Welcome to Solstice Saturday at the national Museum African Art. The Smithsonian marks the first Saturday of summer—Solstice Saturday—by staying open late and hosting parties, programs, and performances. Most Smithsonian museums will be open until midnight welcoming visitors to the free festivities. Here’s the schedule for the entire Smithsonian.

Events at the National Museum of African Art

2-3 pm First Look: I Am… Contemporary Women Artists of Africa

Solstice Event: special exhibition tour led by Karen E. Milbourne, Curator.
Featuring highlights of works of art by 28 of Africa’s leading modern and contemporary women artists, exploring themes related to the environment, identity, politics, race, sexuality, social activism, and faith.

3 pm -6 pm Chief NIKE Okundaye, Textile Designer: Master Workshop and Artist Talk

Workshop and Lecture Hall — Adire Designs
In conjunction with I Am…Contemporary Women Artists of Africa
Hosted by Gathoni Kamau, Outreach Coordinator

6 pm – 10 pm: Cosmic Pop-up Tours

6pm, 7pm, 8pm, 9pm and 10pm
Locations: Striking Iron, Good as Gold, Visionary
Drop-in: Meet at the Information Desk in the Pavilion

6:00 – 9:00 pm: Create Your Own Constellation

Pavilion – circular tables/chairs setup; materials supplied
Map of the Southern Skies (that cannot be seen from Europe, N.America & Japan)
Courtesy of Iziko Planetarium, South Africa
South African Starlore sheet – Free while supplies last.

Button-Making Station : Cosmic Star buttons – make and take!
Other surprises! While supplies last!

5:30-10:30 pm Solstice DJ: Ayes Cold and Nigerian Musician/Songwriter Adiitu

Join the party in the Haupt Garden at the second annual Smithsonian Solstice Saturday with festival soundscapes spun by a local DJ and African beats inspired by global rhythms.

Haupt Garden 2 hour sets: 6:00-8:00 and 8:30-10:30

DJ Ayes Cold, a.k.a. Ayesha Chugh, is a genre-nonconforming club and bass music DJ. From footwork and grime to dancehall house and hip-hop, Ayes is known for her eclectic selections. Recently, she has been touring as one-third of the band Madame Gandhi.

Adiitu, a.k.a. Abiodun Durosinmi, is a Nigerian musician/composer and video artist who is passionate about cross-cultural communication through music.
Come enjoy the music and dance under the night sky in the Haupt Garden.

In the event of RAIN: DJ to move inside the pavilion
Freer/Sackler AV will move tech setup from Haupt Garden to NMAfA

NMAfA Gift Shop: Open til 10:00 pm

June 19
@ 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Participants under 16 must be accompanied by an adult
First come, first served

Adinkra symbols, visual representations of concepts and proverbs developed by the Akan peoples of Ghana, were originally used on funerary cloths by royalty and wealthy individuals to pay tribute to the legacy of the deceased. Today, they are used extensively as decorative elements in textiles and design. Join graphic artist and designer Sharmila Karamchandani to learn about adinkra symbols before incorporating them into a one-of-a-kind card.

This workshop is presented as part of the museum’s series of Workshop Wednesdays. Every first and third Wednesday of the month, stop by the museum for drop-in classes from trained teachers. Stay for as long as you like to complete your masterpiece. All skill levels and ages welcome; participants under age 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Workshops are on a first-come, first-served basis.