1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:04,000 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class, a production 2 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:12,760 Speaker 1: of I Heart Radios How Stuff Works. Hello, and welcome 3 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:16,040 Speaker 1: to the podcast. I'm Holly Fry and I'm Tracy V. Wilson. 4 00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:19,160 Speaker 1: I am super duper excited because I was recently fortunate 5 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 1: enough to visit the Smithsonian American Art Museum and sit 6 00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:26,239 Speaker 1: down with the director, Stephanie Steepish for a chat. And 7 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:29,480 Speaker 1: this interview isn't focused on anyone's specific thing. We talk 8 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:32,479 Speaker 1: about Stephanie's work and some of the museums exhibit, but 9 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:35,199 Speaker 1: also just what museums offer the world and how they 10 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:38,120 Speaker 1: fit into history. Stephanie has a passion for her work 11 00:00:38,159 --> 00:00:40,960 Speaker 1: and for sharing art with a public that's completely infectious, 12 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:43,200 Speaker 1: and what she really cares about is how people engage 13 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:45,199 Speaker 1: with the museum. So when she first sat down with 14 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:47,479 Speaker 1: Holly for the interview, she asked Collie a question right 15 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 1: out of the gate. Find out what Holly thought of 16 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:52,960 Speaker 1: the time at the museum this morning. Yeah, she's a 17 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:54,760 Speaker 1: little embarrassing because I might have cried in front of 18 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:57,600 Speaker 1: some art um. We're going to pick up this interview 19 00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 1: with my answer, and then we'll start off my Inner 20 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:02,600 Speaker 1: You with Stephanie, which quickly opens up into the history 21 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:08,080 Speaker 1: of the building that houses the Smithsonian American Art Museum. 22 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:12,280 Speaker 1: So it's been amazing. I um mentioned to you before 23 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:14,319 Speaker 1: we came in that I had my little tearful moment 24 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 1: with the Edmonia Lewis sculpture because I'm a great admirer 25 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:20,000 Speaker 1: of her in her life story is very inspiring. Uh 26 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:22,040 Speaker 1: So that in and of itself was my great thing. 27 00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:24,200 Speaker 1: And because we're here before it opens, and to like 28 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 1: have private time with a piece of art like that 29 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:30,640 Speaker 1: is beyond special to me. What I want to hear 30 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:33,200 Speaker 1: about from you, though, is there are some things that 31 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 1: you showed me that we walked around together doing and 32 00:01:36,120 --> 00:01:39,320 Speaker 1: some things that I walked around on my own experiencing, 33 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:41,000 Speaker 1: which I will ask you about in a bit. But 34 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:43,480 Speaker 1: before we get to any of that, I want to 35 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:46,800 Speaker 1: ask you how you landed here, Like, how does one 36 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:51,600 Speaker 1: become the lead of a place like this? Well, I 37 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:55,560 Speaker 1: would tell you, Holly, I have the greatest job possible. 38 00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:58,280 Speaker 1: Uh it is a job where every day I'm working 39 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:01,640 Speaker 1: with really talented, aative people. And I'm not just talking 40 00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 1: about my phenomenal staff, but artists who come here, people 41 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:08,079 Speaker 1: who have a passion and collect people who want to 42 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 1: write about what we present, art critics and thinkers, uh, 43 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 1: and also people who have never been here before, as 44 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:20,240 Speaker 1: well as people who love this place deeply and and 45 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:23,960 Speaker 1: have their five favorite objects, favorite places in the museum. 46 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:28,880 Speaker 1: So how do you grow up and become a museum director? Well, 47 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:30,639 Speaker 1: I want to tell you the Smithsonian is in many 48 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:33,639 Speaker 1: ways the Harvard of Art museums, because we are this 49 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 1: big family of museums. Were the largest research and museum 50 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:42,480 Speaker 1: complex in the world. We are these sort of official 51 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:45,799 Speaker 1: national museums of different subject matters. So in my case 52 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:49,520 Speaker 1: it's American art as well as I run the Renwick Gallery, 53 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 1: which is the National Museum of Craft uh. And then 54 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:54,600 Speaker 1: you go through the National Museum of African Art and 55 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:57,440 Speaker 1: the Cooper Hewitt and on and on, all these specialties. 56 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:01,280 Speaker 1: I grew up in museums. I fell at home in museums. 57 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:05,280 Speaker 1: I studied art history and UM. There are different pathways 58 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 1: I could have taught. I could have worked at an 59 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:11,880 Speaker 1: auction house or a gallery, could have written. But when 60 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:13,640 Speaker 1: you work in a museum, you get to touch that 61 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 1: many more lives. Uh. You get to constantly learn. It's 62 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:23,000 Speaker 1: a graduate seminar with every special exhibition we do. When 63 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 1: we make really tough decisions about which works of art 64 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:32,000 Speaker 1: we're going to accept or with limited dollars purchase, we 65 00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 1: are making an important statement about time and place. And 66 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:39,680 Speaker 1: I like to say, in museums we're in the forever business. 67 00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 1: Oh that's beautiful. So there's a there's a sacred duty. 68 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:47,600 Speaker 1: And I would tell you I often tell my staff 69 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:50,600 Speaker 1: that museums are a team sport. Yes I have the 70 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:54,040 Speaker 1: good luck of being the director, but it's really a 71 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:56,360 Speaker 1: nobody can do this work alone. It's just it's just 72 00:03:56,400 --> 00:04:00,560 Speaker 1: too many facets to um to have any single person, 73 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 1: even even our curators who think up these wonderful projects. 