Smithsonian

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Throwback Thursday to a few weeks ago when “Wind Sculpture VII” was dazzling outside our National Museum of African Art.

Like a ship’s sail, the fiberglass sculpture by Yinka Shonibare MBE appears to blow in the wind. It evokes the sails of ships that crossed the Atlantic and other oceans, connecting nations through the exchange of ideas, products and people—complex histories of not only the slave trade and colonization but also the dynamic contributions of Africans and African heritage worldwide.

At 20 feet tall and nearly 900 pounds, “Wind Sculpture VII” is part of a series of seven individually designed sculptures, and the first artwork permanently installed in front of the museum.

#art #National Museum of African Art #outdoor art #sculpture #outdoor sculpture #Yinka Shonibare MBE #art museum #art outside #Smithsonian #African art #museum #Smithsonian museum #throwback #tbt

2 months ago / 137 notes

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Ethel Reed and the poster craze of the 90s—the 1890s.

Ethel Reed was one of the most talented and prolific artists of the 1890s. Then she disappeared from the historical record.

Learn about her life and work from our National Museum of American History.

#HiddenHerstory #5womenartists #women's history month #women's history #National Museum of American History #art #posters #poster art #Smithsonian #history #museum #history museum #Ethel Reed #1890s #1890s art #American history #women artists

2 months ago / 306 notes

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“I never plan my color more than five stripes ahead and often change my mind before I reach the third stripe.” – Gene Davis, 1971

Start the weekend with some jazzy stripes from Gene Davis. Davis is primarily known for his bold stripe works, which range from minuscule micro-paintings to mammoth outdoor street pieces.

This one, “Raspberry Icicle” (1967), stretches almost 10 feet tall and more than 18 feet wide.

Davis often compared himself to a jazz musician who plays by ear, describing his approach to painting as “playing by eye.”

See 15 classic stripe paintings from the 1960s, some of which haven’t been seen publicly in decades due to their huge size, through April 2 in “Gene Davis: Hot Beat” at our @americanartmuseum.

#Gene Davis #stripes #painting #art #Smithsonian American Art Museum #art museum #American art #D.C. artists #color field #color field artist #jazz #1960s #American Art Museum #museums

2 months ago / 240 notes

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For National Puppy Day (!), a letter to artist Trude Guermonprez from her dog Mavis.

The letter (which was dictated to the artist’s husband) is mostly the phrase “woef, woef”—or, loosely translated from Dutch, “woof, woof.”

Like any artist, Mavis signed her work with a blue paw print.

It’s one of the charming finds we discovered from reading artists’ mail in our @archivesofamericanart.

Paul Guermonprez letter to Trude Guermonprez, 1942 August 7, Trude Guermonprez papers 1929-1986, Archives of American Art.

#National Puppy Day #puppy day #dogs #dogs of tumblr #art #Trude Guermonprez #artist #archives #Archives of American Art #Smithsonian #from the archives #letters #letter writing #handwriting #Guermonprez #women's history month #5womenartists

2 months ago / 234 notes

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“Our earth is only one polka dot among a million stars in the cosmos. Polka dots are a way to infinity.“ - Yayoi Kusama

We’re joining our @hirshhorn in covering the internet in polka dots today, in honor of Yayoi Kusama’s 88th birthday! ⚫️⚫️⚫️⚫️

Explore a 360-degree view of her “Infinity Mirrored Room—The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away” on Facebook, or take a virtual tour of the exhibition in a Twitter Moment.

More about #InfiniteKusama at kusama.si.edu.

Yayoi Kusama, “Dots Obsession – Love Transformed Into Dots,” courtesy of Ota Fine Arts, Tokyo/Singapore; Victoria Miro, London; David Zwirner, New York. © Yayoi Kusama

#InfiniteKusama #Yayoi Kusama #5womenartists #art #contemporary art #Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden #Hirshhorn #Smithsonian #museum #art museum #art installation #polka dots #dots #Kusama #multimedia

2 months ago / 186 notes

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This poster claims “it’s summer somewhere in the world.” But there’s 91 days until summer here…not that we’re counting.

The poster, in our @amhistorymuseum’s collection, was designed by John Van Hamersveld for the 1964’s “The Endless Summer.” The movie followed two young surfers as they went around the globe in search of the perfect wave, and helped give rise to the popularity of surf culture that continues to this day.

Van Hamersveld was the art director for “Surfer” magazine and a friend of R. Paul Allen, the assistant cinematographer on the movie. He was only paid $150 for the iconic design, and Allen hired silk-screener Eric Askew to produce the poster in a garage in Costa Mesa, Calif.

#The Endless Summer #movies #movie history #poster #poster design #American history #Smithsonian #National Museum of American History #museums #summer #1964 #1960s #1960s culture #surfing #surf movie #John Van Hamersveld

2 months ago / 143 notes

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Trusted Sources: Why Museums and Libraries Are More Relevant Than Ever.

“Museums touch lives and transform the way people see the world and each other.”

Smithsonian Secretary David Skorton writes about the value of museums and libraries today.

#Smithsonian #museums #libraries #cultural institutions #Smithsonian museums #Smithsonian Institution #Washington DC

2 months ago / 608 notes

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A story “Mad Men” overlooked: Caroline R. Jones, who spearheaded advertising that changed how Americans thought about some of the world’s most popular brands.

