Inside African American History Museum: Research Paper on Exploring Culture & Heritage

Introduction

The museum is situated at 14th Road and Constitution Lane NW on the National Shopping mall. The museum was opened on 24th September 2016, being the only state museum exclusively devoted to the certification of African American history, culture, and life. The museum is open each day in the year except December 25 (Preston, 2011). What is found inside the museum is the culture and history of African American people. It addresses approximately every part of the African American experience covering the arts, the Civil Rights Movements, slavery, athletes, and much more.

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The exterior of the building, conceived by Ghanaian-born designer David Adjaye, is artfully made up of a three-tiered, screen that is bronze-colored. This framework pays respect to the intricate metalwork forged by enslaved African Americans in the southern US. The museum's collection of pieces is outstanding: 3,500 are on display and another 35,000 in the group (Preston, 2011). Stand out pieces include a shawl offered to Harriet Tubman by Queen Victoria. An invitation to President Obama's 2009 inaugural ceremony, Tuskegee Institute training artifact, and boombox possessed by Chuck D of Public Enemy (Preston, 2011). Navigating the whole museum would be very difficult in just one visit. The breadth of its display is astonishing.

Some of the displays include slavery and freedom, uses first-person accounts, and striking ancient artifacts to tell extremely complicated tales. The presentation traces slavery from the 15th era African and Europe to the Civic War and Modernization in the United States. This vital history highlights that America's slavery and sovereignty are deeply tangled, and the story of slavery is a shared one that exists in the core of American economics, politics, and daily life (Preston, 2011).

The other artifact is the Musical Crossroads that displays details on African American music, from the arrival of first Africans to this date. Jazz to hip-hop, African American musicians led to new forms of manifestation that lit a candle for freedom.

The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery

It is situated at 8th F streets NW, the Portrayal Gallery is in the Donald W Reynolds Center that aids as the space for the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The museum usually opens at 11:30 a.m. up to 7 p.m. every day, throughout the year. (Preston, 2011). Painting an image of the many influential people throughout American history, the State Portrait Gallery is a must-see for famous culture fans, art lovers, and history buffs. The structure also features the attractive Arlene Kogod and Robert Courtyard, a peaceful place to grind with permitted Wi-Fi and a cafe selling salads, coffee, sandwiches, and beer.

The National Portrait Gallery's lasting displays take wide-ranging icons from diverse sections of US history- The Struggle for Justice Concentrates on Civil Rights frontrunners, while 20th Century Americans display significant statistics from the past era specifically. The exhibition features multiple pictures of every commander, including the well-known "Lansdowne" picture of George Washington, a photograph of Barrack Obama, Abraham Lincoln painting as well as statuaries of Lyndon Johnson, Jimmy Carter, and George Bush (Preston, 2011). The museum shows the past and development of the United States with American Origins, 1600-1900, a series of almost 20 galleries assembled in chronological order. The gallery often rotates exciting and new exhibits in and out of its rooms, thus there is always something different to observe.

Corcoran Gallery of Art

It is situated at 17th street and New York Avenue, NW. It is open day excluding Tuesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The museum is closed Christmas Day, New Year's Day, and Thanksgiving Day. Extended hours are only Thursday evenings till 9:00 p.m. The permanent collection of the gallery comprises of well over 1400 items, most of them are American. The place was initially formed to house the secluded art collections of William Wilson Corcoran. His increase in collection forced him to open a public building for housing and displaying the collection. The Corcoran Gallery of art officially opened its door in January 1874, with a display of 98 sculptures and paintings. The collection had increased to more than 300 works by the end of the year.

Katzen Arts Center

The center opens from Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 5.p.m. It fetches all the graphic and acting arts programs at AU into 130,000 square foot space. Intended to substitute interdisciplinary association in the fine art, the Center delivers contemporary instructional, presentation space for theentire arts discipline and exhibition (Preston, 2011). The Midpoint features the astonishing 30,000 square foot AU Exhibition hall, managed by Jack Rasmussen, through a diversity of gallery places for the display of exciting, fashionable graphic arts from the state's capital area and the universe, along with AU's private Watkins Collection (Preston, 2011). The Katzen Fine art Center is a clearaccount to the society that there occurs a home where the arts are privileged as a critical part of high education.

Marsha Mateyka Gallery

It is located at 2012 R Street, NW, in the historic Dupont Circle locality of Washington DC, around the corner from the Phillips Collections. The gallery was established in 1983 in Washington, DC, by Marsha Mateyka, an art historian (Preston, 2011). It is one of the town's leading galleries of present-day art, exhibiting sculpture, painting, works on paper and photography. The gallery represents about 20 artists, including Jim Sanborn, Athena Tacha, and Jae Ko.

Adamson Gallery

Opening days from Monday -Friday, opening hours 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Located at 926 N Street NW, Washington DC. It's a stand-alone showing space that's separate from its universal acceptable printmaking studio, and the gallery continues to display the fruits of its printmaking partnerships with contemporary art leaders such as Chuck Close and Renate Aller (Preston, 2011).

Mclean Projects For the Arts

Opens from Monday - Saturday between 10.00 a.m to 9:30 p.m. Located at 1446 Chain Bridge Road. This is a nonprofit graphic arts center dedicated to educating, exhibiting, and inspiring by conveying museum-quality modern art and arts education to giant Washington DC and especiallyNorthernVirginia (Preston, 2011). The mission is to show work by emerging and creating mid-Atlantic section artists, understanding of current art concepts, promote public awareness, and offer instruction and education in fine visual art.

Transformer

It is located in 1404 P Street NW, Washing to DC; opening days are from Wednesday to Saturday between 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m (Preston, 2011). It is a nonprofit, artist-centeredassociationthat connects and encourages emerging artists locally, countrywide, and internationally, partnering with curators, artists, and cultural institutions. Transformer serves as promoter and advocate for a new appearance in the visual arts.

Conclusion

Museums in Washington DC have played a significant role in supporting artists, especially the upcoming artist. It has also given the public a chance to learn more about the arts. Some of these nonprofit organizations have given young people a platform where they can express themselves.

References

Preston, K. (2011). A City of Magnificent Museums. Washington 101, 212-245. doi: 10.1057/9781137426246.0010