Washington, D.C. a hotbed of visual arts and culture

This weekend, for the first time in several months, I had the opportunity to spend a day in our nation's capitol. Weaving my way through parks of fall leaves in full bloom and monuments to our beloved forefathers, I was kicking myself for not taking this trip more often. Especially for someone intensely interested in the visual arts, Washington, D.C. is a veritable hotbed of culture invested not only in the Smithsonian Institute museums, but also in a number of prominent surrounding galleries. I spent most of the day skipping from museum to museum, not only getting to take in an incredible amount of work but also getting to play tour guide to my best man - I always knew that art history degree would come in handy for something! The following is a run-down of artistic venues worth checking out right now in D.C. Some of them I visited myself, some I can only hope to return to see soon enough.

National Gallery of Art

Going here is like one huge introduction to art history, housed within two buildings. One might potentially spend an entire day in these museums alone. The East Building focuses on art from the Renaissance through the early 19th century. Located across the street, West Building covers modern art, from masters such as Pablo Picasso and Jackson Pollock up to contemporary artists such as Jasper Johns, who are still producing work today. (http://www.nga.gov)

National Museum of American History

The main focus of this museum is not on art, but art of all forms has played an important role during the cultural development of the United States.

One of the currently featured exhibits is a collection of old paint-by-number kits and pictures, along with photographs of the craft's innovators, arranged in conjunction with a written chronology of the whole paint-by-number phenomenon.

Another featured exhibit focuses on the great jazz chanteuse Ella Fitzgerald, including photographs of the singer in performance, as well as awards won and clothing worn by Fitzgerald herself. (http://americanhistory.si.edu)

Hirshhorn Museum

The Hirshhorn features exhibitions of contemporary art, focusing upon a particular artist, or a certain theme or issue in modern culture demonstrated by the works of various artists.

Currently displayed is a collection of works by sculptor Juan Mu--oz, whose whimsical characters are at once superficially humorous and psychologically disturbing.

The museum also has a fine permanent collection of modern art, including a long corridor of sculpture from the 19th and 20th centuries.

Be sure to stroll around the Hirshhorn's adjacent sculpture garden just outside before you leave, for an added treat. (http://www.hirshhorn.si.edu)

Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

The smaller museum features Asian art and artifacts from ancient times through the present, including works from China, Japan, Korea, Tibet and the greater Islamic world. The current featured exhibition is "Word Play" by contemporary artists Xu Bing, exploring the physical manifestations words and writing as visual art.

The most impressive pieces are two installations: in one, sculpted Chinese characters rise off a flat surface and rise high into the air, suspended by clear wire. The other is a series of books laid flat across the entire floor of a room and opened to expose Chinese characters, while two long cloth scrolls, also covered with lettering, hang horizontally above the entire arrangement.

In the last rooms of the exhibition, the audience is encouraged to participate in an interactive computer program as well as in an opportunity to create calligraphy for themselves. (http://www.asia.si.edu)

Freer Gallery of Art

The Freer is another Asian art museum, featuring works from prehistoric to modern times; however, the museum also has a collection of 19th and early 20th-century American art.

Currently at the Freer Gallery is "Three Friends of Winter: Pine, Bamboo, and Plum in Chinese Painting." Traditionally associated with winter, evergreen bamboo and pine and plum trees are also closely identified with the scholar in private life. The exhibit runs through Jan. 20, 2002. (http://www.asia.si.edu)

National Museum of American Art

The name of this museum is fairly self-explanatory and features a collection of 38,000 paintings sculpture, graphics, folk art and photographs from American artists of the past and present, such as Mary Cassatt, Georgia O'Keefe and Robert Rauschenberg. (http://AmericanArt.si.edu)

National Museum of Women in the Arts

This museum is nearly as much a venue for social awareness as it is for art appreciation, as it strives to educate the public about the role and accomplishments of female artists.

One of the current featured exhibitions, which has been getting quite a bit of recognition, is entitled "Virgin Territory: Women, Gender, and History in Contemporary Brazilian Art," and includes work of all media by 25 artists exploring the discovery and colonization of Brazil by the Portuguese.

Another current exhibition, "Rapunzel, Rapunzel! Let Down Your Hair!" offers varied artistic treatment of the fairy tale. The show is open through Jan. 27, 2002. On display are illustrations and books published in English, French, German and Dutch. (http://www.nmwa.org)

National Portrait Gallery

This gallery is a bit more for the traditionalist, but is impressive nonetheless. It has on display over 100 paintings of significant Americans, including past presidents. (http://www.npg.si.edu)