Ramp it Up Exhibit at the NMAI

The National Museum of the American Indian in DC has an interesting exhibit right now on Native American skateboard culture.

The exhibit starts with surfing (an indigenous Hawaiian invention). It shows how surfing's land-based cousin gained in popularity and how influential skate culture is in native communities.

Different native skaters are highlighted, but the most interesting part for me were the skateboards. The artwork is really cool and I totally want to order some for my wall.

Check it out. It runs through October.

Annmarie Garden on Solomons Island

We almost didn't stop at the Annemarie Garden. I'm so glad we did. It turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip.

Annmarie Garden is affiliated with the Smithsonian, specifically the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. If you have ever been to the sculpture garden here in DC, you have an idea of what Annmarie Garden is like.

Except Annmarie is even better. There is a wooded area that is filled with sculptures. There is a whole walkway filled with just sculptures of women. There are modern pieces and quirky faces in unexpected places. Some of the trees have paintings.

There is also a beautiful gallery inside. It is filled with really interesting pieces. My favorite was a mosaic butterfly. I also loved the giant, elegant rabbit in a reclining pose that looked like it should have been at the entrance to temple.

There were crazy fish and disco balls and horse heads and even some roadkill. (In case you haven't figured it out, they were exploring the animal kingdom in their exhibit.)

They don't stop there though. The museum is very interactive. There are activities dispersed all over the place. When we arrived, we were drawn to a picnic table outside set up with paints. Visitors were asked to paint a gourd with the theme of "home is where the ____ is." The gourds are going to be used for an art exhibit. The ones that are done are currently displayed in the sculpture forest in some crazy baskets.

They also have a school where they teach everything from painting to ceramics to jewelry making. Oh, and did I mention the very cool gift shop? If I lived around there, I would be at that place all the time.

Sad Ignorance at the Museum of American History

So, as I mentioned yesterday, we went to the National Museum of American History a couple weekends ago.

The museum has the Woolworth's lunch counter where Ezell A. Blair, Jr. , Franklin E. McCain, Joseph A. McNeil, and David L. Richmond sat down in 1960.

Hopefully, most of us have heard of how these four African American students set off a protest that ultimately desegregated Woolworths. But I don't think most of us know any more than that.

Well this poor kid at the museum was (while in character from the era) trying to educate the museum crowd. He kept asking questions and getting no response. You just know he goes home every day and marvels at our collective ignorance.

On a happier note, the crowd watching his performance was about as diverse as any I've ever seen. They just didn't know much about how they got that way.

The Scurlock Studio Exhibit at the NMAH

The National Museum of American History has an incredible photography exhibit through February of 2010.

The Scurlocks were local photographers who chronicled African American life in Washington DC. The exhibit covers about eighty years of DC history.

The photographs are beautifully done. Particularly impressive was an overhead shot of a ballroom from the thirties or forties. I don't know how they got that shot with that old equipment.

Of course, there were plenty of pictures of famous people (Martin Luther King to Marian Anderson), but it was the shots of everyday life that I really loved.

Also, there is a spot in the exhibit where locals can write down their DC memories and they post some up on a board. My favorite was the woman who talked about how nylon stockings used to last six months when they first came out, but how they make them like crap now. (My words, but the sentiment is the same.)

If you can't make it to the museum, you can see quite a few of the photos online.

United States Botanic Garden

This is the U.S. Botanic Garden, just next to the capital. This picture is actually a bit old. It seems they have put up some covering since then, which is nice, cause it gets hot.

Inside, the conservatory is divided into sections - desert, jungle... Personally, I find most of the conservatory a bit claustrophobic. The paths are narrow and crowded with slow walkers.

The exhibit rooms are more spacious and more interesting than you might think. Christmas time they decorate the hell out of the place. They also have an annual orchid show.

At the moment, they have an exhibit called plants in culture that focuses on how people use herbs and flowers. You can walk around sniffing vanilla and patchouli and whatnot.

The garden also has a significant educational center where you can take classes on gardening and food. They even provide a certification class in botanic illustration (who knew).

The National Holocaust Museum

This is the National Holocaust Museum. It is enormous and anyone visiting should set aside several hours.

You'll need tickets to see the main exhibit. You can get them online (with an appointment time). Alternatively, you can show up early and get them first come first serve at the museum, but you may have to wait a while to get in.

Our appointment wasn't for a while, so we wandered around the other exhibits first. They have a multimedia genocide exhibit that covers current crisis, like Darfur and the DRC. Unfortunately, the exhibit is in a tucked away corner of the museum that wasn't heavily trafficked. It would be better if they focused more on getting people involved.

Another exhibit was the diary of a young boy who survived the concentration camps. They recreated the home he lived in before and the ghetto they had to move to afterwards. At the end of the exhibit, there was an activity center for people to write down their feelings about the exhibit.

There was also an exhibit about the Protocols of Zion, something I had never even heard of until recently. This book is, apparently, the go to text for all people who think the Jews are trying to take over the world. Though it was proven a fraud, it has been translated into multiple languages and can be found within all sorts of antisemitic communities.

