 Rendering of renovated lobby and extensive artifact walls at American History Museum |
The big news in the museum world is the The American History Museum, which is scheduled to reopen November 21. The reopening will mark the completion of a two-year, $85 million renovation of the building, transforming the museum’s architecture while reorganizing and renewing the presentation of its extensive collections. Celebrations include a three-day reopening festival, with ribbon cutting ceremony at 8:30 a.m. and extended hours on Friday. Enjoy family-friendly activities, musical entertainment, and giveaways. You can get the full run down on the festivities here.
>> Fritz Scholder: Indian/Not Indian opened November 1 at the National Museum of the American Indian. The exhibit boasts 135 paintings, works on paper, and sculptures drawn from major public and private collections, including the color-saturated canvases for which Scholder is famous.
>> Delve deeper into President Lincoln’s persona at One Life: The Mask of Lincoln opening at the National Portrait Gallery today. This show will explore how Lincoln crafted his public persona and includes more than 30 images of him, most from the Portrait Gallery’s extensive collection.
>> If you haven’t gotten your fill of photography from the area’s galleries, then be sure to visit Road to Freedom: Photographs of the Civil Rights Movement, 1956-1968 presented by the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The exhibit will include nearly 200 photographs of unforgettable images that helped change the nation, highlighting injustices and the struggle for equality. After 1968: Contemporary Artists and the Civil Rights Legacy, will run concurrently at the International Gallery of the S. Dillon Ripley Center. After 1968 will feature recent and newly commissioned works of art by a group of young, influential, emerging artists and collectives born after 1968. Both open November 8.
>> Also opening on Saturday, The Nature’s Best Photography 2008 Windland Smith Rice International Awards exhibit features 45 photographs that bring nature to life. These portraits of plants, animals, and people celebrate the beauty of nature while recognizing the importance of environmental stewardship. National Museum of Natural History.