74 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:06,760 Speaker 1: It depends on so many arms and legs to get 75 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:11,360 Speaker 1: something done here. I love it. And I mean, just 76 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 1: in our short time walking around with some of your staff, 77 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:19,680 Speaker 1: that's abundantly clear that just everyone here one is incredibly smart, 78 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:23,719 Speaker 1: incredibly engaged, like trying to even like just the people 79 00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:26,520 Speaker 1: that are walking through doing maintenance stuff. Nobody is like 80 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 1: just clocking in and doing their joke like they all 81 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:32,720 Speaker 1: seem to really holly. Museums are generally happy places, right. 82 00:04:32,920 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 1: Just people come with some leisure time, They come with 83 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:37,760 Speaker 1: their friends, they come with their family, they come on 84 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:41,240 Speaker 1: special occasions, they come to share things that are deeply 85 00:04:41,360 --> 00:04:46,080 Speaker 1: meaningful to them. They come for fun, they come for surprise. 86 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:53,760 Speaker 1: Hopefully they leave remembering something that they saw. That that 87 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:58,200 Speaker 1: that I like to think that, Um, the gift artists 88 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:01,000 Speaker 1: give us when we encounter to their work and really 89 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:04,800 Speaker 1: spend time with the work, is uh that artists change 90 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:09,080 Speaker 1: the way we see the world. Yeah, one one object, 91 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:12,000 Speaker 1: one artwork at a time. So the building we're in 92 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:15,280 Speaker 1: as well, you gave me a quick version earlier. You 93 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:17,920 Speaker 1: took us into the secret room, which is off of 94 00:05:17,960 --> 00:05:20,960 Speaker 1: what appears to initially be a very standard sort of 95 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:23,440 Speaker 1: coat room, and then there's a secret room which has 96 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:27,200 Speaker 1: some really cool insights into the building's history. Will you 97 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:30,479 Speaker 1: talk about this building's history and how it how it's 98 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:33,080 Speaker 1: evolved over the years to where it is now. Sure, 99 00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:38,080 Speaker 1: it's a spectacular building. It spans too city blocks seventh 100 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:41,599 Speaker 1: to ninth Street, and uh is boundaried by F and 101 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:44,040 Speaker 1: G Streets, and so we have entrances on both sides. 102 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:47,400 Speaker 1: And that secret room you'll find on the F Street entrance. 103 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:51,200 Speaker 1: As you perhaps hang up your code or leave your bag, 104 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:54,400 Speaker 1: you'll see there's a little chamber in the back where 105 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:59,560 Speaker 1: we have left uncovered the um the structure of the building, 106 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:04,840 Speaker 1: because this was built as the Patent Office for the 107 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:10,039 Speaker 1: United States, the third federal building built after the White 108 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:13,880 Speaker 1: House and the Capital, and you have to imagine this 109 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:17,800 Speaker 1: must be a very important building. It's where American entrepreneurship 110 00:06:17,839 --> 00:06:21,400 Speaker 1: and creativity is at home, and it's a pretty good 111 00:06:21,480 --> 00:06:24,719 Speaker 1: choice to locate the National Museum of American Art. So 112 00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:29,840 Speaker 1: the building originally housed shelves, rows and rows of shelves 113 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:36,480 Speaker 1: of patent models. President Andrew Jackson signed legislation about around 114 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:41,560 Speaker 1: patent law which mandated that as an inventor, you had 115 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:46,040 Speaker 1: to bring forward a model of your of your invention 116 00:06:46,120 --> 00:06:49,159 Speaker 1: plus drawings and explain how this was made, and that 117 00:06:49,279 --> 00:06:52,360 Speaker 1: future inventors could come and look and say, oh, actually, 118 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:56,039 Speaker 1: what I have is an improvement, is a variation on 119 00:06:56,080 --> 00:06:59,320 Speaker 1: an existing patent. Again, you have to be your patent 120 00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:02,839 Speaker 1: has to be review. Even today, and recently I heard, Holly, 121 00:07:02,960 --> 00:07:07,680 Speaker 1: you might find fascinating the ten million US patent was 122 00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:11,480 Speaker 1: issued recently, ten million. It's astonishing to think about all 123 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:17,400 Speaker 1: of the ingenuity that the preceding UH numbers all contained. 124 00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:20,080 Speaker 1: In many cases, like it's it's just such a great 125 00:07:20,080 --> 00:07:23,560 Speaker 1: deal about the never ending quest to make new things 126 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:26,000 Speaker 1: and fill gaps that we need. And it's sort of 127 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:30,240 Speaker 1: beautiful indeed. And and this historic building also went through 128 00:07:30,280 --> 00:07:33,640 Speaker 1: some transformations. It was built to be fireproof, so that 129 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:36,240 Speaker 1: meant originally, you know, stay away from wooden beams and 130 00:07:36,640 --> 00:07:40,280 Speaker 1: work with iron tresses and such. And built in the 131 00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:46,120 Speaker 1: Greek Revival style. It during the Civil War housed hospital. 132 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:53,600 Speaker 1: Walt Whitman would come here and UH read to injured soldiers. 133 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:58,520 Speaker 1: UH and UH in its incarnation as the Patent Office, 134 00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:03,320 Speaker 1: the very important to Clara Barton worked here. We would 135 00:08:03,320 --> 00:08:06,320 Speaker 1: know her for two important reasons. Of course, she was 136 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:09,480 Speaker 1: the founder of the American Red Cross, and in today's 137 00:08:09,520 --> 00:08:15,360 Speaker 1: important conversation about gender equality, she was the first government 138 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:20,960 Speaker 1: um employee who was given equal pay for equal work. 139 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:24,600 Speaker 1: Clara Barton here at the old Patent Novice And it 140 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:29,480 Speaker 1: also housed earlier iterations and collections of the Smithsonian, and then, 141 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:35,640 Speaker 1: thankfully in nine after a significant restoration, was the official 142 00:08:35,679 --> 00:08:39,000 Speaker 1: home for UH, the Smithsonian, American Art Museum, and our 143 00:08:39,040 --> 00:08:42,239 Speaker 1: sister museum, the National Portrait Gallery. And it's so beautiful. 