Sunday,
January 1
1-5pm

A Serene Sunday
Ring in the New Year fashionably! Today is the last day to see our extremely fashionable exhibition Wedding Belles: Bridal Fashions from the Marjorie Merriweather Post Family, 1874-1958. A stroll through the gardens and Mansion is icing on the [wedding] cake.

Sunday,
January 15
1-5pm

A Serene Sunday
Catch the last day of our extremely fashionable exhibition Wedding Belles: Bridal Fashions from the Marjorie Merriweather Post Family, 1874-1958, for your final chance to see this fabulous collection all in one place. Top off your visit with a stroll through the gardens and Mansion.

Saturday, February 4
10am-1pm

Families: Celebrate La Chandeleur!
On February 2 in France, La Chandeleur (or "Crêpe Day") is celebrated with food and games. Alliance Française de Washington and Hillwood invite families to celebrate this holiday in festive French fashion by eating crêpes, listening to a story, and experiencing the exciting culture of Brittany, where crêpes are said to have originated. Learn a customary Breton dance, make your own traditional Breton hat, and enjoy class children's tales told in French and English.

Thursdays, February 9, 16 & 23
10:30am-11:15am

Preschooler Series: Treasure Quest
Enter a world of wonder as you hunt for hidden gems, gold, and magnificent treasures that glitter and sparkle. Each class includes exploration of a different Mansion room, an art project, songs, and more! Limited to 10 children ages 2–5 with one accompanying adult.

Concert by Intimate Winds
Concert Postponed, details to come

Sunday,
February 12
1-5pm

Family Fun Sunday: Creating Art from the Heart
Decorate a heart-shaped box, inspired by the French gold boxes in the Mansion, for someone you love this Valentine's Day. Use stickers, ribbons, "gems," and other materials to make your "heart of gold" sparkle.

Tuesday, February 14-Saturday, June 2

Special Exhibition: The Style that Ruled the Empires: Russia, Napoleon and 1812
Known in Russia as the Patriotic War, the defeat of Napoleon in 1812 is still a cause of celebration in Russia. Join Hillwood as we explore the national pride that launched the production of exquisite decorative arts commemorating this great military victory.

Tuesday, February 14
6-9pm

Guns and Roses
What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than with the defeat of Napoleon and a vodka tasting? Join Hillwood as we kick off our special exhibition, The Style that Ruled the Empires: Russia, Napoleon and 1812, with a party that will include wine, roses, hors d'oeuvres, and, of course, vodka. Explore the Empire Style that spread with Napoleon’s army and influenced fashion and the decorative arts across a continent.
more information here

Friday, February 17
5:30-6:30pm Mansion and special exhibition open
6:30-7:30pm Film Screenings

Best Short French Films of 2011
Presented at Hillwood by the Dina Merrill Film Program
As part of a weeklong celebration led by the Alliance Française de Washington, Hillwood invites you to watch a selection of the best French short films of 2011 as determined by a jury of French film professionals (similar to the American Academy Awards). In French with English Subtitles. May contain mature themes and are intended for an adult audience. Explore the Mansion and special exhibition, The Style that Ruled the Empires: Russia, Napoleon and 1812 before the films begin.

Thursday, February 23
6:30-7:30pm

The Glamorous Age of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna
Join Dr. Ekaterina Khmelnitskaya of the State Hermitage Museum as she discusses the daughter of Peter the Great, Empress Elizabeth, and her reign over one of the most brilliant pages in the artistic history of Russia. The lecture will explore the Empress’s founding of the Imperial Porcelain Works in 1744 and the spectacular pieces of table decoration that enhanced the balls, dinners, masquerades, concerts, and firework displays that made the Russian Court an eternal festival.

