Several months ago, I went to the National Portrait Gallery and enjoyed a beautiful exhibit featuring women artists who spent time in Paris during the first half of the 20th century. however this exhibit was not the only one that caught my eye while at the national portrait gallery. Not very far from one of the main entrances was a hallway devoted to the glamorous photos of Hollywood stars taken by George Hurrell. His work perfectly captures both the beauty and mystery of these stars of the Hollywood Golden Age. Here are some of my favorite photos from the exhibit. Enjoy!
This photo of the radiant Jean Harlow greeted visitors to the corridor of photographs
Background information on Hurrell
Dashing Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
This is one of my favorite photos of Gypsy Rose Lee
Recently, I visited one of my favorite museums, The National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC. This museum is located right by Chinatown in downtown, a stone’s throw away from Capital One Arena. I was in the area while one of my friends visited from Atlanta, and we took advantage of a sunny afternoon and explored downtown DC on foot. She had never visited this museum before and, since the Portrait Gallery shares a building with the Smithsonian American Art Museum, I thought it would be a great time to visit both. I also got a chance to show her one of my favorite sculptures, The Death of Cleopatra by Edmonia Lewis (I wrote about this breathtaking work in this post).
As it just so happens, the museum had two exhibitions that were perfect for our artistic preferences. In this post, I’ll discuss one of those exhibitions (I’ll share the other exhibition in a separate post). Brilliant Exiles: American Women in Paris, 1900–1939 is a stunning collection of works from the various genius women that found themselves living in Paris pre-WWII for the same reason. Paris, during this time, was progressive enough for female creatives who wished to hone their crafts, giving them an environment to do so without the stigmas, pressures, or expectations of life in America. The women were often in Paris for art school, but ending up in some cases staying longer than expected, so they could continue to enjoy the freedom that Parisian life offered.
I focused on the Harlem Renaissance section of the exhibition, since this period fascinates me and offers many relevant lessons for creatives in the current day. I was thrilled to see some of my favorite artists represented in the collection, including Lois Maillou Jones, Augusta Savage, and Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller. And, naturally, no exhibition about the Harlem Renaissance would be complete without a Josephine Baker feature.
Sculptress Augusta Savage
Sketch of Lois Maillou Jones
I was delighted to see other singers that are sometimes overlooked during the conversations around influential vocalists during this period. Florence Mills, Nora Holt, Adelaide Hall and Ethel Waters were also highlighted in this exhibition, which was a refreshing surprise.
I was tickled to see a photograph of one of my favorite jazz-era entrepreneurs, Ada “Bricktop” Smith. Her Paris nightclub realized a level of success that Smith could have not even fathomed in America. I love that her entrepreneurial spirit led her to a foreign country, where she enjoyed a long and fruitful career.
This collection also introduced me to Laura Wheeling Waring, an African American female portraitist that captured some of the most brilliant women of the time. I fell in love with her portrayal of Jessie Redmon Fauset, the poet and literary editor of The Crisis, a magazine that published the works of a number of Harlem Renaissance greats (such as Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, Nella Larsen, and many others).
Jessie Redmon Fauset by Laura Wheeling Waring
The exhibition also re-introduced me to Nancy Elizabeth Prophet, a sculptor that I’m excited to learn more about. I was captivated by her story, especially her diligence to her craft. She was so devoted to sculpting that she suffered through extreme poverty and physically demanding tasks (like carving stone and wood) in France, just to ensure that she could bring forth the art she desired to create. These hard times took a toll on her, but her efforts paid off, and she enjoyed success during her lifetime.
It warms my heart to know that, during a period of time where Black women in America were often pigeonholed into careers that were neither financially nor emotionally fulfilling, there were some brave and fortunate women that got to leave the States and experience peace and freedom in Paris. I am blessed to see portraits of these women, and even artwork that they created, during this exciting time in history.
The exhibition runs until February 23, 2025. I hope you all get a chance to check it out!
One of the greatest joys of my life was visiting museums. Prior to 2019, I regularly worked in Washington, DC, which meant that I could easily go to a major museum during my lunch break or after work. I loved walking those corridors and taking in art from all around the world, as well as art that documented the history of America. Nothing was as soothing to me as spending time at the Smithsonian and checking out the latest exhibitions.
However, things changed drastically at the end of 2018. I was unable to walk more than a few feet without getting winded, I could only sleep for an hour or so at a time, and the unrelenting body aches that I experienced left me frustrated and frightened. As someone that was used to being far more active, I was terrified of these mysterious symptoms that took away my basic abilities to navigate the world like I’d previously done. As it turns out, I had fibromyalgia, and I immediately started a telework schedule that would allow me to rest as needed throughout the day. Unfortunately, my condition made traveling to DC absolute torture. So, I had to put my museum mini-trips on hold until my health improved.
I still haven’t gone back to visit the museums in DC, though I have spent some time at my local museum earlier this year (I was thrilled to finally be able to walk around a bit without experiencing excruciating pain). However, it’s National Arts and Humanities Month, and I just want to take a moment to share some of the amazing things happening at the Smithsonian in honor of this month-long celebration.