144 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:47,040 Speaker 1: Walking around, I spied something very cool which has been 145 00:08:47,120 --> 00:08:51,679 Speaker 1: retained despite updates and things being renovated. There is a 146 00:08:51,720 --> 00:08:55,600 Speaker 1: tiny piece of graffiti that you guys kept in now 147 00:08:55,640 --> 00:08:58,360 Speaker 1: it's almost its own little secret artwork exhibit. Will you 148 00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:00,839 Speaker 1: talk about that a little bit? Yes, I I think 149 00:09:00,920 --> 00:09:05,600 Speaker 1: museums have wonderful objects that we caretake and hopefully we 150 00:09:05,679 --> 00:09:09,800 Speaker 1: display it in intriguing, in beautiful ways, provocative ways sometimes. 151 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:13,200 Speaker 1: And yet let's not forget the house in which we sit, 152 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:18,480 Speaker 1: whether it's a contemporary building. And they're wonderful star architects 153 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:21,679 Speaker 1: for building great museums these days, but many museums are 154 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:24,600 Speaker 1: located in historic buildings, you know, repurposed. And so if 155 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:26,559 Speaker 1: we can bring a little bit of the magic out, 156 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:31,560 Speaker 1: if we can remind people that UM that these great 157 00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:35,600 Speaker 1: UH facilities had important roles. Not only we were a 158 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:39,200 Speaker 1: Civil War hospital, but we were the home for Abraham 159 00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:42,360 Speaker 1: Lincoln's second inaugural ball, because it was one of the 160 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:46,079 Speaker 1: largest spaces in Washington City for such an event. Yeah, 161 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:48,200 Speaker 1: I do we have any insight into who the mystery 162 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:52,440 Speaker 1: HF that I wish I could tell you. I wish 163 00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:55,320 Speaker 1: I could tell you that it was Walt Whitman himself. No, UM, 164 00:09:55,360 --> 00:09:59,760 Speaker 1: not the case, however, Walt Whitman. Uh, there are echoes 165 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:02,120 Speaker 1: of women around the city. So I invite you to 166 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:06,520 Speaker 1: go to the du Pont Circle train metro exit and 167 00:10:06,880 --> 00:10:11,400 Speaker 1: etched in the entry and exit tunnel is the Walt 168 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:15,720 Speaker 1: Whitman poem about his days reading to Civil War. Um, 169 00:10:15,760 --> 00:10:19,840 Speaker 1: you know injured. Yeah, I love it so for listeners. 170 00:10:19,880 --> 00:10:24,400 Speaker 1: It's a tiny little piece of like a window frame. 171 00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:27,080 Speaker 1: It just has the initial C HF carved in it 172 00:10:27,240 --> 00:10:30,280 Speaker 1: and then it stated August eight sixty four. And you 173 00:10:30,280 --> 00:10:32,920 Speaker 1: guys have put this beautiful just a little glass over 174 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:35,959 Speaker 1: it and it It is sort of funny because when 175 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:37,520 Speaker 1: you look at it straight on, it almost looks like 176 00:10:37,559 --> 00:10:39,760 Speaker 1: you just mounted a picture on the wall. But then 177 00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:41,719 Speaker 1: when you see it from the side, you realize it's 178 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:45,400 Speaker 1: just protecting something that's part of this building's history. I'm 179 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:49,400 Speaker 1: so glad you found it, Holly. We uh want people 180 00:10:49,440 --> 00:10:51,640 Speaker 1: to look closely at works of art and then also 181 00:10:52,480 --> 00:10:55,200 Speaker 1: explore a little bit of the building. So when you're 182 00:10:55,240 --> 00:10:58,440 Speaker 1: in the Great Hall, which was where Lincoln's inauguration was, 183 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:00,440 Speaker 1: and if you look at the floor, it feels different 184 00:11:00,800 --> 00:11:02,520 Speaker 1: than in the rest of the building. You're not on 185 00:11:02,559 --> 00:11:06,200 Speaker 1: marble floors. You're not even on wood gallery floors. You're 186 00:11:06,280 --> 00:11:09,600 Speaker 1: on beautiful tiled floors. And because that is a completely 187 00:11:09,600 --> 00:11:13,559 Speaker 1: different style, there was a fire in seven in this building, 188 00:11:14,080 --> 00:11:17,520 Speaker 1: and so a new architectural style was added to our 189 00:11:17,559 --> 00:11:22,080 Speaker 1: Greek Revival building, something called Neo Renaissance, and um, so 190 00:11:22,240 --> 00:11:26,439 Speaker 1: a very different grandeur was was added to the building, 191 00:11:26,440 --> 00:11:28,680 Speaker 1: gave it a bit of an update. I hope everyone 192 00:11:28,679 --> 00:11:31,520 Speaker 1: who visits the Smithsonian American Art Museum seeks out that 193 00:11:31,600 --> 00:11:34,680 Speaker 1: little bit of preserved graffiti that we talked about. It 194 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:37,440 Speaker 1: just feels so unique and special, and it tethers the 195 00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:41,000 Speaker 1: building to its past. Coming up, Stephanie will share two 196 00:11:41,080 --> 00:11:43,600 Speaker 1: stories about places in the building. She thinks they're extra 197 00:11:43,679 --> 00:11:46,160 Speaker 1: special and that visitors should make sure to visit. But 198 00:11:46,200 --> 00:11:56,960 Speaker 1: first we will take a quick sponsor break. You mentioned 199 00:11:57,000 --> 00:11:59,560 Speaker 1: that this was at one point the U. S. Patent Office, 200 00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:03,200 Speaker 1: and you still have on display some unique pieces that 201 00:12:03,280 --> 00:12:06,240 Speaker 1: are you know, old patents and their models. Uh. Will 202 00:12:06,280 --> 00:12:07,760 Speaker 1: you talk about some of those? Are some of your 203 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:10,240 Speaker 1: fate one or two of your favorites, perhaps, sure, Holly. 204 00:12:10,320 --> 00:12:14,320 Speaker 1: I I always invite visitors to explore this really large building, 205 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:18,040 Speaker 1: the three different floors, and then uh, make a bee 206 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:21,080 Speaker 1: line for two very special places. One is called the 207 00:12:21,120 --> 00:12:25,640 Speaker 1: Loose Foundation Center for American Art, which is where we're 208 00:12:25,679 --> 00:12:30,800 Speaker 1: located right now, and there are a couple of mezzanine 209 00:12:30,880 --> 00:12:34,439 Speaker 1: levels of shelves and open storage as we like to 210 00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:36,840 Speaker 1: call it. There are three thousand works of art on 211 00:12:36,920 --> 00:12:39,880 Speaker 1: view across all media. And then tucked in another corner 212 00:12:40,160 --> 00:12:42,720 Speaker 1: that you and I spied and walked over a little 213 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:46,760 Speaker 1: bit is the London Conservation Center, the first visible conservation 214 00:12:46,840 --> 00:12:51,240 Speaker 1: center in a museum. So the patent models we thought 215 00:12:51,320 --> 00:12:54,360 Speaker 1: would be important to still show, and we have an 216 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:58,000 Speaker 1: understanding with the Patent office that a couple of delightful 217 00:12:58,040 --> 00:13:00,880 Speaker 1: I would say, both failed models and things we still 218 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:04,360 Speaker 1: enjoy today, like a butter churn or I think you 219 00:13:04,720 --> 00:13:09,719 Speaker 1: spied a sewing machine. Did so, these wonderful models are 220 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:14,600 Speaker 1: tagged with a wonderful calligraphy indicating their number, a little 221 00:13:14,600 --> 00:13:17,400 Speaker 1: bit of their history. We have reproductions of some of 222 00:13:17,440 --> 00:13:20,800 Speaker 1: the drawings that talk about process and use, and we 223 00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:24,280 Speaker 1: also have a timeline of of the of the usage 224 00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:27,280 Speaker 1: of the of the museum. So it's uh in Bay 225 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:30,200 Speaker 1: twenty one. When you're up on the sort of mezzanine 226 00:13:30,320 --> 00:13:34,719 Speaker 1: level of the loose Um Center. Yeah, it's there are 227 00:13:34,800 --> 00:13:37,680 Speaker 1: so many wonderful little nooks and crannies all over this building. 