Who I Am Not

Where: African Art Museum

When: closing in July 2018

Did you know that the Smithsonian's African Art Museum is the only museum in the entire country devoted to African art?  That seems crazy to me, but I'm assuming it's true.  It's a real shame, because I'm willing to bet most museums have some traditional masks or jewelry or carvings, but little if any contemporary works on display.   And I love contemporary African art.

As longtime readers of this blog know, I'm a huge fan of Yinka Shonibare.  My enthusiasm for him led me to seek out other contemporary artists from Africa, and I've been really impressed with their work as well.  Jim Chuchu was previously unknown to me, but I like his videos, Invocations, now playing at African Art.

They are two very short films (you can easily watch them both in a visit) about identity.  The first features words spoken and printed on the screen such as "I Am Not Your Son" and "I Am Not Your Blood."  The question that I left asking was, "Who are you and who exactly are you rejecting?"  Is this a universal cry of youth raging against an older generation that does not understand their experience, or is it more specific than that?  Is it the anger of Africans against a world that refuses to respect them?

The second film involves a young man (I assuming the artist himself) with black smoke pouring out of his mouth.  I'm not sure what I was supposed to take away from this, but I kept thinking of imperialist Victorians creating rail lines across the African continent to further their own enterprises.

Verdict: Intriguing videos, capable of many interpretations.

Honoring a Tireless Advocate for AIDS Research

Where: National Portrait Gallery

When: closing TBA

Mathilde Krim's portrait by Annie Liebovitz hangs in the "In Memoriam" space following her recent death.  An advocate for treatment for those suffering from AIDS, she also demanded that they be treated with dignity.  It was a somber reminder of a time when gay people were viewed as pariahs in this country.

Krim was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2000, as an acknowledgement of her dedication to eradicating this disease.

Verdict: Make time to pay your respects the next time you're at the Portrait Gallery.  I'm not sure when this photograph will go off view, but this spot tends to turn over quickly.

Honoring Native American Veterans

Where: National Museum of the American Indian

When: closing in February 2018

I recently discovered that I wasn't finding all of the open exhibitions on the Smithsonian website.  Only the ones with specific closing dates are listed on the general exhibition page.  That means, in order to find shows that have only a closing month, you have to search each museum individually.

This takes a lot of time; I'm going to try to find a way to communicate my frustration to the Smithsonian website operators.  It would be much easier for visitors to just have everything together.  If I find it cumbersome to dig around for this information, I promise you the more casual visitor will not bother.

I was very glad to find this show, which is closing next month, before it was too late to see it.  It's in the Sealasaka Gallery on the museum's 2nd floor, which is a pleasant, sunny space.  It's small without being cramped.

Although you might think that Native Americans would have every reason to avoid military service to a county that exists because their lands were taken from them, in fact, Native Americans serve in the military in a higher percentage than any other demographic group.  The wall notes posit that this is due to the high status of warriors in Native American culture, both in wartime and in peace.

Native Americans have fought in every war since the Revolution.  They fought mostly for the British in that war and the war of 1812, which was, obviously, a mistake.  They were on both sides of the Civil War, fighting for the South not out of any great support for slavery, but because they deeply resented the U.S. government's treatment of them in the years since independence.  In the late 19th century, they served as Army scouts, and they fought in WWI and WWII.  Native languages were used as code during those wars, to the great benefit of the Allied causes.  The world owes a debt of gratitude to the "Code Talkers," for helping to defeat the Nazis.

Korea, Vietnam, the 21st century wars: all have seen Native American troops fighting and dying.  What we haven't seen is a memorial anywhere to honor their service.  But that's changing.  The NMAI is planning and raising funds for a memorial on the museum grounds that is slated to open on Veterans' Day 2020.  I look forward to visiting and blogging about this long-overdue tribute.

Verdict: Another interesting and informative exhibit at the NMAI.

On The Road Again

Where: Archives of American Art

When: closing June 3, 2018

The current show put up by the archivists at SAAM (at least, I'm assuming it's the archivists who are doing it, apologies if I'm crediting the wrong people!) examines the influence of place on artists.  Although the "art world" seems to be centered in major cities like New York and Los Angeles and London, it's worth remembering that artists live and travel everywhere.

I noticed the photograph of the artist John Steuart Curry being run over by some Badger football players while he was trying to capture a scrimmage.  On Wisconsin!

And I saw that the artist Emilio Sanchez traveled extensively, even to New Castle, Delaware, where he drew the cupola of "Old Arsenal."  Having lived in and around Delaware until I left to go to college, it was nice to see a bit of home.

Verdict: Another nice display from the Archives - you could make a lunch time trip and see this, the Sylvia Plath exhibit next door and the Matthew Brady pictures across the hall.

