Washington DC – Part Two

National Gallery of Art

The National Gallery of Art is actually housed in two different buildings. There is the East and West Galleries as well as the Sculpture Gardens. There is a huge collection and it will easily take you two to three days to soak it all in. You can access the East and West Galleries from the ground level by passing by the cascading waterfall and through many overhead twinkling lights that make you feel like you’re under a night sky. This, in and of itself, is pretty impressive. It is pretty amazing that this museum is free to the public. There is such an amazing collection here and so much to see. There are nearly 9,000 google reviews with an average of 4.8 stars, pretty impressive! The cafeteria beyond the twinkling lights above is pretty expensive though. You might just want to grab a hot dog outside at a vendor cart or bring your own bag lunch if you’re on a tight budget.

Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery

The National Portrait Gallery is not in a convenient location so it would be easy to miss. This gallery has unique pieces with a different twist that you won’t see much of in other galleries. One that really caught my eye was the 3-D display of objects made from polyester. It was a large display and you could actually walk through parts of the exhibit. Stunning work.  

Renwick Gallery

Another museum that is not in the hustle and bustle of the mall. However, if you’re over near the White House, this is a must. When we went, the big exhibit was ‘The Art of Burning Man’ and it did not disappoint. For those who don’t know what Burning Man Festival is here’s an overview: Burning Man is an annual week-long event held in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert where over 70,000 participants build Black Rock City, a temporary metropolis focused on community, art, and radical self-expression. It is a commerce-free, “leave no trace” event culminating in the burning of a large wooden effigy. Burning Man is all about self-expression and the rejection of corporatism and capitalism. The experience of creating and viewing art and living in the moment is Burning Man’s purpose.  There were breathing mushrooms which moved and changed colors, a neat light display, and a room made out of wood carvings. There was also an area where you could experience virtual reality. The Burning Man exhibit was very, very cool. Check out what the latest exhibit is when you plan on going. I’m sure whatever it is, it will be worth the visit.

Smithsonian Institution Building (The Castle)

We always refer to the Smithsonian Institution building as the castle. On these same grounds you can find the Freer Gallery of Art, National Museum of Asian Art and National Museum of African Art. The Institution was founded in 1846 with funds from the Englishman James Smithson. The Smithsonian Institute is made up of 21 museums and the National Zoo. It is the world’s largest museum complex. The castle itself was completed in 1855 and was the first and oldest building

National Museum of Asian Art

The cute monkey sculpture can be found in the National Museum of Asian art. It is called, “Reaching for the Moon”. It’s a chain of monkey’s linked arm to tail. It extends more than 80 feet from the skylight to a fountain below. The artist, Xu Bing, based it on a Chinese folktale which goes like this: One night monkeys in a tall tree looked down and saw the moon in the water. The moon had fallen from the sky! The monkeys worked together to link their arms and tail into a chain. Finally, the last monkey reached out to touch the moon. They were surprised when the moon disappeared into the shimmering ripples. Looking up, the monkeys realized they had merely seen the moon’s reflection.

Hirshorn Museum & Sculpture Garden

The Hirshorn Museum was opened in 1974. It showcases contemporary art and culture. It started with the donations of an immigrant artist:

“It is an honor to have given my art collection to the people of the United States as a small repayment for what this nation has done for me and others like me who arrived here as immigrants. What I accomplished in the United States I could not have accomplished anywhere else in the world.”—Joseph Hirshhorn

National Mall

Next up on the agenda is the National Mall. The National Mall is America’s most visited national park. It is centrally located and stretches over 2 miles from the Lincoln Memorial on the west end to the U.S. Capitol on the east end. It’s a place where you can picnic on the grass, throw a frisbee, explore monuments and memorials and even ride a carousel. Some of our highlights included:

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

From the National Park Service website: “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Baptist minister and social activist who became a notable figure during the U.S. civil rights movement from the mid-1950s until he was assassinated in 1968. He played a pivotal role in ending the legal segregation of African American citizens in the U.S., influencing the creation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, among other honors.” “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” MLK, 1963 Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affect one directly, affects all indirectly.” MLK, Alabama 1963    

Washington Monument

The Washington Monument sits in the center of it all and was built to honor George Washington. It is a 555-foot marble obelisk that towers over the city. Last summer, as many times I’ve been before, it was closed to visitors. I have never been inside and ridden up to the top. We have always lovingly referred to it as the pencil whenever it’s in sight, “Look, there’s the pencil” we say every time we drive over the 14th street bridge and it comes into sight..

Korean War Veterans Memorial

This one is near and dear to my heart. My uncle served and went missing in action in the Korean War. My grandmother searched for him until the day she died. In memoriam: Paul Emile LaFond 31st Infantry Regiment M CO 3 BN Army Hostile, Died While Missing (MIA) Remains Not RecoveredDate Of Loss: December 2, 1950 Born: February 19, 1930 Location Or Battle Zone: Chosin Reservoir Son of Mr. and Mrs. Louise J. LaFond DOD Comments: Private First Class LaFond was listed as Missing in Action while fighting the enemy south of the Changjin Reservoir near Koto-ri, North Korea on or about December 2, 1950. He was presumed dead on December 31, 1953. DOD records cite December 12, 1950 as date of loss but due to the internal chaos within the unit due to high losses, it it impossible, without eyewitness confirmation to have a specific date of actual loss.

In Conclusion

That’s a wrap of the crews in-depth exploration of a place that’s been near and dear to my heart for nearly half a century. I’ve worked, played, and lived in Washington, D.C. There is so much to see and do. I will close this segment with a picture of a row house my brother and I owned for a brief period of time. If you went to the end of the street and looked right, you could see the capitol in the distance.