Dumbarton Oaks

2026 East Asia Plant Humanities Virtual Faculty Residencies June 1–12, 2026 (virtual) | Seminar for faculty in East Asia Studies who are interested in integrating more plant-related sources and narratives in their teaching. Apply by February 15.

Learn more and apply at www.doaks.org/research/fel....

University teachers (including advanced doctoral students), plant scientists, and curators who are working within the multidisciplinary field of East Asia studies and are interested in integrating primary and digital sources on plants into their teaching are welcome to apply by February 15.

The residency will take place over two weeks (June 1–12) of virtual seminars and workshops. Participants will receive a stipend of $800 upon successful completion of the program.

The Plant Humanities Initiative at Dumbarton Oaks invites applications for two-week virtual faculty residencies in June 2026, concentrating on topics at the intersection of East Asia Studies and Plant Humanities.

2026 Plant Humanities Summer Program July 20–July 31, 2026 (virtual), August 3-August 14 (in person) | Program for graduate students and advanced undergraduates with an interest in plants from the perspectives of botany, botanical explor...

For more information, visit www.doaks.org/research/fel....

Applications are open for the 2026 Plant Humanities Summer Program!

This program is a collaboration between the DO Plant Humanities Initiative and the Oak Spring Garden Foundation. Participants will engage in two weeks of virtual instruction followed by two weeks in-person at Oak Spring.

A photo of the Gardens covered in snow is overlaid by text that reads "The Gardens at Dumbarton Oaks are closed today, Friday, December 5." The DO icon is on top.

Due to inclement weather, the Gardens are closed today, Friday, December 5. But the Museum is warm and open!

We look forward to welcoming visitors to the Gardens again tomorrow, Saturday, December 6, unless additional closure guidance is shared. Keep an eye out on social media and our website!

A photo of the Blisses' tomb in the Rose Garden covered in white snow. Overlaid text reads: "WINTER SEASON: Starting December 2, admission to the Gardens is free, though advanced reservations are required. The Gardens are open Tuesday to Sunday, 2pm to 5pm; last public entry will be permitted at 4:30pm; tickets must be reserved online via Eventbrite." Below is the DO logo in white.

Winter season at Dumbarton Oaks begins on Tuesday, December 2. Admission to the Gardens is free, but tickets must be reserved in advance via Eventbrite.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving baking, have you heard of the tonka bean? Often compared to vanilla, it is a central ingredient in many recipes around the world... Except in the United States, where it is actually banned by the Food and Drug Administration!

Join us on Sunday, December 7 and Monday, December 8 at 7:00 p.m. to hear our Fall 2025 Musician-in-Residence Phillip Golub perform original compositions alongside unique re-imaginings of familiar melodies.

Tickets: www.doaks.org/events/music...

In observance of Thanksgiving, the Museums and Gardens at Dumbarton Oaks are closed on Thursday, November 27. We look forward to welcoming visitors again on Friday, November 28.

Find more information about hours and tickets at our #LinkInBio under "Plan Your Visit to DO."

Learn more about the central role of this plant to many societies over time in the Plant Humanities Lab's narrative "Beyond the Silken Shadow: The Mulberry Tree's Metamorphosis and Homecoming" by Kate Aubrecht and Viveca Mellegård.

Find the full piece at lab.plant-humanities.org/mulberry/.

Historic images of the mulberry tree, drawings, and newspaper clippings are in the background, overlaid by a yellow text box which reads "Beyond the Silken Shadow: The Mulberry Tree's Metamorphosis and Homecoming."

There would be no silk without silkworms, and no silkworms without the mulberry tree!

Get your copies:
domedieval.org/books/the-me...
domedieval.org/books/the-wo...
domedieval.org/books/the-ol...

Our three newest Medieval Library vols. are out now: THE MENOLOGION OF BASIL II, THE WORKS OF HROTSVIT OF GANDERSHEIM, and vol. 1 of THE OLD ENGLISH CHRONICLE!

In observance of Veterans' Day, the Museum and Gardens at Dumbarton Oaks will be closed on Tuesday, November 11. We look forward to welcoming visitors again on Wednesday, November 12.

Plan your visit to Dumbarton Oaks at www.doaks.org/visit/plan.

Registration is free but required. Learn more about this event and register at www.doaks.org/.../searchin....

Join us on Thursday, November 20, at 6:00 p.m. to hear from Brian S. Bauer, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Illinois Chicago, speaking on the mummification practices of the Inca and the journey of five royal mummies from Cusco to Lima.

Jeffrey and Gabriel Kahane Tracing mutual interests in the overlapping traditions of American popular music.

Single tickets can be purchased at the www.doaks.org/events/music/jeffrey-and-gabriel-kahane. For subscription purchases, contact concerts@doaks.org.

Join us on Sunday, November 23 or Monday, November 24 at 7:00 p.m. to explore overlapping traditions of American popular music. Repertoire will include songs by Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, and Tracy Chapman, piano works by Samuel Barber and Aaron Copland, and pieces from Gabriel’s own catalog.

Up next in our Music At Dumbarton Oaks Concert Series, we welcome father-son duo Jeffrey and Gabriel Kahane!

Death in Scholarship: The Death Working Group Meet Graylin and Giorgia, two Dumbarton Oaks fellows who participate in the Death Working Group—an informal group of DO scholars from different fields whose…

In the spirit of Halloween, meet Graylin and Giorgia, two Dumbarton Oaks fellows who participate in the Death Working Group—an informal group of DO scholars whose research tackles the topic of death.

What places in Dumbarton Oaks do you find the spookiest?
vimeo.com/1132248701

In observance of United Nations Day, did you know some of the first conversations behind the creation of the UN were hosted at Dumbarton Oaks? Find out more about this history at https://www.doaks.org/about/history/dumbarton-oaks-conversations.

Image source: US National Archives

Learn about the Gulmohar's journey from its roots in Madagascar to cultural significance in the #PlantHumanitiesLab's new plant narrative: "The Gulmohar: Becoming Native," by Nidhish Birhade.

Read the full piece at lab.plant-humanities.org/gulmohar/.

"Gulmohar" is a popular name for restaurants, resorts, boutiques, songs, and even an award-winning 2023 Indian melodrama. But how did this tree become such an important symbol in Indian culture?

Fellowships and Awards

Those invited to apply before Saturday, November 1, 2025 include: terminal degree holders and candidates, and mid- and early-career scholars in the fields of Byzantine, Pre-Columbian, and Garden and Landscape Studies. Apply today: www.doaks.org/research/fel....

Fellowships and Awards

Opportunities include residential fellowships for an academic year or a semester, joint residential fellowships alongside I Tatti—The Harvard University Center for Italian Renaissance Studies, and project grants of up to $10,000 in the areas of study Dumbarton Oaks supports.

Less than two weeks left before the deadline!

The papers of the colloquium will be published by Dumbarton Oaks under the auspices of her fellow colloquiarchs, Damaskinos of Haapsalu and Francesca Dell’Acqua.

A 1983-1984 joint fellow in Athens and at Dumbarton Oaks from and then 2015-2016 fellow at Dumbarton Oaks, Mary also served as colloquiarch for Dumbarton Oaks’ Fall 2022 colloquium, Hypapante or the Presentation of Christ in the Temple: Liturgical Celebration and Iconography in East and West.