Walking Through Art

Where: Sackler Gallery

When: closing June 24, 2018

The Sackler's "Perspectives" series continues with this intriguing offering by Subodh Gupta entitled "Terminal."  It's spires, meant to remind one of minarets or steeples, with thread running between them.  The fun part is that you can walk through it, so you are surrounded by the art, rather than looking at it from the outside.

Verdict: Lots of fun and easy to see on your way to the rest of the collection.

A Note on the Shutdown

As of this writing (Saturday, January 20 at about 2:00 pm ET), the federal government has shut down.  Although the Smithsonian and the National Gallery of Art are open this weekend, we don't know what will happen on Monday.

Obviously, if the museums are shut, this blog will go silent as well.  I've scheduled a couple of posts for the coming week, but once they're up, that's all there is.

Needless to say, I'm not happy about this sorry state of affairs.  My brother and many of my friends are federal government employees, and although I'm confident they will be paid eventually, they won't get a paycheck until all this is over, through no fault of their own.  In addition, I have friends who are government contractors, and they won't get paid at all.  Compared to what they're facing, my inability to go to museums at lunch time and post on my blog is hardly worth mentioning.

I hope that this is resolved quickly, for the good of everyone: government workers, contractors, museum visitors and those who depend on the work of the government - which is all of us.

The Sackler Proves Its Greatness Once Again

Where: Sackler Gallery

When: closing June 10, 2018

The Sackler puts on a terrific show when they have important objects to display.  They exhibit them beautifully; they explain them well; they use dramatic lighting and wall colors - it's all very well done.  Their current show on lacquer Buddhas is the latest example of how to show magnificent pieces to their best advantage.  There's a dignity to how these works are presented; you, the visitor, feels as if you're seeing something wonderful.

There are innumerable representations of Buddha that exist in the world, but there are very few Buddha statutes made of lacquer.  The three earliest known examples are all housed in the United States: one at the Met, one at the Walters in Baltimore and one here at the Freer.  Right now, all three of them are together, for the first time, at the Sackler.

This is a two room show; the outer room provides X-ray views of each Buddha and explanations of how they were created.  There's also a discussion of the blood and bone that were found to be mixed into the lacquer.  The bones are from horses and cows - they don't know the origin of the blood!

Pictured here (I figured photography of the Buddhas themselves was not allowed) are two 3D prints of a Bodhisattva head.  Aside from the fact that 3D printing is just cool generally, it really allows you to get close up and see details that the originals are too fragile to allow.

In Buddhism, Bodhisattvas are those persons who are capable of reaching nirvana, but out of compassion for suffering beings, delay doing so.  I think of them as a sort of guardian angel, to make a comparison from Christianity.  I'm not sure that Bodhisattvas really exist, but I like the idea, so I'm always happy to see them represented.

Verdict: Do not miss this great exhibit, yet another reason to be happy that the Sackler has re-opened.

This Post Brought to You by the Letter T

Where: American History Museum

When: closing July 4, 2018

Since I was at American History anyway, to see the "Religion in Early America" exhibit, I thought I'd give these four display cases a look.  Focused on children's television, they highlight the different purposes of shows geared to kids, from the early years of Howdy Doody and Bozo the Clown, to Bill Nye the Science Guy.

Originally, children's television was all about selling products.  And, let's be honest, it's still about that.  But along the way, some notion of educational value has crept in, so kids can learn counting and letters from Sesame Street, in both English and Spanish, and Bill Nye instilled a love of science in a generation of children.  Since he was on in the 90s, I missed that, much to my chagrin.

Of course, Muppet fan that I am, I thought the best part was seeing Oscar the Grouch (picture above).  He's my favorite of the Sesame Street muppets - so irritable and unpleasant.  Because, let's be honest, a little Grover can go a long way.

Verdict: A fun trip down memory lane.

A Spiritual Marketplace

Where: American History Museum

When: closing June 4, 2018

It's not often I get a chance to visit a new space at the Smithsonian, but I've never been to the Taubman Gallery at American History, so I'm assuming it's new.  It's a nice, airy gallery with changing exhibitions, so I'm sure I'll be back many times in the future.

Colonial America was a place where people of many religions settled: a wide variety of Protestants, Catholics, Jews and Muslims.  Although there were some who wanted to establish a state religion when the United States declared its independence, those who advocated against this idea won out.  So the "spiritual marketplace" as early America was described, continues to this day.

This display has a treasure trove of artifacts and would be worth seeing regardless of your views on religion and religious history.  Among the great things are a church bell made by Revere and Son (he of the midnight ride), an iron cross (loaned by Georgetown University) made from pieces of ships that came to the U.S. in 1634, George Washington's inaugural bible and Thomas Jefferson's bible that he made by cutting out the pieces he liked from several other bibles (he went through the gospels and cut out all the bits with miracles and pasted into his own book the sayings and teachings of Jesus).

