ARTECHOUSE DC

This was fun! But I think it takes a bit of willingness to surrender to the experience to really enjoy it. The main exhibit is a large square room with digital art projected on the floor and three walls so visitors are surrounded by swirling color and images along with surround sound. Smaller rooms on either side of the large room have touch screens and interactive exhibits. 

 

The four of us (we were visiting my sister and brother-in-law) all liked the experience but being in the room with the motion made Tony dizzy so he watched it from one of the doorways. The Artechouse shows change every month and other shows may not be as interesting as the one we saw - a collaboration with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Twilight Zone: Hidden Wonders of the Ocean. The projected images follow the migration of sea creatures and microscopic organisms as they move to the surface of the ocean at night, and down to deeper waters in the daytime. The show loops through every 24 minutes. Knowing that the images are actually living creatures enhances the experience. The additional exhibits give visitors the opportunity to explore further. Many of the creatures use bioluminescence to produce their own light so one of the exhibits features a low dome that changes as visitors circle around it. 

One of the reasons we enjoyed the experience was the fact that few people were there. I think it would have been very different had the room been crowded. 

The Artechouse is accessible. The exhibit room is accessed by a lift, operated by a member of the staff.

The Artechouse is located south of the mall in a non-tourist area surrounded by official government buildings. There isn't any on-street parking on Maryland Ave but when zooming in on Google Earth I noticed that the south side of  C Street SW had empty spaces so we took a chance that this was a common occurrence. We lucked out and found a space! There is also an accessible space on 13th Street SW. Some of the accessible spaces in DC have red topped meters that are a foot or so lower than other meters. Parking is limited to two hours. The sidewalks and curb cuts are in good condition. Artechouse  38.88404, -77.02912  

National Gallery of Art -1874: the Birthday of Impressionism

On April 15, 1874, thirty one artists, know as the “Anonymous Society of Painters, Sculptors, and Engravers, etc" opened an exhibit in Paris. This relatively unknown group of artists were considered too avant-garde and had been barred from the Paris Salon's annual exhibition which drew a half a million viewers and could make or break an artist. The thirty one artists gained the name Impressionist after an art critic wrote a satirical review in a Paris magazine. The exhibit was not a success as few painting were sold but many of the artists which included Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Berthe Morisot, Camille Pissarro, Alfred Sisley, and Paul Cézanne, became renown figures in the art world. 

The exhibit showcases 125 pieces of art that were displayed at both Paris exhibitions and highlights the difference in artistic style and subject matter. A brief history with details of the French defeat in Franco-Prussian War of 1871 and the civil war that followed helps to explain the mood of the city in this period. 

This is a traveling exhibit, first shown in Paris. It opened in DC in September and will continue until January, not a long run so it's crowded with visitors. Everything is accessible. 

When visiting DC we park on one of the street around the National Mall. On most streets the fee is $2.00 an hour payable by credit card or phone app and and limited to three hours. The spaces are not marked with lines so RVs fees are the same as car fees.  Museum  38.89065, -77.01853

The People’s House

 

The museum, which opened just a month ago, allows visitors to experience an interactive, virtual visit to the White House. Unlike the actual White House tour, the museum includes the Oval Office. Visitors can sit behind the Resolute Desk, listen in on historic meetings in the Cabinet Room, and join the guests in the State Dining Room. Each room has some type of interaction such as touch screens to learn more about the White House Staff, objects in the rooms, or important events.

 

We had fun playing with the green screen photo booth. Photo are sent directly to your email or social media account. I think the pastry chef is laughing at me because I can't reach the table. :D

The museum is mostly accessible. The door that accesses the main exhibits is heavy and doesn't have a push button to open it. Some of the objects in the Touch Points of History exhibit, which must be touched to work, are too far away to reach when seated. For a new museum these oversights were unexpected and frankly unacceptable. 

