S+ART

Be a part of the 2012 Folklife Festival

       

Demonstration of Peace Corps mud cloths, Photo from 2011 Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Themes in 2011 Festival included: Colombia, Peace Corps, and Rhythm and Blues.

 

Celebrating 46 years, the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival is bringing traditional performances, live music, authentic cuisine, crafts, story tellers and more from various communities and cultures to the National Mall (beginning on Wednesday, June 27- Sunday, July 1 and Wednesday, July 4 - Monday, July 8).  

What is this festival, you ask?

The Smithsonian Folklife Festival is a national and international exhibition of living cultural heritage, treasured and celebrated annually on the National Mall, taking place for two weeks every summer. Nearly every festival has drawn more than one million visitors. One great perk of the festival, is the free admission! The festival is typically organized into three focuses, featuring a nation, region, state, or theme. This year’s programs include three diverse ranges of cultural experiences:

Citified: Arts and Creativity East of the Anacostia River:

Presented in partnership with the Smithsonian's Anacostia Community Museum, the program celebrates the art and creativity of schools, churches, community organizations, business and other residential and local venues of the neighborhoods in Anacostia. Identity is expressed through an eclectic range of arts and cultural activities, such as African dancing and drumming, storytellers, hip-hop dancing, comedians, demonstrations of tattoo art and much more!

 

AIDS Memorial Quilt on the National Mall

 

Creativity and Crisis: Unfolding the AIDS Memorial Quilt:

This year marks the 25^th anniversary of The AIDS Memorial Quilt and 30 years of life with AIDS. This year’s program features the unfolding of the 47,000 hand-sewn panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, craft demonstrations, dance and musical performances, interactive discussions, and other activities that bring together individual and communities to remember loved ones. The quilt will be on display on the National Mall and at more than 40 other locations from July 21-25.

Campus and Community:

This year’s Folklife Festival celebrates the 150^th anniversary of the founding of land-grant universities and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which partners with communities putting research into action in the areas of agriculture and food, health care, sustainable living, and education. The events featured include hands-on activities, demonstrations, and discussions.

For more general info on the festival and to learn about past festivals go to:

http://www.festival.si.edu/visitor/general.aspx

http://dc.about.com/od/specialevents/a/FolklifeFest.htm

Enjoy!

Facebook us @Smithsonian StudioArts

Follow us on Twitter @SmithsonianSA

 ~Margaret McClung

Bigger and Bolder than Ever

 
 Barbara Kruger, Untitled (No), from the Untitled Portfolio, 1985, photo-offset lithograph and serigraph on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase.

 

  

Barbara Kruger, Untitled (Longer), from the Untitled Portfolio, 1985, photo-offset lithograph and serigraph on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase.

 

Barbara Kruger, Untitled (Heard) from the Untitled Portfolio, 1985, photo-offset lithograph and serigraph on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase.

 

For those of you familiar with artist Barbara Kruger, you may already know the powerful effect of the large scale, bold language and conflicting messages consistent in her works. The past exhibit, Multiplicity at The Smithsonian American Art Museum featured Kruger’s piece Untitled, (We will no longer be seen and not heard) among other contemporary prints. In this work, Kruger took the text “We will no longer be seen and not heard” and composes 9 individual prints which come together as one visually stimulating piece. Kruger creates an unavoidable, overwhelming presence in her works by enlarging images and text as well as addressing broader issues of democracy, gender, power and belief.

If you missed Kruger’s piece in the Multiplicity exhibit, have no fear, for another loud, large and provoking installation of hers will soon be on display at The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Coming to the museum in summer 2012, Barbara Kruger: Belief + Doubt will take over the entire space of the Hirshorn’s lower level lobby. Literally, the entire space. This site-specific installation will cover the walls, floors, escalator sides and bookstore, using text printed white vinyl letters against fields of black and red. So, there’s no escaping the mass messages of this work. The title of the installation, “Belief + Doubt” came from Kruger’s interest of introducing thoughts of doubt to the public. These doubts come in form of big bold open-ended questions like “WHO IS BEYOND THE LAW? WHO IS FREE TO CHOOSE? WHO SPEAKS? WHO IS SILENT?” Kruger is exploring several themes that affect a whole range of viewers, from the individual, the museum, and representatively, the country. Kruger is blatantly suggesting that these questions should not be ignored and from the looks of the new installation, it seems that Kruger has successfully captured our attention.   

