If you haven’t made your way down to Gallery Place today, you’re missing quite the celebration. The Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery opened their doors today after a six year renovation. Dancers, puppet-masters, Andy Warhol impersonators and live bands are ushering in the new era for the former Patent Office Building. Oh, and the free ice cream is nice, too.
After the ribbon cutting ceremony this morning, residents and tourists filed their way into the gallery halls. The museums feature many new facilities, such as the Lunder Conservation Center, where visitors can watch the expert staff carefully restore sculptures and paintings. The large auditorium built on the lower level will feature theater, dance, and other performances, including artists talks and film viewings. The halls are separated into subject matter, with the America’s Presidents portrait gallery being a visitor favorite so far. Though many folks came out to take part in today’s celebration, the three full floors of artwork assure that the throngs spread out enough to enjoy the pieces in relative peace.
Be sure to peel your eyes away from the walls for a bit. The building features gorgeously restored porticos modeled after the Greek Parthenon, winding staircases, and many original tiles on the floor work. Skylights stretch along the entire building, the sunshine bathing the Victorian styled third floor, where a fire in the late 1800s collapsed this section of the original structure when the Patent Office was still housed here (that’s also when they stopped requiring inventors to send in models, after they all went up in flames).
When you need to rest your feet, step over to the Upper West Side Cafe on the third floor, or for a real treat, the Portico Cafe on the second floor, where you can sit outside in the shade of the Greek Revival columns and watch the tourists entering the Spy Museum across the street. After a cold beer from their fantastic selection of brews, head back up to the third floor where over 3,300 artworks are held in visible storage. The permanent collection here features everything from paintings to folk art to bronze medals. Fancy pneumatic shelves slide open at the touch of a button.
And that’s just the beginning. The museum is a treasure trove of American art — your Georgia O’Keeffe’s and Edward Hopper’s have got your classic take on our national land and cityscapes; then Nam June Paik, who only recently passed away this spring, has got your 21st Century technological statements with an installation of televisions stacked in the shape the U.S. map — Hawaii’s TVs show flickering images of surfers over and over, while D.C. features a real-time camera pointed right at you.
The festivities continue until 7 p.m. tonight, so come down here and join DCist in celebrating our national artists. Don’t forget to get your picture taken with George and Martha Washington, who are hanging out in the President’s hall, and snag some tasty ice cream on your way out. Then check out Eye Level – to whom thanks go out for hosting us today – for a taste of Smithsonian’s own coverage. Leave us a note in the comments and let us know how you enjoyed your experience.
The Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery are located at 8th and F Streets at the Gallery Place metro. Museum hours are 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. everday except December 25.
