Bloom Where You're Planted

Where: Archives of American Art

When: closing September 2, 2019

Spring has sprung in Washington, DC, and that's especially clear at the National Portrait Gallery/American Art Museum.  In addition to the lovely display of orchids in the central courtyard, there's also this exhibit of flowers in artists' correspondence and other writings from the Archives of American Art, in collaboration with the Smithsonian Gardens.

And it's the collaboration that makes this exhibit special.  In addition to the notes explaining the importance of each item as it relates to American art, there's also an explanation of the flowers depicted in the artists' work, written by the horticultural staff.  So there's additional information about the lovely purple flowers in Julia Santos Solomon's "Tropical Orchid," to give just one example.  I also noted a piece of "Mail Art" in the display and was reminded of the show on that topic I saw in this room a couple of years ago.

The only thing that detracted from my visit was a large group of quite noisy young people.  I'm guessing this was part of a school trip that wandered into the room, perhaps (like bees) attracted to the large colorful flowers on the wall (see picture).  I had to remind myself that more visitors are good for the museum, but I've become spoiled by these displays.  The room is usually almost empty, so I can look at whatever I like in peace and quiet.  Not so, this time.

Verdict: Another interesting show by the staff of the Archives, and the collaboration with Smithsonian Gardens makes it all the better.

The (Literal) Art of Correspondence

Where: Archives of American Art

When: closing January 4, 2019

In the 1960s, artists starting sending art through the mail - not shipping paintings or sculptures, but making art out of envelopes and letters. I suppose this is yet another thing that our digital age has taken from us: the opportunity to receive a work of art in our post box.  I know you can use different backgrounds and fonts in an email, but somehow, it's just not the same.

Mail art not only allowed artists to communicate with others, it also allowed them to circumvent museums and galleries to share their work with their correspondents.  Perhaps one could make a comparison to bloggers sharing their thoughts outside the world of newspaper reviews and criticism?

Marginalized groups (whether outside the mainstream based on gender, sexual orientation or political beliefs) were also users of mail art, as it allowed them to communicate without fear of reprisal from those in power.  Alternative art required alternative methods of distribution.

Verdict: Worth having a look at this one-room show; you never know what might be in the mail carrier's bag...

Cats Were a Thing Even Before They Owned the Internet

Where: Archives of American Art

When: through October 29, 2017

The Archives of American Art is riding on the capacious coattails of Internet cats, in the interest of showing their collection of cat depictions.  Turns out artists own cats, like cats, take cats as subjects of their art and draw inspiration from cats.

So we who live in the age of the information superhighway didn't discover the many wonderful qualities of the cat, we have merely put them online and shared them with a wider audience.

Verdict: A fun small show that would pair admirably with the "Recent Acquisitions" exhibit for a lunch hour trip.

The Celebration Continues

Where: Archives of American Art

When: through March 19, 2017

I've been cutting some deadlines short recently - trying to fit in all of the shows at the Smithsonian and National Gallery in the few days I've had available recently to visit museums.  The Archives of American Art has a display up through tomorrow that is their part of the celebration of the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

The display is a selection of their papers and documents of African American art and artists.  I was delighted to see some notes made by Judith Wilson, whose papers the Archives holds, for an article she was planning to write on African American women artists.  As I looked, my eye lit on the name Elizabeth Catlett, whose work I have seen and very much enjoyed in a couple of different Smithsonian exhibits over the years.  I felt like an art world insider!

Verdict: Worth a look, if you're at the museum to see one of their other shows.

The Comics Section Visits the American Art Museum

Where: Archives of American Art

When: through August 21, 2016

The Archives has a new show on; I suppose it isn't really new, since it opened in April, but this was my first opportunity to see it, so it was new to me.  It runs through most of August, so if you're planning a trip to the SAAM/Portrait Gallery, you've got time to give this a glance.

The wall notes tell us that, "Artists find inspiration everywhere," and this show is an attempt to document some of that inspiration.  One of the artists featured was Ben Shahn, who worked for the Farm Security Administration during the Great Depression.  His work was the inspiration for the photographers featured in the "No Mountains in the Way" show I saw last week.

