FAMILY FIRST SATURDAYS
Blueblood: Princes and Princesses for a Day
Saturday, April 5 • 2 – 4 pm
Did you know that in many places blue is a royal color? Explore the exhibition BLUE and learn about the history of this magical dye through different cultures and time periods. Create your own textile crown and watch The Emperor’s New Clothes. FREE; no reservations required.

BLUE LECTURE SERIES
A Passion for Indigo: My Fascination with the Exotic Past and Exciting Future of this Unique Dyestuff
Thursday, April 10 • 6:30 pm
Learn more about the color blue in the textile arts, from the history of indigo dyeing to your favorite pair of jeans. In this session, Jenny Balfour-Paul, textile artist, researcher and author of Indigo, examines the mysteries and mystique of this ubiquitous dyestuff. Fee: $5/members; $8/non-members. Advance registration required; space is limited. Call (202) 667-0441, ext. 64 or click here for a registration form.

TEACHER WORKSHOP
The Power of BLUE
Saturday, April 12 • 10 am – 1 pm
Indigo and indigo-dyed cloth pervade the myths, medicines and rituals of many cultures around the world. Explore textiles that convey the powerful symbolism of this mysterious color through gallery activities and hands-on experiences. Participants receive a packet with information on indigo, related classroom activities, and images. Light refreshments are also included. Fee: $5 /members; $8/non-members. Advance registration required; limited to 30 participants. Call (202) 667- 0441 ext. 64 or click here for a registration form.

MUSIC PROGRAM
Jazz and BLUE
Saturday, April 12 • 5 – 7 pm
Join us for an evening of jazz and BLUE. Enjoy musical performances by the Blues Alley Youth Orchestra and celebrate April as “National Jazz Month.” The orchestra, whose mission is to preserve and promote the big band jazz genre, is comprised of accomplished student musicians ranging in age from 11 to 17 years old. Explore the exhibition BLUE with our docents and enjoy wine, beer and light refreshments. Co-sponsored by Blues Alley Society “Big Band JAM!” Fee: $10/members; $15/non-members. Advance registration required; space is limited. Call (202) 667-0441, ext. 64 or click here for a registration form.

BLUE LECTURE SERIES
African Blues
Thursday, April 24 • 6:30 pm
Learn more about the color blue in the textile arts, from the history of indigo dyeing to your favorite pair of jeans. In this session, Lisa Aronson, associate professor of art history at Skidmore College, explores the use and meaning of blue in African textiles. Fee: $5/members; $8/non-members. Advance registration required; space is limited. Call (202) 667-0441, ext. 64 or click here for a registration form.

BLUE LECTURE SERIES
Transforming Blue:  From Seed to Dye, Indigo in
Contemporary Japan
Thursday, May 1 • 6:30 pm
Learn more about the color blue in the textile arts, from the history of indigo dyeing to your favorite pair of jeans. In this session, artist Rowland Ricketts shares insight into the transformative process of using indigo dye. Fee: $5/members; $8/non-members. Advance registration required; space is limited. Call (202) 667-0441, ext. 64 or click here for a registration form.

FAMILY FIRST SATURDAYS
Blue Jeans
Saturday, May 3 • 2 – 4 pm
Learn why your denim jeans are called “blue jeans” and examine Levi Strauss jeans from different eras. Wear your favorite pair of jeans and receive a free bookmark (while supplies last). Inspired by the exhibition BLUE, decorate your own jeans or make another blue textile. FREE; no reservations required.

BLUE LECTURE SERIES
Indigo Immortal: The History and Global Culture of Levi’s Jeans
Thursday, May 15 • 6:30 pm
Learn more about the color blue in the textile arts, from the history of indigo dyeing to your favorite pair of jeans. In this session, Lynn Downey, an historian with Levi Strauss and Company, looks at the evolution and lasting appeal of Levi’s denim jeans. Fee: $5/members; $8/non-members. Advance registration required; space is limited. Call (202) 667-0441, ext. 64 or click here for a registration form.

