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Tag: Smithsonian American Art Museum

Exploring the National Mall: A Day in DC

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Morgan Robertson

For our first full day in D.C., we made sure we bundled up before we braved the chilly weather. After a typical quick breakfast, we laid out a plan of action for the day and set off on foot. Our first location was within a reasonable walking distance inside the National Mall, and we could see our destination from a distance. As we neared, we could see the details of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, which was adorned with Corinthian columns and several reliefs.

We were grateful that there was no great line to enter the museum but we were shocked at the number of people also exploring their way through history. A grand foyer and a posed elephant welcomed us as we entered the building. As a group, we gathered and quickly discussed the best use of our time and the order in which we should meander through the exhibits. We soon were enthralled by specimens, fossils, and skeletons that left no room for downtime. The exhibits were displayed by date, species type, and even dramatic scenes.

Yvette and I split off from the rest of the group and started our journey through time. We were also blown away at the sizes of some of the displays.

A few towered over us…

… while others were the size of a hummingbird’s femur. Yvette and I especially enjoyed the lab on the first floor of the museum which had cameras and screens set up to allow visitors to watch scientists work on the fossils. We were mesmerized by the work the scientists were conducting on the specimens.

Interestingly, we also saw a first edition of John James Audubon’s “Birds in America,” which was beautiful, and bigger than any book we’ve ever seen!

The crown jewel of the museum was, naturally, the Hope Diamond. It was mined in India in the 17th century and changed hands several times over the last few centuries. It was eventually purchased by famed jeweler Harry Winston who donated it in 1958. It is one of the most famous parts of the museum. It gets its blue hue from trace amounts of the element boron in the stone. We learned that a diamond’s size and clarity are good indicators of its worth. The Hope Diamond is a prime example of the size factor, weighing in at 45.52 carats and costing upwards of $350 million. We could have easily spent the entire day inside the Museum of Natural History alone, but we pulled ourselves away from the many fascinating and—in the case of the Hope Diamond, dazzling displays and headed toward the exit.

Smithsonian National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden

Erin Juarez

As we left the museum we spied portions of sculptures peeping over the tops of shrubbery across the street and decided to investigate further. Imagine our delight when we realized that they were works by artists we know and love! We had recently seen one of Robert Indiana’s “LOVE” while we were in Oklahoma, and this time we found ourselves looking at his sculpture, “AMOR.” A true pop artist, Indiana uses modern materials such as aluminum and bright, contrasting colors in his works.

As we roamed the rest of this sculpture garden, some among us were introduced to other pop artists like Claes Oldenburg and Roy Lichtenstein…

…for the first time. We paused briefly at a striking work by Roxy Paine, whom Professor Yawn acknowledged as being one of his favorite artists. Paine is recognized for his giant metallic tree installations that combine the natural world and man-made elements.

Personally, Joel Shapiro’s sculpture Untitled, 1989 was my favorite. Shapiro is well-known for his minimalist sculptures consisting of fixed rectangular elements that evoke a sense of movement.

And, of course, we also got to see a couple of Calders…

…with so much to see here, it’s no wonder that we fell in love with D.C. as we rambled across the city.

Smithsonian American Art Museum

Jessica Cuevas

After whetting our artistic appetites in the Sculpture Garden, we next visited The Smithsonian American Art Museum, walking across the mall to get there.

But it was the Smithsonian that we witnessed the largest collection of American Artists, some we had previously seen and others we had not. We were exposed to such varied styles of works from artists that we were familiar with, that we found ourselves eagerly moving from painting to painting in the hopes of seeing something new from artists that we had become used to.  

Unlike other museums we had previously been to, we were able to see more of Thomas Moran’s and Albert Bierstadt’s works. Their breathtaking landscapes scenes consist of the country’s natural beauty, with luminosity provided by the artists.

Morgan, who typically prefers a Moran or Bierstadt painting over other artworks, today favored a piece by Sargent; the “Corner of a Church on San Stae.” We all noted that this work was much different than anything we had seen by him up until this point. We had only seen his portraits!  

Interestingly, we saw an early Jackson Pollock, and the influence his mentor, Thomas Hart Benton, had on him was obvious.

And this became more clear when we saw an entire wall dedicated to Benton!

