museum

“Today the National Building Museum announces its 2021 Summer Block Party: Inside Out.”

By Prince Of Petworth


“Equilateral Network on the Museum’s West Lawn. Courtesy Lisa Marie Thalhammer.”

From the National Building Museum:

“Today the National Building Museum announced its 2021 Summer Block Party, Inside Out. Where previous years have showcased massive, immersive, crowd-inducing installations in the Great Hall, this year’s iteration features a handful of smaller projects and public programs both within the Museum and on the West Lawn that are better suited to this early post-pandemic era of smaller gatherings and social distancing, including a wooden maze filled with books, a hand-built cathedral truss, public programs, and, thanks to a partnership with the DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID), interactive lawn art and outdoor movies. (more…)

Phari’s Photos – The Arts and Industries Building

By Prince Of Petworth

Photos and words by @Pharipedia. Phari is one of my favorite photographers who contributes to our Instagram. He’s volunteered to share a bit more with us from his adventures around town. Phari lives on Capitol Hill.

“This Fall, in celebration of 175th anniversary of the Smithsonian, the Arts and Industries Building will reopen for the first time in two decades with an exhibition called “FUTURES.” Built in 1881 as the National Museum, it is where people viewed the newly invented telephone and Thomas Edison demonstrated the lightbulb for the first time.”

“A visit today reveals a layered history that has often been untold—the experience of the enslaved people of Arlington House.”

By Prince Of Petworth


via National Park Service

From the National Park Service:

“The National Park Service (NPS) today reopened Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial, following a complete rehabilitation of the site and transformation of the visitor experience. New exhibits and research allow the NPS to interpret the history of the Custis and Lee families alongside that of the more than 100 enslaved people who labored on the plantation. Together, their stories reveal a more complete picture of life at Arlington House and of the people and events that changed our nation.

The rehabilitation, which began in 2018, was made possible through a $12.35 million donation by philanthropist David M. Rubenstein to the National Park Foundation.

“Our goal is to create a place of dialogue and learning. We invite visitors to be curious, to connect with the stories, and to be open to hard questions. Park rangers and volunteers will share inclusive stories about the many people and events connected to Arlington House,” Charles Cuvelier, George Washington Memorial Parkway superintendent, said. “David Rubenstein’s generous donation improved every aspect of the site, and the National Park Service is grateful for his continued support.”

A visit today reveals a layered history that has often been untold–the experience of the enslaved people of Arlington House. (more…)

“The Smithsonian will reopen 10 of its museums throughout the summer, marking a full reopening of the Smithsonian since closing to the public in March 2020”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by m01229

From The Smithsonian:

“The Smithsonian will reopen 10 of its museums throughout the summer, marking a full reopening of the Smithsonian since closing to the public in March 2020. These locations will open on a staggered schedule from June through August. All museums will reopen with added health and safety measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic and many with reduced hours of operation. Visitors will need to reserve free, timed-entry passes for most locations.

Reopening Schedule  (more…)

“Smithsonian To Reopen Seven Museums and the National Zoo in May!!”

By Prince Of Petworth


From a press release:

“The Smithsonian will reopen eight of its facilities to the public in May, starting with the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, Wednesday, May 5. Additional museums and the National Zoo will open Friday, May 14, and Friday, May 21.

All locations will reopen with added health and safety measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Visitors will need to reserve free timed-entry passes for all locations. All other Smithsonian museums will remain temporarily closed to the public.

Reopening Schedule  (more…)

Planet Word Reopens Today!

By Prince Of Petworth


13th and K Street, NW courtesy Planet Word

From Planet Word:

“We want you to have a safe visit to Planet Word. We are limiting capacity in the building to support social distancing, distributing stylus pens to limit touch interactions with our exhibit screens, and requiring masks be worn at all times on the premises.” (more…)

National Building Museum Reopening April 9th after a 16-month closure

By Prince Of Petworth


“The Great Hall of the National Building Museum. Photo by Kevin Allen.”

From a press release:

“On Friday, April 9, 2021, the National Building Museum will reopen after a 16-month closure due to restoration work and the COVID-19 pandemic. In its 41st year as the only U.S. cultural institution dedicated to the built environment, the Museum will once again welcome everyone to experience stories about the structures, interiors, and landscapes that we design and build. New offerings include an exhibition about a nonprofit architecture firm leading the way in designs for health, well-being, and justice; a memorial dedicated to victims of gun violence; the work of an architectural photography master; and a Visitor Center that introduces the public to the institution and its mission.

The Museum’s exhibitions and the Museum Shop will be open from 11 am to 4 pm, Fridays through Sundays. (more…)

“Newseum’s 1A tablet finds new home at Philly’s National Constitution Center”

By Prince Of Petworth


rendering credit: Elia Architecture & Interiors

From a press release:

“The National Constitution Center announced it will be the new home for the iconic First Amendment tablet from the former Newseum building in Washington, D.C. The 50-ton marble tablet, engraved with the 45 words of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, was displayed on the four-story-high, 74-foot-tall Pennsylvania Avenue façade of the Newseum, a nonprofit museum founded by the Freedom Forum and dedicated to the five freedoms of the First Amendment.

Work has begun to remove the stone pieces from the building, which was sold to Johns Hopkins University after the Newseum closed in 2019. The tablet remained the property of the Freedom Forum, and will be a gift to the National Constitution Center. The tablet will be reconfigured and emplaced along a 100-foot-wide wall on the National Constitution Center’s Grand Hall Overlook, the second-floor atrium overlooking historic Independence Mall. (more…)

“The big blue rooster on the Roof Terrace of the National Gallery’s East Building is here to stay.”

By Prince Of Petworth


“Katharina Fritsch’s Hahn/Cock Given to National Gallery of Art by Glenstone Museum as a Symbol of Hope and Renewal”

From an email:

“Katharina Fritsch’ Hahn/Cock (2013) has been given on the National Gallery’s 80th anniversary by the Glenstone Museum to the National Gallery as a symbol of hope and renewal on the horizon. While our East/West Buildings remain closed, beginning tonight the sculpture will be illuminated at night so Washingtonians can see it from afar until they can be reunited for that ‘gram again.”

Full press release: (more…)

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