228 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:40,360 Speaker 1: But so I'm glad that you directed people where to 229 00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:41,839 Speaker 1: go if they want to see that, because it might 230 00:13:41,880 --> 00:13:44,319 Speaker 1: be tricky to find it if you don't know the 231 00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:47,079 Speaker 1: building terribly well. One of the things I really wanted 232 00:13:47,080 --> 00:13:49,240 Speaker 1: to talk to you about is an exhibit that you 233 00:13:49,280 --> 00:13:52,360 Speaker 1: guys just opened, which is called Artists Respond and it's 234 00:13:52,400 --> 00:13:57,559 Speaker 1: American Art in the Vietnam War One. That's a really 235 00:13:58,760 --> 00:14:02,079 Speaker 1: impactful exhibit to walk through. It is not an easy 236 00:14:02,120 --> 00:14:04,840 Speaker 1: exhibit to walk through. UM. A lot of those pieces 237 00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:07,400 Speaker 1: are not what we would call like pretty art. Um. 238 00:14:07,440 --> 00:14:10,959 Speaker 1: They're moving and visceral and very frightening in some ways 239 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:14,480 Speaker 1: and arresting. Will you talk about just that exhibit, why 240 00:14:14,520 --> 00:14:17,360 Speaker 1: it is important, why you wanted to have it here 241 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:20,680 Speaker 1: at the Smithsonian Um, and also just you know, your 242 00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:24,480 Speaker 1: thoughts on it and how the whole thing came together. Uh, 243 00:14:24,480 --> 00:14:27,720 Speaker 1: thank you, Holly. I'm so glad you have um uh 244 00:14:27,880 --> 00:14:30,440 Speaker 1: invited me to spend a moment on this exhibition. So 245 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:32,920 Speaker 1: this is a project that's been five years in the making. 246 00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:37,160 Speaker 1: Really takes that long to identify works, to hone your 247 00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:42,920 Speaker 1: your theories and your messages, to uh write catalog entries 248 00:14:42,960 --> 00:14:46,840 Speaker 1: and essays, um, and to ship everything here and uh 249 00:14:46,880 --> 00:14:50,920 Speaker 1: and also raise the funds to make it all happen. Uh. 250 00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:55,360 Speaker 1: This is an exhibition that is a window into a moment, uh, 251 00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:59,040 Speaker 1: a moment of the American experience. The Vietnam War, by 252 00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:03,760 Speaker 1: any definition, one of the most contested moments in American life. 253 00:15:03,760 --> 00:15:08,680 Speaker 1: It touched our political life, our military experience, our social understanding, 254 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:13,920 Speaker 1: and artists were among those who were grappling with. UM. 255 00:15:14,040 --> 00:15:18,440 Speaker 1: This war that for many people arrived in your living room. 256 00:15:18,480 --> 00:15:20,680 Speaker 1: It was sort of the first sort of televised war 257 00:15:21,840 --> 00:15:24,240 Speaker 1: and UH, so you would be sitting down to dinner 258 00:15:24,240 --> 00:15:27,920 Speaker 1: with your family and uh there would be the on 259 00:15:28,040 --> 00:15:30,520 Speaker 1: your screen, the notices of how many people were killed 260 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:33,560 Speaker 1: or injured. Uh. And that is reflected in a fabos 261 00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:37,120 Speaker 1: piece by Edward keene Holtz that we have on display. 262 00:15:37,160 --> 00:15:41,880 Speaker 1: This exhibition looks at a unique time period T. Seventy five, 263 00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:45,080 Speaker 1: the sort of key moments, the escalation of the war 264 00:15:45,640 --> 00:15:50,400 Speaker 1: as well. And UH it is fundamentally an anti war exhibition. 265 00:15:50,560 --> 00:15:55,440 Speaker 1: I think it is. It is not designed to be 266 00:15:55,920 --> 00:15:59,880 Speaker 1: UM anti American and I don't see the artists make 267 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:02,760 Speaker 1: that statement. They may question the American government, they may 268 00:16:02,840 --> 00:16:06,520 Speaker 1: question the the ideals that are not being upheld. Um 269 00:16:06,600 --> 00:16:12,480 Speaker 1: in this moment, there is uh a moment where this 270 00:16:13,120 --> 00:16:17,480 Speaker 1: conflict would forever change American art. Why because if you're 271 00:16:17,520 --> 00:16:21,520 Speaker 1: making pop art or abstract expressionists art in the preceding decades, 272 00:16:21,760 --> 00:16:24,160 Speaker 1: that's not the language where you can talk about loss. 273 00:16:24,840 --> 00:16:27,480 Speaker 1: That you can talk about the body, that you can 274 00:16:27,520 --> 00:16:34,760 Speaker 1: talk about ideals or American identity or atrocities or places 275 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:38,680 Speaker 1: far you know, far far away. It's really interesting because 276 00:16:38,720 --> 00:16:41,880 Speaker 1: I feel like um one growing up in a military 277 00:16:41,920 --> 00:16:44,000 Speaker 1: family where my dad was in the Vietnam War and 278 00:16:44,080 --> 00:16:47,360 Speaker 1: never wanted to talk about it. It's really enlightening. Again, 279 00:16:47,400 --> 00:16:49,480 Speaker 1: I was tiny at that point, so it wasn't as 280 00:16:49,480 --> 00:16:51,600 Speaker 1: though I have my own memories of it. But it 281 00:16:51,680 --> 00:16:54,800 Speaker 1: is enlightening even for me who I feel like, you know, 282 00:16:54,880 --> 00:16:57,440 Speaker 1: I study history and I read up in these things 283 00:16:57,440 --> 00:17:01,239 Speaker 1: and have personal connection. But even so, it really captures 284 00:17:01,720 --> 00:17:03,960 Speaker 1: what was going on socially in a way that I 285 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:07,760 Speaker 1: think we don't often see. Um. You know, it's an 286 00:17:07,840 --> 00:17:10,200 Speaker 1: education in and of itself about what what it felt 287 00:17:10,240 --> 00:17:12,800 Speaker 1: like to be an American during the late sixties and 288 00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:17,240 Speaker 1: early seventies. That I think is incredibly important. UM. I 289 00:17:17,320 --> 00:17:19,960 Speaker 1: wonder what the reception has been in the short time 290 00:17:19,960 --> 00:17:21,440 Speaker 1: it's been open. It's only been open like a week 291 00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:24,040 Speaker 1: and a half, right, yes, yes, I think people have 292 00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:27,159 Speaker 1: understood that this is an important topic. It's really the 293 00:17:27,240 --> 00:17:31,480 Speaker 1: first and sort of largest, most comprehensive view of this 294 00:17:31,560 --> 00:17:35,760 Speaker 1: moment in time. It is both feels very contemporary, and 295 00:17:35,800 --> 00:17:39,440 Speaker 1: the artists were making work in response to that moment. 296 00:17:39,480 --> 00:17:43,360 Speaker 1: And again the exhibition has worked only from that a decade. 297 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:47,160 Speaker 1: Much is of course, we we offer some interpretation spaces 298 00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:49,800 Speaker 1: and and and talk about, you know, the Maya Lens 299 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:52,159 Speaker 1: Vietnam War Memorial, because we are of course here in 300 00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:54,480 Speaker 1: washing d c. And is something that in many ways 301 00:17:54,520 --> 00:17:57,480 Speaker 1: brought the country back together again, you know, after the 302 00:17:57,480 --> 00:18:02,359 Speaker 1: shattering experience of the war. The exhibition also feels very historic, uh, 303 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:07,719 Speaker 1: in terms of moments that speak to the Democratic Convention, 304 00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:12,359 Speaker 1: also a tough moment in Chicago. It's an exhibition that 305 00:18:12,640 --> 00:18:16,040 Speaker 1: invites a lot more voices into the story than we 306 00:18:16,040 --> 00:18:18,720 Speaker 1: were used to both at the time UM and even 307 00:18:18,760 --> 00:18:22,800 Speaker 1: sometimes today. So many more works by women artists, by 308 00:18:23,119 --> 00:18:26,320 Speaker 1: UM people of color are included. I think people will 309 00:18:26,359 --> 00:18:31,160 Speaker 1: be surprised how many works by veterans are in the exhibition. UH, 310 00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:34,960 Speaker 1: and they to grapple with their dual identity as an 311 00:18:35,080 --> 00:18:39,639 Speaker 1: artist and as a veteran. It's also show that confronts 312 00:18:39,640 --> 00:18:42,959 Speaker 1: you with different media. So there'll be an environment, there 313 00:18:42,960 --> 00:18:47,840 Speaker 1: will be graphic posters, there'll be some photojournalist images, there 314 00:18:47,840 --> 00:18:53,280 Speaker 1: will be big, bold paintings. There are photographs of performances 315 00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:56,320 Speaker 1: UH included. And I would tell you a lot of 316 00:18:56,359 --> 00:19:00,560 Speaker 1: these artists weren't necessarily making the art for art world. 