Throughout March

Greenhouse Tours
While many public gardens have tropical and orchid displays, Hillwood is one of the few in the Mid-Atlantic region to have a working greenhouse where visitors can tour behind-the-scenes daily. Mrs. Post had the greenhouses constructed to house her extensive collection of exotic orchids, as well as cut flowers grown for floral arrangements throughout the mansion. Jason Gedeik, Head of Greenhouse Design and Operations, leads a short tour of the working greenhouse, highlighting its history, Mrs. Post’s infatuation with orchids, and the exotic blooms and fragrances on display now.

Greenhouse tours are offered Tuesday and Friday at 11am, Tuesday-Saturday at 2pm, and on Sunday, March 18 at 2:30pm. On Wednesdays, tours will be led by an orchid volunteer and will focus on what’s in bloom and the day to day greenhouse operations at Hillwood. Limited to 10 per tour. Tickets are distributed at the Visitor Center upon opening each day.

Saturday,
March 3
3-4pm

Concert by Not What You Think
Performing for the second time at Hillwood, this 12-person ensemble, affiliated with the former Lesbian and Gay Chorus of Washington, presents pop, light jazz, and folk songs.

Thursdays,
March 8, 15 & 22
10:30am-11:15am

Preschooler Series: Fanciful Heroes
Hunt for dragons, make a hero’s cape, and explore a fantastical world of adventure. Each class includes exploration of a different Mansion room, an art project, songs, and more! Limited to 10 children ages 2–5 with one accompanying adult.

Saturday,
March 10
3-5pm Concert
5-6pm Reception
5-6:30pm Evening Touring

Concert by the Friday Morning Music Club
Hillwood is pleased to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Friday Morning Music Club, along with the 125th birthday of founder Marjorie Merriweather Post. The Friday Morning Music Club is Washington’s premier provider of free classical music, and not just on Friday mornings. Following a delightful concert, join Hillwood and the Friday Morning Music Club for a small birthday treat, reception, and the rare chance to tour Hillwood after hours.

Wednesday,
March 14
6:30-9pm

DC Environmental Film Festival: To Make a Farm
5:30-6:45pm Mansion Open for Touring (no special exhibition)

Hillwood is proud to partner with the DC Environmental Film Festival to present the American premier of To Make a Farm. Steve Suderman's 2011 documentary highlights small-scale organic farming as a way you live by your principles. For more information on the film visit the DC Environmental Film Festival website

Sunday,
March 18
1-5pm

Serene Sunday
This is one of the select Sundays Hillwood is open during the year. Spend the day strolling the gardens and Mansion, and enjoy The Style that Ruled the Empires: Russia, Napoleon, and 1812. Greenhouse tour (see above description) at 2:30pm. Tour Limited to 10.

Sunday,
March 18
1-5pm

Happy Birthday Girl Scouts!
Celebrate 100 years of Girl Scouting and the 125th birthday of Hillwood’s founder Marjorie Merriweather Post with a festive garden party! Girl Scouts will explore Hillwood’s magnificent gardens, putt on the green, play games, try on dress-up clothes, decorate a party dish with garden themes, and create fancy hats. The program meets some of the requirements for the Legacy Girl Scout Way badges for Brownies, Juniors, and Cadettes. Hillwood patches are available for purchase at the Museum shop.

Saturday,
March 31
10am-7pm

Sunday,
April 1
1-5pm

Fabergé Egg Family Festival
Celebrate spring’s arrival in Russian style! Enjoy festive folk music and storytelling, meet historic character Tsar Nicholas II, and take part in a centuries-old egg-rolling game. Step into Fabergé’s Workshop to decorate your own Fabergé-inspired egg.

This family festival is made possible by the Bonnie Mapelli Youth Education Fund.

Saturday,
March 31
10am-7pm

Sunday,
April 1
1-5pm

Fabergé Egg Family Festival
Celebrate spring’s arrival in Russian style! Enjoy festive folk music and storytelling, meet historic character Tsar Nicholas II, and take part in a centuries-old egg-rolling game. Step into Fabergé’s Workshop to decorate your own Fabergé-inspired egg.

This family festival is made possible by the Bonnie Mapelli Youth Education Fund.