The main exhibit, which starts with an elevator ride to the top floor, works its way down through the history of the holocaust. It covers historic antisemitism, Hitler's life, the Nazi rise to power, the ghettos, the camps, and the world's reaction.

One of the most remarkable things to me was not the stories of those people who closed their eyes to what was going on, but the ones who didn't. The entire country of Denmark banned together to save their Jews, while all those other countries did not. One entire town in France hid Jews, despite great danger to themselves, while other nearby towns did not.

I've stopped being surprised about people being caught up in a wave of evil or acting out of pure selfishness. But I am in awe of those people who fight the wave, while everyone around them succumbs. Makes me want to go to Denmark.

Moscow String Quartet at the Freer Gallery

The Freer Gallery put on a free concert last week. the Moscow String Quartet performed four compositions.

First, let me say that these women were amazing musicians. Two of the songs they played were beautiful, one by Mikhail Glinka and the other by Alexander Borodin.

The other two pieces were written by Sofia Gubaidulina. That's her all the way on the right. They were a little crazy.

The first piece should have been playing in the background of a 1950s murder flick. It was, as Chris pointed out, the perfect music to strangle someone by. And there were quite a few candidates in the audience - the guy in the front row who was reading and fidgeting rudely, for example.

Also, the old, rotund, curmudgeon who yelled at the ticket people when we arrived was a good candidate for strangling. The other curmudgeon who yelled at someone for looking at one of his programs could have used a good throttle too. There were a lot of jerks in the audience is what I'm saying.

But I digress. The last piece was truly bizarre. They flashed red and green lights on the stage. The women played their instruments with little balls on slinkys. I know there was supposed to be music in there somewhere, but I did not get it.

Most of the audience still gave a standing ovation at the end. The musicians deserved it. They were amazing, even if one of their songs was kooky. The composer....well, she was old and we were polite.

Hawaiian Plays and Fainting Spells

Friday, Chris and I went to a play at the National Museum of the American Indian. Before the play, this Hawaiian group played music in the Mitsitam Cafe.

The cafe served Hawaiian food, including some rather delicious lumpia (little egg rolls). They also had a sweet and imminently drinkable pineapple coconut cocktail.

The play was called The Conversion of Ka' ahumanu. It takes place in Hawaii and focuses on two women missionaries and three Hawaiian women. Subject matter ran the gamut from European exploitation of indigenous people (and resources) to indigenous people selling their women like cattle. It was a very feminist play.

I won't say I liked the play, but I did find it thought provoking. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see the end.

I fainted.

You see. I am very, very (did I say very) squeamish. I have a particular phobia when it comes to needles and knives. The play had a very, very (did I say very) long act about one of the women's mastectomy. It was a mastectomy without drugs. It was descriptive. It was pretty much my worse nightmare.

I started feeling nauseous, but I didn't want to get up in the middle of the play. It's rude. Next thing I know, the voices got really far away. Chris says I let out some sort of moan and started slipping down in my seat. He had to help me out of the theatre.

After my recovery (head between the knees outside of the theatre), I stopped in the ladies room. While I was in there, one of the actors from the play came and asked Chris if I was all right. Apparently, they noticed from stage!

So embarrassing.

Copan Ruins Museum

You enter the unique museum at Copan through a long tunnel. At the end of the tunnel, you are faced with a recreation of one of the buildings, painted to look as it would have back in its heyday.

The building sits below an opening in the roof. Around the building are two stories of covered passageways. The walls are covered in reliefs and sculptures from the ruins.

The actual stella recovered from the ruins are also in the museum. The ones outside are mostly recreations.

This place has to win the prize for the least stuffy museum ever.

Fry Bread at Mitsitam Cafe in Washington, DC

I've already reviewed the Mitsitam Cafe in the National Museum of the American Indian. I mentioned the honey covered fry bread, but I've since become so obsessed with it that I feel it deserves its own post.

The way Mitsitam makes it is a bit like what happens when you fry up pizza dough. It's thicker than your average doughnut and it isn't sweet. You can order the plain unsweetened version, which would traditionally be topped with meats. Or you can order it covered in honey and sugar like I do.

My obsession with fry bread is not a good thing for my weight, as (according to the USDA) each lovely fry bread is reportedly about 700 calories and 27 grams of fat - ouch. Still, if you are anywhere near the mall in DC and haven't given it a try yet, I would highly recommend it.

Chocolate Festival at the NMAI

The National Museum of the American Indian does a yearly valentines day chocolate festival. If you are not aware, chocolate is indigenous to the Americas. Those Europeans were seriously missing out.

There were demonstrations on how chocolate is made, activities for children, and (of course) chocolate for sale. El Ceibo is gourmet chocolate made in Bolivia. I purchased my dark chocolate bar from this lovely lady.

The bar was delicious. It was also $7.00. In 1999, 36% of Bolivians were in extreme poverty (living on less than $1.00 per day). It is still one of the poorest countries in the Americas. These people must think we're insane to pay $7 for a chocolate bar.

