91. Renwick Gallery
City: Washington, DC
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (202) 633-1000
Description: Leave the present and step into the late nineteenth century. The Renwick Gallery, a Smithsonian museum established in 1972, is a showcase of American design, crafts, and contemporary arts. The Grand Salon and the Octagon Room boast period furnishings and decorations from the 1860s and 1870s. The building itself dates to 1859 and is the original site of the Corcoran Gallery. The museum, which has a gift shop, is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily, except on December 25. It’s near the Farragut West Metro station.
City: Washington, DC
Category: Shopping
93. The Textile Museum
City: Washington, DC
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (202) 667-0441
Address: 2320 S Street NW
Description: This small, elegant museum houses renowned collections of textile art, including rare Oriental carpets. Visitors can explore hands-on activities in an interactive gallery. The museum also offers frequent lectures and monthly family programs. Suggested admission is $5 per person. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.
94. Flashpoint
City: Washington, DC
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (202) 315-1310
Address: 916 G Street NW
Description: This downtown arts space showcases works by local artists while also providing training and strategy development for cultural organizations and working artists. Step inside the gallery to see the works of local artists or catch an experimental theater performance in the theater lab space. Flashpoint also offers classes in yoga, belly dancing, and other creative disciplines. You’ll notice residents coming and going from the Mather Building, which was constructed with 12 artist residences as the city’s Cultural Development Corporation’s first live/work housing project for artists. The facility is open from noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, with later hours for classes and performances.
95. Foundry Gallery
City: Washington, DC
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (202) 463-0203
Address: 1314 18th Street NW
Description: One of the Dupont Circle galleries, this nearly four-decade-old artists’ cooperative features abstract and experimental art, as well as representational contemporary art. It’s open from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
96. Hemphill Fine Arts
City: Washington, DC
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (202) 234-5601
Address: 1515 14th Street NW
Description: Hemphill opened in 1993 as a showplace for emerging, mid-career, and established artists. One of Hemphill’s goals was to mount socially relevant exhibitions. It’s now part of 14th Street’s emerging gallery scene, sharing a building with Adamson Gallery (202-842-9220, www.adamsoneditions.com), G Fine Art (202-462-1601, www.gfineartdc.com), and micro-gallery Curator’s Office (202-387-1008, www.curatorsoffice.com).
97. Touchstone Gallery
City: Washington, DC
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (202) 347-2787
Address: 406 7th Street NW
Description: This multiartist cooperative gallery each month features two single-artist shows of contemporary, modern work. The gallery also occasionally hosts invitational shows featuring international artists. Its hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, and from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The gallery is part of the Pennsylvania Quarter District, between the White House and Capitol Hill. It’s one of several galleries participating in a gallery walk from 6 to 8 p.m. every third Thursday.
98. First Friday Gallery Walk Downtown
City: Washington, DC
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (703) 777-7838
Description: The Loudoun Arts Council sponsors this ongoing event, held from 6 to 9 p.m. the first Friday of each month except January. Visit nine galleries and specialty shops in historic downtown Leesburg for show openings, wine, hors d’oeuvres, and book signings. Pick up a map at any participating merchant.
99. Avalon Theatre
City: Washington, DC
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (202) 966-6000
Address: 5612 Connecticut Avenue NW
Description: The Avalon has a unique comeback story. Opened in 1933, the historic theater was closed down by the Loews company in 2001. Patrons rallied to save this neighborhood fixture with the help of local developer Douglas Jemal. The theater was renovated and reopened in 2003, giving rise to a new luxury movie experience, complete with freshly gilded furnishings, plus seats that bear the names of the patrons who contributed to the theater’s return. The main theater is likely to show edgier recent releases, while you’re more likely to find art films and independent productions in the smaller second-story theater.
100. Landmark E Street Cinema
City: Washington, DC
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (202) 452-7672
Address: 555 11th Street NW
Description: This new theater lures a steady crowd for independent, foreign, and documentary films, quickly earning a role in downtown’s thriving entertainment district. The deceptively large facility is hidden behind a downtown storefront; eight auditoriums (ranging in size from 96 to 260 seats) are located underground. Hit the concession stands for healthy treats like veggie dogs or grab a bite before or after the show at a nearby eatery.
101. Washington International Film Festival (Aka Filmfest D.C.)
City: Washington, DC
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (202) 274-5782
Description: This two-week celebration of American and international film, from the alternative to the mainstream, takes place in late April to early May. The city becomes the focus of the movie world, with scores of screenings, seminars, and receptions held throughout town. Screenings take place at theaters, museums, and auditoriums throughout town.