National Gallery of Art has a wonderful program called See Me at the Smithsonian around art, perception, and history. See Me is hosted at at five museums and in November they will be at National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum and Freer Gallery of Art. CHV staff collectively participated in a similar program at the National Gallery of Art and found it fantastic. The event is free, but registration is required.
Check out details for November and December here.