the volume of paintings are actually very large. combined with the portrait gallery which both are continually updated.i enjoyed the paintings of the native Indians very much.the inside open area is wonderful. Some evenings, they have wonderful jazz.
The Luce Center on the third floor is worth a visit, and I will definitely see that again. We had planned to visit the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore the next day, but this Smithsonian has an excellent collection of visionary are, Howard Finster is particular. The was a special show called the American Experience, wonderful art of the WPA artists and sculptors. I was disappointed that there was not more on display.One of my favorite spaces in DC.
Been to the Mall tons of times to enjoy the many Museums but never even thought about this one except by accident. What a pleasant surprise. It's a bit of a Mishmash of themes but choose traditional, landscape, portrait or contemporary and just enjoy. Be aware that opening time isn't until 11:30.
This is the twin review to the one I wrote about the National Portrait Gallery. Because the two facilities are co-mingled in a grand, beautiful building in the bustling Penn Quarter area around the Verizon Center. You can easily spend the day here, as my wife and I did. This museum is fascinating, with wonderful varied samplings of American art, from the traditional to the contemporary. Want something more proper? Walk down the hall on each floor and find the National Portrait Gallery. And then there's the wonderful central atrium, a gorgeous space with an above-average cafe serving a variety of sandwiches and plates, plus beer and wine, if you wish.
This is one of the lesser-known gems of the Smithsonian musems. It's a couple of blocks north of the main Mall museums but definitely worth a few hours. In particular, standing in the spot where Lincoln greeted guests at his second inaugural ball was a thrill.This large and beautiful building was originally designed and opened to the public as the US Patent office and was apparently quite a popular weekend entertainment in the 19th century. The layout is unusual because of the way they designed the space to display models of inventions, but it is used to great effect by the art exhibits. We spent a wonderful couple of hours here, and returned another day to visit the National Portrait Gallery which shares space in the same building.I'd like to give a shout-out to this museum's curators, as the exhibits were quirky, fun, beautiful and poignant all at the same time. Bravo!
We walked in because we were cold and it was across from a restaurant where we had lunch. This is a terrific museum full of surprises, wonderful paintings evocative of American landscapes, political tensions and aspirations. Interesting special exhibits and portraits of presidents. Next time in DC we will be back and spend more time!
I usually venture in to the Portrait Gallery; but, since the property is shared with the Smithsonian American Art Museum, I decided to venture over to the other side. My favorite was the contemporary art, on the 3rd floor; but, the shear magnitude of the collection is impressive.
我觉得看个一小时就差不多了,因为跟那个Art Museum不同的是,这里都放美国的作品,其实不够Art Museum那么出名,但是很多作品都不错。我觉得看看就好了。
This little-heralded museum doesn't get nearly as much attention as the nearby Spy Museum, but that is easy to correct. Go there, and tell your friends! The admission price is a very reasonable $0! It features American art mostly from the last century, telling some aspect of the story of our nation, often warts and all. There is a fine standing exhibit of Depression-era art sponsored by Roosevelt's Work Progress Administration (WPA)--including a few renowned artists like Hopper. The special exhibits are typically a bit off-beat, naïve art, visionary art, edgy modern art, etc. revealing some slice of the "American character," past and present. It's not a large museum. But combined with the National Portrait Gallery in the same building, you can spend a wonderful half-day or most of a day there if you've never seen any of the standing exhibits before. There is a decent, cafeteria-like café with tables next door in a huge, attractive atrium enclosing what used to be an outdoor courtyard inside the building quadrangle. Check the events calendar on their website for free performances of music (classical, jazz mostly once or twice a month) and free films once in a while.
I love the LaFarge stained glass windows and the room devoted to a big wooden Joan of Arc wall panel. Many American Impressionist painters are represented. There are often new portraits of famous Americans, too.