W A S H I N G T O N   D . C .   -   D A Y   # 1

Monday, October 25, 2004

Do you appreciate modern and contemporary art with an international bent? If so, you should visit the Smithsonian Hirshhorn and Sculpture Garden. The museum is America's first modern and contemporary art museum, with much of its focus trained on acquiring and displaying art created within the last 30 years. Famous pieces include works created by Picasso, Giacometti, de Kooning, and Warhol.

A stone's throw away is the Sculpture Garden. I must admit, I do appreciate modern art, but only if it's art that I think I could never create on my own. I'm no artist, I have no talent in that realm, but I can take paint and splat it on a canvas, or take a bunch if steel I-beams and throw them together. Some folks consider such things art, I don't. To me, everything I see here is art, with the exception to the red I-beam monstrosity. Yikes!

Soon enough I'm standing in front of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, home of the world's largest collection of historic air and spacecraft. Folks interested in researching the history, technology, and science behind the items in this fascinating exhibit will certainly walk away from the experience both educated and inspired.

There are actually two parts to the museum. The one located here in the National Mall contains hundreds of artifacts including the original 1903 Wright Flyer, Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis, and the Apollo 11 command module. The companion facility, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, is located near the Dulles International Airport. It contains the aviation and space artifacts that are too big to be exhibited here at the National Mall facility. The collection includes a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, a Boeing Dash 80, the famous Boeing B-29 Superfortress, Enola Gay, and Space Shuttle Enterprise. The bus now parked in front of the museum must shuttle visitors between here and the companion facility.