Check out women-powered festivals, events, exhibits, shows and much more.
In Washington, DC, we celebrate the contributions of women all year long, including food and drink spots and women-inspired museums, exhibits and attractions. In honor of March's designation as Women's History Month, we’ve gathered up a list of events, festivals, exhibits and other programming that highlight the accomplishments, art and stories of women.
Find more content celebrating inspiring women in DC, including women-owned businesses and ways to honor influential Black women.
INTERSECTIONS Festival – Feb. 18 – March 26
The Atlas Performing Arts Center presents work that impacts society, culture and the world through the annual INTERSECTIONS Festival. Engage with excellent art that inspires a connected community from artists that hail from all over the DMV area. You can see stunning performances in dance, music, theater, art, ballet and much, much more. The festival begins Saturday and runs through March 26.
More Information
Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H Street NE, Washington, DC 20002
Wild Seeds of the Soufside – Feb. 18 – May 13
In a new free exhibit at Phillips@THEARC, photographer Dee Dwyer takes you on a visual journey into the heart of Southeast DC, also known as “Soufside”. Inspired by the book Wild Seed by Octavia Butler, Dwyer connects the local Soufside community with the book’s main characters, Anyanwu and Doro. Dwyer’s photographs are evocative, sensuous and work to demystify an area that has been misconceived. As “Chocolate City” experiences more gentrification, Black natives are being displaced; as gentrification moves into Southeast, Dwyer’s photographs seek to preserve the soul of the community she calls home.
Hours & Info | Free Admission
Phillips@THEARC, 1801 Mississippi Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20020
Black Like Me – Through April 15
An incredible collection of Black artists is featured in this exhibit at DC’s intimate Zenith Gallery, including Wesley Clark, Julee Dickerson Thompson, Buzz Duncan, Francine Haskins, Claudia Gibson-Hunter, Hubert Jackson and many more. The Gallery will host a reception that will give you a chance to meet artists on Feb. 15 from 4-8 p.m.
Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Saturday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. | More Info
Zenith Gallery, 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004
Intersections: Linling Lu – Through April 30
In Soundwaves, Linling Lu engages with the Phillips Music performance of Philip Glass’s Etude no. 16 played on piano by Timo Andres. The exciting new entry into The Phillips Collection’s ongoing Intersections series will see Lu visualizing sound into spatial configurations. She takes the repetitive notes and chords from Glass’s music and translates them into a physical space: the seven notes played on the piano by the left hand are represented by seven paintings on the left side of the gallery, and the five notes played by the right hand are represented by five paintings on the right side of the gallery. In witnessing this incredible installation, you’ll feel waves of nostalgia, calm, joy and solitude.
Hours & Admission
The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
One with Eternity: Yayoi Kusama in the Hirshhorn Collection – Through June 27
The Hirshhorn has been collecting the prolific work of Yayoi Kusama since 1996. The museum’s 2017 survey of her work traveled to five North American art museums, introducing Kusama’s spellbinding visions to record audiences. Now, the Hirshhorn displays five of Kusama’s works from the museum’s permanent collection, including two of the artist’s transcendent Infinity Mirror Rooms. The installation is a tribute to the life and practice of the visionary artist.
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Free admission
Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden, Independence Avenue & 7th Street NW, Washington, DC 20560
I Dream a World: Selections from Brian Lanker’s Portraits of Remarkable Black Women (Part II) – Through Sept. 10
The second of the two-part installation at the National Portrait Gallery features likenesses of women who have made an impact through the arts, activism, literature and politics. The masterful work of photographer Brian Lanker showcases figures such as Althea Gibson, Odetta, Cicely Tyson and Oprah Winfrey.
11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. daily | Free Admission
National Portrait Gallery, 8th and G Streets NW, Washington, DC 20001
The Mortification of Fovea Munson – March 4-19
Mary Winn Heider brings her acclaimed book to musical life in this world premiere Kennedy Center commission. Fovea Munson works at her parents’ cadaver lab, but she is by no means Dr. Frankenstein’s famous bumbling assistant, Igor … until three disembodies heads start talking to her out loud, in desperate need of a favor. Family-friendly action ensues.
Tickets
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20566
RIOT! Funny Women Stand Up – March 9
The Kennedy Center honors Women’s History Month with this stand-up comedy event that is quickly becoming a tradition at DC’s beloved performance venue. This year, RIOT! will showcase Janelle James (from Abbott Elementary), Ali Kolbert, Sam Jay and Atsuko Okatsuka, making for an evening filled with uproarious laughter courtesy of four of the most talented women in comedy.
8 p.m. | Tickets
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20566
BGR!FEST – March 9-11
Curated by CEO and founder Beverly Bond, BGR!FEST takes over the Kennedy Center across three days this March. BGR!FEST is an extension of the BLACK GIRLS ROCK! brand, providing a platform to showcase the talents, vision and innovation of women of color. The festival kicks off with an opening night party on March 9 followed by Who Rocks Next? on March 10 and Black Men Rock on March 11.
Tickets
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20566
Blue – March 11-25
Postponed from the 2020-21 season, Blue will now roar to life inside the Kennedy Center thanks to the Washington National Opera. Named the Best New Opera of 2020 by The Music Critics Association of North America, NAACP Theatre Award–winning librettist Tazewell Thompson’s creation was inspired by contemporary events and Black literature, including Ta-Nehisi Coates’s Between the World and Me and James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time. Music by Tony Award–winning composer Jeanine Tesori takes you through a family and community’s struggle with police violence.
Tickets
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20566
Jagged Little Pill – March 14-26
A fearless and rapturous musical based on Alanis Morissette’s chart-topping music is coming to the National Theatre this spring. With a Tony-winning script by Diablo Cody and a Grammy-winning score, the electrifying production about a perfectly imperfect American family will bring you to your feet through powerful songs.
Tickets
The National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004
Shout, Sister, Shout! – March 15 – May 13
Ford’s Theatre welcomes a new musical based on Gayle F. Wald’s inspiring book. Immerse yourself in the music scene of the 1930s and ‘40s as you follow the story of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, a musical legend who paved the way for Black rock, R&B and gospel singers and guitarists with her ambition and courage. Tharpe was also a pioneer in that she unabashedly joined protests for racial and sexual equality. Don’t miss a riveting production of this under-told story. Use code "SSSDDC" for a 20% discount. Offer excludes Dress Circle seating, and has a limit of four (4) tickets per order.
Tickets
Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
Harlem Globetrotters – March 18
Your favorite Globetrotter stars will show off their amazing basketball skills, roof-raising athleticism and make the entire family laugh the whole time as their new world tour visits Capital One Arena in downtown DC. Watch as the men and women of the legendary Globetrotters go head-to-head against the Washington Generals, who will stop at nothing to try and defeat the team that never loses.
1 p.m. | Tickets
Capital One Arena, 601 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
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