All posts tagged: Smithsonians

The Uncertain Future of the Smithsonian’s Smallest Museum

The Uncertain Future of the Smithsonian’s Smallest Museum

Published by Daniella Wilson

In 1969, the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum, in Washington, D.C., debuted a new exhibit: “The Rat: Man’s Invited Affliction.” The display—complete with live rats—was different from what people were used to seeing from the venerable Smithsonian Institution. At the time, the main event at the Museum of History and Technology (now the National Museum of American History) was an exhibit that focused on the fanfare of presidential campaigns and conventions. But Anacostia, which had opened two years prior, was a new kind of museum. It was well known that the poor neighborhoods of D.C.—the Black neighborhoods of D.C.—had some of the worst rat problems in the country. “The Rat” was a direct response to an ongoing crisis, which made it an unusual choice for a museum. Much of the exhibit was inspired by community voices, including by children who’d told museum staff about rat bites and about vermin so large, they were mistaken for stray cats. Wall text warned against the diseases rats carried, explained different ways to kill them, and advised residents to dispose of …

Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art Acquires Images by Warhol Assistant

Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art Acquires Images by Warhol Assistant

Published by Jenni Sidey

The Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art has added more than 400 rarely seen images of famous figures who passed through Andy Warhol’s Factory, from David Hockney and Debbie Harry, to Georgia O’Keeffe and Paloma Picasso. According to the institution, the images were captured by the artist Ronald “Ronnie” Cutrone as stereoscopic slides, pairing two photographs to create the illusion of three-dimensional depth. Cutrone, a performer (with the Velvet Underground, notably), painter, and nightclub impresario, worked as Warhol’s studio assistant from 1972 to 1982, documenting during that decade the creative constellation that comprised his orbit. He worked closely with Warhol throughout his career—reportedly calling the Pop artist a “second father” following his death—and went on to exhibit his own paintings and illustrations of canonical cartoon imagery alongside downtown titans such as Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. Building on Pop Art’s appropriative ethos, Cutrone’s work was dubbed “Post-Pop.” A boon for the Smithsonian, Cutrone’s images feature Al Green, Bruce Nauman, Mick Jagger, and Dennis Hopper. Most striking is O’Keeffe gazing at her portrait by Warhol—the sort of creative crossover that, for a moment, makes myths feel human. Image Credit: …