#66: Watch a Foreign Film

 

This year the husband and I are trying again to watch all of the Oscar nominees for Best Picture. In our attempts to guess what would get the nod, we went on a date night to see "The Artist."

The French film is unique in that it is a silent film - made in 2011. I wasn't sure I'd enjoy it (because it's a silent film, not because it's French), but when we left the theater, all I could say was "What a fun movie!"

The story follows silent film star George Valentin (played by Jean Dujardin) and rising starlet Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo) through the advent of "the talkies," and how they changed the film industry. Although it's a film about a man who loses everything, trust me when I say it's a fun, upbeat film that leaves you with a smile.

(Also, we guessed right. See the rest of the nominees here.)

#22: Visit a different museum every month for a year

On Friday, I had the privilege of visiting Mount Vernon along with many of the other new staff members from The Heritage Foundation. Taking a day to visit the home of George Washington - a farmer, military hero, and statesman - was a wonderful opportunity to revisit the values and founding principles that make America exceptional.

Although I'd never visited the presidential home before, I was especially excited to see Mount Vernon decked out for Christmas. The greenery, holiday dessert spreads, and Christmas trees in the Inn and the museum didn't disappoint. (No Christmas tree in the mansion, though. Mount Vernon stays true to the period!)

One interesting tradition that I'd never heard of was the Mount Vernon Christmas Camel. Per the Mount Vernon website:

In 1787, George Washington paid 18 shillings to bring a camel to Mount Vernon for his guests’ enjoyment. During Christmas at Mount Vernon, visitors can meet Aladdin the camel.

Aladdin proved to be a very social camel. You can see my encounters with Aladdin, as well as my other Mount Vernon pictures, below.

In Progress - #22: Visit a different museum every month for a year

This month, my boss graciously distributed a number of Newseum tickets she'd received at a charity function, giving us the opportunity to visit the D.C. museum for free. The Newseum is one of my favorite museums in the city, and I assure out-of-town guests that it's worth every penny. However, seeing the museum for free was truly a blessing.

New from my last visit was an exhibit dedicated to 50 years of Presidential Photographers. Because my first job in D.C. was in the White House, I have a special love for all things executive branch. While the exhibit's short video did a great job of highlighting some of the great presidential moments that these photographers have captured, I wish it had gone more into their roles - how they were selected, what a day in the life of the photographer looks like, etc. Many of the images featured in the film were also on display just a few feet away, so I would have liked to see more of a complementary role for the two different media.

A few of my favorites images from the exhibit - two Eric Draper photos of President Bush and a sweet photo of President Reagan, so in love with his Nancy.

A trip to the Newseum is not complete without a visit to the moving 9/11 exhibit. The wall of front pages always makes such an impact and brings us all immediately back to that day.

Today I was especially struck by this handwritten newspaper from Japan. Following the tsunami and earthquake that damaged the nuclear reactor at Fukushima and knocked out power for much of the surrounding area, the local newspaper - unable to print without power - hand-wrote daily front pages, posting them in local communication centers. Such dedication to bringing the people timely, factual, relevant news is a true reminder of the role and need for a free press in society.

Today I also made sure to visit the re-creation of Tim Russert's office. When my dad visited this summer, I know the set-up was one of his favorite parts of the museum. He said he spent a lot of time reading the titles of the books on Russert's shelves, comparing them to his own library at home. I captured a picture of the shelves, so hopefully Dad will have plenty of time to peruse them!

I always get a kick out of the KXAS chopper floating above the main concourse - a nod to Dallas even in the center of D.C.

 And of course, I captured an Instagram snap from the 6th floor terrace - hands down the best (publicly accessible) view of the Capitol in all of D.C.!

#18: Attend 5 performances at the Kennedy Center

Last night I attended my fifth performance at the Kennedy Center since starting the Quarterlife Quest - the Washington National Opera's Lucia di Lammermoor. This opera was dark, disturbing, and really beautifully performed.

Before the show, I caught about 20 minutes of the Millennium Stage performance. These nightly free shows can be hit or miss (they are free after all!), but last night's show hit it out of the park! The U.S. Army Blues were onstage participating in the Millennium Stage's jazz series, going on through November 26. The music was so fun and upbeat - folks couldn't help but get up and dance!



As for the opera itself, the third act's "Mad Scene" made the whole show worthwhile, in my opinion. In addition to the beautiful singing and the haunting notes of the Glass Harmonica, the costume and set designs were truly stand outs. Set in shades of black and grey to convey the gloom and hopelessness of Lucia's situation, the third act's blood splatters stood out even from (nearly) the back of the theater.

My visits to the Kennedy Center have been one of the most rewarding things I've done since starting the quest a year and a half ago. I am truly blessed to live in D.C., with access to some of the most spectacular art in the nation. Although I'm crossing #18 off of my list today, I plan to spend many more evenings soaking up culture at the Kennedy Center.

In Progress - #22: Visit a different museum every month for a year

On August 23 (now known as "the day of the D.C. earthquake"), I spent the morning visiting the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on the Mall. Initially, the memorial was to be dedicated that weekend; instead, it was dedicated this weekend as Hurricane Irene washed out the original plans.