Want to see more? Check out past exhibits of Kruger’s:

http://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/online/multiplicity

http://whitney.org/WhitneyOnSite/Kruger

http://spruethmagers.net/exhibitions/248@@overview

http://www.moca.org/pc/viewArtWork.php?id=35

http://hammer.ucla.edu/newsblogs/?tag=barbara-kruger

Enjoy! 

Facebook us @Smithsonian StudioArts

 Follow us on Twitter @SmithsonianSA

~Margaret McClung

New to Dc: Ai Weiwei's Outdoor Sculpture

Ai Weiwei: Circle of Animals/ Zodiac Heads at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Photo by Margaret McClung

Now, reaching its 7^th city, the monumental outdoor sculpture, Circle of Animals/ Zodiac Heads by contemporary Chinese artist Ai Weiwei is on view at The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (situated around the fountain in the central plaza). Each bronze sculpture, representing the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac stands nearly 10 ft tall, fiercely towering over the viewer. The heads of these creatures have been re-envisioned by Weiwei to be depictions of the 18^th century Qing dynasty zodiac animal heads, which once functioned as a water clock- fountain. The heads are now displayed in a similar fashion around the Hirshhorn’s fountain, arranged on a North, South, East, and West axis ( also in order to year of birth). Weiwei draws attention to questions of identity and his concern with distinguishing “fake and real, true value, and aesthetics”.

This year’s animal is the year of dragon (also my zodiac sign!). The dragon is the only mythological creature featured in the Chinese zodiac sign, the 11 other real-world animals include the snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog, pig, rat, ox, tiger and rabbit.

Photo by Margaret McClung

 

Plan a visit soon to see the sculpture, which will be on view till February 24, 2013. In the meantime you can enjoy this video where Ai Weiwei speaks on his inspiration behind Circle of Animals/ Zodiac Heads:

http://www.zodiacheads.com/about_exhibit.html

Something to look forward to:

In accordance with current and upcoming exhibits of Ai Weiwei’s works, the Smithsonian Residents Program will feature the seminar, The Artist as Dissident: China's Ai Weiwei. Taking place on Thursday, June 7 at 6:45 pm, the event will include a detailed discussion on the themes behind the artist’s works.

Enjoy!

Facebook us @Smithsonian StudioArts

Follow us on Twitter @SmithsonianSA

~Margaret McClung

Spring is in the Air

Thirty Six Views of Mount Fuji: South Wind, Clear Day By Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) Japan, Edo Period, ca. 1830-31; Color woodblock print, ink and color on paper, H x W (image): 26 x 38 cm, Image credit: Private collection

 

In sync with the Japan Spring celebrations taking place, the Freer and Sackler Gallery presents Thirty Six Views of Mount Fuji by well known Japanese artist, painter, and printmaker, Katsushika Hokusai . In this series Hokusai established landscape as a new subject for print making, while maintaining traditional Japanese elements such as intricate compositions, techniques and coloration. The prints indicate a spiritual connection the artist had to the landscape surrounding Mount Fuji. Some prints instill the tranquil untouched landscape of Mount Fuji while other prints illustrate the hard working laborers of the region. Who knew you could depict one landmark in so many ways?

The show will be on view till June 17, 2012. Forget to bring your reading glasses? No worries. The exhibit offers magnifying glasses, allowing you to get close enough to see every last detail!

 

 
Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji: Under the Wave off Kanagawa, also known as the Great Wave By Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) Japan, Edo period, ca. 1830-32; Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper, H x W (image): 25.7 x 37.9 cm, Image credit: H. O Havenmeyer

Other Japan Spring exhibits:

Hokusai: Japanese Screens (on view till July 29, 2012) and  Hokusai: Paintings and Drawings(on view till June 24, 2012) at the Freer and Sackler Gallery.

Colorful Realm: Japanese Bird-and-Flower Paintings by Itō Jakuchū (1716–1800) (on view till April 29, 2012) at The National Gallery of Art.

Snapshot: Painters and Photography, Bonnard to Vuillard (on view till May 6, 2012) at The Phillips Collection.

 

Take advantage of these spring time events while they last!