317 00:19:01,080 --> 00:19:05,120 Speaker 1: They weren't necessarily expecting the works to be displayed, and 318 00:19:05,280 --> 00:19:08,760 Speaker 1: a lot of dealers really didn't want to show this work. 319 00:19:09,680 --> 00:19:12,159 Speaker 1: And it was work that in many ways was not 320 00:19:12,200 --> 00:19:15,160 Speaker 1: always fully formed, was still in process. So you'll find 321 00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:18,679 Speaker 1: people you know like Judy Chicago and Chris Burton, and 322 00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:21,880 Speaker 1: you'll find people you may know less like Jesse Trevino 323 00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:26,560 Speaker 1: um And and Kim Jones, both vets, or somebody as 324 00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:33,240 Speaker 1: impactful as Rupert Garcia. So incredible mix. Yeah, the breadth 325 00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:36,720 Speaker 1: of artwork in that exhibit. As I was walking through, 326 00:19:36,760 --> 00:19:38,959 Speaker 1: I kept going, wait, is there's more down here? Like 327 00:19:39,119 --> 00:19:42,560 Speaker 1: it's huge. It is a big show, and I believe 328 00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:44,440 Speaker 1: it or not, we had to we we we did 329 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:47,280 Speaker 1: a pretty good job of editing not not everything you 330 00:19:47,320 --> 00:19:50,080 Speaker 1: want to borrow is available, and yet people also are 331 00:19:50,160 --> 00:19:52,119 Speaker 1: very generous in their loans, and you have to kind 332 00:19:52,119 --> 00:19:54,760 Speaker 1: of track down who owns something because it may change 333 00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:59,520 Speaker 1: hands during that time. I would also say that art 334 00:19:59,560 --> 00:20:02,399 Speaker 1: critics have picked up that this is an exhibition that 335 00:20:02,560 --> 00:20:05,520 Speaker 1: is worth writing about and hopefully encouraging people to visit. 336 00:20:05,920 --> 00:20:09,000 Speaker 1: So we had early previews in the Washington Post, in 337 00:20:09,040 --> 00:20:13,199 Speaker 1: the Wall Street Journal, and a complimentary review in the 338 00:20:13,240 --> 00:20:17,560 Speaker 1: Washington Post calling it a must see exhibition. And I 339 00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:19,720 Speaker 1: hope it is an exhibition you see with other people, 340 00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:22,520 Speaker 1: and that you can both respond to the works of 341 00:20:22,680 --> 00:20:26,199 Speaker 1: art and also to your memories or your understanding of 342 00:20:26,200 --> 00:20:29,520 Speaker 1: that of that moment again conveyed through art. This I 343 00:20:29,560 --> 00:20:33,000 Speaker 1: have to keep reminding people, Holly, it's fundamentally in art exhibition. 344 00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:36,840 Speaker 1: Much as we are pausing and trying to remember what 345 00:20:36,920 --> 00:20:40,800 Speaker 1: exactly happened in that year of nineteen sixty nine and 346 00:20:40,840 --> 00:20:43,879 Speaker 1: what changed again in one I mean, well, we offer 347 00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:48,199 Speaker 1: timelines and other moments of context for our visitors, but 348 00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:51,480 Speaker 1: it's really the art that we want you to encounter. Yeah, 349 00:20:51,520 --> 00:20:55,160 Speaker 1: and you guys have a unique little setup, uh where 350 00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:59,160 Speaker 1: people can kind of process where they're at in terms 351 00:20:59,200 --> 00:21:02,080 Speaker 1: of like what they've experienced and how they're thinking about 352 00:21:02,119 --> 00:21:03,640 Speaker 1: it when you talk a little bit about that, because 353 00:21:03,640 --> 00:21:08,120 Speaker 1: it's fascinating, Yes, I uh More and more we ask ourselves, 354 00:21:08,200 --> 00:21:11,200 Speaker 1: how do our visitors get ready to see an exhibition 355 00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:14,840 Speaker 1: and how do we give them a space for for pause? 356 00:21:15,480 --> 00:21:20,280 Speaker 1: So I have asked the curators to uh plan for 357 00:21:20,359 --> 00:21:26,320 Speaker 1: each exhibition to have a video a brief moment where 358 00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:28,439 Speaker 1: you can stand. You don't necessarily to say we're not 359 00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:31,560 Speaker 1: making black box spaces, but some kind of moment where 360 00:21:31,600 --> 00:21:33,879 Speaker 1: we can talk about the artist or at the time 361 00:21:33,920 --> 00:21:37,440 Speaker 1: period or what was going on historically. Just preparing visitors 362 00:21:37,800 --> 00:21:40,440 Speaker 1: and letting every visitor come in sort of at a 363 00:21:40,160 --> 00:21:44,240 Speaker 1: a at a same same level of information that that 364 00:21:44,320 --> 00:21:47,480 Speaker 1: we're offering. And then in you go through the exhibition 365 00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:51,600 Speaker 1: and and the rooms are thematically laid out their numbers. 366 00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:54,240 Speaker 1: So we do think that there is a story to 367 00:21:54,320 --> 00:21:57,080 Speaker 1: be told as as you move from room one to 368 00:21:57,280 --> 00:22:00,760 Speaker 1: to five or so, and then at the end comfortable 369 00:22:00,800 --> 00:22:08,399 Speaker 1: seating a pencil, catalogs, books, a timeline, images, revisiting the 370 00:22:08,520 --> 00:22:12,760 Speaker 1: artworks in a chronological sense instead of in a thematic sense, 371 00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:16,520 Speaker 1: updating the story a little bit, reminding you what has 372 00:22:16,560 --> 00:22:20,600 Speaker 1: happened since, and then asking you which works of art 373 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:24,760 Speaker 1: spoke to you, which works about Will you not forget 374 00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:28,560 Speaker 1: which works were familiar to you or artists that you 375 00:22:28,560 --> 00:22:31,200 Speaker 1: you know in one context but did not ever think 376 00:22:31,240 --> 00:22:34,199 Speaker 1: that they would be making art that would speak UM 377 00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:38,160 Speaker 1: to the Vietnam war experience. Yeah, it's an amazing thing. 378 00:22:38,200 --> 00:22:42,120 Speaker 1: I kind of wish every museum exhibit had it more 379 00:22:42,119 --> 00:22:44,720 Speaker 1: and more. I think we, UM, we want to know 380 00:22:44,840 --> 00:22:48,600 Speaker 1: more about how our visitors come into the museum. What 381 00:22:48,720 --> 00:22:51,800 Speaker 1: is their frame of reference, what is their frame of knowledge? Uh? 382 00:22:51,800 --> 00:22:55,639 Speaker 1: And how do we give them uh quiet space for 383 00:22:56,080 --> 00:23:01,120 Speaker 1: uh for interpretation, for um, for sorting through before you 384 00:23:01,560 --> 00:23:05,119 Speaker 1: again jump into another gallery, a different time moment of 385 00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:10,359 Speaker 1: different material. We want people to to rest their eyes too. UM. 386 00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:13,199 Speaker 1: I want to shift gears a little bit because I 387 00:23:13,520 --> 00:23:17,160 Speaker 1: you mentioned earlier to me before we started your favorite 388 00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:19,360 Speaker 1: piece here, and I would love for you to talk 389 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:21,679 Speaker 1: about that a little bit. Oh, Holly, I I have 390 00:23:21,720 --> 00:23:25,520 Speaker 1: a favorite piece of the day at the at the museum. 