Verdict: An informative exhibition in a fine new space.

Brady before the Civil War

Where: National Portrait Gallery

When: closing June 3, 2018

I've made it through the shows closing in May and am now on to June and July.  Not sure if I'll be able to get to many exhibits this coming week, due to various other things going on, so I made the most of the past week!

The Portrait Gallery has an area for displaying items that require low light, mostly very early photographs, daguerreotypes and ambrotypes.  Full lighting would ruin them, so they're tucked away in a little alcove, very close to the Archives of American Art and the One Life room.

The current offering is of Matthew Brady work from before the Civil War.  Although best known for his work photographing that terrible conflict and the people who fought in it, Brady was an accomplished photographer in the years before the war.

It seems to be a theme of the shows I've seen recently that the subjects are those who are master self-promoters, because Brady was not shy about advertising his services.  He started out doing daguerrotypes, then moved to ambrotypes and then salted paper prints.  With each new technological innovation, he jumped on board and made the most of it.  I admire his ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

He courted celebrity sitters; my favorite of the pieces on display is one of Dolley Madison, in later years.  Although she's pictured as an elderly woman, you can see her lively personality.  She looks like someone you'd want to invite to your party, even if she might not be able to dance every dance.

Verdict: An interesting little show; if you're in the neighborhood, have a look.

Small Shows at the National Gallery

Where: National Gallery of Art, East Building

When: closing May 18, 2018

On the mezzanine level of the East Building, there are three "special installations" on display.  Note: I'm not sure what the difference is between an exhibition and a special installation - please use the comment section if you can enlighten me!

Also, in this tucked away corner that you have to wander around to find, is a room where James Nares' Street is playing.  So happy to see this again.  I'm hoping it will be up permanently.

The first installation is Recent Acquisitions: Made in California.  It's just what you'd expect: things the gallery has obtained recently made by California artists.  I recognized Peter Voulkos' name from having seen the show of his work at the Renwick, but I didn't care much for the piece itself.  I find it difficult to generalize about the works, but I'll say they all seemed like an assemblage of things.  You could see the component parts of everything; they didn't mesh well into one work of art.  I was left thinking, "meh."

More interesting, in my view, was the Saul Steinberg show.  He worked for The New Yorker, but if you're looking for cartoons, you'll be disappointed.  This is far more abstract stuff.  The item I found most intriguing was a drawing of The Smithsonian.  I'm not sure I quite understand how this is a picture of The Smithsonian (see photo below), but I did give it a close look.

Finally, what I thought was by far the best of the three was the "Kitchen Table Series" by Carrie Mae Weems.  Photos of herself and others, sitting at a kitchen table are interspersed with text about a woman's relationship with her friends, her daughter and a man.  It's very powerful; the text adds to the photograhy, and the photographs make the text that much more immediate.

Verdict: Carrie Mae Weems' photographs are the best of these installations - worth the trip up to the Mezzanine.

Another Woman Mastering Her Image

Where: National Portrait Gallery

When: closing May 20, 2018

Yes, I'm seeing shows closing in May.  In a desperate attempt to see as much as I can ahead of a possible government shutdown (now it could happen on January 19), I'm making museums my lunchtime priority.  My goal for the next two weeks is to get through everything open now that's closing through June.  This is no way to run a country, but the budgetary sword of Damocles that hangs over all our heads has at least prevented me from working through lunch.

This is the latest in the Portrait Gallery's "One Life" series, and it features Sylvia Plath.  True confession: I've never read any of her works, and all I knew about her before seeing this exhibit was that she wrote The Bell Jar, and she killed herself.  There's lots more to know!  She was an accomplished woman, educated at Smith and the University of Cambridge, and the author of several volumes of poetry, in addition to the novel, largely based on her own life.

She was someone who was very conscious of her image, and the wall notes indicate that she relished manipulating that image.  I was reminded of Marlene Dietrich, who dressed for her image.  She drew upon her own experiences, no matter how painful, in her works, which I suppose is what makes them resonate with her readers.

The picture above is of bells in the center of the display.  You touch them, and they light up and play sound around the room.  I've not seen anything interactive in the "One Life" series before, and I enjoyed this.

Verdict: Perfect for a lunchtime visit - well set up and informative, just like the others in this excellent series.

