Little known fact: When you work for an art museum devoted to Himalayan art and the surrounding regions, people begin to think that you ONLY like Himalayan art and couldn’t possibly be bothered to explore other fields. I experienced a slightly different type of prejudice when I first began working at a museum of Himalayan art and people said: “?” aren’t you the guy who likes crazy Las Vegas architecture, scientific illustration, and Disney artists like John Hench and Mary Blair? Truth is, I like love all of those things, and Himalayan art…and a lot more. I think that being a museum educator requires a vast interest in the world around you and how people depict or express it.
On a recent trip to Washington D.C., I was struck by how disparate my “must see” list was in my spare time during a conference. I visited D.C. a few years ago on somewhat of a busman’s holiday (enacting a fantasy trip to every museum on the Mall that never happened when I was 9 years old). While there, I fell in love with a few spaces, and well… they became my favorites that I had to see again during my spare time.
The first stop was The Freer and Sackler Galleries (our National Asian Art Museums). One thing that has happened since I began working in a museum devoted to Himalayan art is that I geek out for any museum that has Himalayan/Asian/Buddhist/ Hindu artwork on display. The Freer and Sackler galleries provide a must see stop for any Asian art pilgrimage.
Even though Washington D.C. is riddled with museums, very few are open after 5:30 pm. Fortunately, one of my favorite places, the Smithsonian American Art Museum is open until 7 pm. While visiting a few years ago, I became fascinated with American Impressionism and the Gilded Age (roughly 1880 – 1920) – especially with the works of Abbott Handerson Thayer and Thomas Wilmer Dewing. Special shout-out to the ladies in the gift shop who went the extra mile to find out if there were any extra Thayer and Dewing catalogs- they were super excited about my super excitement about Mr. Thayer and Mr. Dewing’s work.
After a long two-day meeting, I had exactly 90 minutes before my train ride back to New York, and I could only think of one thing that I couldn’t leave D.C. without seeing again: the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art. Designed by I.M. Pei, this incredible structure houses an amazing set of works by Alexander Calder and some of my new favorites, Josef Albers and Agnes Martin.
Does anybody out there ever feel like they have been defined by the works that are on display at their museum? I’d love to hear about it, and of the works that inspire you!