391 00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:28,160 Speaker 1: Here we have forty four thousand works of art, and 392 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:31,320 Speaker 1: I'm constantly learning something new. I have the pleasure of 393 00:23:31,320 --> 00:23:34,160 Speaker 1: meeting artists and then seeing the work maybe through their eyes, 394 00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:39,160 Speaker 1: or when we purchase something UM, that becomes a new favorite. 395 00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:42,240 Speaker 1: So remind me, what did I tell you was my 396 00:23:42,359 --> 00:23:45,399 Speaker 1: favorite thing that Helen Keller owned? Ah, but it is 397 00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:48,960 Speaker 1: not my object. I'm happy to tell you about a 398 00:23:49,080 --> 00:23:53,359 Speaker 1: work in the Smithsonian's collection. Again, as I mentioned the 399 00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:56,359 Speaker 1: American Art Museum, we hold forty four thousand works of 400 00:23:56,480 --> 00:24:01,920 Speaker 1: art interests. But the story so this smith Sony Institution UM, 401 00:24:01,960 --> 00:24:04,399 Speaker 1: which is supported by your tax dollars as well as 402 00:24:04,480 --> 00:24:09,919 Speaker 1: private contributions, holds a hundred and fifty five million objects. 403 00:24:10,720 --> 00:24:14,280 Speaker 1: Imagine that. Now, let's let's imagine that most of those 404 00:24:14,320 --> 00:24:17,560 Speaker 1: are maybe bugs in the Natural History Museum. But among 405 00:24:17,800 --> 00:24:22,720 Speaker 1: those incredible UM objects that tell us about ourselves, our time, 406 00:24:23,600 --> 00:24:29,239 Speaker 1: about um UM, about what we're thinking and feeling, is 407 00:24:29,600 --> 00:24:33,280 Speaker 1: an object that I'm very interested in, which is Helen 408 00:24:33,520 --> 00:24:38,480 Speaker 1: Keller's watch. Okay, so pause for a second and imagine 409 00:24:38,520 --> 00:24:41,439 Speaker 1: what you would think it would look like. It's not 410 00:24:41,520 --> 00:24:45,159 Speaker 1: a risk watch. It's a pocket watch. Okay. Was it 411 00:24:45,280 --> 00:24:49,440 Speaker 1: made for her? No? Actually it was a gift. Who 412 00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:52,760 Speaker 1: would have a watch that would be useful to Allan Keller? 413 00:24:53,320 --> 00:24:55,320 Speaker 1: If I told you it was a diplomat, if I 414 00:24:55,359 --> 00:24:57,680 Speaker 1: told you it was a pocket watch, if I told 415 00:24:57,720 --> 00:25:00,199 Speaker 1: you it was a watch that you could feel the 416 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:02,960 Speaker 1: time on, so that there was an you know, internal 417 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:06,679 Speaker 1: mechanism that where time would be represented on the outside, 418 00:25:06,800 --> 00:25:12,000 Speaker 1: so that the diplomat would be diplomatic in ending a 419 00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:16,240 Speaker 1: meeting or um being on time someplace. And this was 420 00:25:16,240 --> 00:25:20,320 Speaker 1: a gift to Helen Keller that she treasured, and um 421 00:25:21,359 --> 00:25:26,520 Speaker 1: makes us think differently about timekeeping and how uh somebody 422 00:25:26,520 --> 00:25:31,879 Speaker 1: who overcame so much would find use in something that 423 00:25:31,920 --> 00:25:35,840 Speaker 1: other people would could also own and would have routinely. 424 00:25:36,400 --> 00:25:40,040 Speaker 1: I love that. It's just such a fascinating little I 425 00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:41,840 Speaker 1: don't know, is it a piece of trivia to know 426 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:43,960 Speaker 1: that it's just wonderful? Let me, can I tell you 427 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:47,399 Speaker 1: why I'm interested in the subfcase so I wear another 428 00:25:47,560 --> 00:25:50,160 Speaker 1: hat or two or three. At the Smithsonian, aside from 429 00:25:50,480 --> 00:25:53,119 Speaker 1: running the American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery, there 430 00:25:53,160 --> 00:25:58,080 Speaker 1: are pan institutional or Smithsonian wide initiatives, and one of 431 00:25:58,119 --> 00:26:01,679 Speaker 1: them is the American Women's His Your Initiative. I'm the 432 00:26:01,720 --> 00:26:06,720 Speaker 1: co chair of this and we are spending the next 433 00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:10,280 Speaker 1: five years to pull the threads together of all the 434 00:26:10,359 --> 00:26:15,640 Speaker 1: stories of American women through science, through history, through natural history, 435 00:26:15,800 --> 00:26:21,480 Speaker 1: through art, through politics, every which way that remarkable women 436 00:26:21,840 --> 00:26:26,879 Speaker 1: and also everyday women have contributed to the American experience, 437 00:26:26,920 --> 00:26:31,840 Speaker 1: to American history. So there are two cornerstone anchoring exhibitions. 438 00:26:31,880 --> 00:26:34,840 Speaker 1: One opens coincidentally on March twenty eight here in the 439 00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:37,679 Speaker 1: old Patent Office building, my sister museum, the National Portrait 440 00:26:37,680 --> 00:26:41,920 Speaker 1: Gallery is doing a Votes for Women exhibition, obviously years 441 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:45,240 Speaker 1: towards the anniversary of suffrage, which did not give all 442 00:26:45,280 --> 00:26:47,840 Speaker 1: women the right to vote. You have to remember, uh 443 00:26:47,960 --> 00:26:51,000 Speaker 1: in in the South during the gym Crow period, black 444 00:26:51,040 --> 00:26:56,679 Speaker 1: women were not um enfranchised. They would um. Also have 445 00:26:57,160 --> 00:27:00,440 Speaker 1: the book end to that opening exhibition in the coming 446 00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:05,680 Speaker 1: years is an exhibition called Girlhood It's Complicated, which talks 447 00:27:05,720 --> 00:27:09,239 Speaker 1: about growing into your own identity as a woman. So 448 00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:14,200 Speaker 1: the phases of um myth making and reality of American 449 00:27:14,240 --> 00:27:18,280 Speaker 1: girlhood and so the Helen Keller story is part of 450 00:27:18,280 --> 00:27:22,520 Speaker 1: that exhibition, which will travel nationally. That's wonderful, maybe half 451 00:27:22,560 --> 00:27:27,080 Speaker 1: a dozen museums. Wow, that'll be fantastic coming up Stephanie 452 00:27:27,160 --> 00:27:28,800 Speaker 1: is going to talk a little bit about how even 453 00:27:28,840 --> 00:27:31,440 Speaker 1: the frames that art is displayed in are an important 454 00:27:31,440 --> 00:27:34,320 Speaker 1: part of an object story. But first we're gonna pause 455 00:27:34,359 --> 00:27:36,040 Speaker 1: and have a word from one of the sponsors that 456 00:27:36,160 --> 00:27:47,240 Speaker 1: keeps this show going. I know that you are obviously 457 00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:50,760 Speaker 1: keenly interested in history. There was also another little bit 458 00:27:50,800 --> 00:27:52,359 Speaker 1: of trivia that you told me as we were walking 459 00:27:52,359 --> 00:27:56,600 Speaker 1: around talking about conservation and picture frames. Will you talk 460 00:27:56,680 --> 00:28:00,199 Speaker 1: about that a little bit? Sure? Uh. One of the 461 00:28:00,800 --> 00:28:03,200 Speaker 1: uh special places here at the museum is the Lender 462 00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:07,840 Speaker 1: Conservation Center that I may have mentioned earlier. And when 463 00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:12,200 Speaker 1: you are up in that space, what you encounter our 464 00:28:12,320 --> 00:28:16,760 Speaker 1: floor to ceiling window panes. It is basically a glass box. 465 00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:20,399 Speaker 1: And we have five conservation labs that are visible to 466 00:28:21,080 --> 00:28:23,480 Speaker 1: UM to anyone who who comes up there. So our 467 00:28:23,520 --> 00:28:28,080 Speaker 1: conservators are working diligently away in a framing studio, in 468 00:28:28,160 --> 00:28:32,760 Speaker 1: an objects laboratory, in the time based Media space, in 469 00:28:32,800 --> 00:28:39,040 Speaker 1: the painting UM lab, and we try to reveal a 470 00:28:39,040 --> 00:28:42,880 Speaker 1: little bit about the magic of UM, of of how 471 00:28:42,880 --> 00:28:45,479 Speaker 1: we present works of art, how artists create things, and 472 00:28:45,520 --> 00:28:47,800 Speaker 1: so in the framing studio you'll see different styles of 473 00:28:47,840 --> 00:28:51,800 Speaker 1: frames UM that will explain you know how they're crafted. 