Irving Archives and Museum to host Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative Series with virtual scholar talks for Women's History Month 2021
These unique opportunities are a part of a grant program awarded to the Irving Archives and Museum by the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative Series. This series of five lectures begins Wednesday, March 3, 2021 and concludes Wednesday, March 31, 2021. Registration is required. Participants should register through the associated links below.
1) Wednesday, March 3, 2021 at 7 PM EST
African American Women’s Activism in Historical Perspective
Register here
Highlighting objects related to African American women’s history in the Smithsonian collections, this event focuses on African American women’s activism and contributions in historical perspective. Each speaker will explore an interesting aspect of African American women’s activism through an extended discussion of one or two objects.
Featuring:
- Nancy Bercaw, PhD, Chair, Division of Political and Military History, National Museum of American History
- Aleia Brown, PhD, Assistant Director, Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities
- Modupe Labode, PhD, Curator, National Museum of American History
- Crystal Moten, PhD, Curator, National Museum of American History
2) Wednesday, March 10, 2021 at 7 PM EST
Lena Richard and Julia Child: Two Women Who Changed Culinary History
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Through their cookbooks, teaching, and television programs, these extraordinary women inspired generations of people to take cooking seriously. They challenged perceptions and stereotypes of women in their respective eras and made lasting contributions to culinary history. Their stories, reflective of their very different backgrounds, reveal insights about women, race, food, and culture in 20th-century America.
Featuring:
- Paula Johnson, Curator, National Museum of American History
- Ashley Rose Young, PhD, Historian, National Museum of American History
3) Wednesday, March 17, 2021 at 5 PM EST
Women in Aerospace: Stories from the Smithsonian Collection
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Dr. Margaret Weitekamp has researched and written on how a groundswell of support helped create a Lego set representing women’s contributions to aerospace. Join us for a discussion of how women have worked from the very beginning of aviation to innovate, and how museums have documented their stories.
Featuring:
- Margaret Weitekamp, PhD, Curator and Department Chair, Space History Department, National Air and Space Museum
4) Wednesday, March 24, 2021 at 7pm EST
Ancient Worlds Contemporary Selves: Smithsonian Scholars Explore Intersectionality
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In this discussion, scholars from the National Museum of the American Indian, Asian Pacific American Center and Smithsonian American Art Museum explore how artists integrate the ancient world within their contemporary artistic practice. In so doing, their works update and create new meanings, allowing them to pass on complex and layered cultural interpretations to future generations.
Featuring:
- Michelle Delaney, PhD, Assistant Director for History and Culture, Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian Healoha Johnston, Curator, Asian Pacific American Women’s Cultural History, Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Center
- Claudia Zapata, Curatorial Assistant, Smithsonian American Art Museum
5) Wednesday, March 31, 2021 at 5 PM EST
Women Artists Respond to Place
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The significance of landscapes, places, and narratives of all kinds will be examined through the works of contemporary women artists in Smithsonian collections.
Featuring:
- Tuliza Fleming, PhD, Curator of American Art, National Museum of African American History and Culture Rebecca Trautmann, Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art, National Museum of the American Indian
Moderated by:
Tricia Edwards, Deputy Director, Smithsonian Affiliations
Save the Date to Save the Sign!
Irving Archives and Museum & Mustangs of Las Colinas - Museum Stores - Summer Sale!
Second Saturdays at IAM! FREE Admission and FREE Activities for Everyone!
The Home Team: Spirit and Sports in Irving On View Through August 9, 2026 at IAM!
Over a 29-year career, Tom Landry led the Dallas Cowboys through 20 consecutive winning seasons, many of them during the team’s years at Texas Stadium in Irving. Experience Tom Landry: A Life in Football through August 9, 2026 at the Irving Archives and Museum!
Badge of Pride and Irving Archives & Museum Win 2026 AASLH Award of Excellence
Home & Away: An All-Access Ride Along Event! Get your tickets today!
The Irving Archives and Museum and Badge of Pride have been nationally recognized by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) with the 2026 Museum Impact Award for the groundbreaking exhibition Badge of Pride: From Silence…to Celebration! Presented annually by AAM, the only organization representing the entire museum field, the Museum Impact Award honors programs and institutions making meaningful contributions through community engagement, cultural leadership, and transformative storytelling. The award is considered one of the museum industry’s highest distinctions. Badge of Pride: From Silence…to Celebration! became the largest artifact-based LGBTQ+ history exhibition ever presented in Texas. Developed collaboratively by the Irving Archives and Museum and Badge of Pride alongside community members and national partners, the exhibition featured more than 600 artifacts, bilingual interpretation, 12 free public programs, and a digital guide that expanded access beyond the museum walls. “This award reflects the incredible collaboration, trust, and courage that made this exhibition possible,” said Adrian J. Cardwell, Executive Director of Badge Of Pride. “We are deeply grateful to our staff, partners, supporters, and community members whose voices and contributions shaped this project from the beginning.” The Irving Archives and Museum continues to serve as a dynamic cultural destination for North Texas residents and visitors alike. The museum features its permanent exhibition, The Irving Story, which explores the city’s rich and evolving history. It is also home to the only Smithsonian Spark!Lab in Texas, an interactive invention space for young visitors. Currently on display, The Perfect Shot: Walter Iooss Jr., and the Art of Sports Photography, features iconic moments in sports history, on view through August 9, 2026. Founded in 2022, Badge of Pride is a Dallas-based, queer-led nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing public understanding through history, art, and cultural storytelling. What began as a personal archival project has grown into a major cultural initiative focused on expanding historical literacy, strengthening belonging, and preserving LGBTQ+ histories across Texas and beyond. Community members are invited to experience Badge of Pride’s latest collaborative program, A Manifesto For Us All , presented in partnership with The Writer's Garret. Taking place Wednesday, July 29, 2026, at the Bishop Arts Theatre Center, the performance revisits the landmark 1971 Gay Liberation Front Manifesto alongside contemporary queer writings that explore belonging, liberation, and justice. The event highlights how the calls for equality and transformation made more than fifty years ago continue to resonate today. For more information about the Irving Archives and Museum, upcoming exhibitions, and programs, visit Irving Archives and Museum . To learn more about Badge of Pride and upcoming events, visit Badge of Pride . For media inquiries, contact April Baker, Assistant Director of Museums, Irving Archives and Museum, at abaker@irvingtx.gov .
The Perfect Shot: Walter Iooss Jr., and the Art of Sports Photography Opens at IAM
Innovation, Invention, and Memory: How the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum Preserves How Spaceflight Is Remembered