Jones built a trailblazing career as an advertising executive, starting as a copywriter in the early 1960s and eventually founding multiple firms. Her clients included American Express, the National Urban League and Kentucky Fried Chicken (her agency developed the slogan “We Do Chicken Right!”).

Throughout her career, Jones struggled against the assumption that her ads should only address African American consumers. Many times her targeted ad campaigns were so successful that companies used them for national work—but, in one case, replaced African American figures with white models.

Jones died in 2001, but her story lives on through items of hers at our National Museum of American History. More about her life on their blog.

#Women's History Month #HiddenHerstory #women's history #Caroline Jones #advertising #advertising history #Mad Men #history #Smithsonian #Smithsonian National Museum of American History #American history #US history #museum #African American history

2 months ago / 1,133 notes

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For Scientists, Chunks of Whale Earwax Can Be Biological Treasure Troves.

Yes, whales have earwax and yes, we have 1,000 samples of it in our collection.

Like the rings of a tree, these waxy time capsules give scientists a timeline of data about a whale’s life and environment—opening up a whole new canal of ocean study.

This piece of whale earwax is among hundreds of rarely seen specimens and artifacts in #ObjectsofWonder, a new exhibition at our National Museum of Natural History. It explores the breadth, scope and splendor of the world’s most extensive natural history research collection and its surprising role in scientific discovery. The exhibition is open through 2019.

#science #whales #biology #Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History #natural history #natural history museum #history #history museum #Smithsonian #museum collections #collections #science museum

2 months ago / 293 notes

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Getting that #FridayFeeling from this Alma Thomas painting, “Snoopy–Early Sun Display on Earth” (1970), in our @americanartmuseum.

Thomas was the first student to graduate from Howard University with a degree in art, and taught art to junior high school students in Washington, D.C., for more than 30 years. After she retired, she developed her signature abstract and colorful paintings inspired by nature.

In 1972, at age 75, Thomas was the first African American woman to have a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum in New York.

For Women’s History Month, we’re joining our friends at National Museum of Women in the Arts and asking you to name #5womenartists.🎨

#5womenartists #women's history month #Alma Thomas #art #painting #Smithsonian American Art Museum #American art #Washington DC #DC art #DC artists #American artists #abstract art #abstract painting #Color Field #color field artist #American Art Museum #Smithsonian #museum #art museum

2 months ago / 170 notes

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International Women’s Day poster from 1975, printed by the Women’s Graphics Collective, in our @cooperhewitt.

Four Chicago-based women designers founded the group in 1970, bringing together women designers and activists to produce art that advanced the goals of the women’s movement. More about the poster and their organization.

#international women's day #women's day #women's history month #women's history #Cooper Hewitt #design #poster #Smithsonian #museum #Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum #design museum #poster design #1970s #1975

2 months ago / 465 notes

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For Women’s History Month, we’re joining our @nmaahc in sharing #HiddenHerstory, stories of women who have often been overlooked throughout history.

In this photo from the museum collection, Daisy Bates meets with seven members of the Little Rock Nine in her home. Bates played a significant role in the integration of the Little Rock Central High School in 1957, despite the death threats she received—one through the window of her home.

Bates, who was elected president of the Arkansas NAACP in 1952, was inspired by the Brown v. Board case to focus on education.

#HiddenHerstory #history #womenshistorymonth #Women's History Month #women's history #American history #museum #Smithsonian #Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture #NMAAHC #Smithsonian NMAAHC #Daisy Bates #Little Rock Nine #education #civil rights

3 months ago / 481 notes

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This enormous diamond glows in the dark.

At 187 carats, the Foxfire diamond isn’t the only diamond that glows under UV light. What’s intriguing to our scientists is how it continues to emit an eerie glow—first orange and then white—for minutes after the light is turned off.

It’s most likely caused by nitrogen impurities in its structure, but we’re still learning about this 2 billion-year-old gem. See more photos of the diamond in action and learn more about it.

#diamond #glow in the dark #science #gem #natural history #natural history museum #diamonds #museums #science museum #Smithsonian #scientists #research

3 months ago / 1,899 notes

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YayoiKusama,DotsObsession–LoveTransformedIntoDots,2007,attheHirshhornMuseumandSculptureGardenMixedmediainstallation.CourtesyofOtaFineArts,Tokyo/Singapore;VictoriaMiro,London;DavidZwirner,NewYork.©Yayo

Yayoi Kusama’s installations are immersive, colorful, and sparkly. And for the first time ever, you can see six of her iconic Infinity Mirror rooms together in one place.

We’re giving you a sneak peek at “Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors,” which opens Feb. 23 at our @hirshhorn museum.

Kusama’s kaleidoscopic installations give the illusion of infinite space. #InfiniteKusama celebrates the legendary Japanese artist’s 65-year career, and has a selection of other key works beyond the dazzling rooms, including some never shown before in the U.S.

Free timed passes are required for the exhibition, which runs through May 14. Plan your visit at kusama.si.edu

#InfiniteKusama #Yayoi Kusama #Kusama #art #infinity room #infinity mirrors #Infinity Mirror rooms #art installation #Hirshhorn #Smithsonian Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden #art museum #artists #women artists #contemporary artists #immersive art #polka dots #pumpkins

3 months ago / 1,266 notes

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Why We Need to Fight to Save Mosul’s Cultural Heritage.

Our experts are working to save cultural heritage under attack in Iraq. They explain our active role in preserving local history in @smithsonianmag.

#cultural heritage #history #Smithsonian #local history #cultural history #cultural recovery #preservation

3 months ago / 204 notes

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