474 00:28:52,680 --> 00:28:57,200 Speaker 1: Close to the window, you'll see a little sampler of papers. 475 00:28:57,360 --> 00:29:01,440 Speaker 1: So there's a gold leaf, there's still relief, there's copper relief, 476 00:29:01,480 --> 00:29:05,400 Speaker 1: things like that and UM. More and more, we want 477 00:29:05,440 --> 00:29:08,760 Speaker 1: to try to encourage our visitors to understand that there's 478 00:29:08,800 --> 00:29:12,560 Speaker 1: something very special to a historic frame, that perhaps the 479 00:29:12,720 --> 00:29:15,760 Speaker 1: artist was very intentional about the frame that they wanted, 480 00:29:15,840 --> 00:29:19,160 Speaker 1: maybe they even created the frame, or maybe it was 481 00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:24,480 Speaker 1: important for a collector to have UM frames that really 482 00:29:24,520 --> 00:29:28,600 Speaker 1: showcased UM and and uh showcase the artwork and and 483 00:29:28,720 --> 00:29:31,680 Speaker 1: guilding was often for the distinctive purpose of making the 484 00:29:31,760 --> 00:29:36,200 Speaker 1: artwork glow with limited UM domestic lighting it would reflect 485 00:29:36,280 --> 00:29:40,280 Speaker 1: the lighting and the painting better. So uh, in the future, 486 00:29:40,320 --> 00:29:43,080 Speaker 1: we will be adjusting our labels and pointing out to 487 00:29:43,120 --> 00:29:46,640 Speaker 1: our visitors when it's an original frame that so much 488 00:29:46,760 --> 00:29:49,360 Speaker 1: won't won't won't that I think maybe start or maybe 489 00:29:49,360 --> 00:29:53,760 Speaker 1: even stop a conversation. Wait, did you see that original frame? Yeah? Yeah, 490 00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:56,760 Speaker 1: I mean I think about There are a couple of 491 00:29:56,800 --> 00:30:00,440 Speaker 1: art pieces I have bought fairly recently in New Orleans 492 00:30:00,440 --> 00:30:03,960 Speaker 1: where the frames were made out of refuse from the hurricane, 493 00:30:04,240 --> 00:30:07,560 Speaker 1: and to me, like that's exactly kind of the same thing. 494 00:30:07,600 --> 00:30:10,760 Speaker 1: It's just historically oriented. In a hundred years, someone will 495 00:30:10,800 --> 00:30:12,960 Speaker 1: have that tag on and they'll be like, oh, it 496 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:15,880 Speaker 1: will add weight and depth to their understanding of that 497 00:30:15,920 --> 00:30:18,240 Speaker 1: piece of artists they're taking it in. So yes, and 498 00:30:18,240 --> 00:30:21,640 Speaker 1: and framing Holly is ever evolving. Museums will take frames 499 00:30:21,640 --> 00:30:24,680 Speaker 1: off um and say, you know what that frame is 500 00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:27,440 Speaker 1: speaks more to the collector and their desire to have 501 00:30:27,560 --> 00:30:31,960 Speaker 1: one type of frame versus what was really more typical 502 00:30:32,080 --> 00:30:35,480 Speaker 1: for this kind of of an object. Museums go to 503 00:30:35,600 --> 00:30:39,520 Speaker 1: great lengths to restore, in some cases recreate frames to 504 00:30:39,920 --> 00:30:43,200 Speaker 1: again honor honor the work of art. I love it, 505 00:30:43,840 --> 00:30:47,240 Speaker 1: uh you obviously because of your position. I don't I 506 00:30:47,240 --> 00:30:49,080 Speaker 1: don't want to get too heavy or make you feel weird. 507 00:30:49,160 --> 00:30:53,560 Speaker 1: But obviously you are the steward of a place that 508 00:30:53,720 --> 00:30:59,840 Speaker 1: is maintaining and you know, bolstering history and how it's told. 509 00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:02,080 Speaker 1: So I wonder is it too weird for you to 510 00:31:02,080 --> 00:31:04,520 Speaker 1: think about in a hundred years when someone looks back 511 00:31:04,560 --> 00:31:09,520 Speaker 1: on your directorship, what would you like them to remember. Uh? Well, 512 00:31:09,640 --> 00:31:13,800 Speaker 1: I appreciate that you understand that these jobs are temporary, 513 00:31:13,960 --> 00:31:20,280 Speaker 1: that we're all stewards that Uh, it's UMM. I'm doing 514 00:31:20,320 --> 00:31:23,840 Speaker 1: my very best to make sure that I advocate for 515 00:31:23,960 --> 00:31:29,680 Speaker 1: visitors that that what we have to share uh is 516 00:31:29,800 --> 00:31:32,800 Speaker 1: meaningful to the people who come through our doors. And 517 00:31:32,880 --> 00:31:35,719 Speaker 1: I'm happy to report that museum visitation is that at 518 00:31:35,720 --> 00:31:38,920 Speaker 1: an all time high. Last year we welcome some two 519 00:31:38,920 --> 00:31:42,840 Speaker 1: million visitors and this past year three million visitors as 520 00:31:42,880 --> 00:31:46,320 Speaker 1: a huge uptick. Of course, it's a special exhibition, it's 521 00:31:46,400 --> 00:31:49,120 Speaker 1: a it's things that capture people's imagination that they want 522 00:31:49,160 --> 00:31:53,240 Speaker 1: to see and UH, and we're delighted when when that happens. UH. 523 00:31:53,280 --> 00:31:57,120 Speaker 1: And of course we keep asking ourselves who are we 524 00:31:57,160 --> 00:32:01,960 Speaker 1: not speaking to? UM? Who who needs different works of 525 00:32:02,040 --> 00:32:06,240 Speaker 1: art to feel welcome at the museum and be represented here? Uh? 526 00:32:06,280 --> 00:32:10,320 Speaker 1: And I think mostly my impact will be which works 527 00:32:10,320 --> 00:32:13,400 Speaker 1: of art I had the good luck of bringing into 528 00:32:13,480 --> 00:32:17,200 Speaker 1: the collection and encouraging our curators to be bold and 529 00:32:17,240 --> 00:32:19,840 Speaker 1: inviting people to be generous to help us purchase things. 530 00:32:21,480 --> 00:32:24,960 Speaker 1: Hopefully my legacy will be some special exhibitions that will 531 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:29,480 Speaker 1: be groundbreaking, like our artists respond American art in the 532 00:32:29,560 --> 00:32:34,920 Speaker 1: Vietnam War to nine project or a Burning Man exhibition 533 00:32:34,960 --> 00:32:38,120 Speaker 1: at the Renwick Gallery. UH. To ensure the exhibitions are 534 00:32:38,160 --> 00:32:42,240 Speaker 1: bigger and bolder. I want to make sure that I'm 535 00:32:42,360 --> 00:32:46,040 Speaker 1: educating the next generation of scholars and in our in 536 00:32:46,080 --> 00:32:48,400 Speaker 1: our fellowship program, which is going to be fifty years 537 00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:52,440 Speaker 1: old next year, oldest largest, uh and premier program in 538 00:32:52,440 --> 00:32:55,840 Speaker 1: American art and visual culture, that we care take these 539 00:32:55,880 --> 00:33:00,320 Speaker 1: objects in the London Conservation Center, and that mostly Holly 540 00:33:00,640 --> 00:33:04,680 Speaker 1: people feel at home, that this is there a museum, 541 00:33:04,720 --> 00:33:07,800 Speaker 1: that the Smithsonian American Art Museum is deeply meaningful for 542 00:33:07,840 --> 00:33:11,440 Speaker 1: people throughout their lives. I feel like your legacy is 543 00:33:11,480 --> 00:33:13,960 Speaker 1: going to be that you opened the doors wider. Well, 544 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:18,200 Speaker 1: that's certainly my charge. Because we are free. That is 545 00:33:18,240 --> 00:33:20,880 Speaker 1: an amazing thing to offer all of this for free. 546 00:33:21,400 --> 00:33:24,400 Speaker 1: We are open every single day of the year. I 547 00:33:24,440 --> 00:33:29,640 Speaker 1: didn't except Christmas and so uh. And in this building, 548 00:33:29,680 --> 00:33:32,320 Speaker 1: the old Patent Office, we have later hours. We're open 549 00:33:32,400 --> 00:33:35,480 Speaker 1: till seven o'clock at night. The only Smithsonian was such 550 00:33:35,560 --> 00:33:38,160 Speaker 1: late hours, and it gives us a different vibe and 551 00:33:38,200 --> 00:33:41,600 Speaker 1: a different energy. Uh. And I'm happy to report we 552 00:33:41,680 --> 00:33:45,480 Speaker 1: are also among the favorite of the Smithsonian museums in 553 00:33:45,520 --> 00:33:49,280 Speaker 1: the sense that after the National Zoo, we have the 554 00:33:49,360 --> 00:33:55,360 Speaker 1: highest repeat visitation fifty Our visitors come again, and we're 555 00:33:55,360 --> 00:33:59,160 Speaker 1: not on the National Mall. So yeah, we're a destination. 