When Business Writes History
I expected another benign array of American dates, names and artifacts when the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History opened its new Innovation Wing last week. Zippier display cases, sure. A…
Other Things I’ve Written Lately
Here are some links to some other pieces I’ve written lately: Recalling a local legendary DJ who steered the Soul Train tracks to Annapolis gets some attention in the Smithsonian’s…
Other Things I’ve Written Lately
Here are some links to some other pieces I've written recently: A slave ship found off the coast of South Africa has artifacts that will come to the Smithsonian's new…
Uploading the Whole Museum
With a ceremonial click with a foot pedal, the last of the 40,000 items of 2-D art being uploaded for free public use was digitally photographed last week. Starting Jan.…
Considering ‘Women Who Rock’
The “Women Who Rock” exhibit is in its final week at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C. The exhibit, organized by the Rock and Roll…
Ancient Coins and Paul Ryan
While writing a story recently about the artistic tastes of the presidential candidates for the Washington Post, I started looking into the collecting habits of their running mates as well.…
Knockout George Bellows Show
Another July Fourth came and went last week largely without that big American moment a person is supposed to feel on the occasion of the birthday of his country. It…
Jasper Johns for the Holiday
As the nation salutes the flag in its annual salute to the nation, with official ceremonies a few Metro stops away on the National Mall, the deconstructed flags of Jasper Johns…
Chronicling Performance Art Gaze
Matthew Akers’ perfectly paced film about the performance artist, “Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present” (HBO, 9 p.m.) follows her preparations for her big retrospective at the Museum of Modern…
New Light on the National Mall
The biggest movie in Washington is showing nightly on the continuous, circular wall of the distinctive Hirshhorn Museum, the Doug Aitken installation “SONG 1” that opened Thursday night. There on…