Wednesday, December 14, 2016

field trippin'


We were so lucky to get admission for the entire school  last Friday for the brand new Smithsonian Museum of African American  History and Culture.  I hear the wait is now over 1.5 years to get in.


It was just a smidge chillier than when I was here in April, but we were happy the sun was out to help with the waiting in line in 22 degreed weather.


I never did find a plaque describing the lobby sculpture~next time I'll figure out what it is. 


My favourite level was the one on the arts~I went through the music room three times~just in awe of all the notes that have gone into the world through all these artists~from gospel to the blues to the classical musicians. 


Now I really need to do that blues trail trip~go from Nawlins to Memphis to Chicago. 



Fats Waller's shoes.  There was never enough clear space to get a photo of one of Louis Armstrong's trumpets.  I fully plan on coming back here on my own field trip~any music history class I teach now needs this as a component. 


I did get close to Dizzy Gillespie's horn. 



A gown worn by one of my favorite mezzos. 

The incredible Judith Jamison

Taken for my dance/choreographer friend in the Bay Area. 

a Duke Ellington manuscript


Excellent words.  And if possible, more pertinent today.


A view on Pennsylvania Avenue while standing in line to get into dinner. 


My first time in DC at Christmas~soooooo pretty.


While all the mini-spotlights and sign lighting, it was impossible to get the camera to focus.  And, oh yeah, the shivering/quivering crowds.   The smaller trees were all decorated by school children to represent each state.  I was walking around with a history teacher~at first, she thought it would be great to not have signs and to have people guess which state was which.  But after we saw Iowa with wadded up paper in several ornaments, we decided we wouldn't even be able to guess~let alone students. 



SO freakin' cold.  I may not survive this winter


Little train village. 


"let evening come" is
a favored poem and song
it comes gently now

2 comments:

  1. GOOD GRIEF, you've been TWICE?!
    I'm not going to even attempt it until 2020.
    I cannot imagine that you got a proper look at everything, with sooooo many folk there, but it's nice that they're giving schools preference.

    It's going to be one of those places that takes me two days to get through properly, like the Library of Congress and such.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No, I just went through one floor twice. As there are six floors, it is a museum that needs a lot of time to digest. I am hoping, though, that as they get visitor feedback that they'll streamline some of the exhibits. It felt as though there were many things that were double-shown~don't know if eventually they'll split it into two huge sections of a museum?

      And it was way too crowded to see things properly. You're wise to wait a few years!

      Delete