BLUE LECTURE SERIES
Indigo: A Personal Journey
Thursday, May 22 • 6:30 pm
Learn more about the color blue in the textile arts, from the history of indigo dyeing to your favorite pair of jeans. In this session -- the final installment in the series -- Hiroyuki Shindo, a Japanese artist who processes his own indigo to produce innovatively patterned textiles, and documentary filmmaker Mary Lance, discuss Shindo's indigo-dyed artwork and their unique collaborative project. Fee: $5/members; $8/non-members. Advance registration required; space is limited. Call (202) 667-0441, ext. 64 or click here for a registration form.

SPECIAL WORKSHOP
Batik Techniques
Saturday, May 31 • 10 am - 4 pm
Batik is an ancient wax resist technique which has been used to decorate cloth since antiquity. In this special workshop, learn about the hand and stamp methods and complete several small batik pieces. Instructors Agus Ismoyo and Nia Fliam founded the Brahma Tirta Sari Batik Studio in Yogyakarta, Indonesia in 1985. Today their studio is considered the leading center of contemporary fine art batik in Indonesia and has an international reputation for its innovative work. Fee: $60/members; $70/non-members. Advance registration required; space is limited. Call (202) 667-0441, ext. 64 or click here for a registration form.

RUG & TEXTILE APPRECIATION MORNING
Have You Got the Blues? Blue Dyes in Textiles
Saturday, May 31 • 10:30 am
Textile collectors Jeffrey Krauss and R. John Howe invite you to bring a well-vacuumed textile from your own collection for this up-close look at different uses and implications of blue dyes. FREE; no reservations required.

CELEBRATION OF TEXTILES
Saturday, June 7 • 10 am – 4 pm
Sunday, June 8 • 1 – 5 pm
Join us for the 30th anniversary Celebration of Textiles, an annual festival of hands-on fun and learning at The Textile Museum. Visitors of all ages are invited to explore the textile arts and cultures of the world through a multitude of activities and demonstrations in the Museum’s historic buildings, exhibitions and garden. For program details, click here. Celebration of Textiles is part of the Dupont-Kalorama Museums Consortium’s Museum Walk Weekend. FREE; no reservations required.

LUNCHTIME GALLERY TALK
Southeast Asian Textiles
Thursday, June 12 • 12 - 12:30 pm
Take a break from the daily grind and and visit The Textile Museum for a lunchtime gallery talk in the exhibition BLUE. In this talk, Textile Museum Research Associate Mattiebelle Gittinger, co-curator of BLUE, discusses the design and cultural significance of Southeast Asian textiles on view in the exhibition. Bring a brown bag lunch and, weather permitting, enjoy it in the Museum’s beautiful garden. FREE; no reservations required. Limited to 35 participants.

LUNCHTIME GALLERY TALK
Blue Through an Artist’s Eyes
Thursday, June 19 • 12 - 12:30 pm
Take a break from the daily grind and and visit The Textile Museum for a lunchtime gallery talk in the exhibition BLUE. In this talk, Hillary Steel provides a textile artist’s perspective on the color blue. Steel’s work has been most greatly influenced by the resist dyeing traditions of Asia, the Americas and western Africa. Bring a brown bag lunch and, weather permitting, enjoy it in the Museum’s beautiful garden. FREE; no reservations required. Limited to 35 participants.

RUG & TEXTILE APPRECIATION MORNING
A Samurai's 'Business Suit': Blue Textiles in Japan and Their Social Messages
Saturday, June 21 • 10:30 am
Ann Marie Moeller, collector and historian of traditional Japanese textiles, leads a lively discussion on the social messages embedded within the country’s blue cloth. The audience is invited to bring clean, well-vacuumed examples related to the topic. FREE; no reservations required.

LUNCHTIME GALLERY TALK
Chinese and Japanese Textiles
Thursday, June 26 • 12 - 12:30 pm
Take a break from the daily grind and and visit The Textile Museum for a lunchtime gallery talk in the exhibition BLUE. In this talk, Textile Museum Assistant Curator Lee Talbot, co-curator of BLUE, guides visitors through an exploration of the political and cosmological significance of blue in Chinese and Japanese textiles. Bring a brown bag lunch and, weather permitting, enjoy it in the Museum’s beautiful garden. FREE; no reservations required. Limited to 35 participants.