Tuesday, April 3 - Saturday, June 9

Spring Garden Tours
Docent-led tours are offered on a first-come first-served basis Tuesday-Saturday at 10:30 am and 12:30 pm. On Sundays, April 15, April 29, May 13, and May 27 at 2:30 pm. Tickets are distributed at the Visitor Center upon opening each day.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

6-7pm Tour the Mansion
7-8pm Lecture

Barry Dixon Book Talk and Signing
Barry Dixon is an interior designer practicing in the Virginia countryside near Washington, DC. He has taken his own brand of warmly hospitable Southern design style to projects around the world. A childhood spent abroad in exotic locales such as India, South Africa & French Polynesia affords his work a singular global perspective. Multiple magazine pictorials (Southern Accents, Veranda, House Beautiful, Metropolitan Home, Traditional Home) as well as continuous television appearances (Good Morning America, HGTV) have spurred the success of his furniture line with Tomlinson/Erwin-Lambeth. Recent accomplishments include a fabric collection for Vervain/S. Harris, a rug collection with Megerian, and his new book 'Barry Dixon Interiors' with Brian Coleman.

Members can preorder his book "Barry Dixon Interiors" and his latest book, "Barry Dixon Inspirations" through our Museum Shop 202.686.8510

Thursdays,
April 12, 19 & 26
10:30-11:15am

Preschooler Series: Garden Sculpture Safari
Discover animals and fanciful creatures in sculpture throughout Hillwood’s gardens in this 3-part series. Each class includes exploration of a different garden, an art project, songs, and more! Limited to 10 children ages 2–5 with one accompanying adult.

Friday,
April 13
12-12:30pm

Fashionable Fridays: Lucile and the Titanic
When the Titanic sank on April 15, 1912, only one-third of her passengers survived. Fashion designer Lady Lucile Duff Gordon, best known as Lucile, was onboard, traveling to bring her latest fashion collection to her New York Boutique. She and her husband survived the tragedy (and ensuing scandal of their mostly empty lifeboat), and her career continued to flourish. Marjorie Merriweather Post and her daughters owned eight dresses designed by Lucile. In commemoration of the centennial of the Titanic's demise, Howard Vincent Kurtz, curator of costumes and textiles, shares Lucile's fascinating story of fashion historu on this Friday the 13.

Sunday,
April 15
1-5pm

Serene Sunday
This is one of the select Sundays Hillwood is open during the year. Spend the day strolling the gardens and Mansion, and enjoy The Style that Ruled the Empires: Russia, Napoleon, and 1812. Sundays in April and May are very popular, so please call ahead!

Monday,
April 16
11am-2pm

Member Monday: Lucile and the Titanic
Hillwood will be open to Members only for Member Monday from 11 am until 2 pm. Stroll through the gardens and enjoy a special program for members at 11 am. In commemoration of the centennial of the Titanic's demise, Howard Vincent Kurtz, curator of costumes and textiles, shares the story of Lady Lucile Duff Gordon. When the Titanic sank on April 15, 1912, only one-third of her passengers survived. Fashion designer Lady Lucile Duff Gordon, best known as Lucile, was onboard, traveling to bring her latest fashion collection to her New York Boutique. She and her husband survived the tragedy (and ensuing scandal of their mostly empty lifeboat), and her career continued to flourish. Marjorie Merriweather Post and her daughters owned eight dresses designed by Lucile.

Thursday,
April 19
6-9 pm

100 Years of Kimonos and the National Cherry Blossom Festival

6-7pm Explore the gardens and picnic
7-8pm Lecture
8-9pm Kimono Dressing

As part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival centennial celebration, take advantage of the rare opportunity to see Hillwood’s magnificent Japanese-style garden in the evening. Bring a picnic or pre-order dinner from Hillwood’s café, and enjoy dinner in the gardens. Paul MacLardy, co-author of Kimono-Vanishing Tradition and owner of Arise Bazaar, presents a lecture on 100 years of kimonos. Following the lecture, visitors can try on kimono using proper dressing rituals, and shop at the Museum Shop’s trunk show. Beautiful, vibrant colored kimonos are available in a variety of prices. Following the lecture, kimono dresser Teena Turner will help visitors try on kimono using proper dressing rituals. The Museum Shop’s trunk show includes beautiful, vibrant colored kimonos at a variety of prices.

