museum

Historic Franklin School Plans Announced with Planet Word “first-ever interactive museum of words and language”

By Prince Of Petworth

franklin_school_museum
13th and K Street, NW

Ed. Note: You can see previous proposals here.

From a press release:

“Today the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) announced the selection of Ann B. Friedman and Dantes Partners to lead the redevelopment of the historic Franklin School, located at the intersection of 13th Street NW and K Street NW in Ward 2. Delivering on the Bowser Administration’s commitment to the creative economy, the proposed development will transform the historic space into Planet Word, an interactive language arts museum and education space.

“Planet Word is a one-of-a-kind project that delivers on our promise to invest in the arts in the most innovative of ways,” said Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Brian T. Kenner. “Developing the Franklin School into an interactive language center gives visitors and residents a unique learning experience, adds to the cultural fabric of our downtown, and is a great fit for the District’s growing creative economy.”

Planet Word’s mission is to inspire a love of words and language and increase literacy through a host of interactive exhibits and experiences. Along with the Mundolingua in Paris, Planet Word will be one of just a few fully-operational language museums globally. Initially inspired by MoMath, the National Museum of Mathematics in Manhattan, Ms. Friedman, with the support of her husband, Thomas L. Friedman, and a national board, has been developing plans for the museum for more than three years and is delighted to have found such an appropriate venue for the project and have the opportunity to restore the Franklin School to its former architectural glory. (more…)

“Yesterday 27 teams of architects, engineers, and developers came together at the National Building museum to build giant sculptures out of canned food to bring awareness to those in our nation’s capital that don’t have enough to eat.”

By Prince Of Petworth

canstruction

“Dear PoPville,

Yesterday 27 teams of architects, engineers, and developers came together at the National Building museum to build giant sculptures out of canned food to bring awareness to those in our nation’s capital that don’t have enough to eat. Afterwards, all of the cans are donated to the Capital Area Food Bank. Canstruction DC is sponsored by the Washington Architectural Foundation and Society for Design Administration, and has donated more than 250 tons of food to the Capital Area Food Bank.

The sculptures are open to the public from Nov. 20-27th, and “votes” can be cast in the form of cans donated at the site, or via an online donation here.

This is a great way to help our neighbors during this Thanksgiving season, and I’d be very appreciative if you could post the information on your site to encourage people to visit. Entry is free to view the sculptures, and the National Building Museum is located at 401 F St NW, Washington, DC 20001. This year’s theme is “Movie Night” and there are sculptures representing blockbusters such as Star Wars, Ghostbusters, and Sharknado.”

“events, road closures and security measures related to the grand opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture”

By Prince Of Petworth

museum
Photo by PoPville flickr user Tim Brown

From the Mayor’s Office:

“Mayor Muriel Bowser announces events, road closures and security measures related to the grand opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the 19th and newest museum of the Smithsonian Institution.

In honor of the museum opening, Mayor Bowser will attend the dedication ceremony and grand opening on Saturday, September 24. In addition to several events that will be hosted throughout the District to commemorate the opening, the museum will also host Freedom Sounds: A Community Celebration, a three-day free festival taking place on the Washington Monument grounds. The event will include musical performances, spoken word, oral-history activities, storytelling and interactive workshops. The festival will also include concert performances on Saturday from Living Colour, Public Enemy and The Roots. On Sunday, Experience Unlimited, Meshell Ndegeocello and Angelique Kidjo will deliver concert performances. A full schedule will be available on the museum’s website (www.nmaahc.si.edu). (more…)

Air and Space Museum Goes All In on Star Trek’s 50th Anniversary Fete

By Prince Of Petworth

startrek
Credit: Image by Eric Long, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution

From the National Air and Space Museum:

“National Air and Space Museum Invites Fans to “Boldly Go 50”

The 50th anniversary of Star Trek is Sept. 8, and the National Air and Space Museum is inviting fans to celebrate with “Boldly Go 50”—three nights of special programs sponsored by the Roddenberry Foundation. The events will explore the history of the science-fiction franchise and its role in inspiring generations of real scientists, innovators and explorers. “Boldly Go 50” will spotlight the show’s message of going where no one has gone before in a space featuring artifacts of exploration achievements from the “Spirit of St. Louis” to SpaceShipOne, and now including the 11-foot studio model of the starship Enterprise used in all 79 episodes of the original series.