Ray Yoshida collected newspaper comic "specimens" - pictured at left, they're not full comics, but pieces of strips.  I had a lot of fun picking out images I recognize from the paper - I'm a big fan of the comics, and read almost all of them every day.  Apparently, I'm not the only one who loves the funnies; the side wall is a large reproduction of these cut-outs, and the Smithsonian is using this image on their website.

Verdict: It's not a terribly exciting show, but it's interesting.  Worth a glance if you're in the building anyway.

A Bit of Background for Robert Motherwell

Where: Archives of American Art

When: through March 27, 2016

True confession: I'd never heard of Robert Motherwell before I went to see the current display in the Archives room in the American Art Museum.

Turns out, he was a major mover and shaker in the Abstract Expressionist movement (that's not really winning me over), and he helped establish New York as an artistic center after World War II.  So, he's a very important part of an artistic movement I don't really like very much.

Nevertheless, the archives has put on its usual fine display.  If you go, you'll see holdings related to Motherwell, including letters, photographs, catalogs and essays.  You'll see references to many others in the world of modern art, notably John Cage and Joseph Cornell (neither of whom I much like).

Verdict: Not really my cup of tea, but if you're interested in Abstract Expressionism, I would recommend this to you.

Will There be an App for That?

Where: Archives of American Art

When: through November 1, 2015


The Archives of American Art, that repository of all documents related to this country's art and artists, has as new show on that deals with the inter-relationships between artists, as revealed in their address books.  I've used address books for years, and still have one that I refer to, if not often, then often enough to make it worthwhile to keep it up to date.  I gather that this makes me an outlier, and that everyone keeps their contact information on their smartphones now.  In fact, the show actually offers an explanation of what an address book is - assuming that at least some of their visitors will not have ever owned or used one.

So how will future archivists unravel the web of friendships, business relationships and romances that shows how artists were related to one another and to those who supported their work?  Will they collect smartphones?  Will there be an app for that?

It occurs to me that this type of exhibit and the research behind it won't be possible in future, and it causes me to ponder (not for the first time) how much harder technology is making the job of future historians.  Gone are the letters between parted friends and family members, replaced by email or texts or tweets.  Going are the book collections, with marginalia, replaced by e-readers.  Vanished are the drafts of manuscripts, with corrections and re-writes, replaced by word processing.  Ah well, they say everything lives on forever, once it's online.  Not such a comfortable thought when one considers one's party photos, but perhaps a boon to those who will write biographies.

But enough wool-gathering, on to the show itself.  It's the standard one-room offering, so perfect for a lunch time excursion.  The decor is their usual nice touch; they seem to put as much thought into that as into the documents on display, and it really adds to the show.  The organization of an artist's address book can tell you quite a bit about their view of the person listed - what category did the person fall into?  Close friend, business contact, passing acquaintance?  The lack of organization raises questions that are perhaps unanswerable: who is this person with just a first name and a number?

In addition to "little black books," there are displays of other historical technologies: a 3.5" floppy disk, a rolodex and a pile of business cards.  The show makes references to the "speed of obsolescence," and if there's some way of measuring that, I can only imagine the number is frighteningly high.

Verdict: I liked this display, and would recommend a visit.  Make a lunch hour excursion, or tack a few minutes on to a visit to another show.  You can even use your smartphone to download interviews with artists!

Lots of Yasuo Kuniyoshi

If you are a fan of Yasuo Kuniyoshi or, like me, you've never heard of him before, but would like to know more about this major figure in American modernism, head right over to the Smithsonian American Art Museum for two exhibits on this Japanese-American artist.

Because the small show put up by the museum's archives closes in July, and the major retrospective in the museum proper closes in August, I went to see the archives exhibit first.  I would recommend this, especially for anyone who, like myself, is unfamiliar with Kuniyoshi and his work.  By seeing the archives show first, you get a sense of him as a man, as an artist and as an activist which will stand you in good stead when you go to the see the big show.

