Category Archives: The Mall

Special Events, The Mall, We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: Pride Before Fall

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“A Bird’s-Eye View of Amsterdam” (circa 1652), by Jan Micker, based on a 1538 work, courtesy Amsterdam Historical Museum

Two current exhibits at the National Gallery of Art are at first glance dissimilar. “Pride of Place: Dutch Cityscapes of the Golden Age,” is a tightly restrained showcase of the grand Dutch Republic’s view of its cities and public spaces, using cartographic metaphor to show a mighty macrocosm at its seventeenth century height. “Looking In: Robert Frank’s The Americans“ takes on our own republic from a microcosmic perspective, capturing in lush yet depressing detail the consumerist chill of 1950’s America.

But seeing both exhibits in the same afternoon gives you the sense of how art can mirror culture – either cleaning up reality, or showing the truth beneath. 

“Pride of Place” could be marched through very quickly, your eye breezily taking in maps and cityscapes in soothing sepia tones. It’s all power and glory and civic cleanliness. But I urge you to resist this temptation to rush, and look closer. Details on these paintings are intensely human, the small smudged faces of the Dutch citizens at work. No attempt is made to sex them up – they are potato-faced plain, staunch and proud in their sensibility and commerce. Their quiet industry is matched with the republic’s burgeoning pride. But every once and a while there’s some guy goofing off in the corner! Continue reading →

Special Events, The Features, The Mall
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Inaugupocalypse: Staying Warm on the Mall

Photo courtesy of
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courtesy of ‘erin m’

Bringing you the first-hand report of how to keep warm while at Inaugural festivities is friend-of-WLDC Lisa King, local adventurer and accomplished funmonger.

Now that I’m home and warm again after the We Are One concert on the National Mall yesterday, I have a few tips to share with anyone braving other events this week – particularly if you’re planning on watching the Parade or joining the crowd on the Mall to watch the swearing in. 

While it was definitely warmer yesterday than the day before, it was by no means balmy. Here’s what I wore (layers are inside to out):
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Downtown, Inaugupocalypse, Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed, The Mall
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Smiles Abound Pre-Concert

3006941468_fae9b7a75d_mAt mid day, I ventured downtown near the White House, and was surprised to experience a pleasant drive despite the 2pm We Are One concert.  The streets were well manned with DC police officers and additional crowd support units.  Even navigating Farragut Square, aka “The Vortex of Doom” was easy and delayless.

Another pleasantry was the overall vibe coming from everyone, working or attending the concert.  Everyone was smiling, laughing and almost dare I say it skipping.  They were of course bundled up, but I have no doubt that the cold was the last thing on their minds.

All Politics is Local, The Daily Feed, The Mall, WTF?!
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Anti-Photography Bullies at the National Christmas Tree Don’t Want You Getting Pictures of Santa’s Workshop

Over by the National Christmas Tree there is a Santa’s Workshop where children can line up to visit Santa Claus and have a picture taken. I don’t have kids but when I visited Saturday night, the view through the window was a cozy, picturesque scene of a jolly old man smiling as he held wide-eyed children on his lap, and I had to get a photo — which, of course, came out blurry in the dark.

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As I was fiddling with my ISO settings an elf-suited girl told me, “You can’t take photos through the window, the flash will just reflect off the glass and distract Mr. Claus.”

“Thanks,” I replied amiably, “I have flash off.”

“Well, you still can’t take photos!” said a man by the exit, bodily moving to block the window. I believe he may have been trying to sound intimidating, but it came out as more obnoxious than anything else. Not wanting to make a scene, I said nothing more, put away my camera, and walked off in a huff.
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Downtown, Penn Quarter, Special Events, The Mall, We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: Pompeii at NGA

Marine mosaic detail, from a house in Pompeii (2nd century BC), by chrisjohnbeckett, on Flickr

"Marine mosaic detail, from a house in Pompeii (2nd century BC)," by chrisjohnbeckett, on Flickr

One of the most incredible sights in my life was watching angry red streaks of lava etch the side of Mount Etna. I was on my way to the Catania airport during a vicious rainstorm. As the lightning crackled through the dark sky and the burning streams pulsated, the laconic driver assured me in typical Sicilian fashion – “c’è normale” – that’s nothing, it’s normal, it isn’t even a “real” eruption. My heart was racing even though I was safely miles away from the volcano, so awesome was the power of nature.