Thursday, Sept. 8

Museum visitors can celebrate the moment of Star Trek’s 50th anniversary Sept. 8 with special screenings of the first episode aired, “The Man Trap,” timed to the show’s 1966 timeslot. The program will begin at 8 p.m., with screenings held concurrently at both of the museum’s locations: on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va. The screenings will be introduced live in Washington and by simulcast to Chantilly by Margaret Weitekamp, the museum’s curator of social and cultural dimensions of spaceflight, Rod Roddenberry, son of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, and Bjo and John Trimble, two of Star Trek’s founding fans. The screenings will be followed by a Q&A. Free tickets are required at both locations.

Friday, Sept. 9

The museum’s location on the National Mall in Washington will host an evening of anniversary activities, including films, tours, special guests, presentations, photo-ops with the original Enterprise studio model and more. The Smithsonian Channel’s new documentary Building Star Trek will begin at 8 p.m. in the Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater, followed by the new film from Adam Nimoy, For the Love of Spock. Free tickets are required for both films; no tickets are required for museum entry or other activities. The event will run from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 10

The popular Museum Moonshine series continues Sept. 10 at the museum’s Washington location with a Star Trek-centric 21-and-over program from the museum and Smithsonian Gardens, exploring the recent conservation of the Enterprise model and the work of the North American Orchid Conservation Center. Activities include selfie stations with a botanic oasis inspired by Star Trek’s set designs, sky gazing with staff from the Phoebe Waterman Haas Public Observatory, displays from Smithsonian Garden’s orchid collection (including a take-home mini-test-tube orchid), Star Trek-inspired treats and talks with special guests and museum experts. A selection of light refreshments and alcoholic beverage samples are included with each ticket. Tickets must be purchased in advance and cost $35. Tickets for National Air and Space Society members cost $30. (more…)

Mark It, The 5th annual Oktoberfest at the Heurich House Museum is Saturday, Sept. 17

By Prince Of Petworth

Heurich_House_octoberfest
1307 New Hampshire Avenue, NW

From the Heurich House Museum:

“Our fifth annual Oktoberfest returns on Saturday, September 17 from 1-4 pm. Local beers on tap courtesy of all NINE DC Brewers Guild members, German food, live music and tours of the historic home of DC brewmaster Christian Heurich included. Celebrate the Heurich’s German heritage with an afternoon at Oktoberfest! (more…)

Corpse Flower Alert, Corpse Flower Alert!!! “The plant will release its odorous scent over the next 6-8 hours”

By Prince Of Petworth

corpse flower
Corpse Flower, Aug. 2nd courtesy U.S. Botanic Garden

From a media alert:

“The bloom of the corpse flower (Amorphophallus titanum) has begun opening at the United States Botanic Garden (USBG), in an unusual day blooming event. The plant will release its odorous scent over the next 6-8 hours, and the bloom typically stays open anywhere from 24 to 48 hours. The USBG will be open from 10 a.m. until 11 p.m. tonight for visitors to experience the sight and and smell of this unique plant. The Garden will be open 10 a.m. until 11 p.m. tomorrow, as well. The U.S. Botanic Garden is open every day of the year, free of charge. [100 Maryland Ave, SW]

The U.S. Botanic Garden last displayed a corpse flower bloom in 2013. More than 130,000 people came to see the plant in person, and more than 650,000 viewers accessed the live webstream.”

A reader reports from the scene:

“It’s open and it’s a selfie bonanza!!”


Photo by PoPville flickr user hellomarkers!

Your Chance to Get a Whiff if you Wish “The corpse flower gets its name from the putrid scent it emits while in bloom”

By Prince Of Petworth

corpse flower
Photo by PoPville flickr user Phil

From a press release:

“The corpse flower (Amorphophallus titanum), also called “the stinky plant,” is about to bloom at the United States Botanic Garden (USBG) Conservatory. The plant went on display Friday, July 22. The Garden currently estimates peak bloom might happen between July 28-31. Once fully open, it usually remains in bloom for 24 to 48 hours and then quickly collapses. You can track the bloom’s progress via live video at http://www.USBG.gov/CorpseFlower.

