Washington, DC Embassy Events & Museum Meetups

Jim Morrison and The Doors - Music History Livestream - Hosted by Robert Kelleman

It's Friday night, let's celebrate the life and music of Jim Morrison and The Doors.

Music History Livestreams present noteworthy songs from featured artists along with the historical and cultural context of their music.
During and after our program you'll have the opportunity to discuss the music with your fellow participants via Zoom.

The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential rock acts of the 1960s; mostly due to Morrison's lyrics and voice, along with his erratic stage persona, and the group was widely regarded as an important part of the era's counterculture.
The band took its name from the title of Aldous Huxley's book The Doors of Perception, itself a reference to a quote by William Blake. After signing with Elektra Records, the Doors with Morrison released six albums in five years, some of which are considered among the greatest of all time, including The Doors (1967), Strange Days (1967), and L.A. Woman (1971). They were one of the most successful bands during that time but Morrison died in uncertain circumstances in 1971.
They have sold 33 million albums in the United States and over 100 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling bands of all time. The Doors have been listed as one of the greatest artists of all time by magazines including Rolling Stone, which ranked them 41st on its list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". In 1993, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer, musician, songwriter and poet, who was the lead vocalist of the rock band The Doors. Due to his wild personality, poetic lyrics, distinctive voice, unpredictable and erratic performances, and the dramatic circumstances surrounding his life and early death, Morrison is regarded by music critics and fans as one of the most iconic and influential frontmen in rock history. Since his death, his fame has endured as one of popular culture's most rebellious and oft-displayed icons, representing the generation gap and youth counterculture.
Together with pianist Ray Manzarek, Morrison co-founded the Doors in July 1965 in Venice, California. The band spent two years in obscurity until shooting to prominence with their number-one single in the United States, "Light My Fire", taken from their self-titled debut album. Morrison recorded a total of six studio albums with the Doors, all of which sold well and received critical acclaim. Morrison was well known for improvising spoken word poetry passages while the band played live. Manzarek said Morrison "embodied hippie counterculture rebellion".
Morrison developed an alcohol dependency in the 1960s, which at times affected his performances on stage. He died unexpectedly in Paris at the age of 27, amid conflicting witness reports. Since no autopsy was performed, the cause of Morrison's death remains disputed.

***

Van Gogh Film Screening: "Lust for Life" with Kirk Douglas - Art History Livestream - Hosted by Robert Kelleman

We invite you to join us for a screening of the 1956 classic "Lust for Life" starring Kirk Douglas as Vincent Van Gogh.
Before the screening there will be a brief 15-20 minute overview of the film including historical context, plot summary, things to look for, accuracy, etc.
During and after the screening you’ll have the opportunity to discuss the art with your fellow participants via Zoom.

Lust for Life is a 1956 American biographical film about the life of the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, based on the 1934 novel of the same title by Irving Stone which was adapted for the screen by Norman Corwin.
It was directed by Vincente Minnelli and produced by John Houseman. The film stars Kirk Douglas as Van Gogh, James Donald as his brother Theo, with Pamela Brown, Everett Sloane, and Anthony Quinn. Douglas won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama for his performance, while Quinn won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Georgia O’Keeffe & The American Experience - Four Part Art History Livestream Series - Hosted by Robert Kelleman

You’re invited to join the third segment of our four part series on Georgia O’Keeffe, featuring her beautiful, iconic, and spectacular New Mexico paintings. Although she lived in many places throughout the U.S., including Wisconsin, Virginia, Chicago, Texas, and New York City, New Mexico is the place most closely associated with Georgia O’Keeffe, where she lived for 57 years (1929-1986), and where she created many of her most important paintings.

During and after the program you’ll have the opportunity to discuss the art with your fellow participants via Zoom.

If you missed the first two segments of our four-part series: The Early / New Years: 1918-1949 and Flowers & Abstractions, or if you want to watch them again, the YouTube recording links are provided below. If you would like a preview of the New Mexico Years program there’s also a YouTube slideshow preview of that via the link below.
This series is part of our “American Experience” programs, where we feature art and art history within the larger context of American history and culture, including such topics as architecture, fashion, film, music, photography, television, and pop culture.

Georgia O’Keeffe & The American Experience - Four Part Art History Series!

The Detroit Institute of Arts: The American Collection - Art History Livestream - Hosted by Robert Kelleman

You’re invited to join us for a livestream art history tour of the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), one of the top art museums in the United States. This particular program will focus on American art, with the DIA having one of the best American collections in the world. On a later date we’ll focus on some other areas, including European highlights and Impressionism. Your host, Robert, spent the first two years of his career working at the Detroit Institute of Arts and is extremely familiar with the museum and its collection.

During and after the program you’ll have the opportunity to discuss the art with your fellow participants via Zoom.

The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), located in Detroit, Michigan, has one of the largest and most significant art collections in the United States. With over 100 galleries, it covers 658,000 square feet. The DIA collection is regarded as among the top six museums in the United States with an encyclopedic collection which spans the globe from ancient Egyptian and European works to contemporary art. Its art collection is valued in billions of dollars, up to $8.1 billion according to a 2014 appraisal. The DIA campus is located in Detroit's Cultural Center Historic District, about two miles (3 km) north of the downtown area.
The museum building is highly regarded by architects. The original building, designed by Paul Philippe Cret, is flanked by north and south wings with the white marble as the main exterior material for the entire structure. The campus is part of the city's Cultural Center Historic District listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The museum's first painting was donated in 1883 and its collection consists of over 65,000 works. With about 677,500 visitors annually for 2015, the DIA is among the most visited art museums in the world.