Kuniyoshi was born in Japan, but came to the United States as a teenager and spent the rest of his life here.  He had intended to stay a short while and learn enough English to return to Japan as a teacher.  Instead, instructors at the high school he attended noticed his artistic talent, and he stayed in the United States, becoming a member of artistic circles in New York and Ogunquit, Maine (a lovely small town in the southern-most part of the state that I have been fortunate enough to visit).  Considered one of the most brilliant painters of his era, he was named an "enemy alien" during WWII, and was deprived of his camera (Kuniyoshi was a very talented photographer, as well as a painter and printmaker), his radio and his binoculars.  He was limited in his movements and under the eye of the U.S. government for the duration of the war.

This feeling of alienation, of being outside the mainstream, of separateness from society comes though in his works.  Many of his paintings are of circus performers, another group on the outskirts of American society.  The picture above is of a strong woman and a boy, perhaps her son.  Neither of the figures look directly at the viewer; they keep their distance, even while being put on display.

Many of his paintings show pain and alienation; I found myself enjoying the show, but also feeling a sense of sadness as I looked at the pieces.  One of a group entitled "Maine Family," I found reminded me of a Charles Addams drawing, and the Addams family is nothing if not unlike the run-of-the-mill suburban parents and children.

Verdict: Worth spending some time in both shows.  The archives display is very manageable in a lunch hour; you'll have to move quickly to see everything in the big show in a short amount of time.

A Day in the Life: Artists' Diaries from the Archives of American Art

Where: Archives of American Art


When: through February 28, 2015

I've been to many of these little shows from the Archives of American Art, and I'm starting to wonder if perhaps the way they decorate the room is the best part of the display?  The archivists, or whoever is putting these up, transform the space, so that from one exhibit to the next, you wouldn't even realize you were in the same room.  The colors, the designs on the walls - it's all very well done and very interesting.  I see the title of the new show, and I think, "What will the room look like this time?"

One wonders, though, if this is the response the sponsors of the show want.  Would they perhaps be dismayed that I'm coming more for the style than for the substance?  Or are they happy someone's stopping by, regardless of the reason?  I won't say I'm the only person who looks at these, as there's usually at least one other person in the room with me when I visit, but I will say it's never been crowded.

Archival documents are usually not block-buster items.  Setting aside the founding documents at the National Archives, mostly archives are records of an institution - important, yes, but not exciting.  This archives is slightly different, in that it's composed of records created by and about American art, which, I grant you, is inherently more interesting than records about a widget factory.  Still, though, these are records, and they lack drama.

The current offering is about artists' diaries.  Some of them are illustrated, which is nice, and some of them are of an unusual shape - like the one pictured here, which is a huge set of little tablets.  Otherwise, though, they're diaries, and unless you're going to sit down with one and read it cover to cover, developing an interest in the author's family and friends, it's hard to find them terribly enthralling.

Plus, there's the voyeur aspect of reading that which was not meant for me to read.  In fact, the wall display this time includes a quote from Blanche Lazzell, a printmaker, who wrote in her diary that it was intended for no one's eyes but her own, and she hoped it would be burnt upon her death.  Apparently, whoever had charge of her effects didn't follow her wishes.  It made me think of the controversies over the "right to be forgotten," and the lack of privacy in electronic communications.  No matter the technology, we want to have control over how we present ourselves to the world, and we don't always get it.

One of the offerings on display was a "video diary" by Joe Hollier, an artist, filmmaker and animator.  No worries about an invasion of privacy here, but is this really a diary?  It's described as being non-chronological, and isn't that the essence of a diary?  Food for thought...

Verdict: If you're interested in the lives of artists outside of their art, stop by and have a look.  Otherwise, I think you can give this a miss.

Artists and their Models

Where: Archives of American Art

When: closing date listed as TBA

In case you don't know, the exhibit space for the Archives of American Art, the largest collection of its kind in the world, is on the first floor of the American Art Museum.  Except when they're taking down one exhibit and installing another, there's always a display here.  It's only one room (and not a very large room at that), so the shows are small, but that makes them ideal for a lunch hour trip.