Tuesday,
April 24
7-8:30pm

Lecture and Book Signing: Napoleon and Russia

5:30-6:45pm Mansion and The Style that Ruled the Empires open
6-6:45pm Members-only reception, with author Dominic Lieven
7-8:30pm Lecture, followed by book signing
Seating begins at 6:45pm

Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812 is one of the most famous stories in European history. Nevertheless much of the story as usually told is untrue. Outside Russia 1812 is usually told just from Napoleon’s point of view and without regard for Russian sources. In Russia the story is distorted by nationalist myths. Leo Tolstoy (author of War and Peace) was a great novelist but also a key myth-maker as regards Russia’s defeat of Napoleon. In his interpretation, governments and generals count for little and Napoleon is defeated by the elemental patriotism of the Russian people. In reality, the tsarist government planned and executed an intelligent grand strategy which exploited Russia’s strengths and Napoleon’s weaknesses. Join visiting scholar Dominic Lieven, who used never-before-seen material from the Russian archives, to delve deeper into this riveting history. Lieven will sign copies of Russia Against Napoleon: The True Story of the Campaigns of War and Peace following the lecture.

Dominic Lieven is a research professor at Cambridge (Senior Research Fellow: Trinity College). He was a professor of history at the London School of Economics from 1978-2011. His last book, Russia Against Napoleon: The True Story of the Campaigns of War and Peace, won the Wolfson History Prize and also the Prix de la Fondation Napoleon. Three of his direct ancestors were generals in the Battle of Leipzig. He lives partly in Britain and partly in Japan.

More Information

Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812 is one of the most famous stories in European history. Nevertheless much of the story as usually told is untrue. Outside Russia 1812 is usually told just from Napoleon’s point of view and without regard for Russian sources. In Russia the story is distorted by nationalist myths. Leo Tolstoy (author of War and Peace) was a great novelist but also a key myth-maker as regards Russia’s defeat of Napoleon. In his interpretation, governments and generals count for little and Napoleon is defeated by the elemental patriotism of the Russian people. In reality, the tsarist government planned and executed an intelligent grand strategy which exploited Russia’s strengths and Napoleon’s weaknesses. It could do this partly because in the years before the invasion it possessed excellent sources of intelligence about Napoleon’s intentions and about the strengths and weaknesses of his military and political system. On that basis the Russians planned for a long war of attrition. By retreating deep into Russia they would wear down Napoleon’s initially enormous and invincible army and mobilize Russian society for a lengthy conflict. Though not even Barclay de Tolly (the commander-in-chief), let alone Alexander I, expected to retreat all the way to Moscow, their strategy worked. It would not have done so, however, without the fierce discipline of the Russian army, the skill of its rear guards, and the moral courage of Barclay, who refused to bow to enormous pressure to commit his army to battle prematurely.

In imagining that the fall of Moscow would force Alexander to negotiate, Napoleon betrayed his ignorance of Russian politics and society. After delaying too long in Moscow, his army was forced to undertake a long retreat as the Russian winter closed in. The indiscipline of the French army and the overwhelming superiority of the Russian light cavalry contributed in almost equal measure to his army’s destruction. It is, however, a great illusion to imagine that 1812 spelled the final defeat of Napoleon. He put 450,000 men in the field in Germany in 1813. The resources of Napoleon’s empire were equal to those of Russia, Austria and Prussia combined.