Up on the second floor, we were able to see the Presidential Portrait Gallery. In this wing was included at least one portrait of every U.S. president, starting with President Washington, proceeding all the way up to President Trump.

Upon entering we were immediately confronted with the famed George Washington Portrait done by Gilbert Stuart.

This portrait is deeply symbolic. It depicts our first president, but it also includes several other details regarding the birth of our nation. In the background of the painting through a window, there can be seen a rainbow emerging from dark storm clouds, suggesting that America was emerging bright and new from a dark and stormy era. Washington’s right arm gestures toward a quill pen and parchment on his desk while his left arm rests on the hilt of his sword, suggesting that our newly-formed democracy was ready to assume its governance role but that it would still defend itself if the need arose. The law and philosophy books under his desk portray Washington as an enlightened leader in addition to his being a man of action. This is the famous portrait that we see on our dollar bill.

Prior to this museum, we’d stopped briefly at Ford’s Theater, where President Lincoln was assassinated. Seeing his presidential portrait and then a face casting made before and after his death, resonated with us.

Although most presidential paintings were traditional and sort of regal, former President John F. Kennedy apparently asked Elaine de Kooning to do something unique when he commissioned his official portrait. The portrait is semi-abstract with hundreds of strokes of greens and blues coming together to show Kennedy sitting casually on the canvas looking back at the viewer.

As the sun began to set, we rushed in order to see as much of the museum as we could. While most of what we saw were paintings, we did encounter a few sculptures including a James Surls piece!

Such a rich art experience on our first full day in our nation’s capital gave us the opportunity to encounter new artists but also to deepen our knowledge of the artists that we were already familiar with.

In leaving the Museum, we realized we weren’t too far from the White House, which prompted us to make a detour before going to eat.

Dinner at Oyamel

To cap off a long and rewarding day on the National Mall, we stopped in at Oyamel, a wonderful Mexican restaurant not far from our hotel. All the food was good, but we especially like the appetizers, which ranged from Brussel sprouts…

…to queso fundido…

…and more.

The entrees were equally as good. We had a mix of food, with the shrimp and the tacos being the best of what we tried.

We didn’t know it at the time, but this turned out to be the best food we would have on our trip.

Author mikeyawnPosted on March 30, 2022March 30, 2022Format AsideCategories Art, Civic Engagement, Food, TravelTags Center for Law Engagement And Politics, LEAP Ambassadors, LEAP Center, National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, Oyamel, SHSU, Smithsonian American Art MuseumLeave a comment on Exploring the National Mall: A Day in DC

The Art of Politics

On our second day in Washington, DC, we had a full-day planned–this coming after an ultra-full day!

National Archives- Christina Perez

There is no better way to get up on a Sunday morning than heading out to see some of the most important documents in our democracy. The Leap Ambassadors set off to find the National Archives as we began our journey of a mile-long trek to see “national treasures.”  The day was made more exciting by the chance to spend it with former Mayor Mac Woodward, a long-time friend of the Ambassadors.

Once at the National Archives, we stopped by a couple exhibits before getting to see the most important documents known to America. The first exhibit of archives included the 1297 copy of the Magna Carta, women’s suffrage documents, and many more historical milestones that changed the American society.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, National Archives, Magna Carta

As we moved into the rotunda that housed three historical treasures in one room, we couldn’t decide where to walk first. As we looked north we saw the United States Constitution, to the west side was the Declaration of Independence, and to the East was The Bill of Rights.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, National Archives, Bill of Rights

Each of us took time admiring the documents and learn interesting facts about them. We were even lucky enough to see George Washington’s version of the Declaration of Independence which still contained his hand-written notes.

The adventure continued as we moved on to the National Gallery of Art

National Gallery of Art: West Building-Kaitlyn

The National Gallery of Art is arguably the most comprehensive collection of art in the county. The Gallery is so large it comprises two massive buildings and takes up an entire city block! We started our tour in the West Building. Composed mostly of thirteenth to sixteenth century art, the gallery exposed us to several European artists. All the LEAP Ambassadors have visited art museums, but we always reinforce artists and learn about the different genres of art. The National Gallery gave us the opportunity to learn again about the various styles of art throughout history.

One of the first exhibits we viewed were numerous sculptures by Edward Degas, a French artist famous for his dance sculptures.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Washington DC, National Gallery of Art, Degas

Surprisingly, he had another specialty. He used an assortment of materials to build his sculptures such as wood, metal, nails, and beeswax. The beeswax was distinctive because it gave each sculpture a glossy tint that looked like water on the sculpture.

One of the most famous sculptures in history, The Thinker by Auguste Rodin, was on display in the Gallery.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Washington DC, National Gallery of Art, Rodin, The Thinker

Cast in 1901, the bronze sculpture was originally modeled after Dante from Dante’s Inferno. The sculpture has now become iconic as a masterpiece of art.

One of the most exciting sections of Gallery was the impressionist styles of art. The Gallery displayed three Vincent van Gogh paintings, including his famous Self Portrait painting!

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Washington DC, National Gallery of Art, Van Gogh, Self Portrait

It was exciting to see Van Gogh’s work in real life.

An additional highlight of the day included getting to see a Leonardo da Vinci painting! It was unique not only because it was a Da Vinci, but because the back side of the painting was also its own work of art with beautiful symbolism of the laurel and olive wreath. We were thrilled to see Da Vinci in real life, particularly knowing it is the only Da Vinci in North America.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Washington DC, National Gallery of Art, Da Vinci

Another big name we also saw was Rembrandt.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Washington DC, National Gallery of Art, Rembrandt

Scattered throughout the West Building, his work reappeared from room to room. His works were large in number and very expensive in price! Rembrandt is the most famous Dutch artist and his works consist mostly of portraits and self-portraits. He made large contributions to the Dutch Golden Age and used innovative techniques for art.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Washington DC, National Gallery of Art
SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Washington DC, National Gallery of Art
SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Washington DC, National Gallery of Art
SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Washington DC, National Gallery of Art
SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Washington DC, National Gallery of Art

It would be impossible to write about each piece of art we saw during our whirlwind tour of the West Wing. Although we learned immensely about on the West side, we continued our journey next door to the East building of the National Gallery of Art.

After our quick lunch, we moved through the artistic connecting corridor….

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Washington DC, National Gallery of Art

and continued our art lesson in the East wing of the gallery which many of us called our favorite. We recognized more of the art pieces on this side of the gallery. We began with a big Alexander Calder mobile piece as the grand entrance to the east side.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Washington DC, National Gallery of Art, Calder

Among the first paintings that we recognized were Georgia O’Keefe, Edward Hopper, and even Pablo Picasso!  There was a lot of modern art, including our favorite artist represented in Marfa, Donald Judd.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, National Museum of History, Washington DC, Donald Judd, National Gallery of Art

Usually, the art was organized by artist. We got to see a whole exhibit of Mark Rothko paintings which was fun to see since it a new artist that the group is getting acquainted with.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Washington DC, National Gallery of Art, Rothko

We also had the opportunity to see Professor Yawn’s favorite artist (or one of them), Jackson Pollock.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Washington DC, National Gallery of Art, Pollock

Before leaving, we encountered 2 major surprises. One being a giant blue rooster sculpture called “Hahn/Cock” by Katharina Fritsch.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Washington DC, National Gallery of Art, Fritsch

The second being, one of my personal favorite exhibits featuring work by Alexander Calder. I was first introduced to art by Alexander Calder on this trip and it is fun to be able to recognize his art in so many places.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Washington DC, National Gallery of Art, Calder

National Museum of American History By Brian Aldaco

We took a break from the art of the Smithsonian by visiting the National Museum of American History. Upon entering the museum, we were welcomed by a silver Abstract American Flag.

As we have learned in school, The Star-Spangled Banner was written by Francis Scott Key during the War of 1812. Francis Scott Key was moved to write this poem after he witnessed the bombardment of Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore and noticed that, regardless of “the bombs bursting in air,” “our flag was still there.” Housed in the museum is the very same flag that flew over Fort McHenry on that 1814 evening. The star-spangled banner is now riddled with holes caused by age and marauders who have ripped segments from the flag, but we were still awestruck by this historical treasure.