The current exhibit is on models, those usually anonymous people who pose for artists and help to create great art.  One can't say they labor in the shadows, as their contributions are front and center, but their stories are most often untold, unless they're the subject of scandal.  As the wall notes indicate, " a talent for holding still is often more important than beauty" in a model.  It strikes me as very hard work, holding a pose for 30 minutes at a time.  I think I'll stick to looking at paintings, rather than being a part of them.

In addition to information on human models, there's also a section on animal models - they may not hold a pose as well as a person, but they also work for free!  One model whose identity is known is Nan Wood Graham, Grant Wood's sister and the model for the wife in American Gothic.  Contrary to the impression that portrait gives, Nan was quite attractive, and she posed for several other of her brother's paintings.  One of them featured a small chick that she held in her hands.  After Wood was finished painting it, he put the chick in a pot and covered it with a lid to keep it from making noise.  The chick was so quiet that Wood forgot about it, and his mother discovered it the next morning, fainted, but still alive.  Happily, some food and water brought it around, although Wood gave it the day off to recuperate.  Just think of the fuss a human model would have made in similar circumstances.

One bit of history that reminded me of the present day was in 1939, when some members of Congress condemned the WPA artists for using nude models.  "A waste of government money," and "a desecration of womanhood" were some of the comments.  I could not help but be reminded of the uproar over the "Hide/Seek" exhibit (on gay and lesbian portraiture) held in this very building a few years ago.  La plus ca change, la plus c'est le meme chose.

Verdict:  If you have any interest in learning more about the people you've seen in great artworks, this is a nice overview of the subject.

Monuments Men: On the Frontline to Save Europe's Art, 1942-1946

Where: Archives of American Art

When: through April 20, 2014

In case you don't know, the Archives of American Art is contained within the Museum of American Art.  They have one room dedicated to their use, and except for when they're changing displays, there's always a show.  Now that the Christmas season is behind us for another year, the card display has been put away, and the Archives is riding the George Clooney wave.

For those of you living under a rock, George Clooney has recently released a movie about the Monuments Men, the group of art historians, archivists and librarians that worked during World War II, first to protect historic buildings from Allied bombing, and then found art the Nazis had stolen from all over Europe.  For those of us who love art, their work cannot be valued highly enough.  Most people had never heard of the Monuments Men until the release of this recent film, but now they are enjoying a great vogue. 

The Smithsonian holds the papers of several of the Monuments Men, and this display shows their letters, their working papers and photographs of the men and those with whom they worked.  Of course, it's always hard to make documents into something exciting, but the subject matter does a good job of holding one's interest here.  One figure with whom I was unfamiliar before I saw this exhibit is Rose Valland, a French art historian.  She was captured by the Nazis and used her situation to spy on her captors (who didn't know she spoke German) to find out the location of many hidden treasures.  She risked her life to save stolen art, and was to prove a valuable ally to the Monuments Men in their work.

Verdict: If you have any interest in this subject, check out this small exhibit.  The real Monuments Men are not so photogenic as their Hollywood counterparts, but their story is fascinating nonetheless.

Handmade Holiday Cards from the Archives of American Art

Where: Archives of American Art

When: through January 5, 2014

A festive exhibit, in keeping with the time of the year.  It's clearly meant as a Christmas treat, as it will close at the beginning of January, so if you're interested in seeing the cards that artists send at the holiday season, head over to the American Art Museum now.

I'm not entirely certain what I expected from this show; I guess I thought that artists would make far nicer cards than anything I send each year.  Some cards were lovely, others, not so much.  One by Lyonel Feininger, that was supposed to be the Three Wise Men, looked like something a child would have drawn.  According to the notes, it represented the "sketchy idiom of his drawing."  I've been underestimating my own artistic talents, as I could have drawn something just as good.

I was more impressed with the work, or at least the dedication,  of Andrew Bucci who drew and painted every card he sent each year (about 125) by hand.  And I feel hard done by writing a couple of sentences in the 60 or so I send out.

I learned that the LOVE motif developed by Robert Indiana originated as a Christmas card - by the way, if you've not been to the Sculpture Garden recently, there's a new addition: AMOR set up just like the LOVE sculptures.

