National Museum of African Art
The National Museum of African Art is a Smithsonian museum highlighting African art
The National Museum of African Art was the first museum of African art in the United States and continues to have the largest collection of African art in the U.S. However, it is one of the smallest of the Smithsonian Institution’s museums and only takes about an hour to explore. Although the museum is on the National Mall, its entrance is somewhat hidden in the Enid A. Haupt Garden behind the Smithsonian Castle. After entering, visitors descend three floors to the exhibit spaces. The museum connects to the Sackler Gallery on the bottom sublevel.
Perhaps due to its location, few tourists wander into the National Museum of African Art, making it a quiet escape from the more popular sites. Planned renovations will construct an entrance to the museum directly on the National Mall as well as bringing in more natural light.
The museum claims to display both traditional and contemporary art from Sub-Saharan and North Africa, but only one percent of the collection is contemporary. The majority of the works on display will align with visitors’ preconceptions about African art. Wooden carvings, clay masks, woven textiles, and beaded patterns fill the exhibit halls.
While the traditional art represents important historical and cultural themes, the lack of contemporary art is a missed opportunity to expand visitors’ impressions about Africa and African art. Contemporary African art has a lot to say about the identity of a vast and varied continent, and both the museum and its visitors would benefit from this story.
The small amount of contemporary African art that is on display is very engaging. The “Senses of Time: Video and Film-based Works of Africa” exhibit is on display until September 24, 2017 and explores the theme of time using water, color, reflections, sound, and narrative. My favorite piece is “Brave New World I” by Theo Eshetu.
Angled mirrors reflect a looped video, refracting the images into a kaleidoscope of dancers, planes, and other scenes in transfixing patterns. Adventurers can lean into the exhibit to see their own face join the reflections. Eshetu’s piece is similar to Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrors, except pleasantly free from the crowds and time limits.
The National Museum of African Art building itself is a twin to the Sackler Gallery on the opposite side of the Haupt Garden. The two buildings distinguish themselves with their roofs – while the Sackler building has several pyramid adornments on its roof, the Museum of African Art uses domes. This circular theme is used throughout the museum with rounded windows and a spiral staircase leading down three levels to a rounded fountain. The view of the Castle from the circular windows is striking.
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Address
950 Independence Avenue SW
Metro Station
- L’Enfant Plaza (OR, BL, SV, GR, YL)
- Smithsonian (OR, BL, SV)
Cost
Free
Hours
Open daily from 10:00 am – 5:30 pm
Length of Adventure
1-2 hours
