I could seriously camp out for days in the museums. The Renwick was our first stop. They are currently hosting an exhibit of items from the WWII Japanese internment camps. The focus was on crafts made by the detainees using materials on hand. It was amazing and humbling to see the beauty that arose from such limited materials and circumstances...uplifting and heartbreaking at the same time. Unfortunately photography was prohibited for this exhibit.
The rest of the museum is just full of wonderful pieces of American craft. The family especially enjoyed Larry Fuente's "Game Fish" sculpture.
The National Museum of Natural History...well that needs several days....we had three hours....sigh... Of course the kids loved seeing the dinosaur skeletons and fossils.
I could just lose myself in the beauty of the mineral collection. The Hope Diamond is exquisite of course, as were the other cut gems. The natural mineral forms and patterns however, just blow me away.
In the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, "Graft" by Roxy Paine caught the eye. The large metal tree sculpture was shining in the bright sun against the blue sky. Just awe-inspiring.
We also saw the Terra Cotta Warriors display at the National Geographic Museum. I remembered so many of the details from when it was published in the magazine. Again a fabulous exhibit that we were unable to photograph.
This sort of trip requires a lot of walking. Little legs finally gave out the second day. Dad had to do some carrying.
I hope the kids will remember this trip as a good time. I know they'll remember the cold as we waited to go up in the Washington Monument, and the long walks EVERYWHERE :^) We definitely plan to visit again in a year or two.
Sounds like you had a wonderful time. Washington always leaves you planning for the next time, because there is never enough time.
ReplyDeleteI love the diverse choices you made. I'd never seen that metal tree sculpture before.
xo
We lived in DC for many years and are not too far now. I love spending a day on the mall, visiting the monuments and going to the museums! It's such a treat! I'm sure your kids will have great memories of your weekend.
ReplyDeleteYou made it there! Yeah!
ReplyDeleteI would have loved to have been a fly on the wall and watched you in the mineral collection.
We live close enough that we only ever spend a long day there but as you've proved, you can't even see it all in a weekend. I feel inspired to visit again soon.
I read Delphine Hirasuna's book, "The Art of Gaman" last year, and was moved by the amazing artwork. That must have been an incredible exhibit to see!
ReplyDeleteMargaret and I have talked about going to see the museums for years... maybe some day. I hope your kids will remember something amazing.
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