Smithsonian American Art Museum

It was Family Day at the Smithsonian American Art Museum This was our first time to visit the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and to walk into the Kogod Courtyard was amazing. This courtyard is one of the largest public event places in Washington, DC, and is just beautifully designed. The roof is glass and aluminum, with more than 860 different glass panes. There are huge rectangles of white marble for planters and seating areas, and on the granite floor are four water scrims. This courtyard was just named one of the new seven wonders of the world. The boys play in one of the water scrims Kevin and Brian ‘race’ in a water scrim Brian enjoyed the water scrim - his socks and shoes were soaked The boys race on one of the large rectangular marble blocks The Family Day program was called ‘SAAM I Am – Color As Field,’ and introduced kids to the exhibit “Color as Field: American Painting, 1950-1975.” The kids first listen to a reading of Dr. Seuss’ book, “My Many Colored Days.” Kids and parents alike listened and looked at the abstract paintings all around. The paintings in this exhibit used techniques of pouring, staining, spraying or painting thinned paint on canvas. So, the kids were asked to help make a painting without paints. They were each given a fabric strip of a colored cloth in a cup, and asked to ‘pour the color’ onto the fabric. The kids were then brought back to the courtyard where many tables were set up for the kids to make Color Field paintings. Justin makes a Gene Davis with strips of construction paper. ‘I’m finished, Mama’ Kevin paints a Jules Olitski (spraying thinned paint onto canvas) Justin paints a Morris Davis (will the NIKE letters on his sweatshirt be white again?) One more picture outside the American Art Museum before going home The museum provided wooden frames to put our finished paintings in