October Museum Roundup
Anne Truitt's Night Naiad, 1977, from the Hirshhorn's collection.
>> In a celebration of craft and art, the DAR Museum showcases Wedgwood china and ceramics. Over 200 pieces of work from the 250 years of the Wedgwood company are on display in Wedgwood: 250 Years of Innovation and Artistry. Opened October 3.
>> Based in Washington, D.C. for most of her adult life, artist Anne Truitt was largely known for her column sculptures. The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden showcases her contributions to post-1960s art in a retrospective of her work, Anne Truitt: Perception and Reflection opens October 8.
>> On October 9, the Newseum opens Athlete. See 40 select photographs taken by Sports Illustrated photographer Walter Iooss Jr., that represent his favorite moments from nearly 50 years as a sports photographer, ranging from sport superstars to sport lovers.
>> The National Museum of Women in the Arts opens two new exhibits this month. Lands of Enchantment: Australian Aboriginal Painting presents 26 masterworks by some of Australia’s best-known painters. In Telling Secrets: Codes, Captions, and Conundrums in Contemporary Art the museum invites viewers to consider multiple interpretations and inscribe their own ideas and experiences onto each image found in this collection. Both open October 9.
>> Panamanian Passages, at the Ripley Center, traces Panama's human and natural history since the rise of the isthmus over 3 million years ago. Opening October 14.
>> On October 16, the National Museum of the American Indian presents a major survey of Brian Jungen's work in Brian Jungen: Strange Comfort. Jungen is widely regarded as the foremost Native artist of his generation; his art transforms the familiar and banal into exquisite objects that reference themes of globalization, pop culture, museums, and the commodification of Indian imagery.
>> House of Cars: Innovation and the Parking Garage opens at the National Building Museum. This exhibit explores the unique relationship between parked cars and the built environment and encourages visitors to see these familiar structures in a whole new way. Opening October 17.
>> At the Textile Museum see Contemporary Japanese Fashion: The Mary Baskett Collection which shows 40 avant-garde fashion pieces. And in Fabrics of Feathers and Steel: The Innovation of Nuno explore Japanese textile designers and their innovative work. Both open October 17.
>> In an effort to find contemporary portraiture, the National Portrait Gallery hosts the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition. With a grand prize of $25,000 and an opportunity to create a portrait for the Portrait Gallery's permanent collection, the competition invited artists working in the figurative arts to submit portraits of people close to them. The work of forty-nine finalists from the competition will be on display starting October 23.
>> It's that time of year for the little ones to dress up and beg for candy. Be sure to take your Hannah Montanas and Batmans to Boo at the Zoo. October 23, 24, and 25 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. $15 FONZ, $25 non FONZ. Note Saturday tickets are sold out. Don't have a wee one to dress up and take out to frolic around the zoo? Don't fret, the Zoo now has adult Halloween fun: Night of the Living Zoo. Enjoy fortune tellers, a costume contest and dancing. October 30, 8 p.m. $15 FONZ, $25 non FONZ.
>> On October 24, the Sackler opens Falnama: The Book of Omens an exhibit of over 60 works concerning divination in the Islamic world.