Model Hall in the American Art Museum

This rather cool looking room is on the third floor of the American Art Museum. Once upon a time, it was part of the U.S. patent office and displayed various gadgets and whatnot.

This was where the Declaration of Independence was once displayed and where Lincoln's inaugural guests arrived for the soiree.

Love it? You can rent it out for special events.

Luce Foundation Center for American Art

Within the Smithsonian Museum of American Art is the Luce Foundation Center for American Art. The Center is described in the brochure as "the first visible art storage and study center in Washington."

It is housed in this gorgeous three-story section of the museum. You walk up narrow stairways with nouveau railings and go from one tiny corridor to the next that is just packed with art.

The art is arranged more like bookshelves in a library than your typical museum setup. They pack an enormous number of works into this space. A person could spend years in there.

On the bottom floor is a coffee shop, so if you do spend years in there, you won't starve to death.

Chinese New Year at the American Art Museum in DC

These little goobers are making paper lanterns at the Museum of American Art.

The lantern-making was part of a series of events for the Chinese New Year. There were also martial artists, dancers, dragons, storytellers, and lots and lots of goobers.

All of the entertainment was, of course, free. Unfortunately, I showed up a bit late and didn't have the heart to elbow these kids aside. So, no paper lantern for me.

American Art Museum's Contemporary Art Collection

This weekend I discovered the contemporary art collection at the Smithsonian Museum of American Art. I don't know how I missed this on previous visits.

I'm not a big fan of a lot of modern art. In the "art for art's sake" vs. "art with a purpose" argument, I fall squarely in the more utilitarian category.

The American Art Museum's collection definitely has something to say, and doesn't require a masters in art appreciation to enjoy it.

The neon in the photo outlines the United States, It is filled with televisions showing all sorts of snippets from pop culture. It is how we see ourselves, how we sell ourselves, oversimplifications, stereotypes...

There's also a great piece by Duane Hanson. His stuff gets me every time. You may not recognize his name, but I'll be you've seen his work.

Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in Washington, DC

Yesterday's adventure was at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. The Sackler and Freer (two attached museums) have extensive collections of Asian art.

In one of the first exhibits were a couple films of children shot in Afghanistan. One was of children selling bricks they retrieved from a ruin, the other children playing with a shot down fighter plane.

It was the fighter plane film that was fascinating and surreal. The bullet holes had exposed the plane's insulation. The children had stretched it out so it was like ropes attached to the plane.

Dozens of children holding dozens of ropes walked and ran and played around the plane, as if trying to control it. The film was shot sometimes normally, sometimes in slow motion, sometimes with sound, sometimes with none. The filmmaker (Lida Abdul) subtitled occasional thoughts, like poetry, at the bottom of the screen.

I shot through the Hindu and Buddhist statues fairly quickly. Although they were beautiful, I was a little short on time. The Chinese section was filled with everyday and ceremonial objects, everything from wardrobes to pots. I particularly liked the ceremonial wine casks, made in the shape of animals. I totally want one of those.

One of the more interesting items was a piece of cave art. It had two Bodhisattvas, one white and one black. We are always given the impression that humanity was separated until very recent history. I love when a historical artifact reminds us that there have been many diverse places in history, that some sort of ethnic isolation or (worse) purity never existed.

Finally, I reached the exhibit I really arrived for, Garden and Cosmos: the Royal Paintings of Jodhpur. Jodhpur is in Northwest India. It is a favorite stop on India's tourist trail. As you might have divined from the title, the paintings were often of gardens or of religious stories or philosophical messages.

They were as colorful as a million saris, with gold and silver details everywhere. The paintings were all about detail. They actually had magnifying glasses available. My favorite paintings, although not the most beautiful, were a series done of one particular raja (king). In every painting he was the only man surrounded by hundreds of scantily clad women. In one, he was bathing with them. In another, he was dancing with them (and feeling one up).

"It's good to be the king."

National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC

Who would have thought the National Portrait Gallery would turn out to be such a great museum. The presidential portraits are a snooze, but the changing exhibits at the gallery are really interesting.

I went by on Sunday to catch another glimpse of "RECOGNIZE! Hip Hop and Contemporary Portraiture." Mainly I just wanted to see the Kehinde Wiley portraits. He should definitely do Barack's presidential portrait. The presidential portrait exhibit needs some color (in more ways than one).

There is also a surprisingly good exhibit of Ansel Adams and Georgia O'Keefe. I don't know why I wasn't expecting much, perhaps because the last O'Keefe exhibit I saw in Portland, Maine didn't have much going on. The Portrait Gallery had some truly exceptional paintings. O'Keefe captured the essence of things.

The "Women of Our Time: Twentieth-Century Photographs" had some interesting choices. My personal favorite, in the little known women category, was Jeannette Rankin. She was the first woman elected to congress (1916). What's even more amazing is that she was a pacifist and still got elected. Granted her career backslid when she voted not to enter World War I and it was destroyed when she was the only congressperson to vote not to enter World War II. You have to admire someone who sticks to their ethics no matter what it costs them.

Those were some of the highlights this time around. This is a definite must stop if you are visiting DC.