 

Facebook us @Smithsonian StudioArts

Follow us on Twitter @SmithsonianSA

~Margaret McClung

A Breath of Fresh Air

 

                 
                     h ttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bagan.jpg

We have all walked by artists who are feeling daring enough to paint in the open, knowing some spectators might be negatively critiquing or distracting them with glares. Don’t let that disconcert you. Try painting or drawing ‘en plein air’ (in the open air), like many Impressionist painters did, such as Monet, Pissarro, and Renoir, who dedicated much of their time to painting outdoors. Springtime and the National Cherry Blossom Festival in DC are just two reasons why you should begin setting up your easel and mixing your paint outdoors. By observing and rendering surroundings that are physically present (rather than view from a picture), you can then focus on what you see, not what you imagine or intellectualize about the subject.  

You also don’t have to go crazy with locations. Sometimes, I travel as close as my backyard to capture the sunset peaking in-between the trees or to the nearest park for a slight change. When drawing or painting in the open air, you are giving yourself the freedom to choose any spot you so desire, instead of being limited in a four-walled space.

 Here are some suggestions of local spots:

- The National Arboretum

- The National Mall and Memorial Parks  and The Tidal Basin

- The Smithsonian Gardens (eleven different locations to choose from!)

- The Franciscan Monastery Gardens

- Rock Creek Park

- Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens

- Or even set up watercolors or pencils at your local coffee shop  and gaze out the window.

Depending on your medium of choice, you’ll need a Plein Air Painting Checklist for guidance. Remember, to travel light!

 

Painting by Sandra Warren Gobar. The Smithsonian Associates.

Not quite ready to try this on your own?  You’re in luck! The Smithsonian Associates will be presenting a Studio Arts class, Painting and Drawing En Plein Air instructed by Sandra Warren Gobar, taking place on Saturday, April 21-May 5 at 10:30am. Using your medium of choice, surround yourself in nice spring weather and local gardens such as the Mary Livingston Ripley Garden  and the Native Landscape Gardens at The American Indian Museum.  

Enjoy!

Facebook us @Smithsonian StudioArts

Follow us on Twitter @SmithsonianSA

~Margaret McClung

Art Incognito

 

 

               

                   Photo: Alejandro Piedra Buena, courtesy of the Museo de Arte Popular ©2010

 

Now that’s an impressive set of wheels! On view now at the American Indian Museum is Vochol: Huichol Art on Wheels, a contemporary indigenous art work taking the shape of a 1990 Volkswagen Beetle. This rare art form is covered from the inside out with approximately 2,277,000 glass seed beads, decorated with depictions of cultural designs, ceremonies, animals, and historic events. It took a total of 9,000 hours (about 8 months) for eight Wixaritari artists from two families to transform this automobile into the first Huichol object of art on wheels. Wixaritari (“the people”) or "Huichol", the common name for Mexico’s Native American ethnic community of nearly 26,000 people, resides in the mountainous region of the western Sierra Madre. For the Huichol, creating art in the form of beadwork, textiles, and ceremonial objects represent an expression of faith in their culture.

 

Photo: Alejandro Piedra Buena, courtesy of the Museo de Arte Popular ©2010

 Some symbols designed on the Vochol (a slang term for the VW Beetle in Mexico) include images of deer, a two headed eagle, fire, snakes, squash, and corn. In the picture below, a fierce blue two-headed eagle is seen on the roof of the car, marking the four cardinal directions (north, south, east, and west). These designs are spread out all over the vehicle, allowing visitors to go on a fun scavenger hunt for recognizable images. Please let me know if you find any that I missed!

                                                                                                           

 

Photo: Alejandro Piedra Buena, courtesy of the Museo de Arte Popular ©2010

 

 

Don't miss the opportunity to see this amazing transformed work of art! The Beetle will be on view on the 1st floor of The American Indian Museum till May 6, 2012.

 

Facebook us @Smithsonian StudioArts

Follow us on Twitter @SmithsonianSA

~Margaret McClung

The Best Cure for Spring Fever

 

          
           Photo by Margaret McClung

If you’re like me when spring time rolls around, then you must be itching to get outside and bask in the glorious sunshine. How about killing two birds with one stone? You can make your way to the National Mall to work on your tan and infuse your brain with the rich history of the cherry blossoms, the Enid A. Haupt Garden and much more.

Every year, falling between Mach- April  The National Cherry Blossom Festival  takes place. The festival celebrates the 1912 gift of the Cherry Trees from the Japanese Mayor Yukio Ozaki. The gift of the trees resembles one of the many principles of the United States, the significance of friendship between two countries. Today, millions of people travel to DC each year to marvel at the cherry blossoms and partake in the festivities.