The plant is famous for its large size, pungent odor, and unpredictable bloom schedule. The bloom is the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world – reaching up to 12 feet tall in the wild. An inflorescence is a cluster of multiple flowers that in the case of Amorphophallus species looks like a single flower. The corpse flower has hundreds of flowers located at the base of the spadix (the large vertical center) inside the famous purple-maroon spathe (the part that looks similar to “petals”). (more…)

Sharks of War: The U.S.S. Indianapolis Disaster of 1945 Talk July 26th in Silver Spring

By Prince Of Petworth

sharks of war
Photo by PoPville flickr user Paul Sirajuddin

“When: Tuesday, July 26, 2016, 6-7 p.m.

Where:
National Museum of Health and Medicine
2500 Linden Lane
Silver Spring, MD 20910

What:
Before World War II, experts dismissed sharks as a serious threat to service members. Then in 1942, the U.S. Navy received reports about horrific attacks on castaways adrift from sunken ships and downed airplanes. Many of these reports proved to be true. Soon after the war, diving pioneers sought out sharks, expecting the worst because of the shark attack stories. Instead, they found an animal less to be feared than understood. Join Robert Cantrell, filmmaker and shark researcher for a presentation on the history of shark attacks and how the “fear of sharks” impacted the Navy’s policy in World War II as well as present-day knowledge of sharks.

Cost:
FREE! Open to the public. No RSVP required.”

Attend the new Icebergs Exhibit at the Building Museum Free on “Ward Days”

By Prince Of Petworth

icebergs
rendering via the National Building Museum

Sweet.

From the National Building Museum:

“#WardDays at the Museum mean free #ICEBERGSDC admission for your ward on designated days”

Wards 1 and 6 is July 19th

Wards 5 and 7 is July 26th

Wards 3 and 4 is August 2nd

Wards 2 and 8 is August 9th

For those not familiar:

“Visit ICEBERGS in the Museum’s Great Hall. Designed by James Corner Field Operations, the installation opens as part of the annual Summer Block Party series, July 2 – September 5.

Visitors will:

  • Explore a fantastical glacial sea designed by landscape architects
  • Ascend to a viewing area inside the tallest berg
  • Traverse an undersea bridge or slide down an ice chute
  • Sample Japanese kakigori shaved ice provided by the restaurant Daikaya
  • Learn about how design can transform spaces and lives

ICEBERGS is built from re-usable construction materials, such as scaffolding and polycarbonate paneling, a material commonly used in building greenhouses. The 20′ high “water line” allows panoramic views from high above the ocean surface and down below among the towering bergs. The tallest “bergy bit,” at 56′, reaches to the third story balcony of the Museum. ICEBERGS occupies a total area of 12,540 square feet. (more…)

Huge Horses Ass Outside the National Geographic Museum

By Prince Of Petworth

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From National Geographic:

“This summer, National Geographic will bring an extraordinary cultural experience to Washington, D.C. THE GREEKS: Agamemnon to Alexander the Great is an exceptional journey through 5,000 years of Greek history and culture. This exhibition features more than 500 priceless treasures—many of which have never been on display outside of Greece. Washington, D.C. is the only east coast museum to host the exhibit. We expect to draw visitors from New York to Richmond for this exhibition, as it is the largest and most comprehensive survey of Greek culture in a generation.

Featuring collections from 22 national museums in Greece, THE GREEKS tells the unique story of one of the world’s greatest ancient civilizations. Visitors will encounter the early origins of Greek writing and art from the Cycladic and Minoan cultures of the Aegean, meet the Mycenaean rulers and priestesses, the warriors of Sparta, the heroes, athletes and philosophers of Classical Greece and Alexander, the king that would spread Greek culture throughout the world—giving rise to civilization as we know it. The exhibition explores pivotal moments that led to the birth of Western democracy, modern art, science, medicine, theater and sports.

In addition to this blockbuster exhibit, join National Geographic this summer as we host events celebrating all things Greek—talks, tastings, tours and toga parties, this event lineup is not-to-be-missed!

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National Geographic Museum
1145 17th Street NW

Open Daily 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
June 1 – October 10
The museum will close early at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 2.”

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