Umichi Hiratsuka's card with the Washington Monument and a cherry blossom was my favorite - I'd love to send those out, if only someone would sell them!

I noticed an error in one of the write-ups, which made me think how infrequently they appear.  Rather than criticizing the writer, I offer my kudos to the Smithsonian generally for making so very few mistakes.

Verdict: If you like Christmas cards, or are in the area (at the Downtown Holiday Market, perhaps), you can add to your holiday spirit with this show.  If not, it's not a must-see.

Two small exhibits at the National Portrait Gallery & Archives of American Art

This week, I was able to see two shows: one at the National Portrait Gallery and one at the American Art Museum, sponsored by the Archives of American Art.  It's handy that these two museums are in the same building (which was once the Patent Office), as it allows the visitor to make good use of a lunch hour and see two shows in one trip.  They're even on the same floor, so you won't lose time traveling from one to the other.

The Art of Handwriting

Where: Archives of American Art

When: through October 27, 2013

Perhaps the best part of this exhibit for me was the description the archives had written which included the phrase, "elegant flourishes of cursive sashay across the page."  What a lovely way to describe handwriting.

I must admit, the premise of this show is one of which I'm rather skeptical.  The idea is that you can glean information about an artist or see elements of the artist's style in his or her handwriting.  I'm not so sure that's true, and some of the examples seemed to be trying too hard to make the hypothesis work.

A letter of Georgia O'Keefe's shows her lack of attention to grammar and spelling.  So, I not only don't like her art, I also don't like her writing - people who refuse to use commas generally don't have to read their own writing, and clearly have no concern for those who do.

Even if it is the case that artists write as they draw/sculpt/paint, I'm not sure that's terribly interesting.  Perhaps it's simply that I'm just not that intrigued by random letters.  I've read several books that are collections of letters between correspondents spanning several years, and I like those very much; you get a sense of the relationship between the writers.  One off letters, though, don't provide anything like that; there's no context for the correspondence.

I happened to be looking at the exhibit at the same time that a young woman came in with an older couple, and was showing them the display.  It was clear that she works for the Archives as she was telling them that they had contacted an expert on each artist to write the commentary for that artist's letter.  They actually got a much greater response to the project than they had anticipated, which is why some of the letters were mounted on the wall.  It's always interesting to hear a bit of the background of an exhibit, so I was glad to hear this information.

Verdict: If you find handwriting or letters of interest, this is the show for you! Everyone else can safely give this a miss.

Recent Acquisitions

Where: National Portrait Gallery

When: through October 27, 2013

Periodically, I think perhaps every six months, the National Portrait Gallery puts up a new set of works they've recently added to their collection.  It's always interesting to see what a museum decides to add - what works it considers worthy and appropriate for its collection.  I seem to remember discussing their philosophy the last time I saw one of these displays, so I won't go into it again.  Suffice it to say, that lots of thought goes into what they purchase.

This collection features both old and new paintings, of persons historical and modern, all famous (or at one time famous) for their contributions to American society, culture or politics.  You can see a wide variety of artistic styles, as well as a wide variety of subjects.  I noticed that a portrait of Samuel Adams hangs quite near to a portrait of Charles Townshend, whose acts Adams so vigorously opposed.  Also, the museum has purchased two examples of the Civil War figures series (Andrew Johnson and Edwin Stanton) done by the Ehrgott & Forbriger Lithography Co.  They point out that the backgrounds and bodies are exactly the same; they merely changed the faces!  There's a way to make portraits on the cheap.

Verdict: If you're in the museum anyway, it's worth a look at this hallway exhibit.

A Day at the Museum

Where: Archives of American Art

When: through May 16, 2013

Before I started going to the Smithsonian on a regular basis, I had no idea there even was an Archives of American Art, let alone that they put on exhibits. 

Their exhibit space is one rather small room in the American Art Museum, but they make the most of it.  Each time I enter for a new show, I'm struck by how different the room looks from the previous display.  It's not just that they've put new materials in the display cases, they've painted the room a new background color and have put up new material on the one large wall.  I give the curators a lot of credit for what they're able to do in a small space and with almost no fanfare.

