Washington, DC

The National Museum of American History has been reopened for about a month, but one key exhibit did not reopen as part of the Grand Reopening. This exhibit is called the “First Ladies at the Smithsonian” and it reopens tomorrow, December 19, 2008. The website calls it a new permanent exhibit, but I am pretty sure it is mostly just a reopening of the same exhibit that was on display before the renovations. They probably have changed the exhibit to some extent and it always has been one of the most interesting, but I just do not think it has been changed enough to warrant it being called new.

The exhibit includes gowns worn by Martha Washington, Dolley Madison, Sarah Polk, Mary Todd Lincoln, Lucy Hayes, Frances Cleveland, Florence Harding, Grace Coolidge, Eleanor Roosevelt, Mamie Eisenhower, Jacqueline Kennedy, Rosalyn Carter, Nancy Reagan, and Laura Bush. Other artifacts on display include White House china, portraits, and Jacqueline Kennedy’s pearl necklace.

The newest temporary exhibit opens at the Hirshhorn Museum tomorrow, December 11, 2008. The new exhibit is called “Strange Bodies: Figurative Works from the Hirshhorn Collection.” The Strange Bodies exhibit is expected to remain on display until November 8, 2009.

This new exhibit is described by the Smithsonian website as follows: “This exhibition brings together some of the most praised and popular examples of figuration, such as Untitled (Big Man) by Ron Mueck, from the Hirshhorn collection to show how expressionistic and surrealistic impulses toward human representation have evolved from the early and mid-20th century to recent decades. Also included is a small gallery devoted to a survey of works on paper and paintings by George Grosz — works that demonstrate a socially charged use of the figure.”

Tomorrow, December 7, 2008, Monday, December 8, 2008, and Tuesday, December 9, 2008 new exhibits open at Smithsonian museums. The first opens tomorrow at the Anacostia Community Museum. The new exhibit is called “Jubilee: African American Celebrations.” This exhibit focuses on the history, music, and folklore related to African American holidays and celebrations. The exhibit looks at the history of African American celebrations from the 18th century through to present day. This exhibit is expected to remain on display until September 20, 2009.

The second exhibit opens on Monday at the National Museum of Natural History. This exhibit is called “Coastal America Ocean Art Contest.” This exhibit shows the winners in seven Essential Principles of Ocean Literacy categories. The contest was open to kindergarteners through college students in the United States and Mexico. It is expected to remain open until March 29, 2009.

The third exhibit opens on Tuesday at the National Museum of Natural History. The exhibit is called “Cases: The Art of African Exploration.” The exhibit is described by the Smithsonian website as “African exploration enthralled the public in 19th-century Europe and America. But, unlike scientists today, who are armed with digital cameras to discover and record new species, early explorations before photography included an artist to create a visual record of the journey. In these cases are books, periodicals, sketchbooks, and journals featuring artists’s vivid illustrations of the astonishing landscapes, exotic animals, and unfamiliar peoples of 19th-century Africa. Highlights include the cover of Henry Morgan Stanley’s In Darkest Africa, on-the-spot sketch of the Victoria Falls by Thomas Baines, John Cary’s New Universal Atlas, drawing instruments by Griswald, and book by Samuel Daniell of African scenery and animals.” This exhibit is expected to remain open until August 2009.

The newest temporary exhibit opens on Saturday, December, 6, 2008, at the Sackler Gallery. It is called “Moving Perspectives: Lida Abdul and Dinh Q Le.” The exhibit features video art from Asia. The work featured is by the two different artists Lida Abdul adn Dink Q Le. Lida Abdul is from Afghanistan and lived in India and the West during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. The videos of Lida Abdul in this exhibit include Bricksellers of Kabul and In Transit. Dink Q Le is from the United States, but her works focus on Vietnam. One of her videos that is part of this exhibit is The Farmers and the Helicopters. The video art of both artists appear to be related to the aftermath of war and the context of war and contemporary society in the country’s they focus on.

The latest temporary exhibit opens at the Smithsonian American Art Museum tomorrow, November 27, 2008. This new exhibit is called “Graphic Masters I: Highlights from the Smithsonian American Art Museum.” This exhibit is expected to remain on display until May 25, 2009. Below is the quoted description of the exhibit from the Smithsonian’s website.

“On view are watercolors, pastels, and drawings from the early 19th century through the 1930s to celebrate the extraordinary variety and accomplishment of American artists’ works on paper. The works on view reveal the central importance of works on paper for American artists, both as studies for creations in other media and as finished works of art. Artists represented include such masters as John James Audubon, Romaine Brooks, Childe Hassam, Winslow Homer, John La Farge, Man Ray, John Marin, and Georgia O’Keeffe.”

The newest temporary exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery opens this Wednesday, November 26, 2008. The exhibit is called “Portraiture Now: Feature Photography.” It is expected to remain open until May 10, 2009. Below is the quoted description of the exhibit from the Smithsonian’s website.