Though not a museum per se, I think participating in the incredible history associated both with MLK and with adding a new memorial to the Mall count for something.

Today, I continued my museum quest, hitting both the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museuem. Housed in the same building at Gallery Place/Chinatown, the two museums are home to some of my very favorite artwork in D.C. Surprisingly, I spent a lot of time in the modern art exhibit upstairs, looking at pieces that seem quite out of place alongside John Trumbull and Gilbert Stuart portraits of our nation's historic leaders.

Nam June Paik's archives have been donated to the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and what a treasure they are. His exploration into light, sound and moving pictures in art was truly revolutionary.

This sculpture of a woman eating was extremely life-like. Almost too much so. I felt a little odd taking her picture, afraid she might come to life at any moment. Another patron jumped shortly after I'd moved on, swearing he saw her move. Eerie, but also a truly beautiful and thought-provoking work of art.

In the portrait gallery, I was particularly taken with the unfinished quality of this portrait of Gen. John Pershing. It's interesting, each time I visit the National Portrait Gallery, I feel like a new painting or sculpture catches my eye. No matter how long it's been there or how many times I've seen it before, a new piece seems to jump out with each trip to the gallery.

And in honor of the Texas Rangers' return trip to the World Series, a portrait of the great Nolan Ryan, on display in the National Portrait Gallery's "Champions" exhibit. Darn right.

In Progress - #22: Visit a different museum every month for a year

At the very end of July (okay, you caught me - it was early August) I dropped by the National Gallery of Art. I must admit, I wasn't as excited about this museum visit as I've been about some others. It was squeezed into a very busy season, and frankly, I felt like I was checking a box. I was pretty sure I'd visited the Gallery of Art in my early months in DC, so I assumed I could make a quick stop, see the new/traveling exhibits and call it a day.

As soon as I walked in, though, I realized two things: 1) I'd never been to the National Gallery of Art before, and 2) this was going to be a long trip.

I didn't come close to seeing it all, and unfortunately, my camera has eaten the highlights of what I did see.

I spent the bulk of my time in the Chester Dale collection, which is on display through January 2. I was absolutely blown away by how many beautiful and immediately recognizable works Chester and Maud Dale owned. Renoir. Matisse. Cassatt. Monet. Degas. Their art collection absolutely has it all.

I also spent a good amount of time in the Italian Master Drawings collection, which will be on display through November 27. The amount of detail in these drawings is so incredible, and the sheer age of some of the works was enough to make them impressive.

My trip's other highlight? A gelato break at the Cascade Cafe! I'm not big on museum gift shops, but the underground concourse connecting the National Gallery of Art's East and West buildings is so beautiful and boasts an amazing restaurant and gelato/espresso cafe.

The moral of the story: A trip to the museum can truly brighten your day - even on a really busy day when you aren't sure you want to visit a museum at all!

In Progress - #22: Visit a different museum every month for a year

In June, I visited a favorite D.C. museum - the National Museum of Natural History. I didn't stay long, as I visited on a busy, loud, summer Saturday morning. I skipped over the Hope Diamond and many of the stuffed species, spending my time instead in the Race exhibit presented by the American Anthropological Association. Given what I do for a living (marketing, with an emphasis on multicultural outreach), I found the exhibit's look at race as a social construct to be really interesting and enlightening.

I'm already halfway through my year of museums, and there are still so many more I can't wait to see!

Catching Up

Apologies for being an awful blogger; I have no excuses. I have, however, been keeping busy crossing items off my list. Here's what you missed while I went offline...

#2. Participate in a Disciple Bible study.
Technically, I've been participating since September. But last Wednesday, my Disciple Bible class came to an end. Spending almost every Wednesday evening at Capitol Hill UMC with my class for the past nine months has been such a blessing. In addition to reading through a huge amount of the Bible, we wrestled with questions and doubts, learned to see Biblical and Christian values from new perspectives, and shared in each other's joys and concerns. We celebrated weddings, pregnancies and births, and mourned the losses of jobs and of loved ones. We've already started talking about starting up Disciple 2 or finding another study to join together, because the idea of not seeing each other every Wednesday night is just too strange.

#22. Visit a different museum every month for a year.
In May I visited my fifth museum, swinging by the Phillips Collection for Phillips After Five. The collection opens for a happy hour event on the first Thursday of each month, and May's was hosted by Generation O (the Washington National Opera's young professionals program, which I joined to complete item #23). In addition to its great collection of priceless art, the event also featured an Italian buffet, (delicious!) Prosecco and members of the Washington National Opera performing numbers from Don Pasquale on the terrace. Bumping into a co-worker and her sweet boyfriend made the event even more fun.

#68. Have an article of clothing tailored.
This is not a super-exciting update. Long story short, I had a suit, I lost weight, the suit skirt no longer fit. Instead of buying a new suit, I got the skirt tailored and am thrilled with the inexpensive, yet custom-to-me results.