And it's not just that they decorate the room nicely, although that's what I always notice first.  Most of their shows involve the papers of artists, as opposed to their artwork, and this can be a bit dull.  Even the most interesting person's letters are only of so much interest, especially if you're only seeing one or two letters and not a full record of their correspondence.  The people setting up these displays do an excellent job of telling a story and letting the papers add to it - they add the visual impact that papers, by their nature, tend to lack.

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you can well imagine my delight at the idea of an exhibit on artists' reactions to museums.  Other than going to museums myself, nothing's better than discussing museum exhibits with others, or reading about other people's reactions to museums.  Now I would be able to go to a museum to learn about how other people enjoyed their trips - makes my head spin a bit to think about it, but a grand time for me, nonetheless.

My favorite quote from the show is from Paul Cadmus, "...but I would never travel just to see the Grand Canyon because there are no paintings there."  Although I love to see beautiful scenery, and I've wanted very much to go to see the American West (especially since seeing the exhibit on photographs of the American West at the American Art Museum several years ago), I do know what he means.  A trip featuring nothing but scenery would wear on me; a trip featuring nothing but museums would never get old.

I also enjoyed William Penhallow Henderson's cutting remarks on smelly Parisian tourists in the Louvre and Richard Tuttle's letter saying that gallery hopping, "threatens to become a habit."

If you love museums, and enjoy the thoughts of others who do as well, this is a great exhibit.

Verdict: A wonderful show, easily managed in a lunch hour.

The Six Degrees of Peggy Bacon

Where: Archives of American Art

When: through September 30, 2012

Imagine playing the "6 Degrees of Separation" game with Peggy Bacon, a prominent figure in the art world, rather than with Kevin Bacon, and you've got the idea of this show.

Peggy Bacon was a New York artist, printmaker and author (she wrote a mystery novel entitled The Inward Eye, along with children's books) who knew everyone in the arts.  The show delineates her connections, both individually in separate cases, and as a giant spider web of relationships on one of the walls.

It occurs to me that you could do this with anyone with a reasonable number of friends and professional contacts - perhaps LinkedIn serves as a sort of online version of this show?  A reminder that, although the world is large, it's also small.

Verdict: A fun way to spend a few minutes - it's a one-room show, so you can take it in fairly quickly.

Three small exhibits at the Portrait Gallery/Museum of American Art

Mementos: Painted and Photographic Miniatures, 1750-1920 

Where:  National Portrait Gallery

When: through May 13, 2012

Originally, miniatures were very small images or portraits, the 18th century equivalent of the wallet-sized photo.  They were kept in jewelry: pendants, brooches or bracelets.  By the 19th century, they were slightly larger pieces.  In the 1840s, small daguerreotype artists did both paintings and daguerreotypes, and in the 1860s, miniature paintings had fallen out of fashion, as photographs were less expensive to purchase.  In the early 1900s, however, they enjoyed a revival and many of the most successful miniaturists were women artists.

Many of the miniatures on display are of famous Americans, including Charles Brockden Brown, American's first literary professional (I confess, I'd never heard of him and had to look him up - turns out he was a very popular writer of the early National period), Abraham Lincoln, of whom we see two miniatures: an ambrotype by Mathew Brady and a watercolor by John Henry Brown and Chief Thundercloud of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show (of course, I was reminded of the show a while back at the Ripley on the members of that show).  Also included is James Smithson, without whose generosity, I most likely wouldn't be looking at the exhibit at all!