“This exhibition features six photographers — Katy Grannan, Jocelyn Lee, Ryan McGinley, Steve Pyke, Martin Schoeller, and Alex Soth — who, by working on assignment for publications such as the New Yorker, Esquire, and the New York Times Magazine, each bring their distinctive “take” on contemporary portraiture to a broad audience. Critically acclaimed for their independent fine art work, these photographers have also pursued a variety of editorial projects, taking advantage of both the opportunities and the parameters that these assignments introduce. The resulting work builds upon a longstanding tradition of photographic portraiture for the popular press and highlights creative possibilities for 21st-century portrayal.”

Tomorrow, November 21, 2008, the National Museum of American History reopens after being closed for a while for renovations. This always has been my favorite Smithsonian Museum and it is great that it is finally open again for D.C. visitors. Below is a list of the special events for the Grand Reopening Weekend.

Friday, November 21, 2008

8:30am - Official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony: The first 1,814 people inside get a special gift related to the Star Spangled Banner.

10am - Reopening Festival Begins

10am - Spark!Lab hands on activity

10:30am - Carts with historical artifacts

10:30am - Spotlight Tours: short 15 minute tours in select exhibits

11:30am - Join the Student Sit-Ins: Meet civil rights activists and participate in a sit-in reenactment

12pm - Swingin’ with the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Quintet

12:30pm - Broad Stripes and Bright Stars: Learn about the lady who originally worked on the Star Spangled Banned

1:30pm - Join the Student Sit-Ins: Meet civil rights activists and participate in a sit-in reenactment

3:30pm - Broad Stripes and Bright Stars: Learn about the lady who originally worked on the Star Spangled Banned

4:30pm - Join the Student Sit-Ins: Meet civil rights activists and participate in a sit-in reenactment

5pm - NightGallery DC: Illuminating American History: Projected exhibit showing some of the treasures of the Museum

Saturday, November 22, 2008

10am - Spark!Lab hands on activity

10:30am - Carts with historical artifacts

10:30am - Spotlight Tours: short 15 minute tours in select exhibits

11:30am - Join the Student Sit-Ins: Meet civil rights activists and participate in a sit-in reenactment

12pm - Swingin’ with the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Quintet

12:30pm - Broad Stripes and Bright Stars: Learn about the lady who originally worked on the Star Spangled Banned

1:30pm - Join the Student Sit-Ins: Meet civil rights activists and participate in a sit-in reenactment

3:30pm - Broad Stripes and Bright Stars: Learn about the lady who originally worked on the Star Spangled Banned

4:30pm - Join the Student Sit-Ins: Meet civil rights activists and participate in a sit-in reenactment

5pm - NightGallery DC: Illuminating American History: Projected exhibit showing some of the treasures of the Museum

Sunday, November 23, 2008

10am - Spark!Lab hands on activity

10:30am - Carts with historical artifacts

10:30am - Spotlight Tours: short 15 minute tours in select exhibits

11:30am - Join the Student Sit-Ins: Meet civil rights activists and participate in a sit-in reenactment

12pm - Swingin’ with the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Quintet

12:30pm - Broad Stripes and Bright Stars: Learn about the lady who originally worked on the Star Spangled Banned

1:30pm - Join the Student Sit-Ins: Meet civil rights activists and participate in a sit-in reenactment

3:30pm - Broad Stripes and Bright Stars: Learn about the lady who originally worked on the Star Spangled Banned

4:30pm - Join the Student Sit-Ins: Meet civil rights activists and participate in a sit-in reenactment

Tomorrow, November 8, 2009, two new temporary exhibits open at the Freer Gallery of Art. One is called “Golden Seams: The Japanese Art of Mending Ceramics.” This exhibit focuses on how the Japanese mended ceramics that were broken. The method they used was reconnecting the broken pieces using plant resin lacquer as the glue. They sprinkled the lacquer with powdered gold to give the cracks an unique look and thus the Golden Seams name of the exhibit.

The second new exhibit is called “Moonlight and Golden Clouds: Silver and Gold in the Arts of Japan.” This exhibit is about how the Japanese applied gold and silver to objects using things like lacquer as described above. This exhibit shows how they used it to be applied to decorated objects, paper, and silk and how they used it in calligraphy and paintings.

Both exhibits are expected to close on April 5, 2009.

The newest temporary exhibit opens at the National Museum of Natural History tomorrow, November 8, 2008. This new exhibit is the “Nature’s Best Photography 2008 Awards Exhibit.” This is an annual special exhibit and one of my favorites to see. The photos are winners of the Nature’s Best Photography 2008 Windland Smith Rice International Awards. The exhibit consists of 45 photos representing nature in different ways including plants, animals, and people. The exhibit not only shows the beauty of nature and places and animals you might not get to ever experience in person, but it also “recognizes the importance of environmental stewardship.” This year’s exhibit is expected to remain on display until May 3, 2009. This exhibit it worth checking out every year, but do not worry if you cannot make it this year, as it is pretty much guaranteed to be a recurring exhibit for years to come.

