Yesterday afternoon, Diggory and I met several of my former co-workers for lunch at District Taco in downtown Washington, DC. I am definitely not opposed to making the trek into the city from our house in the 'burbs, but for heaven's sake! Do you know how many elevators it takes to get from "here" to "there?" EIGHT. Yes, eight different elevators. So, by the time we drove, parked the car, got to the metro, transferred trains, got off the metro, and walk to the restaurant, I was hot, slightly cranky, and in no rush to do the return trip all over again. I'm not complaining, I'm just stating the facts. After lunch, in which I was lovingly aided by three sets of extra hands in the carrying of food, baby situating, and packing up tasks, I decided NOT to go straight home. Instead, Diggory and I accompanied our friend Colleen back to the National Museum of African Art where she works. She said it was the perfect time to visit the museum because all of the exhibition galleries were open, so we just had to take her up on her invitation.
I'm going to start rethinking horizontal stripes. I look fat. Diggory is scowling. I think he wanted to go inside already!
In case you've never visited the National Museum of African Art, it's one of those Smithsonian Museums behind the Smithsonian Castle that is mostly underground. From the surface it looks tiny, and it is small, but once you're inside there are two sublevels of beautiful art and exquisitely presented exhibitions. I had been inside only twice before, but never for a full-on visit to the museum. Once was for a mountmaking workshop and the other was to use the restroom for a quick diaper change. Needless to say, our visit was long overdue. Be sure to pick up a map at the information desk just inside the main lobby. Because the exhibitions are on sublevels, it's easy to get turned around. Sublevel one is the uppermost level of exhibition space, and sublevel two is the level under that. Think of it as negative numbers with zero being the entrance/street level. I think the best place to start is the African Mosaic galleries where objects from the museum's permanent collection are displayed according to geographic location, material, or theme, like womanhood or movement and gesture. It's a great introduction to the collections, especially if you have time to read the small pocket guide "How to look at African Art" as you're browsing.
Diggory was at the edge of his seat!
As you exit the last African Mosaic gallery, you'll cross through the mezzanine overlooking the exhibition gallery on sublevel two and go into the Disney-Tishman Collection gallery. From here, you can cross into the Sackler Museum (another of the underground Smithsonian Museums) or go back the way you came to stay in the African Art Museum. To work yourself back to the elevator (if you have a stroller), you'll encounter the Williams Gallery next. Currently on view through February 24, 2013, is the exhibition Lalla Essaydi: Revisions. Apart from the "subversive, challenging nature" of her work, I was immediately struck by the powerful graphic nature of her photographs and multimedia work, especially when the works are viewed as a whole. Completely fascinating...I must learn more about her work.
After a quick run through the gift shop, we took the elevator one level down the sublevel two. As you come out of the elevators, and if you turn around to your left, you'll find the only women's room with a diaper changing table. Just FYI. Walk through the rotunda to get to the final exhibition gallery, but pause for a moment to take in the sights around you. The view up to the skylight and the view down to the fountain are pretty neat. If you've got the time, you can also take the elevator down to sublevel three to view a few more selections from the permanent collection and take the passage way to the Ripley Center. The Ripley Center is mostly conference rooms, administrative offices, and the like, but there are a few exhibitions on view, both temporary and indefinite. I once visited the display of posy holders for a museum studies course in graduate school. Who knew?!
The temporary exhibition on sublevel two, African Cosmos: Stellar Arts, just opened a few weeks ago and is on view through December 9, 2012. It's a major exhibition of more than 90 works of art exploring celestial phenomena and African cultural and historical astronomy. The two-story exhibition space is huge, and really lends itself to the topic. I was particularly intrigued by the works of video and auditory art that were joint projects between visual artists and stellar and high energy astrophysicists. Diggory was too. At Colleen's suggestion, we were to not miss the star sounds interactive piece toward the end of the exhibition, if you turn left before you leave the gallery. Across from the star sounds video, you'll find a small workshop with two tables and lots of stools. For the older kids, or kids at heart, you'll want to sit down and draw your own constellation with the star maps and colored pencils provided. I wanted to, but Diggory wouldn't let me. From here we took the elevator all the way back up to the street level and the exit. We were in the museum for about a hour and a half, but I could have definitely spent more time. We'll be back.
Before heading back to the metro, which I wasn't terribly motivated to do, we took a gander through the Ripley Garden between the Arts and Industries Building and the Hirshhorn Museum. I have to say, this is one of my favorite places in the whole city. It's small, but it's beautiful, with hundreds of different plants (all labeled, it's the Smithsonian after all), old-school wrought iron benches tucked away in the shade, and a beautiful bubbling fountain. Diggory liked it too. See that smile?! Near the entrance on the Jefferson Drive/National Mall end of the winding garden, you'll find a brochure box filled with pamphlets describing the ten gardens of the Smithsonian Institution. Maybe I should do a whole garden tour one of these days? Wouldn't that be fun!?
In the Ripley Garden. Diggory was thrilled that I finally let him out of the stroller! He may or may not have picked some leaves off the plants before I could run after him.
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