Situated in between the Smithsonian Castle and Independence Avenue and above The National Museum of African Art  , The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery  and The S. Dillon Ripley Center   lies The Enid A. Haupt Garden. Enid Annenburg Haupt was a horticultural expert who passionately dedicated her life to funding gifts to build, restore and maintain gardens around the world. The Garden opened to the public in 1987 featuring various landscape components, such as the Parterre, Moongate Garden and the Fountain Garden.

The Victorian inspired Parterre  is a formal structured garden designed with elaborate colors, symmetrical patterns and designs. The specific layout of colorful planting on the Parterre fluctuates between seasons. In conjunction with the Asian inspired Sackler and Freer Galleries, the Moongate   Garden represents a similar design to the architecture and gardens of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, China. In Chinese culture, the main two components of the garden, granite and water symbolize the body and spirit of the earth. The garden was successfully designed to be a place of relaxation and contemplation for its visitors. The Fountain Garden, located near the entrance to the National Museum of African Art is a representation of a 13^th century Moorish palace and fortress in Grenada, Spain. The Fountain Garden includes a central fountain and water channels, which symbolize the four rivers of paradise as described in the Koran.

 

Photo by Margaret McClung

Check out these sites for more information on the Cherry Blossom Festival and Smithsonian Gardens:

Smithsonian Garden Tours

Cherry Blossom Festival Events

2012 Bloom Watch

Enjoy!

 

Facebook us @Smithsonian StudioArts

Follow us on Twitter @SmithsonianSA

~Margaret McClung

Museum Visits: Virtual vs. the Physical

                      

 Entrance of the Natural History Museum, Photo by Margaret McClung

 

 We have become so accustomed to adjusting our everyday life and normal routines to the advancements of technology, that we may have lost sight of the mere physical pleasure of things. Leisurely activities like curling up in a comfy chair to read a paperback novel, window shopping at the mall with friends, and visiting a museum  to see first-hand the intricate acclaimed work of a master artist, all now have been circumscribed to the internet.  It has no doubt made things easier for us, especially when we can’t find the time in our busy schedules to get out and about, but can it still be considered the same satisfying experience?

Recently, I attempted to visit Bon Appetit!  Julia Child’s Kitchen at the National Museum of American History, until my plan was derailed when I discovered the exhibit was temporarily closed. Granted, it would have been my fifth visit to the exhibit, but that only added to my disappointment. Reasonably, the museum is undergoing renovations in order to expand the west wing for an upcoming exhibit scheduled to open in late summer 2012. Now, my only option is to visit the exhibit online, which wasn’t as daunting as I expected. Because museums anticipate these temporarily closed transitions, the effort put forth to compensate for the different experience is most often very effective. The online tour through Julia Child’s French kitchen, which she donated to the Smithsonian in 2001, offers the same visual information that one would receive at the exhibit. Online features include, sample stories, histories and memories from Julia’s career as a chef, as well as a panoramic view of the re-installed kitchen.

I hope you are just as impressed as I am of this thorough virtual exhibit of Bon Appetit!  Julia Child’s Kitchen:

http://americanhistory.si.edu/juliachild/

Enjoy!

 

Facebook us @Smithsonian StudioArts

Follow us on Twitter @SmithsonianSA

 

~Margaret McClung

In Tribute to Black History Month

Jacob Lawrence, Cabinet Makers, 1946. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, Gift of Joseph H. Hirshhorn, 1966

 

In celebration of Black History Month, I wanted to begin the post by giving a brief bio of a well known artist whose works are displayed here in town!

Artist Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000), whose painting is featured above, was one of the prominent African American painters of the 20^th century. As depicted in his artwork and throughout his career as an artist, Lawrence placed great emphasis on the history and struggles endured by African Americans. Lawrence’s career skyrocketed at the young age of twenty-three when he completed the sixty-panel set of narrative paintings, called The Migration Series. The series marks the story of the migration of hundreds of thousands of African Americans from the South to the North after World War I. Visit The Phillips Collection, where even-numbered panels from The Migration series are on view or venture to the 3^rd floor at The Hirshhorn Museum to see other paintings by Jacob Lawrence.  

 

The big to-do’s around town worth checking out for Black History Month:

Smithsonian Black History Month 2012 Event Calendar : In Celebration of Black History Month there are several events taking place at various Smithsonian venues throughout the month of February. This site features heritage videos, kid’s activities, “Family Memory” storybooks and other related resources.

