Arts and Music

WETA Arts

WETA Arts, a local program from WETA, celebrates the visual and performing arts in the DC area. This magazine-style program presents a variety of stories, profiles, and discussions, introducing emerging and established artists alike.

Current Episode

Songs of the Season 2025

Celebrate the holidays with the 6th annual WETA Arts presentation of Songs of the Season! A WETA holiday tradition, this hour-long program offers beautiful vocal performances from 19  area choral groups.

WETA Arts December 2023: Songs of the Season: asset-mezzanine-16x9

When to Watch

View the broadcast schedule for this special program.

Upcoming Episode

February 2026 

Premieres Monday, February 9, 2025 at 9:30 p.m. on WETA PBS, 8:30 p.m. on WETA Metro

WETA Arts returns in February with a spotlight on Stanley J. Thurston, founder of the Heritage Signature Chorale, a choir showcasing African American choral traditions. Viewers also learn about an unexpected partnership between President Lincoln’s Cottage and the DC Improv Comedy Club, featuring stand-up performances by comedians who are also lawyers. 

Stanley Thurston

Stanley J. Thurston’s Heritage Signature Chorale

Founded by Stanley J. Thurston, the Heritage Signature Chorale, is dedicated to the performance art traditions of African American choral music. The organization includes an 80-plus-member chorale as well as a newer ensemble, the 20-plus-voice HSC Chamber Singers, created to perform repertoire that calls for a more intimate scale. Several performances remain in the 2025-26 season, offering audiences an opportunity to experience works by African American composers, and arrangements of Spirituals, that are rarely heard in classical music concert settings.

Felicia Curry and Callie Hawkins

President Lincoln’s Cottage

Located in Washington’s Petworth neighborhood, President Lincoln’s Cottage was home to Lincoln and his family for nearly a quarter of his presidency. Beyond its timed, ticketed tours, the site hosts special events, including the fall Two Faces Comedy Series in collaboration with DC Improv Comedy Club. Founded in 1992, DC Improv is a cornerstone of the region’s stand-up scene, and the Two Faces series is among its most distinctive offerings, exploring Lincoln-inspired themes—from lawyers to grief to beards.

Schedule

There is no broadcast information available at this time.

Recent Episodes

November 2025

WETA Arts marks the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution at Mount Vernon for "Revolutionary War Weekend." This annual event brings the late 18th century to life, thanks to reenactors who travel from as far away as New Jersey and South Carolina to camp, battle, and transform George Washington’s backyard into a living history experience that captures the spirit of the Revolution.

war reenactors

Revolutionary War Weekend at Mount Vernon

One of George Washington's Mount Vernon's most popular events, Revolutionary War Weekend brings history to life with hundreds of reenactors portraying all manner of individuals typical of who you might have met in an 18th century war encampment. Participants travel from across the East Coast, even across the country, to represent not only British and Continental soldiers, but also Revolutionary militias, American loyalists, German-speaking soldiers hired by the British, and women supporting the troops on both sides. Living history groups abound and they stage events nationwide. To find upcoming reenactments near you, check websites like Decades of the American Revolution and The British Brigade; in some regions there's an event nearly every week. 

October 2025

Emmy Award-winning series WETA Arts takes viewers to the Korean Cultural Center in Washington, D.C. for its two-week dance clinic called K-pop Academy. Next, audiences are transported to the Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum in Annapolis, MD, for artist and native Washingtonian Jabari Jefferson's first solo museum exhibition, Sacred Spaces.

WETA Arts host Felicia Curry with artist Jabari Jefferson at the Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum

Jabari Jefferson at the Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum

The Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum in Annapolis showcases the history of Black Marylanders through its permanent exhibition, highlighting key figures, movements and moments in the state's Black history. The museum also features rotating exhibits; through December 31st, 2025, check out Sacred Spaces, artist and native Washingtonian Jabari Jefferson's first solo museum exhibition. For a preview, check out coverage by WhiteHot Magazine

September 2025

WETA Arts returns with a spotlight on Bob Boilen, creator of the iconic Tiny Desk Concert series on NPR, a globally recognized platform for musicians. Viewers also discover the exquisite work and artistic collaborations of Susan Goldman, a printmaker, teacher and documentarian working in Rockville, MD.

In retirement, former NPR All Things Considered host and Tiny Desk Concert creator Bob Boilen leans into Takoma Park’s unique low-power radio station WOWD-LP. And, the founder of Rockville-based Lily Press, Susan Goldman, supports artists and collectors dedicated to print art. 

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