By ending War and Peace in Vilno in December 1812 Tolstoy once again distorts reality. Alexander was determined to carry the war beyond Russia’s borders and undermine Napoleon’s power because he rightly believed that this was the only way to guarantee Russia’s long-term security. He showed great political and diplomatic skill in creating and sustaining the Russo-Prusso-Austrian coalition which (together with British financial and military power) defeated Napoleon in 1813-14. Also contrary to Russian nationalist mythology, the Russian army performed better in 1813-14 than in 1812. Improved tactics, staff-work and use of reserves help to explain why Russian troops emerged victorious from most of the major battles of 1813-14. The Russian army also met the challenge of deploying, arming and supplying 500,000 men and scores of thousands of horses beyond their empire’s frontiers. In a Europe where only two cities had more than 500,000 inhabitants this was a great achievement.

$20, $10 Member, $7 College Student
- Purchase tickets
Purchase Tickets for Lecture and Reserve Space at the Member Reception
Limited seats at a simulcast may become available, if seating in the theater reaches capacity.
Light reception is open to and free for all members.
Pre-orders of signed copies of Russia Against Napoleon can be made when purchasing tickets by phone. The Museum Shop will also sell the book before and after the lecture.

Friday,
April 27
6 - 9pm

Family Movie Night

6-9 pm Art activity, tour the Mansion, and picnic
7-8:30 pm Short film screenings

Have a fairy tale adventure at this year’s family movie night! Picnic in the gardens, explore the Mansion on a fairy tale quest, and create and wear your own prince and princess crowns. Enjoy screenings of several short fairy tale films from the United States and Québec, including Sleeping Betty, The Tender Tale of Cinderella Penguin, and Faerie Tale Theatre. Snacks and light bites available for purchase from the Café. Presented in partnership with the Québec Government Office, in association with Kids World Cinema, DC.

Saturday, April 28 - Saturday, May 5

French Boutique
Francophiles rejoice! Shop a curated collection of housewares, gifts and accessories with French flair.

Sunday,
April 29
1-5pm

Serene Sunday
This is one of the select Sundays Hillwood is open during the year. Spend the day strolling the gardens and Mansion, and enjoy The Style that Ruled the Empires: Russia, Napoleon, and 1812. Sundays in April and May are very popular, so please call ahead!

Tuesday, April 3 - Saturday, June 9

Spring Garden Tours
Docent-led tours are offered on a first-come first-served basis Tuesday-Saturday at 10:30 am and 12:30 pm. On Sundays, April 15, April 29, May 13, and May 27 at 2:30 pm. Tickets are distributed at the Visitor Center upon opening each day.

Saturday, April 28 - Saturday, May 5

French Boutique
Francophiles rejoice! Shop a curated collection of housewares, gifts and accessories with French flair.

Thursdays,
May 10, 17 & 24
10:30-11:15am

Preschooler Series: Gardens Alive!
Discover the smells, colors, and plants growing in the spring garden in this 3-part series. Each class includes exploration of a different garden, an art project, songs, and more! Limited to 10 children ages 2–5 with one accompanying adult.

Thursday,
May 10
6:30-7:30 pm

Lecture: Influence of the Italian Villa Landscape on Garden Design and Landscape Architecture in America

5:30-6:30pm Tour Mansion & Gardens
6:30-7:30pm Lecture
The Italian Villa landscape has been celebrated in America since the turn of the last century. Beginning in 1894 with Charles Platt’s Italian Gardens, there was a succession of popular books aimed at America’s quest for beauty and antiquity. Although much has been written about many of the significant taste making books of this period, little attention has been paid to the early fellows at the American Academy in Rome and their influence on the American Villa landscape.

This presentation by Charles A. Birnbaum, FASLA, FAAR, will explore America’s thirst for the Italian Villa landscape during the period from the 1890s until the late 1930s and the people who created the nation’s Italian influenced landscapes. For more information, please click here.

This lecture is presented in partnership with The Cultural Landscape Foundation as a prelude to What’s Out There Weekend Washington DC, hosted in the nation’s capital on Saturday and Sunday, May 19th and 20th.