On October 23rd, the Smithsonian will be kicking off its own craft show. The show will occur virtually, and the theme is Celebrating American Artistry. The crafts featured in the show are created by carefully selected artisans that create work that reflects American aesthetics and sensibilities. What better way to celebrate art than to purchase some for yourself? Interested shoppers can securely purchase items through the Smithsonian platform, adding a layer of assurance for both shoppers and the craftspeople that are involved in the exchange. The event ends on October 31st.
The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, the Asian art museum within the Smithsonian, is the host of the DC Turkish Film Festival. The films that are featured in this festival are all available online for free, so anyone can enjoy from the comfort of their homes. The films will be available through the Sackler Gallery through October 31st.
The companion to the Sackler Gallery is the Freer Gallery. At the Freer Gallery, the Hokusai: Mad About Painting exhibition is a fascinating dive into the art of Katsushika Hokusai, a Japanese artist that is arguably among the country’s most famous painters. The Freer Gallery has an impressive collection of Hokusai’s work, and anyone interested in learning more about this gifted artist would do well to check out this exhibition. But hurry: it will only be at the gallery until January 9, 2022.
The National Museum of African Art (located just one block from the Free and Sackler Galleries) is currently displaying Heroes: Principles of African Greatness, an exhibition that centers on how art is used to tell the stories of heroism and the traits of effective African leaders. This one is definitely worth checking out sooner rather than later, since the end date for this exhibition is still to be announced. Nothing is worse that postponing a visit and finding out that you mistimed your travel and lost the opportunity to do something that you wanted to do (trust me: it’s happened to me, and it was no fun!)
Finally, the Archive of American Art is hosting the exhibition, What is Feminist Art? This exhibition is a continuation of a discussion that was initiated back in 1976, and some of the same artists that participated in the 1970s also participated this time around. This exhibition promises to be an eye-opening discussion on feminism and how it has changed, or remained the same, over the past 45+ years. This exhibition closes on December 31st.
Would you check out any of these exhibitions? Or, do you have other plans to celebrate National Arts and Humanities Month? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments below!
I’m finally writing a post that I’ve wanted to write for weeks now: welcome back to the Smithsonian Institute! During what is officially the longest shutdown in US history, visitors had to go without this cultural treasure.The Smithsonian Institute (SI), along with the National Gallery of Art (NGA), are finally running again after shuttering their doors at the end of December. Even when several other federal agencies were furloughed, SI and NGA both made sure to continue operating until the end of the calendar year.
It’s this commitment to the American public that really distinguishes these fine organizations. No one is happier to welcome them back that I am.
Happy Thursday, friends! I hope that this Thursday sees you in good health and fantastic spirits. I wanted to post a quick update because, as you all may recall, a few weeks ago I posted about Smithsonian exhibitions that were scheduled to leave the museums in January 2019. I wanted to make sure you all knew the exhibitions that would be leaving soon so that you could take advantage of these before they left DC.
However, my post about the exhibitions came right before the government shutdown. I was not aware that the shutdown would be affecting the Smithsonian Institution as well as the National Gallery of Art. As a federal employee, I’m aware of what a shutdown can do. I’m also aware that the Smithsonian is part of the federal government. Despite knowing these things, I did not know that the shutdown would happen for such a long period of time. I also didn’t know to the extent that the Smithsonian would be affected.
The Smithsonian Castle
Regrettably, while the shutdown continues, the Smithsonian and the National Gallery of Art are not available to serve the public who have funded them throughout the year. I regret that so many people will not be able to enjoy these fine museums until the government is up and running again. Fortunately for us, the Smithsonian and the National Gallery of Art have made many exhibitions viewable on their respective websites. Yes, I know that websites don’t compared to viewing these treasures in person, but until the museums reopen, we’ll have to make do with what we have.
Let’s all send good vibrations to the hard-working staff of the Smithsonian and National Gallery of Art, who will not receive compensation while the shutdown is occurring. Let us also send good vibrations to the legislators who are trying their best to resolve the shutdown issue with as little negative impact to the workers as possible.
Happy Sunday! It’s a dreary, rainy Sunday in central Virginia but here’s hoping the weather is more pleasant wherever you are.
If you are planning any trips to the Northern Virginia/District of Columbia/Maryland area during January 2019, then you’ll want to carve out a little time to visit the Smithsonian Institute, one of the most extensive museum collectives in the world. And, if you’re an art lover (like me), you’ll probably want to know which exhibitions are leaving so you won’t miss them during your visit.
Visitors at the National Collection of Fine Arts touring a gallery of contemporary art by Unidentified Artist, Photo Blow-up, 1968, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C. (as seen in the Celebrating Fifty Years exhibition)
So, for your visiting convenience, here is a list of Smithsonian exhibitions slated to leave the Institute in January 2019. They are organized from early in January to the end of January, so you know which ones to check out first. Enjoy!
Happy Tuesday, friends! This is a holiday week, so you may be trying to find something to do other than simply eating turkey with family and friends (though that’s a perfectly good plan, as well!) If so, I have a few art-related things that you can check out if you want to do something different during this holiday weekend.
