Thanks for joining us!

Thanks for a terrific evening of inspiring talks by Smithsonian experts! We hope to see you next time. Learn more about the Smithsonian's People>Passion>Purpose speaker series.

Our speakers:

ClickTap each speaker to learn more.

Adriel Luis, Asian Pacific American Center

Adriel Luis
Asian Pacific American Center

Museum Soul

Where is the Smithsonian's Asian Pacific American Center located? Find out how the answer is nowhere and everywhere at the same time as Adriel shares what his team is doing to create museum moments in the unlikeliest of places.

Adriel Luis is redefining what a museum is. Is it a building with a collection? Or is it virtual? A curator for the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, Adriel is experimenting with curated exhibitions online and pop-up galleries of art. His mission is to chronicle the full American story in new ways.

Dorothy Moss, National Portrait Gallery

Dorothy Moss
National Portrait Gallery

The Art of Portrayal

What is the difference between a selfie and a self-portrait? Dorothy invites you to consider this question and more as she takes you behind the scenes of the triennial Outwin Boochever competition in which artists challenge the very notion of what defines a portrait.

Dorothy Moss is Associate Curator of Painting and Sculpture at the National Portrait Gallery. She searches for the right pieces to reflect the American cultural identity, and helps visitors find a personal connection to the works. Fascinated with how emerging artists are expanding portraiture through the use of new media, Dorothy encourages everyone to ask "What is a portrait?"

Liz Cottrell, National Museum of Natural History

Liz Cottrell
National Museum of Natural History

Listening to the Earth Breathe

When you hear 'volcano,' what image comes to mind? Liz Cottrell wants you to know why it should be more than liquid hot magma and how the Smithsonian is tracking and sharing volcano activity around the globe.

A geologist with the National Museum of Natural History, Liz approaches our Earth's evolution by comparing laboratory experiments that simulate the deep Earth to rocks from Smithsonian's collections. Currently, her research focuses on how carbon and oxygen, the building blocks of life, cycle through the deep Earth.

Damion Thomas, National Museum of African American History and Culture

Damion Thomas
National Museum of African American History and Culture

The Power of Sport

Where can DC natives connect with their hometown teams? Get a peek into the Sports Gallery with Damion to learn about the game changers whose actions changed their sport, transcended their game and transformed society.

Damion Thomas knows there is more to sports history than scores and championships. As a curator at the Smithsonian's newest museum – the National Museum of African American History and Culture – Damion works to share the way sports can be used as a language that crosses generationsl and cultural boundaries and how it can bring people together in new and meaningful ways.

People>Passion>Purpose:

Spark your curiosity

The Smithsonian is an unrivaled American resource and the world’s largest museum and research complex with 19 museums, nine research centers and the National Zoo. Every day, our thinkers, doers and dreamers bring this magnificent institution to life for you, your family and friends from around the globe who visit us in-person and online.

Encounter new ideas

The People>Passion>Purpose speaker series showcases 25 of the Smithsonian's leading curators, scholars and educators by putting them in front of the people who make their work possible: supporters like you!

These Smithsonian experts will provide a glimpse into their worlds of knowledge. They save species. Find planets. Recover lost languages. Preserve biodiversity. Conserve art. Value world cultures. Archive our stories.

Make a connection

Their passion is contagious. Their purpose is to discover and share new knowledge, tell America's story in all its diversity and preserve cultural heritage across the globe. Be inspired by the people who are answering the big questions and forging a path into the future. You will leave inspired to learn more and continue your lifelong journey of encountering new ideas and making new connections.