Finding parking spaces is always difficult in DC but we found one on Virginia Ave by the statue of Simon Bolivar. It's about 1/2 mile from the museum. The sidewalks and curb cuts are in good condition. Museum  38.89859, -77.0398

Hirshhorn Museum and Yayoi Kusama's Dots

When we visit my sister and brother-in-law in Washington DC they always come up with interesting things to see and do. This time is was a special exhibit at the Hirshhorn Art Museum. The museum has been collecting works by artist, Yayoi Kusama, since 1996. Two of them feature mirrors that make the small exhibit spaces appear to go on forever thus the names: Infinity Mirrored Room—My Heart Is Dancing into the Universe and Infinity Mirror Room—Phalli’s Field .  

This is a fun exhibit but you have to be fast when taking photos because each visitor is only allowed to be in the rooms for about 30 seconds. The exhibition is ending November 22, 2022 but I think the rooms may travel to other museums.

There are other exhibitions in the museum which focuses on late-twentieth-century and contemporary art. Most of the exhibits are temporary so there's always something new to see.

The museum is accessible.  Infinity Mirror Room—Phalli’s Field has a path that dead-ends without a turnaround so backing up is necessary. The path in Infinity Mirrored Room—My Heart Is Dancing into the Universe turns twice. It's easy to get  disoriented so pay attention to the docent who will show you a diagram of the exhibit you enter.

When visiting DC we park on one of the street around the National Mall. On most streets the fee is $2.00 an hour payable by credit card or phone app and and limited to three hours. The spaces are not marked with lines so RVs fees are the same as car fees. Museum  38.88889, -77.02301

Slave Quarters at Arlington House

  We visited Arlington Cemetery and Arlington House in 2015. Since then the Slave Quarters museum was updated and focuses on the families that lived in the two quarter buildings. Each building is divided into three units. The units are small but much nicer than average slave quarters because of their close proximity to the house. The slaves that lived in them were maids, cooks, carriage drivers, and other household workers.

The exhibits also tell the stories of the descendants of Martha Washington’s grandson, George Washington Parke Custis, who fathered a daughter with Arianna, one of his slaves. Several hundred people are descendants of their daughter, Maria.

  The paths around the house and the quarters have been paved, an upgrade from our previous visit, so it’s much more accessible. The property slopes up from the Potomac River. Be prepared for hilly terrain. Wheelchair users will need help from an energetic pusher. An easier option is to take the shuttle bus tour which is accessible and free to visitors with a handicap placard and also free for one companion. The shuttle stops at most of the major sites.

  Follow the signs for RV parking. We did not have to pay a parking fee this time which may have to do with coronavirus. Quarters  38.88127, -77.07288

Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden

  This small sculpture garden is sunken down below street level for a tranquil visit. It an easy and quick side trip when visiting other sights in DC since it doesn’t take a lot of time to see it.

     A ramped entrance is located on Jefferson Street.

When visiting DC we park on one of the street around the National Mall. On most streets the fee is $2.00 an hour payable by credit card or phone app and and limited to three hours. The spaces are not marked with lines so RVs fees are the same as car fees. Garden  38.88889, -77.02301

Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery

The museum building, originally the Patent Office Building, was slated for demolition but was saved when Congress transferred ownership to the Smithsonian in 1957. It now houses both the American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery which are on opposite ends of the building with an elaborate hallway in between. We visited the art museum only.

  American art from the colonial period to the present is featured on three floors with a forth floor mezzanine of visible art storage.   Highlights include large collections of New Deal art and folk art.

               
      
  The museum is accessible. Look for the ramps on both sides of the 8th and G Streets NW entrance.

  We did not attempt to find parking close to the museum. Instead we parked as usual on one of the street around the National Mall and walked/rolled the 1/2 mile up the hill to the museum. On most streets the fee is $2.00 an hour payable by credit card or phone app and and limited to three hours. The spaces are not marked with lines so RVs fees are the same as car fees.  Museum  38.89812, -77.02308