March 1-4 



Regional Event: The Smithsonian National Associate Program's U.S. and International 

 Events division presented a weekend of lectures and a seminar in Grand Junction, 

 Colorado, focusing on Hispanic heritage. Cosponsoring organizations included Mesa 

 State College, the Museum of Western Colorado, and the Western Colorado Center for 

 the Arts. Among the topics were "The Revival of Hispanic Traditional Arts" and "Our 

 Hispanic Heritage." The program's theme prompted the cosponsors to develop a 

 month- long festival tided "Viva Latinos." 



March 6 



Acquisition: The National Air and Space Museum received one of the U.S. Air Force's 

 newly retired SR-71 supersonic reconnaissance aircraft. Museum Director Martin Harwit 

 addressed a group of guests and media representatives at a ceremony at Washington 

 Dulles International Airport. The aircraft is slated for display at the proposed extension 

 of the museum. 



March 7 



Lecture: The celebrated Soviet conceptual artist Ilya Kabakov spoke about his work for 

 the first time publicly in the United States in conjunction with his newly opened 

 mixed-media installation at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, 

 Directions-Ilya Kabakov: Ten Characters. His talk was a highlight of the 1989-90 

 season of "Focus" exhibition talks at the museum. On March 29, the museum hosted the 

 world premiere of USSart, a documentary film about the effect of glasnost on other 

 progressive Soviet artists. 



March 16 



Outreach Program: The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery continued its outreach to Asian 

 audiences in the Washington area with a public celebration of Nowruz (Persian New 

 Year). Verses by the 13th-century Persian poet and mystic Jalal al-Din Rumi were read 

 in Persian and English following an introductory lecture. The celebration was funded by 

 contributions given in support of Persian art and cultural programming and gifts in 

 memory of General H.J. Jablonsky. 



March 24 



Special Event: Friends of the National Zoo sponsored Seal Day, a day of public 

 activities to focus attention on the international day of the seal. 



March 27 



New Facility: The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) formally dedicated 

 the new Earl Silas Tupper Research and Conference Center. Secretary Adams, 



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