A First Look at New Traveling Exhibitions from the Smithsonian
Among other benefits, Smithsonian Affiliates learn about new Smithsonian traveling exhibitions first! We’re pleased to bring you two exciting new exhibitions that will travel. The first, Armchair Archaeology: Paul Singer’s Search for Ancient China from the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery details the amazing story of collector Dr. Paul Singer, a psychiatrist by trade who amassed a wide-ranging Chinese art collection, now part of the Sackler Gallery at the Smithsonian.
He collected most aggressively after he immigrated to the United States in 1939, making discoveries at art dealers, auction houses, and thrift stores alike. A self-taught, amateur scholar-collector who never learned the Chinese language, Singer managed to secure a research appointment at the Metropolitan Museum of Art due to his remarkable visual memory and extensive experience in the field.
The exhibition examines both archaeology and miniatures through topical groupings of objects dating from the Bronze Age (circa 1800–300 BCE) to the Ming dynasty (1368–1644.) In addition to exploring form, function, and meaning, the ninety-five objects in the exhibition also represent a range of media, including jade, marble, fluorite, bone, ivory, amber, gold, silver, bronze, and ceramics from earthenware to porcelain. This breadth reflects Singer’s ambition to amass “a sequential development in all the materials worked by Chinese artists.” For more information and a pdf with an overview of the exhibition, Please email us.
Across the Mall, from National Air and Space Museum, comes Art of the Airport Tower. The exhibition is the second to feature photographs from Museum Specialist, Carolyn Russo. The first, In Plane View, traveled to many Affiliates over its multi-year run, and is currently on view at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum. Both exhibitions feature stunning photographs of their subjects; Art of the Airport Tower shows these often overlooked utilitarian structures as beautiful art in our everyday lives. It is a photographic journey to airports in the U.S. and around the world.
Russo documents these important architectural structures to bring a heightened awareness to their simple beauty and call for their preservation. She is available for lectures and public programs to venues hosting the exhibition.
Art of the Airport Tower includes historic towers such as the Ford Island Tower, which stood the day of the attacks on Pearl Harbor, as well as today’s heavily trafficked airports such as London’s Heathrow Airport. International towers–including several of the world’s tallest towers, one of which is the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand–are also highlighted. Captions describe the airport and the towers’ significance, and an introduction by F. Robert van der Linden tells the history of airport towers to contextualize Russo’s work.
This exhibit will attract a diverse audience, appealing to anyone with an interest in aviation, aerospace, art, photography, technology, history, culture, and architecture. Please let us know if you’re interested!
