Washington, DC hosts numerous special exhibitions and performances throughout the year.

There are many scheduled events going on in the nation’s capital. For a complete and searchable Calendar of Events visit washington.org

Ongoing
"Shear Madness" - Kennedy Center
Set in present-day Georgetown, Shear Madness engages locals and visitors alike as armchair detectives to help solve the scissor-stabbing murder of a famed concert pianist who lives above the Shear Madness unisex hairstyling salon. The show combines up-to-the-minute improvisational humor and a mixture of audience sleuthing to deliver a unique performance each night. Shear Madness has been running in the Kennedy Center's Theater Lab for almost 20 years, giving more than 8,600 performances and is the second longest play in the history of American Theater (its sister production in Boston is #1.) Purchase tickets here.

Thru November 18, 2008
Ars Fennica Art Exhibition - Embassy of Finland
Talent. Imagination. Ingenuity. Vision. The most prestigious visual arts award in Finland, Ars Fennica, honours many traits of gifted artists, but none as much as the ability to blend all these qualities into truly original and compelling pieces of art. From Friday, October 12th, the works of four such artists - candidates for the 2007 Ars Fennica award - will be displayed at the Embassy of Finland in Washington, D.C. The artists Markus Kåhre, Elina Brotherus, Anna Tuori and Elina Merenmies represent a wide array of visual arts, ranging from sculptures and installations to paintings and photography. The main prize, which consists of a monetary award of 34,000 euros, an exhibition tour and a catalogue, was awarded to Mr. Kåhre in January. http://www.finland.org

Thru February 28, 2009
Postal Inspectors: The Silent Service (Exhibit) - National Postal Museum
Mail connects families and friends, businesses and customers, government and citizens. It carries information, goods and valuables into our homes and offices. For that reason, scam artists and criminals have long been tempted to use the mail for illegal means. Protecting the mail and the postal system is the job of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Sometimes called the silent service, it is one of the oldest federal law enforcement agencies in the country. www.postalmuseum.si.edu/inspectors/index.htm

September 13, 2008 - January 25, 2009
Richard Avedon, Portraits of Power - Corcoran Gallery of Art
Richard Avedon (1923–2004), America’s pre-eminent portraitist and fashion photographer, photographed the faces of politics throughout his career. As the country enters the next presidential election season, the Corcoran will bring together Avedon’s political portraits for the first time. Richard Avedon: Portraits of Power will include approximately 250 photographs from the 1950s through the artist’s death in 2004, displayed chronologically and grouped within Avedon’s specific editorial projects. A major catalogue, published by Steidl, will accompany the exhibition. http://www.corcoran.org/exhibitions/exhibits_future.asp