 

Black History Month at the National Museum of African Art: Features the performance of  Haitian-American musician, Daniel Roumain, on Saturday, February 25. The Museum will also be hosting their 2012 African Art House Film Festival , on every Thursday evening in February. Also, stay tuned for this months after hours, Africa Underground on February 24, 2012!

 

On view at the National Museum of American History is the exhibit, Slavery at Jefferson's Monticello:Paradox of Liberty from The National Museum of African American History and Culture. The exhibit recognizes six slave families living at Jefferson’s estate, Monticello. The exhibit takes a deeper look into slavery along with the family’s ties to religion, literacy and struggle for freedom. The exhibit remains open till October 14, 2012 at.

 

African Voices  at The Museum of Natural History is a permanent exhibit that examines various themes in the life of Africa’s peoples and cultures. The exhibit includes historical and contemporary objects, interactive stations, and various personal testimonies.

 

Anacostia Community Museum - On view in the permanent collection, Separate and Unequaled: Black Baseball in the District of Columbia highlights the history of baseball in Washington, D.C. from Reconstruction to the second half of the 20^th century.

 

In addition, here’s an online source worth exploring:

Smithsoniain.com-Black History & Heritage Month : If you can’t make it to any of the featured exhibits/events, here’s the site for you. This online dedication hub to Black History Heritage Month consists of articles rich with history and stories of legendary African American leaders and role models in the country. The site also includes personal testimonies from President Barack Obama, poet Rita Dove, and legendary dancer, Maurice Hines.

 

If you know of any other Black History Month related events or exhibits on view please fill us in! Thanks!

 

~ Margaret

The Hidden Truth of the Quileute Wolf

 

Three objects all associated with the spiritual realm of the Quileute were used by the native medicine men. Photo courtesy of the National Musuem of the American Indian.

 

 

  Items replicated from the Twilight films, include: an Olivella shell necklace, a paddle necklace, a drum and a dream catcher that Jacob gives to Bella. Photo courtesy of the National Museum of the American Indian.

 

I know many of you have seen either one of the three Twilight Saga films or are at least familiar with the seires. But, did you know that there is a Smithsonian connection, between the film and the history of an entire culture?

Quileute Werewolves as depicted in the Twilight movies aren’t all phony. There is some basis of truth. The National Museum of the American Indian investigates further the rich history and culture of the original Quileute people and their relation to the wolves.

In the exhibition, “Behind the Scenes: The Real Story of the Quileute Wolves”, the artwork includes wooden whaling harpooning tools, wolf headdresses, replicas of props as seen in the Twilight films and other objects of the like. The Quileute ancestors were renowned whalers, craftsmen, and huntsmen. Along with their vast hunting and gathering skills, the Quileute people place high value on their ritual life. The rituals are a means of communication to the spirits. Through singing, chanting and dancing, the Quileute people carry-on the rituals of their ancestors. The exhibition highlights the five societies: the Wolf, Fisherman’s, Hunter’s, Whale Hunter’s, and Weatherman’s societies. In each society, the Quileute call to the spirits of their specialty, usually led by the leader of the society. These Legacies and traditions have been passed on through generations of the Quileute and are still regularly practiced today.

Let’s clear up the popular misconception often given to the Quileute people (thanks to Twilight):

 Fact vs. Fiction

 Is the setting in the movie, la Push, a real setting known in the Quileute region?                                                                                                                                                                                       Yes. Off of the shores of the Pacific Ocean, lies La Push, Washington. La Push is home to the Quileute tribes, that have occupied the area for thousands of years.

 
Do the real Quileute people have any connection to the supernatural wolf, the werewolf?                                                                                                                                                                                    No, there is no connection to werewolves. But, Quileute beliefs do point to ideas of supernatural creatures. The wolf society was known to derive from wolves, and the Quileute among this society were known to have wolf instincts. From their ancestors they could inherit these instincts, including an indefinite loyalty to their people and an ability to detect intruders.

I walked away from this exhibit with more knowledge on the Quileute people than I could ever obtain from pop culture. If you’re curious for yourself, it’s not too late to check out this exhibition at the American Indian Museum.

The show is currently on view and continues to run till May 9, 2012. Here are links for more info on the show and insight to the Quileute culture:

 

http://americanindian.si.edu/subpage.cfm?subpage=exhibitions&second=dc&third=current  

 

http://www.quileutenation.org

 

~ Margaret McClung