The DC Traveler

On another Monument Monday, I thougth I’d come up with a Top Ten List of the most important artifacts, national treasures, and pieces of history in Washington, DC’s museums and archives. With all of the the Smithsonian Institution museums, the National Archives, Library of Congress and so many, that was tough to come up with just ten. So here’s mine list (plus 1), in no particular order.
Feel free to add to the list by making a comment below.
1) The Declaration of Independence on display in the Rotunda of the National Archives.
2) The U.S. Constitution, also at the Archives.
3) …read more

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For the forth year, Irving Contemporary in Washington, DC, is hosting its annual Introductions art show, which features a selection of recent graduates and student artists from art schools across the U.S.
By soliciting entries from student and recent grads from major art schools, Irvine received over 250 submissions.  Of those, 35 were selected to be reviewed by a jury, with just 9 artists making the cut, including three local artists, all from Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore.  
Works include paper, stone, photography, oil on canvas, wood and plastic and video by the following artists who are probably …read more

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By definition, the word ballyhoo means flamboyant or sensational advertising or promotion. Today’s infomercial might fall into that category, or perhaps anything promoted by Donald Trump.
Around the same time as the word was coined, in the late 1800s, the walls of Paris streets began to be plastered with colorful art nouveau advertising posters.  Since then, the promotional poster has become as mainstream as the 30-second TV spot.
Examples of how these posters have influenced society as part of the collection on exhibit in Ballyhoo! Posters As Portraiture at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC.
The 61 classic posters were created …read more

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The U.S. State Department sends American musicians on international tours to act as roving cultural ambassadors. During the 1950’s through the 1970’s, many legendary jazz musicians such as Louie Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, and Dave Brubeck hit the road to spread the all-American sound of jazz. 

The photo exhibit Jam Session: America’s Jazz Ambassadors Embrace the World at the White-Meyer House near U Street, celebrates this unique form of cultural diplomacy.  The exhibit includes over 100 photos of these famous musicians as they toured the globe, meeting world leaders and playing to enthusiastic audiences.
Jam Session: America’s Jazz Ambassadors Embrace the …read more

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It’s a race Wile E. Coyote or Rube Goldberg would probably enter –the tenth annual Kinetic Sculpture Race at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. And it’s one of the wackiest races in America.

Nicknamed the “Triathlon of the Art World“, and put on by the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, the race requires contestants to create a human-powered work of art machines that can travel on land, through mud, and over the water of the Inner Harbor. 

Sculptures must be human-powered, ground and amphibious capable, and custom built, just for the race.
Each Vehicle/watercraft/artwork must be constructed out of mostly …read more

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One of the current exhibits at the The Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, DC, The Cinema Effect: Illusion, Reality, and the Moving Image – Part I: Dreams, is a very unique collection of moving-image and cinematic artworks.
Ranging from somewhat predictable Andy Warhol-like black & white still-life movies with not much happening, to some very entertaining and provocative clips reflecting the transition from consciousness to the dream state.
The exhibit is mostly showcased in a series of dark galleries (so dark, at times it’s almost impossible to see your way around).  At times, I had to stop in my tracks …read more

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In 1912, a gift of 3,000 cherry trees from the city of Tokyo was presented to the people of Washington, DC.  Since then, the annual cherry blossom festival has been a reminder of the bond with Japan.
For two weeks at the Kennedy Center, you can enjoy Japan Culture + Hypreculture as it explodes with over 40 performances, 450 artists, lectures, cultural events, music and dance performances, anime and more. Plus, many of the events are free. 
Some of the free events include:

Robots, robots and more robots at Robotopia Rising – Feb. 7–17, Mon. – Fri. 12:30–7:30, Sat. & Sun. 10–7:30. Free, …read more

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One of the biggest draws to the National Museum of Natural History is the Hope Diamond, along with the other colorful and stunning pieces of spectacular jewelry, displayed in all their opulent glory in the Harry Winston jewelry gallery (2nd floor).  But just next door is the minerals section, which is about eight times larger and I find, even more fascinating and colorful.

The Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals is split into a few sections, first the jewelry section, and next is my favorite, the minerals display and lastly is the mining exhibit.
The minerals exhibit lets you …read more

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The Edward Hopper exhibit at the National Gallery of Art, which features his most famous painting, the classic Nighthawks, along with 82 of his other pieces is ending this weekend.

It’s the most comprehensive Hopper exhibit to ever visit Washington, DC. 
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“The world must be made safe for democracy.”
Is that the latest presidential campaign slogan from Barack Obama or John McCain? Actually no. Although it could be. It’s actually a statement made in 1917 by President Woodrow Wilson.
After attempting to keep the U.S. out of the First World War for three years, he felt that the U.S. had to enter the war to help make the world safer.  His attempts to keep the U.S. out of the war failed after Germany’s refusal to honor America’s neutrality.  Incidents that fueled America’s willingness to enter the war included the U-boat sinking …read more

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