556 00:33:59,480 --> 00:34:02,200 Speaker 1: I love it. It speaks to the amazing work that 557 00:34:02,240 --> 00:34:04,800 Speaker 1: you've been doing. I cannot thank you enough for having 558 00:34:04,880 --> 00:34:09,200 Speaker 1: us today like this has been dreamy well, Holly, I 559 00:34:09,200 --> 00:34:11,400 Speaker 1: I tell you, this is a place for the people 560 00:34:11,400 --> 00:34:15,000 Speaker 1: of curious minds. This is a place for fun as well. 561 00:34:15,680 --> 00:34:18,160 Speaker 1: We want you to get get your hands dirty as 562 00:34:18,200 --> 00:34:21,520 Speaker 1: well too. When we've got great family day programs. Let 563 00:34:21,520 --> 00:34:23,960 Speaker 1: me tell you about one of my favorite programs if 564 00:34:24,000 --> 00:34:26,120 Speaker 1: you don't If you don't mind, we do something that 565 00:34:26,160 --> 00:34:28,480 Speaker 1: I've never seen in any other museum, because, believe it 566 00:34:28,560 --> 00:34:32,160 Speaker 1: or not, we collect video games. We see video games 567 00:34:32,200 --> 00:34:35,400 Speaker 1: as art in terms of the composition, in terms of 568 00:34:35,440 --> 00:34:39,040 Speaker 1: the narrative, in terms of the of the elements that 569 00:34:39,400 --> 00:34:42,400 Speaker 1: go into it, and they're often have a story component 570 00:34:42,560 --> 00:34:46,560 Speaker 1: to them. So every year for some ten years or 571 00:34:46,600 --> 00:34:50,759 Speaker 1: so now, we've been doing something called sam Arcade. You 572 00:34:50,800 --> 00:34:54,080 Speaker 1: know what an arcade is? The museum, the Fabulous co 573 00:34:54,239 --> 00:34:58,560 Speaker 1: Got Courtyard and other spaces in the museum are filled 574 00:34:58,640 --> 00:35:02,200 Speaker 1: with all kinds of game and video games. They are free. 575 00:35:02,960 --> 00:35:05,480 Speaker 1: We invite people to be polite and only use them 576 00:35:05,480 --> 00:35:07,480 Speaker 1: for some fifteen minutes or so, and people are very 577 00:35:07,480 --> 00:35:10,080 Speaker 1: good about that. And let me tell you. There are 578 00:35:10,200 --> 00:35:14,960 Speaker 1: motorcycles parked outside the museum. There are vans parked outside 579 00:35:14,960 --> 00:35:17,080 Speaker 1: of the museum. There are people you know, pouring out 580 00:35:17,080 --> 00:35:21,279 Speaker 1: of the metro station, young and old English as their 581 00:35:21,320 --> 00:35:26,080 Speaker 1: first language, as their second or third language. We feature 582 00:35:26,320 --> 00:35:30,399 Speaker 1: new kinds of games, games that use historic elements and 583 00:35:30,440 --> 00:35:34,239 Speaker 1: have a sense of chance, that relate to UH, to 584 00:35:34,400 --> 00:35:41,480 Speaker 1: biblical stories. UH a piece about Walden Pond where you 585 00:35:41,520 --> 00:35:46,120 Speaker 1: travel through the house and look at historic objects. How 586 00:35:46,160 --> 00:35:48,040 Speaker 1: you go into the woods and have to chop down 587 00:35:48,080 --> 00:35:52,319 Speaker 1: a tree to make the log cabin. Amazing kind of 588 00:35:52,360 --> 00:35:55,680 Speaker 1: fantasy games that you play by yourself or with others. 589 00:35:56,640 --> 00:35:59,919 Speaker 1: And UM, best of all, you wander through the rest 590 00:36:00,040 --> 00:36:02,360 Speaker 1: the museum as you're as you're going on. It's a 591 00:36:02,400 --> 00:36:05,320 Speaker 1: two day event. We have over ten thousand people come 592 00:36:06,120 --> 00:36:09,200 Speaker 1: and UH it invites us to think about doing the 593 00:36:09,239 --> 00:36:12,440 Speaker 1: next Art of Video Games exhibition, both at the museum 594 00:36:12,440 --> 00:36:14,560 Speaker 1: and to send around the country. I will be here 595 00:36:14,600 --> 00:36:17,480 Speaker 1: for that again. The American experience. You'll get tired of 596 00:36:17,520 --> 00:36:21,520 Speaker 1: seeing an American creativity for sure. I love it again, 597 00:36:21,560 --> 00:36:23,520 Speaker 1: Thank you so much, what a delight for me my 598 00:36:23,600 --> 00:36:27,160 Speaker 1: pleasure come back. I feel so spoiled. I'd like to 599 00:36:27,160 --> 00:36:29,200 Speaker 1: say tell everyone, and I mean that not in the 600 00:36:29,719 --> 00:36:32,120 Speaker 1: tell everyone to come, but tell everyone that you want 601 00:36:32,200 --> 00:36:34,480 Speaker 1: to come with them. Here again, back to the social 602 00:36:34,480 --> 00:36:37,560 Speaker 1: experience of museums, I feel like it is kind of 603 00:36:37,600 --> 00:36:40,920 Speaker 1: impossible to not want to run to the Smithsonian American 604 00:36:41,000 --> 00:36:44,600 Speaker 1: Art Museum after hearing Stephanie Stevish talk about it. If 605 00:36:44,640 --> 00:36:46,960 Speaker 1: you'd like to run to the museum and you want 606 00:36:46,960 --> 00:36:49,160 Speaker 1: to check out the exhibit that we mentioned in the show, 607 00:36:49,320 --> 00:36:53,320 Speaker 1: Artists Respond American Art in the Vietnam War nine to nineteen. 608 00:36:54,520 --> 00:36:56,680 Speaker 1: That exhibit is open now and it will run until 609 00:36:56,680 --> 00:36:58,840 Speaker 1: August eighteen. We are also going to be sure to 610 00:36:58,920 --> 00:37:01,520 Speaker 1: include a link to their way site with information about 611 00:37:01,520 --> 00:37:04,759 Speaker 1: that exhibit in our show notes. Super big thanks once 612 00:37:04,800 --> 00:37:07,600 Speaker 1: again to Stephanie for being on the show. I have 613 00:37:07,680 --> 00:37:10,280 Speaker 1: a quick little bit of listener mail if you'd like cool. 614 00:37:11,000 --> 00:37:13,120 Speaker 1: I'm on a roll where I really am enjoying our 615 00:37:13,120 --> 00:37:17,640 Speaker 1: mails from from educators. So this is from our listener Jessica, 616 00:37:17,719 --> 00:37:20,120 Speaker 1: who writes Hi, Holly and Tracy. I am a full 617 00:37:20,120 --> 00:37:22,760 Speaker 1: time special ed teacher and a part time history buff. 618 00:37:23,080 --> 00:37:25,200 Speaker 1: I started listening to your podcast a few months ago, 619 00:37:25,239 --> 00:37:28,000 Speaker 1: and I'm constantly amazed by the amount of content stuff 620 00:37:28,040 --> 00:37:30,560 Speaker 1: you missed in history classes covered. My goal is to 621 00:37:30,560 --> 00:37:32,080 Speaker 1: be able to give you guys an idea for a 622 00:37:32,120 --> 00:37:34,120 Speaker 1: show someday, but every time I come up with one, 623 00:37:34,320 --> 00:37:36,400 Speaker 1: I find that you've covered it already, so then I 624 00:37:36,520 --> 00:37:40,040 Speaker 1: quickly find it in the archives and listened voraciously. Recently, 625 00:37:40,080 --> 00:37:42,560 Speaker 1: I was reading the book Brave Harriet by Marissa Moss 626 00:37:42,600 --> 00:37:45,719 Speaker 1: with my students. This introduced them to Harriet Quimby, who 627 00:37:45,760 --> 00:37:48,000 Speaker 1: was the first woman to fly across the English Channel. 628 00:37:48,280 --> 00:37:51,080 Speaker 1: Not surprisingly, after a quick search of the archives, I 629 00:37:51,120 --> 00:37:53,680 Speaker 1: found that Harriet was mentioned in a previous podcast back 630 00:37:53,680 --> 00:37:56,920 Speaker 1: in so I quickly downloaded the show and shared it 631 00:37:56,960 --> 00:37:59,359 Speaker 1: with my students and they were so excited to learn 632 00:37:59,400 --> 00:38:02,960 Speaker 1: more about this American aviator. Thank you so much for 633 00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:05,040 Speaker 1: all that you do to keep stories like these relevant 634 00:38:05,040 --> 00:38:08,840 Speaker 1: and interest younger generations of history lovers. Um, thank you 635 00:38:08,880 --> 00:38:11,640 Speaker 1: so much, Jessica. Again, I have to say, um, thank 636 00:38:11,680 --> 00:38:14,359 Speaker 1: you for being an educator because we need those and 637 00:38:14,440 --> 00:38:18,320 Speaker 1: it is a noble endeavor. I certainly feel if you 638 00:38:18,360 --> 00:38:19,600 Speaker 1: would like to write to us, you can do so 639 00:38:19,680 --> 00:38:22,000 Speaker 1: at History Podcast at how ste works dot com, or 640 00:38:22,160 --> 00:38:24,360 Speaker 1: you can come and visit us anywhere on social media 641 00:38:24,640 --> 00:38:27,319 Speaker 1: where we are Missed in History. We're also at missed 642 00:38:27,320 --> 00:38:30,680 Speaker 1: in History dot com as our website, and all of 643 00:38:30,680 --> 00:38:32,799 Speaker 1: the shows that have ever existed can be found were 644 00:38:32,880 --> 00:38:35,200 Speaker 1: right there. If you would like to subscribe to the show, 645 00:38:35,239 --> 00:38:37,240 Speaker 1: you can do that on the I Heart Radio app, 646 00:38:37,360 --> 00:38:45,480 Speaker 1: at Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Stuffy 647 00:38:45,520 --> 00:38:47,640 Speaker 1: Missed in History Class is a production of I heart 648 00:38:47,719 --> 00:38:51,040 Speaker 1: Radios How Stuff Works. For more podcasts. For my heart Radio, 649 00:38:51,200 --> 00:38:54,360 Speaker 1: visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 650 00:38:54,400 --> 00:38:55,640 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.