With such an amazing introduction to the museum, we moved to the second floor towards the presidential exhibit.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, National Museum of History, Washington DC

This exhibit was filled with presidential artifacts of all sorts.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, National Museum of History, Washington DC

Some were morbid, like the hat that Abraham Lincoln wore during his assassination.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, National Museum of History, Washington DC

Others were infamous, like the filing cabinet Nixon’s Watergate break-in-team stole documents from. Yet some were more whimsical, like a pair of chaps that were worn by Teddy Roosevelt on his ranch in the Dakota Territory. This part of the museum also offered a chance to become the president, or at least stand behind the podium and re-enact some of the most famous presidential addresses.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, National Museum of History, Washington DC

We continued to tour the museum by visiting The Price of Freedom: Americans at War, an exhibit that explored every military struggle our nation has been involved in from the Revolutionary War to Vietnam and everything in between. As we looked through the displays, an artifact from a section dedicated to the Texas Revolution called our attention. After further inspection of the artifact, we discovered that it was hunting rifle that was owned by Sam Houston. Quickly we asked Mr. Woodward, the director of the Sam Houston Memorial Museum, to pose by the Sam Houston artifact.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, National Museum of History, Washington DC, Mac Woodward, Sam Houston

Filled with muskets, machine guns, and other war waging machines, the exhibit showcased the violence behind war.  We could also test our skills as “Rosie the Riveter” (Stephanie was the best riveter, by far).

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, National Museum of History, Washington DC, Rosie the Riveter

But a ray of comedic relief was tucked inside a corner of the War World II exhibit. This display showed footage of celebrities, like Bob Hope and Danny Kaye, visiting troops to increase morale.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, National Museum of History, Washington DC, Danny Kaye

As we walked past displays dedicated to the Korean War and Vietnam War, we noticed how attitudes towards armed conflict has changed over the years. However, we were not given much time to contemplate on the matter as the museum was closing, and it was time for out next stop on our D.C. adventure.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, National Museum of History, Washington DC, First Ladies

Smithsonian Art Museum- Karla

After the history museum we decided to return to the topic of art by exploring the Smithsonian Art Museum and finish looking at the art we missed on the third floor, and also to give Beatriz the opportunity to see the Museum (she flew in late last night, having to miss the first day). We got to see pieces by James Surls and Robert Indiana. Again, this was our chance to see many art pieces by artists that we recognized. As we continued through this part of the museum, we found pieces by Luis Jimenez, Alexander Calder, Jesus Moroles, Roy Lichtenstein, Jackson Pollock, and more!  We also had a chance to see Tom Lea…

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Washington DC, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Tom Lea

…and Tony Bennett (yes, the singer!).

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, National Museum of History, Washington DC, Tony Bennett

It was a particularly fun experience because some of the pieces are not labeled. Instead, they are labeled with a number and you must search online to find out details about each piece. It was a great experience to be able to reinforce all the learning we have done on artists and that we were able to recognize most of the ones that we knew even without the label.

Oyamel Cocina Mexicana- Beatriz

Thankfully, at the end of our journey after many miles of walking, was the Oyamel Cocina Mexicana where we would rest our weary feet and delight ourselves in a variety of Mexican cuisines. Named after the Oyamel tree native to central Mexico, the restaurant is decorated with multiple butterflies to represent the migration of these Monarchs from the US down to the mountains of Michoacán. Mexican food is one of the favorites among the ambassadors and everyone chose varying food from Enchiladas de pollo con salsa verde to pozole rojo. Afterwards, we went to get some gelato to sweeten our trip back home as we walked down the streets of Washington to prepare for another busy day.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, National Museum of History, Washington DC, National Gallery of Art

Author mikeyawnPosted on May 5, 2019Format AsideCategories Art, Civic Engagement, Politics, TravelTags LEAP Ambassadors, LEAP Center, National Archives, National Gallery of Art, National Museum of American History, National Museum of History, SHSU, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington DCLeave a comment on The Art of Politics

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  • An Evening South of the Border, with the World Affairs Council July 1, 2022
  • Volunteering for Volunteers–with the Senior Center of Walker County! June 30, 2022
  • Wrapping up TCMA June 23, 2022
  • Day 4: TCMA–Cities, Capitols, Art, and Kayaking June 22, 2022
  • Terrible–Thanks for Asking! A day at TCMA June 17, 2022

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