Memories Arrested in Space

Where:  Archives of American Art

When: through May 15, 2012

Just a few steps down the hallway from the miniatures exhibit  is the room which houses the "show" area of the Archives of American Art.   It's a reminder that along with all the items on public display, the Smithsonian owns an enormous number of other items, including the papers of many American artists.  One of these is Jackson Pollock, and this show is in celebration of the centenary of his birth.  Pollock, a leading figure in Abstract Expressionism, was a controversial figure, with many admirers and detractors.  He seems to have been a man of great talent, who sadly, was never able to fully control his alcoholism.  His art is not necessarily to my taste, but I can appreciate that it took talent to create, and the thought that someone's inner demons will not leave them in peace to create is a shame. A quote of his stuck with me, "People have always frightened and bored me..."  Spoken like a true introvert - I can relate.  His papers were donated by his wife,  and I think it's laudable when spouses or children take the care to donate valuable items to an archives or museum that can take care of and display them properly.

One Life: Ronald Reagan

Where: National Portrait Gallery

When: through May 28, 2012

Let me be honest up front: Ronald Reagan is NOT my favorite president.  I actually debated whether I should even go to see this show; I could feel my blood pressure rising just thinking about it.  In the end, my anal retentive determination to see everything, whether I thought it sounded good or not, won out, and I went to see it.

If you like Reagan, you'll love this show, as it is certainly a celebration of his life, rather than a critical examination of his policies and their consequences.  The thing I took away from it was the many ways in which Reagan, now practically raised to sainthood by the hard right, deviated from their policies while in office.  He raised taxes!  He enacted pollution control laws!  He bargained with the Russians!  Much of that seems to have been forgotten now.  Setting aside my views on the man, the show, like all of the entries in the "One Life" series is very well done.  Kudos to the Gallery for putting on these shows about important Americans.

Verdict: All of these shows are worth seeing, and they can be managed all together if you don't have much of a walk to the National Portrait Gallery/Museum of American Art.  Note that the miniatures exhibit is in dim light, although brighter lights pop up over the paintings so you can see them better.  The Pollock papers are interesting, more so perhaps, if you are a fan.

Words Cannot Express, Death in the Archives

Where: Archives of American Art

When: through December 31, 2011

The Archives of American Art is a room in the American Art Museum that showcases parts of the archives collection.  The archives has 16 million items, the largest collection of its kind in the world.  Again, I'm reminded how fortunate I am to live here in DC, with access to all of these resources.

This exhibit shows expressions of sympathy for artists who have died, written by other artists.  In a way, they are like any other letters people write to the survivors.  They mention how much they loved the deceased person, how big an influence they were on their lives and how much they will miss them.  Because the people they are mourning are artists, however, these condolence letters serve as the beginning of the making of the artist's legacy, and so are more than the usual notes of sympathy.

Verdict: A trip to the archives is always worth while, and the subject matter, while somber, is interesting.  A way to escape the nonstop merriment of the holiday season, if you are in need of such.

Little Pictures, Big Lives: Snapshots from the Smithsonian's Archives of American Art

Where: Archives of American Art

When: through October 3, 2011

The display area of the Archives of American Art is a room on the 1st floor of the American Art Museum, and because the space is fairly small, it's a great lunchtime excursion.

This display highlights the snapshots found in the papers and effects of American artists. They made photograph albums and carried around informal photos of friends and family, and this display puts many of these items together for public view. The description of the exhibit said that there is "a charm in capturing even the simplest of scenes," and I agree.

The snapshot album of Alexander Archipenko, a Russian sculptor, reminded me strongly of albums of my mother's. The careful labeling of pictures and the little corners stuck onto all of the photos were much the same. I suppose people don't really do this much anymore - everyone's pictures are on their phones or computers or in various emails.

I saw several photos of Alexander Calder, whose very interesting portrait exhibit just ended at the Portrait Gallery. I can see that the more exhibits I attend, the more overlap there will be between one show and another. A picture of the artist Walt Kuhn taken in 1911 in Ogunquit, Maine caught my eye. My husband and I visited Ogunquit once, and although the snapshot is now 100 years old (amazing a little snap could last that long), the view is not much changed.

Another quote from the notes that took my fancy: "As much as photographs appear to be a tissue of memory, they are also projections of all that we want to believe about ourselves and our connectedness to others." Photographs are faithful records of a moment in time, but how much that moment is reflective of the truth of our lives is another matter entirely.

Verdict: Do go see this small show. It's an easy lunchtime outing, and you'll probably have the space to yourself.