So I can only imagine how more horrifying the power of Mount Vesuvius was when it erupted in AD 79. But the people of the Bay of Naples still live under its threat, no doubt echoing their Sicilian counterparts in thinking, “c’è normale,” even with the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum close by to remind them. Pompeii and the Roman Villa: Art and Culture Around the Bay of Naples, at the National Gallery of Art, cleverly lulls you into a similar state of complacency. The exhibit first highlights the decorative art of Pompeii and the surrounding area, taking you through the various rooms and courtyards of a typical villa of the Roman Empire. Only at the end are you hit with a dark room and depictions of volcanic explosions, a haunting evocation of “La Civita” – the lost ancient city.

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Featured Photo, The Mall
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Featured Photo

Environmental Light Installation with Boy by Edward Hoover

When someone takes a photo of another person’s art, can the photo then be considered art itself?  My personal opinion is that in most cases it can, but this is a debate that will never be settled, much like the never ending film vs digital debate.  In the end, I don’t think it’s possible to come up with a definition for art which is probably why I love it so much.  It’s art when the artist says so, as long as they can explain why.

The above photo was taken at one of my favorite museums in DC, the beloved Hirshhorn.  According to the photographer’s notes, the boy above is mesmerized by Dough Wheeler’s Eindhoven, Environmental Light Installation (1969).  The amazing color sucks me in like an alien’s tractor beam – I just can’t stop staring at it.  The repetitious rectangles rely on each other to draw the viewer in because without one, the other would have no meaning.  Finally the punctuation, the exclamation point, in this case the silhouetted boy, is added to the end of the sentence and the photo becomes whole.  It almost looks like the boy is about to dive into a vast sea of blue.

Great shot, Mr. Hooper.  Be sure to keep adding all of your awesome photos to our Flickr group and don’t forget about our Holiday Photo Contest!

The Daily Feed, The Mall
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American History Museum Reopening Day: First Look

Above, some fuzzy cellphone camera video of my walk around the newly reopened Smithsonian National Museum of American History. A lot of the museum off to the sides has stayed mostly the same, but the change to the central chamber is startling. Alas, the old-fashioned ice cream parlor is gone, as well as the Information Age Exhibit with its Stephen Hansen carousel.

The District, The Mall
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National Museum of American History Reopens Tomorrow

Star Spangled Sculpture 2
Star Spangled Sculpture by tbridge

It was sad to me, back in 2006, when the National Museum of American History (NMAH) closed its doors. My wife and I, when first we met, had a very delightful time wandering its halls when she had first come down from Pittsburgh. It’s a special place, for us. I knew that they were working to make it a brighter, more modern place, having not undergone significant renewal since its opening in 1964. It was due for a renovation. Tomorrow morning, at 9am, the ribbon will be cut, and the NMAH will again be open to the public, a combination of new and old, of historic talismans and of high technology.

Yesterday, at the re-dedication of the museum, there was no shortage of fanfare and pomp. The Army District of Washington’s fife and drum corps was present, a brass quintet from the Army Band played, and one of their vocalists sang the national anthem. The President gave a short speech on the importance of the Smithsonian, and what their collection represents in terms of national ideals. President Bush and the First Lady have arranged for the handwritten White House copy of the Gettysburg Address to be on display with the Museum until early January, and you can stand just inches from the famous text, handwritten by President Lincoln. Around the corner is the book in which that speech appeared, as it was part of a fundraising effort in 1864 for the Union Army. Also included was the original copy of the Star Spangled Banner, in Francis Scott Key’s own hand. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed, The Mall
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Rainbow

Rainbow seen from Air and Space Museum

Anyone else catch that lovely rainbow this afternoon around sunset? I was showing a friend around Air and Space at the time, and we spotted this behind the Skylab mockup just as we were on our way to check out the simulators. Just seeing that arc makes the humidity and thunderstorms today worth it.