Tomorrow, November 7, 2008, the newest temporary exhibit opens at the National Portrait Gallery. This new exhibit is called One Life: The Mask of Lincoln. This exhibit focuses on portraits of President Abraham Lincoln, as he changed through the presidency. The portraits show the different faces of Lincoln over the years. As part of this exhibit “the original cracked-plate portrait of Lincoln by Alexander Gardner will be displayed,” which is usually displayed as facsimile rather than as the original. The exhibit honors the 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth in 1809. There are other Smithsonian exhibits expected for this bicentennial, but this one is special being that the museum is housed in the same place Lincoln had his second inaugural ball. This exhibit is expected to remain on display until July 5, 2009.

This Wednesday, November 5, 2008, a new temporary exhibit opens at the Hirshhorn Museum. The new exhibit is called “Directions — Terence Gower, Public Spirit: The Hirshhorn Project.” This exhibit actually sounds interesting (most Hirshhorn stuff is boring to me), as it supposedly tells the history of the Hirshhorn Museum. The original plan by Joseph Hirshhorn was planned for the wilderness of western Ontario, Canada. This plan was for a whole town. The exhibit includes an animated video tour of the proposed town including an imaginary exhibit placed in what was to be the Hirshhorn Museum. “The project also contains a large-scale sculptural model of two buildings within Johnson’s plan and a series of posters incorporating imagery and text related to the history of the Hirshhorn Museum, its collection, and its founding collector.” This exhibit is expected to remain on display until March 22, 2009.

The newest temporary exhibit at Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian opens tomorrow (November 1, 2008). This new exhibit is called “Fritz Scholder: Indian/Not Indian.” This is an interesting dual city exhibit simultaneously on display at the D.C. and New York City locations of the museum. The D.C. exhibit is described as surveying “Scholder’s forty-plus years as a working artist, with particular emphasis on his groundbreaking and controversial Indian paintings from the 1960s and 1970s.” The New York exhibit focuses more on his “works from the 1980s and 1990s, when he stopped using overt Indian imagery and explored mythical beings, the afterlife, and the unknown.” Thus the exhibits show the artist’s earlier works of the Indian and his later career that moved to more Not overtly Indian work. It is the first retrospective of his work since his death.

The newest exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery opens tomorrow, October 24, 2008. It is called “Tokens of Affection and Regard: Photographic Jewelry and Its Makers.” This exhibit includes different photographic jewelry mostly dating back to the 1800s. In particular, the exhibit focuses on the period between 1840 and 1875 when photographic jewelry flourished. The exhibit includes examples from the four main photographic processes of the time, which were daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, tintypes and paper prints. I am not sure what all those are, but I remember seeing the small daquerreotypes exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery last time I visited and they are kind of cool looking because they have a holographic quality to them. The exhibit also includes photos of some of the famous American photographers that made photographic jewelry. The exhibit is expected to remain on display until June 21, 2009.

The newest exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery opens tomorrow, October 10, 2008. The new exhibit is called “Women of Our Time: Twentieth-Century Photographs.” This exhibit contains portraits of 91 women who were important figures in the 20th century. The portraits are of women who reached what the museum website calls “the summit of achievement politics, business, arts, sports, performance, music, humanitarianism and science.” Just a few of the women included in this exhibit are Marilyn Monroe, Helena Rubenstein, Hannah Arendt, Billie Holiday, Gloria Steinem and Sylvia Plath. The exhibit not only shows important women of the century, but it also has examples of photographs taken by some of the best photographers of the 20th century, such as Philippe Halsman, Lotte Jacobi, Lisette Model, Irving Penn and Edward Steichen. The exhibit is expected to remain on display until February 1, 2009.

The Alphabetilately exhibit opened a little over a week ago at the National Postal Museum. The exhibit is part of the celebration of the museum’s 15th anniversary. The exhibit has displays of stamps under 26 organization topics based on stamp collecting words that start with each letter of the alphabet. It is a fun exhibit to learn more about stamps and see some interesting stamps.

It starts with Advertising Covers, which includes things like images on envelopes and Zazzle stamps with company products. It ends with Zeppelin Post, which is about how the post was transported over the Atlantic with Zeppelins including some stamps with Zeppelins on them. In between there about things like Bisects (half stamps being used for half their value, which is illegal nowadays), Cinderella Stamps (things that look like real stamps that are not actual stamps), Joint Issues (stamps issued by two countries with same image), Se-tenant Sheets (sheets with multiple designs such as the 50 state sheets), and the X Cancel (the way stamps were canceled with pen or hand canceled with an X stamp).

The other things are Duck Stamps, EFOs (Errors, Freaks, and Oddities), Firsts, G Stamp, Handstamp, Inverts, Kansas City Roulettes, Local Post, Mulreadys, Numerals, Overprint, Persian Rug, Quality, Railway Post Office, Topical, Universal Postal Union, V-Mail, War Issues, and Yvert & Tellier.

Overall this is one of my favorite special exhibits I have ever seen at the National Postal Museum. I actually spent several hours going through this small one room exhibit. It has so much info per letter and several examples per each one to enjoy and help understand what some things really refer to. The info can be overwhelming, but it is also easy to just skim the info and still get a better understanding of stamp collecting terms.