For starters, the National Portrait Gallery has an exhibit highlighting the history of the selfie-er, I mean, the past 100+ years of self-portraiture. Eye to I: Self Portraits from 1900 to Today showcases 75 different works that show how different artists during this period chose to depict themselves. It should be a fun and fascinating exhibit.
At the National Gallery of Art, this is the last full week that you can check out the exhibition Water, Wind and Waves: Marine Paintings from the Dutch Golden Age. If you love the sea (like me), this exhibition shouldn’t be missed. With the Dutch being personally invested in seafaring activities, these paintings have a level of realism and intensity that is rarely duplicated by other artists.
Estuary at Day’s End by Simon de Vlieger, c. 1640/1645
Finally, if you’re spending time at the National Portrait Gallery, you might as well swing over to the Smithsonian American Art Museum (these two institutions are housed in the same building). Pushing the Envelope: Mail Art form the Archives of American Art is showcasing a fascinating subset of art: mail art. Artists in the 1960s and onward started using postal mail as a new outlet for their creativity. This exhibition has mail art that captures the spirit of the times, including pieces that mark significant political periods.
These are just a few of the exhibitions in DC this week that are worth checking out. I hope you spend a little time patronizing these fine institutions over this upcoming weekend!
Happy Tuesday, darlings! What would a new month be if I didn’t reflect on the upcoming exhibits coming to the area?
Photograph featured in a tribute to Senator John S. McCain III at the National Portrait Gallery
Surprisingly, there are no exhibitions coming to any of the Smithsonian Museums this month. However, there are a few exhibitions ending this month. Here’s what I’ll be checking out in the next couple of weeks:
It looks like I’m going to have some very busy days over the next few weeks, since I can’t seem to stay out of the Smithsonian and I love taking advantage of being so close to the museums. Look out for some review posts in the near future!
I was familiar with Lacks’s story from many years back, as she was a Virginia native and never forgotten here, in her state of birth. Thus, I knew that I had to see the painting, titled “Henrietta Lacks (HeLa): The Mother of Modern Medicine”, for myself.
Henrietta Lacks (HeLa): The Mother of Modern Medicine, Kadir Nelson, oil on linen, 2017
Information card as displayed in the National Portrait Gallery
The painting is large and breathtaking: Lacks smiling sweetly and posed with her bible. Nelson incorporated some very special details that refer to Lacks’s legacy. As stated on the National Portrait Gallery press release:
“Commissioned by HBO, Nelson used visual elements to convey Lacks’ legacy. The wallpaper features the “Flower of Life,” a symbol of immortality; the flowers on her dress recall images of cell structures; and two missing buttons allude to the cells taken from her body without permission.”
Close up of the background, featuring the “Flower of Life”
Henrietta Lacks’s story raises issues surrounding ethics, right to patients’ genetic information, and privacy. The fact that she died but her cells made it possible for other people to live is heartbreaking, but what’s even more tragic is the fight that her family had to undertake to challenge the medical industry that used HeLa cells without Lacks’s, or her family’s, consent.
I’m so happy that Henrietta Lacks is being featured at the Smithsonian Museum and is taking her rightful place in American history. I really enjoyed seeing this beautiful portrait for myself, and I hope that you all get a chance to check it out, too! It will be at the National Portrait Gallery until November 4, 2018, and then it will be at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. You’ll be glad that you made the visit!
Happy Thursday, friends! Before we welcome the month of June, I thought you all might enjoy a list of some of the exhibitions coming to DC during the month. Have fun planning your museum trips! I know that I will.
Kreeger Museum, June 5 – July 31, 2018: The art for this exhibit is coming from the Museum of Art, Architecture, and Technology (MAAT) in Lisbon. This museum is fairly new: it opened to the public in October 2016. This is a special exhibition because it is the first group exhibition of 21st century Portuguese art of the 21st century to be presented in the United States.
Hillwood Estate, Museum and Garden, June 9, 2018 – January 13, 2019: As a lover of all things bejeweled and antique, Peter Carl Fabergé’s work is an eternal fave. So I won’t miss this exhibition at Hillwood Estate, Museum and Garden in DC. Fortunately, this exhibit will be here for several months, so if you can’t make it this summer, you have until early 2019 to visit and check it out.
Daguerrotype of Louis Daguerre, one of the fathers of photography
National Portrait Gallery, June 15, 2018 – June 2, 2019: The National Portrait Gallery (NPG) will be exhibiting daguerrotypes collected over 50 years. This early form of photography was the predecessor to photography as we know it today. The collection has some very famous faces, like P. T. Barnum and Matthew C. Perry, within it. The museum is celebrating it’s golden anniversary this year, so you can bet that there will be a lot of great exhibits throughout the year.
National Mall, June 27 – July 1, 2018; July 4 – 8, 2018
June ends on a strong note with the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. This year’s festival will highlight Armenia, Catalonia and the Sisterfire Concerts. It’s technically not an art exhibition, but if you’re in the area, you can’t miss the festival. This is always a great opportunity to take in international culture over several days.
Bronze Butterfly 