#77. Eat dinner at 1789.
To celebrate our third wedding anniversary, Steven took me to 1789, a romantic (and fairly expensive) restaurant in Georgetown. Clearly - from its presence on my list - it's a restaurant I've wanted to try for a while. I'm happy to say our cheese plate, rabbit and skate entrees and mini-dessert platter did not disappoint. (If you're reading this, sweetie, thanks again!)

So there we are, all caught up. Maybe in June I'll do a better job with this!

#22: Visit a different museum every month for a year

It's the last day of April, and I just barely squeezed in this month's museum visit. It was such a beautiful D.C. day, though, that I couldn't bring myself to stay inside, so this month's museum is a bit of a stretch. However, it's a D.C. site where I haven't spent much time, so I was happy to count the U.S. Botanic Garden as my April "museum."

I'd visited the conservatory before, spending time in the "jungle" housed within its unique metal exoskeleton. But today, I also wandered the National Garden and Bartholdi Park. I was disappointed to find the Bartholdi Fountain and the First Ladies' Water Garden closed for maintenance, but I guess that's just incentive to come back later in the summer. By then, the Rose Garden should be in full bloom as well - another reason to schedule a second visit.

I realized half way through my trip that flowers bring out the inner photographer in just about everyone. Below are some of my favorite images from my afternoon.

I was especially inspired by the Garden's unique containers - as a renter, these more temporary gardens always catch my eye. In fact, I spent the remainder of my afternoon planting a few container gardens of my own - maybe I'll be able to share photos of those blooms soon!

#18: Attend 5 performances at the Kennedy Center

In my attempt to bring more culture into my life by seeing more of the shows at the Kennedy Center, I took myself on a date last weekend to see the NYC Ballet. The show - a collection of works by George Balanchine - was absolutely beautiful, and his "Episodes" may be one of my favorite dances to ever see performed.

Of course, I couldn't take photos in the Opera House, but I did capture a few pictures in the Kennedy Center, and since it finally felt like spring outside, I even got some good shots from the terrace.

For my next visit, I may have found a show that even the husband will enjoy - The Reduced Shakespeare Company's Complete World of Sports (abridged).

In Progress - #22: Visit a different museum every month for a year

This month I opted to visit one of my favorite Smithsonian museums - the Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden - in my efforts to visit a different museum every month. I could spend hours looking at sculptures, and the variety in the Hirshhorn collection is astounding. My personal favorites are Henry Moore's smooth, shining reclining figures and Juan Munoz's "Last Conversation Piece," which greets visitors in the garden.

Yesterday, though, I was surprised to have such a great time exploring some of the Hirshhorn's non-sculpture pieces. I'm not usually one for installation art, but two of the pieces I ended up enjoying the most fell squarely into that category.

Mario Garcia Torres' "Je ne sais si c'en est la cause" uses a slide show to compare the Grapetree Bay Hotel's mosaic murals at the height of the hotel's operations in the mid-1960s with the decay and disrepair that have struck the site today. I could have stayed for the swinging music alone.

Han Op de Beeck's Staging Silence, which is on display in the Hirshhorn's downstairs Black Box theater, is the first museum film to ever capture my attention so thoroughly that I sat for the full 22-minute play time - as did most of the other folks in the museum with me. The artist takes viewers fluidly from one silent scene to another, each crafted in miniature, but looking so real that one forgets the scenes aren't real - until a hand enters the frame and slowly shifts the landscape, taking the viewer somewhere new entirely. The film is only showing until March 27, so if you're in DC, I highly recommend making a visit before it's gone.

Of course, neither of these pieces lend themselves well to photos. Below are a few highlights from my afternoon (before the camera's battery died):

#23: Join a Young Professionals group in DC

I spent the weekend in Dallas, helping select the next class of UT-Dallas Eugene McDermott Scholars. While I was in town, I loaded up on cultural events, attending the Dallas Opera's Romeo and Juliet with my parents on Friday night and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra's "Masters of Film Music with George Fenton" on Saturday.

I came home refreshed and inspired. And ready to support the arts.

Out of curiousity, I visited the Washington National Opera's calendar to see what's playing this season - I already have my eyes on tickets to Don Pasquale - and stumbled across their "Generation O" young professionals program. The program is free (yes, free!) and offers patrons 18-35 the opportunity to enjoy the National Opera's full season at reduced prices, as well as attend exclusive lectures and socials.

I'm already saving up for my 2011-12 Series O subscription. I know the husband won't be joining me - anyone else care to tag along for some culture and sophistication?

In Progress - #22: Visit a different museum every month for a year

Yesterday I spent a beautiful DC afternoon downtown, visiting the Corcoran Gallery of Art. I had visited the museum once previously with my Theta alumnae chapter, but it's always nice to re-visit a museum alone, viewing each collection at your own pace.

The Corcoran marries a strange combination of classic American and European art with a gallery of contemporary art that includes light installations and hanging sculptures of cellophane.

I was surprisingly impressed by the works of Gene Davis. I wouldn't have expected to enjoy his paintings of vertical stripes so much, but in person, his works are almost monumental.

A few highlights from my visit: