Charlotte
12/25 @ Cleveland
12/27 vs. Oklahoma City

The National Museum of American History has been reopened for about a month, but one key exhibit did not reopen as part of the Grand Reopening. This exhibit is called the “First Ladies at the Smithsonian” and it reopens tomorrow, December 19, 2008. The website calls it a new permanent exhibit, but I am pretty sure it is mostly just a reopening of the same exhibit that was on display before the renovations. They probably have changed the exhibit to some extent and it always has been one of the most interesting, but I just do not think it has been changed enough to warrant it being called new.

The exhibit includes gowns worn by Martha Washington, Dolley Madison, Sarah Polk, Mary Todd Lincoln, Lucy Hayes, Frances Cleveland, Florence Harding, Grace Coolidge, Eleanor Roosevelt, Mamie Eisenhower, Jacqueline Kennedy, Rosalyn Carter, Nancy Reagan, and Laura Bush. Other artifacts on display include White House china, portraits, and Jacqueline Kennedy’s pearl necklace.

Washington Capitals

12/10 vs. Bruins Won 3-1
12/12 vs. Senators Won 5-1
12/13 @ Canadiens Won 2-1

Washington Redskins

12/14 @ Bengals Lost 13-20

Washington Wizards

12/9 vs. Detroit Won 107-94
12/11 vs. Boston Lost 88-122
12/13 @ Philadelphia Lost 89-104

Upcoming

Washington Capitals

12/16 @ Islanders
12/18 vs. Blues
12/20 @ Flyers

Washington Redskins

12/21 vs. Eagles

Washington Wizards

12/15 vs. Indiana
12/17 @ Detroit
12/19 vs. Philadelphia
12/21 vs. Dallas

Second Saturday Arts and the Ocean: Dive In & Pop-Up - This event is on Saturday, December 13, 2008, from 1pm to 4pm in the Sant Ocean Hall at the National Museum of Natural History. This event includes book signings of The Pocket Paper Engineer, Volumes 1 and 2 and an activity teaching how to make your own underwater pop up.

Check out weekend sports playing in D.C. on the Sports Events Coming Up This Week post.

The newest temporary exhibit opens at the Hirshhorn Museum tomorrow, December 11, 2008. The new exhibit is called “Strange Bodies: Figurative Works from the Hirshhorn Collection.” The Strange Bodies exhibit is expected to remain on display until November 8, 2009.

This new exhibit is described by the Smithsonian website as follows: “This exhibition brings together some of the most praised and popular examples of figuration, such as Untitled (Big Man) by Ron Mueck, from the Hirshhorn collection to show how expressionistic and surrealistic impulses toward human representation have evolved from the early and mid-20th century to recent decades. Also included is a small gallery devoted to a survey of works on paper and paintings by George Grosz — works that demonstrate a socially charged use of the figure.”

Washington Capitals

12/2 @ Panthers Lost 3-5
12/4 @ Islanders Won 5-2
12/6 vs. Maple Leafs Won 2-1
12/7 vs. Hurricanes Lost 1-3

Washington Redskins

12/7 @ Ravens Lost 10-24

Washington Wizards

12/2 @ New Jersey Won 108-88
12/3 vs. Portland Lost 92-98
12/5 vs. LA Lakers Lost 104-106
12/6 @ Chicago Lost 110-117

Upcoming

Washington Capitals

12/10 vs. Bruins
12/12 vs. Senators
12/13 @ Canadiens

Washington Redskins

12/14 @ Bengals

Washington Wizards

12/9 vs. Detroit
12/11 vs. Boston
12/13 @ Philadelphia

The second exhibit opens on Monday at the National Museum of Natural History. This exhibit is called “Coastal America Ocean Art Contest.” This exhibit shows the winners in seven Essential Principles of Ocean Literacy categories. The contest was open to kindergarteners through college students in the United States and Mexico. It is expected to remain open until March 29, 2009.

The third exhibit opens on Tuesday at the National Museum of Natural History. The exhibit is called “Cases: The Art of African Exploration.” The exhibit is described by the Smithsonian website as “African exploration enthralled the public in 19th-century Europe and America. But, unlike scientists today, who are armed with digital cameras to discover and record new species, early explorations before photography included an artist to create a visual record of the journey. In these cases are books, periodicals, sketchbooks, and journals featuring artists’s vivid illustrations of the astonishing landscapes, exotic animals, and unfamiliar peoples of 19th-century Africa. Highlights include the cover of Henry Morgan Stanley’s In Darkest Africa, on-the-spot sketch of the Victoria Falls by Thomas Baines, John Cary’s New Universal Atlas, drawing instruments by Griswald, and book by Samuel Daniell of African scenery and animals.” This exhibit is expected to remain open until August 2009.

The newest temporary exhibit opens on Saturday, December, 6, 2008, at the Sackler Gallery. It is called “Moving Perspectives: Lida Abdul and Dinh Q Le.” The exhibit features video art from Asia. The work featured is by the two different artists Lida Abdul adn Dink Q Le. Lida Abdul is from Afghanistan and lived in India and the West during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. The videos of Lida Abdul in this exhibit include Bricksellers of Kabul and In Transit. Dink Q Le is from the United States, but her works focus on Vietnam. One of her videos that is part of this exhibit is The Farmers and the Helicopters. The video art of both artists appear to be related to the aftermath of war and the context of war and contemporary society in the country’s they focus on.