Monumental, The Mall
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Monumental: John Paul Jones

John Paul Jones

Where 17th Street dead-ends in Independence Avenue, just to the south of the World War II Memorial, stands John Paul Jones, atop a Marble Platform. The monument, built in 1912 as the first in Potomac Park, stands as the memorial to our first great Naval hero. While his remains lie in the chapel of the Naval Academy in Annapolis, this memorial to Captain Jones stands looking North toward the White House.

Jones was born John Paul, a Scotsman who emigrated to the Colonies around the start of the Revolutionary War. He served aboard British merchant ships prior to his arrival in the Colonies, and had been master and commander of the brig John, where his troubles began. By the time he arrived in Fredericksburg, he’d had to assume another name, John Paul Jones, to avoid hanging for the murder of two sailors under his command: one through flogging, one through a swordfight over wages.
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All Politics is Local, Fun & Games, The Daily Feed, The Mall
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The Right Kind of Cruel

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This can be a cruel town. Politics. Religion. Money & Taxes. These are our day-to-day discussions! Poor Emily Post would just keel over dead with the inappropriateness of it all. But, it doesn’t always have to be that way. Enter Cruel DC, the second time that Cruel 2 B Kind will be played in our fair city.

What’s the game about? Well, the idea is, you win by complimenting people. Crazy, I know! The boundaries for the game are 7th & Constitution to 12th & Independence, right in the heart of the tourist district. You get a set of “lethal” attacks, like compliments to someone’s shoes, which when they’re used on appropriate targets, will result in you winning the confrontation. Confused? Me too. But it’s fun! Check out the rules in their entirety.

Best of all? It’s free to play. Sign up and have a bit of fun! Game’s not til the 18th, but you’ll need to sign up by the 17th.

Adventures, Downtown, Fun & Games, Special Events, The Mall
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Mallwatching: National Book Festival

Photo courtesy of caryn74
Book World, courtesy of caryn74

I have to admit, this one snuck up on me.

To be fair, it seems to do that to me every year; you’d think a writer like me would be a bit more cognizant of the National Book Festival, especially since it’s right across the Potomac every September.

This year, though, I have an excuse. (We won’t talk about previous years…)

BUT! Just because I’m lame doesn’t mean you should be! The National Book Festival will go on, rain or shine, as scheduled tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Located on the National Mall between 3rd and 7th streets, the festival is free and open to the public. Continue reading →

Entertainment, The District, The Mall
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Tourism: The New Sant Ocean Hall

Phoenix, the Right Whale

Five years ago, the Museum of Natural History got together a group of people with the goal of expanding the Museum’s reach beyond just the land. The incredible wealth of life below the water’s surface, and the great span of the ocean, was a missing spot in the museum’s coverage. Thus, they began the most extensive renovation in the Museum’s History. Tomorrow, the NMNH opens the brand new Sant Ocean Hall. The ceremonies kick off at 11am out front of the Museum, where the Aloha Boys & Halau O’Aulani Dancers, as well as the Tlingit community, who will be performing a drum ceremony to bless the exhibit.

Once inside, the centerpiece is Phoenix, the Right Whale, suspended in the dead center of the exhibit about 10 feet off the ground. Phoenix is a model built off a living Right Whale living in the North Atlantic that scientists from the New England Aquarium have tracked for the last 21 years. Right whales represent one of the North Atlantic’s most endangered species, though their population is on the rebound with some of the more recent preservation efforts.