Best American History Archives Exhibit Ever

Where: American History Museum

When: closing April 29, 2018

The folks at the Archives Center in the American History Museum have outdone themselves with their current display of artifacts related to Ella Fitzgerald.  They've got more space, and they've made the most of it.  Having spent time putting up displays at a library where I used to work, I have a lot of sympathy and fellow-feeling for those who have to do what they can with less immediately interesting materials.  This time, they've done a lot.

A word about Fitzgerald: discovered at an Apollo Theater amateur night, she was one of the first female orchestra leaders.  She was an incredible vocal improviser; she literally made it up as she went along.  One of the items on display is an album cover from 1986, featuring a drawing of her by Picasso.  Pictured is a dress she wore in one of her performances, and there are several of her many awards on view as well.

But the real draw is a video, showing her singing.  How better to introduce Ella Fitzgerald to those who don't know her than by her voice?  Great idea and well executed.  The volume is loud enough to hear, but not loud enough to be disruptive to the rest of the wing.

Verdict: This display is worth a trip to American History all on its own.

Yet More Videos

Where: Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

When: closing April 22, 2018

No matter how dreadful the rest of the Hirshhorn may be, the videos are always worth a look.  The current show, "The Message: New Media Works" just proves this point.

Each film is intriguing, but the two I liked best were "Grosse Fatigue" which was filmed in the Smithsonian Archives - oh, the things they have, stacks and stacks full of things, and "How to Not be Seen."

The latter is a serious examination of the surveillance state and the lengths one has to go to not be seen by it.  I know I should have walked away, shaken and horrified, but the sound track is The Three Degrees singing, "When Will I See You Again."  So I lip-synced and toe-tapped my way through the video, withe a smile on my face.  I'm not sure if that's a mistake on the author's part, or a demonstration of my lack of depth and seriousness.

Verdict: Yet another fine film offering - allow plenty of time if you wish to see all of these in their entirety.

Just What I Expected

Where: National Gallery of Art, East Building

When: closing April 1, 2018

Oh brother, why must the least appealing exhibits at the National Gallery of Art be housed at the very top of the building?  It's a slog up all those steps, and at the end, you've got Anne Truitt.  I expected to dis-like this show, and I was not disappointed.

Her art consists of columns that she paints.  Sometimes, it's two colors, but mostly just one.  That's it.  I call this "painting the living room" art;  it's not really art, just painting something.  She's referred to as a  minimalist, but minimalism would be a veritable cornucopia of clutter compared to this.

There's a video of an interview with her playing in the second room, and she says at one point that "it takes 50 years for an idea to float across."  Perhaps she should have waited a little longer.

Verdict: So not worth the trip.

Happy Birthday Marlene Dietrich!

Where: National Portrait Gallery

When: closing April 15, 2018

Yes, I'm now making my way through the April closings.  If I keep up this pace, I might even be able to use my lunch times to see parts of the Smithsonian permanent collection, or take a museum tour.

December 27 was Marlene Dietrich's birthday, so what better time to go see the exhibit on how she cultivated her image?  Refusing to bow to anyone else's expectations, she lived her life and wore her clothes on her own terms.  And no one, not the French government, not society's expectations, not her long list of lovers, not even Adolf Hitler could stop her.

Born in Germany, she was an international star who embraced an androgynous nature.  As beautiful in men's suits as she was in an evening gown, she was openly bisexual, at a time when no one was openly anything, other than perfectly straight.

She acted, she sang, she danced, she played the musical saw, and she cultivated her image, which may have been the most demanding of her roles.  She was also fiercely anti-Nazi, and risked her life to entertain troops during WWII.  The medals she received for her war work meant more to her than any accolades for her other performances, she said.

Looking at one of her photographs, I heard Madeline Kahn in my head, "Wilkommen, bienvenue, welcome, c'mon in..."  And then I read the wall notes that said Dietrich was recalled by Kahn in "Blazing Saddles."  Always so satisfying to think of something before I'm reminded by the official commentary.

Verdict: Don't miss this great tribute to a terrific actress, who was always true to her own moral compass.

More Video Art at SAAM

Where: Smithsonian American Art Museum

When: closing March 18, 2018

Happy New Year to all my readers!  I look forward to another year of museum-going and blogging my views thereon.

My march through March continues, as I'm determined to see as many shows as possible before the potential government shutdown on January 19.  Really hoping this will not have been necessary, but am taking no chances.

SAAM collects video art, as well as paintings and sculptures, and they have a space set aside to show off their holdings called "Watch This!"  A clever name, I think, as it lures you in to see what's on offer.  At present, they have four different pieces on view.  The best of them is "Face in the Crowd," which surrounds you as you sit or stand in a small room.  It's a swirling mix of people, the crowds on the street, where it's so easy to vanish in a sea of humanity.

Verdict: No blockbusters here, but you won't regret a few minutes spent looking at these new videos.