Saturday,
May 12
10am-3pm

Visit Hillwood at Smithsonian’s Garden Fest!
Retro Garden Games
Exercise your mind and body by exploring fun outdoor lawn games from a bygone era, including hula hoops, jump rope and pogo sticks. Visit Hillwood at the Smithsonian Institution’s Garden Fest on the National Mall, in celebration of National Public Gardens Day. This year’s theme is “Gardening for Healthy Living” and is part of the Let’s Move! Museums and Gardens initiative.

Saturday,
May 12
10am-5pm

Visit Hillwood at Smithsonian’s Garden Fest!
Amber & Eggs Trunk Show
Browse a huge selection of sterling silver or vermeil Baltic Amber and Pendant Eggs.

Sunday,
May 13
1-5pm

Serene Sunday (Mother's Day)
This is one of the select Sundays Hillwood is open during the year. Spend the day strolling the gardens and Mansion, and enjoy The Style that Ruled the Empires: Russia, Napoleon, and 1812. Sundays in April and May are very popular, so please call ahead!

Friday,
May 18

Art Museum Day
To celebrate the importance of museums in our world, Hillwood will participate in AAMD Art Museum Day! Visitors who pay the full suggested donation on Friday, May 18, will be given the opportunity to return to Hillwood as a Member for a Day. Visitors will be able to return and enjoy a day at Hillwood with all the special benefits of membership, including admission for them and a guest, a 10% discount to the museum shop, and the opportunity to reserve a space on a Mansion or Garden tour.

Saturday,
May 19
11:30am-12:30pm

What’s Out There Weekend Garden Tour
Brian Barr, director of horticulture, leads a garden tour as part of The Cultural Landscape Foundation’s What’s Out There Weekend Washington DC. Reservations are required through the Cultural Landscape Foundation. Limited to 15.

Sunday,
May 27
1-5pm

Serene Sunday
This is one of the select Sundays Hillwood is open during the year. Spend the day strolling the gardens and Mansion, and enjoy The Style that Ruled the Empires: Russia, Napoleon, and 1812. Sundays in April and May are very popular, so please call ahead!

Through Saturday, June 9

Spring Garden Tours
Docent-led tours are offered on a first-come first-served basis Tuesday-Saturday at 10:30am and 12:30pm. Tickets are distributed at the Visitor Center upon opening each day.

Friday,
June 1

The Dina Merrill Film Program Presents
Divas Outdoors: Classic Films Under The Stars—Auntie Mame (1958)

6:30 pm Picnic and tour the mansion, gardens, and The Style that Ruled the Empires: Russia, Napoleon and 1812 exhibition.
8pm Picnic competition judging takes place
8:15 pm Film begins

As Mame says, "Life's a banquet, and most suckers are starving to death." Nominated for an Oscar for her performance, Rosalind Russell shines as the eccentric aunt who takes in orphaned Patrick. Mame, all glitter and martinis, raises her nephew in a world filled with acceptance and her oddball literati friends. Watch Patrick grow in colorful episodic segments as Mame juggles spouses, an extended household, and adventure.

In partnership with One In Ten, and as part of Capital Pride we proudly welcome the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities. Help set the scene by coming in character or entering our elaborate picnic competition. Rain or shine.

This program is made possible by the generous support of the Dina Merrill Film Program.
Complimentary popcorn provided by Fragers Hardware specializing in all your party, tool and equipment rental needs.

Thursdays,
June 7, 14 & 21
10:30-11:15am

Preschooler Series: Kings & Queens
Enter the glamorous world of kings and queens as you prepare for a royal ball and discover treasures in this 3-part series. Each class includes exploration of a different Mansion room, an art project, songs, and more! Limited to 10 children ages 2–5 with one accompanying adult.

Saturday,
June 9
10am-5pm

Serene Saturday
The afternoon of June 9 will be busy because of a special program, Seersucker Social. Visitors hoping for a more leisurely stroll of the gardens and Mansion are encouraged to visit before noon .