The Ocean Hall is 23,000 square feet, the largest single exhibit space in the Museum. It features a central corridor that features exhibits on coastal ocean life, and leads back toward the Open Ocean exhibit, featuring a couple of specially displayed giant squid. See, the fire marshall just about had a conniption when he found out the Smithsonian wanted to put a bunch of jars of flammable, toxic alcohol in the middle of a bunch of children. So, they went to the 3M corporation and they came back with their Novec 7100 Engineered Fluid, by the tankful. See, it still allows for neutral buoyancy, and the preservation of the specimen, it just doesn’t catch fire easily, or poison people.

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Technology, The Daily Feed, The Mall, We Love Arts
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The Con Artist’s Replica

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Want to get your stuff on display at the Smithsonian? Okay, without having to become all Andy-Warhol-famous? Compete for the Chance instead. This week’s challenge (one of six, I suspect) is called “The Con Artist’s Replica” and exhorts some creativity from the players:

Create a replica of something you desire but know you cannot have.

An ordinary con man might substitute such a replica for its model, but your replica will be more real than the original object of desire; we invite you to be a con artist.

Very slick. Get creative, win a cool spot in a curated exhibit!

History, The Daily Feed, The District, The Mall
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Flickr Find: Bartholdi Fountain


Bartholdi Fountain
Originally uploaded by NCinDC

It’s just about lunchtime here today, and I’ve taken a jaunt over to Capitol Hill to just stop and stare at the Capitol in awe. I’m also hard at work on the Monumental feature for Friday. This photo by NC in DC of Bartholdi Fountain near the Botanical Gardens is a great inspiration. We’re starting to see the beautiful Fall weather that makes DC something truly special, so get a walk in this afternoon on these beautiful streets. See something unique and special. Better yet, click the photo above to read the historical information about the Bartholdi Fountain.

Adventures, Essential DC, History, The District, The Mall
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Archival Lovin’

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One of my favorite museum sites to visit in DC is the National Archives. Housing the original documents from our country’s founding, the National Archives Experience (as it is officially called) always evokes a sense of awe and history in me and many other visitors. And it’s missed by thousands of tourists every year.

People are surprised to find out that there’s more to the Archives than the popular Rotunda. In fact, the entire mission of the Archives is to serve American democracy by safeguarding and preserving the records of our Government, ensuring that the people can discover, use, and learn from this documentary heritage. As such, the National Archives and Record Administration (NARA) was designed to safeguard and preserve the most important documents to American history and our heritage as a country. Thus, NARA serves both the public and the federal government through a network of facilities across the U.S. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed, The Mall
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The Million DJ March

KRS One, courtesy of Million DJ March

KRS One, courtesy of Million DJ March

“The Million DJ March is here… The time is now,” says the official website of The Million DJ March a two day event which will be staking out space on the National Mall to honor the hip-hop DJ. On Friday and Saturday, numerous performers and speakers will appear to raise awareness about… the concerns of DJ-Americans, I assume.

Headliner KRS-One writes on the event’s blog regarding the goal of the event that, “Once and for all, the American public needs to hear from the DJ’s in a unified voice. There are questions that the American public has for for the DJ and one of the concerns of the American public, for DJ’s in every medium, is the lack of responsibility that DJ’s show to younger ears. The DJ’s I know care about the public they play for; many of them are responsible parents themsleves. It is not that DJ’s are irresponsible, it is that DJ’s do not speak in one unified voice on anything. By signing your name to this event, among other things, you vow to uphold a standard of excellence in the art of deejaying.”

Remember, you too can hold a big event on the National Mall – just remember to get the permits.

Fun & Games, Technology, The Daily Feed, The Mall
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Smithsonian Offers Online Content via iTunes

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The Smithsonian’s amazing museums are instantly familiar to all of us, but their educational programming isn’t quite as popular. Though, now you can get it on iTunes for cheap. $1.99 for 45 minutes to an hour-plus education program? Not a shabby deal. They’ve got four series: Kids, America’s Stories, History and Natural Wonders. Go give it a look, this could be perfect for those of you with an iPod and a longer commute.