Saturday,
June 9

Seersucker Social
11am Seersucker Ride gathers at off-site location (details will be announced by email)
1-7pm Seersucker Social at Hillwood

Enjoy a grand garden party in the tradition of founder Marjorie Merriweather Post! Fashionable summer guests, decked out in Jazz-Age inspired seersucker, will enjoy live music, and lawn games like badminton and croquet. Tour Hillwood’s exquisite art collections and gardens. Bring your own picnic, or purchase meals from food trucks. Cocktails, as well as beer, wine and soda, will also be available for purchase.

Guests may arrive with the fashionable summer bicycle ride, or head straight to Hillwood. Rain or shine. Families welcome.

This program is presented in partnership with Dandies & Quaintrelles and Holly Bass Performance Projects, and is part of the Lets Move! Museum and Gardens Initiative.

Sunday,
June 10
11am-6pm

Hillwood Downtown: Capital Pride
Visit Hillwood’s booths, including in the family section, at the Capital Pride Street Festival!

Tuesday, June 12 - Saturday, September 1

Summer Garden Tours
Docent-led tours are offered on a first-come first-served basis Tuesday-Saturday at 10:30am. Please note that tours may be canceled in the case of extreme heat or heavy rain. Tickets are distributed at the Visitor Center upon opening each day.

Thursday,
June 14
6:30pm

Opening Celebration: Prêt-à-Papier: The Exquisite Art of Isabelle de Borchgrave
This unforgettable evening will feature an exclusive exhibition preview, dinner on Hillwood’s Lunar Lawn, and the company of renowned contemporary Belgian artist, Isabelle de Borchgrave.

Friday,
June 15
6:30pm

Members' Opening: Prêt-à-Papier: The Exquisite Art of Isabelle de Borchgrave
Crumpled, pleated, and painted, ordinary paper becomes haute couture in the hands of Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchgrave, who will be attending this event. This early viewing of the exhibition is availble to Hillwood Members. More than twenty-five pieces, including the most finely-crafted recreations of dresses by famed fashion designers such as Mariano Fortuny are shown.

Saturday,
June 16
10am-5pm

Opening Weekend: Prêt-à-Papier: The Exquisite Art of Isabelle de Borchgrave
Crumpled, pleated, and painted, ordinary paper becomes haute couture in the hands of Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchgrave. On this opening weekend of the special exhibition, enter a world of splendor, where iconic costumes from the history of fashion are transformed into elaborate works of art, all on view for the first time in Washington, DC, and inhabiting the elegant spaces at Hillwood. More than twenty-five pieces, including the most finely-crafted recreations of dresses by famed fashion designers such as Mariano Fortuny are shown.

Sunday,
June 17
1-5pm

Opening Weekend: Prêt-à-Papier: The Exquisite Art of Isabelle de Borchgrave
Crumpled, pleated, and painted, ordinary paper becomes haute couture in the hands of Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchgrave. On this opening weekend of the special exhibition, enter a world of splendor, where iconic costumes from the history of fashion are transformed into elaborate works of art, all on view for the first time in Washington, DC, and inhabiting the elegant spaces at Hillwood. More than twenty-five pieces, including the most finely-crafted recreations of dresses by famed fashion designers such as Mariano Fortuny are shown.

Tuesday,
June 26
6:30-7:30 pm

Lecture: Prêt-à-Papier: A Curator’s Insights

5:30-6:30pm Mansion & Exhibition in the Adirondack Building Open
6:30-7:30pm Lecture

Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchgrave is a painter with a singular “twist”. Painting and manipulating paper, de Borchgrave creates a world of splendor, crafting trompe l’oeil masterpieces inspired by rich depictions in early European painting or by iconic costumes in museum collections around the world. Liana Paredes, chief curator and curator of the exhibition, will explore the magical and immersive experience of working with Isabelle and her studio to create this singular and stunning ensemble of French 18th century court gowns, Russian costumes and exquisitely artistic early 20th-century dresses, all made out of simple reams of paper.