Back in mid-December I met my dad in Washington, DC, where my godparents live. A year ago, my godfather Tom was elected new president of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and it was finally time for his inaugural reception. I went to DC a few days ahead of the reception so I could get a bit of a break in too.
Day 1: Travel
I left for DC after I finished teaching on Wednesday, and arrived fairly late. My dad had already been in DC for a meeting so I took the metro from the airport straight to his hotel. We fell asleep pretty early.
Tucson to Washington, DC.
Day 2: Arlington National Cemetery and time with my godparents
On Thursday, we went to the Arlington National Cemetery. Even though I’ve been to DC a number of times (and even lived there for 3 months!), I hadn’t ever been out to see it and pay my respects.
I don’t have any photos since it didn’t feel right to treat it as a touristy thing. My dad and I spent a couple hours there; we went to the women’s memorial, watched the changing of the guard, went to the Arlington house, and walked aimlessly, reflecting.
That afternoon, dad and I checked out of the hotel and made our way to my godparents’ house, where we stayed the rest of our visit. We spent the afternoon catching up with Tom and Francoise (my godmother) and munching on all the yummy snacks Francoise had bought for us.
Day 3: National Gallery of Art and Smithsonian Castle
On Friday morning, dad and I ventured off to the National Mall. We started off at the National Gallery of Art (NGA) since I also had never been there.
The NGA is split into two parts: the older West Building and the newer East building. The West Building is very…European. Not completely, but mostly. Having lived in England for 4 years and visited numerous galleries in Europe, I’m a bit Europed out at the moment. That said, I did enjoy the impressionist gallery and the special exhibition, Stuart Davis: In Full Swing.
We made our way over to the East Building via an underground moving walkway which is in itself a pretty cool installation.
Walkway between the old and new NGA buildings.
The East Building houses modern and contemporary art and this was more my vibe. I never realized I was a modern art person before! We spent a few hours here, culminating in our visit with the giant blue rooster (see photo below).
My dad’s favorite piece.
Dad wandering off.
After a quick lunch, we sauntered down the mall, passing by an ice skating rink and wandering through the Sculpture Garden.
Ice skating at the National Mall.
At the NGA Sculpture Garden.
We ultimately decided to go to the Smithsonian Castle (officially the Smithsonian Institution Building), since I was on a roll with going to places I hadn’t previously visited. The Smithsonian Castle was the original home to the Smithsonian Institute and was completed in 1855. There’s not much in there anymore, but the Castle does house a small collection of curiosities from the many Smithsonian museums as well as a cafe, a store, and James Smithson’s crypt.
View of the Smithsonian Castle from the mall.
One of the Smithsonian Castle wings.
Day 4: National Zoo and AIA reception at the National Museum of African American History and Culture
Saturday was Tom’s big day! I wandered around the National Zoo in the morning while everyone else was busy prepping for the reception. I really just wanted to say hi to my alpaca friends at the zoo 🙂
Panda!
Alpaca.
The reception prep didn’t go completely smoothly as I managed to flood Tom and Francoise’s kitchen will taking a bath upstairs. However, I didn’t get electrocuted so we carried on beautifying ourselves.
You can count on architects to pick iconic buildings for their events and this was no exception. The event was at the newly opened National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), which, I hope this time understandably, I had never been to before. The museum opened on September 24, and is in such high demand that when I was there in mid-December, advance passes were sold out through March. It’s nearly impossible to get in without one of these passes.
Tom and me outside NMAAHC before the reception.
Between the Washington Monument and the NMAAHC.
The three of us (Tom, Francoise, me) got there early since Francoise was instrumental in the planning and had to make sure everything got set up correctly. It was late enough in the day that the museum had closed to the public, but early enough that the event’s attendees would not arrive for another hour. While Tom and Francoise did their thing, I got to wander around the top floors of the museum. Let me say this clearly so you understand how cool this was: I got to check out the sold out museum while nobody else was there. I consider this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and made the most of it.
The bottom floors of the NMAAHC focus on history – as you walk through, you experience the history of African Americans in the US, from slavery to today. This part of the museum is hard-hitting and upfront about the atrocities African Americans have survived throughout this country’s history. It’s incredibly well put-together.
In contrast, the museum’s top floors are, as the museum director told us, a celebration of black culture in the US. Food, music, fashion, and sports are among the many contributions that are celebrated in these galleries. Being alone, I got to experience them in a way few visitors do and found myself profoundly moved several times.
NMAAHC music hall.
Most memorable for me is the life-size statue of Tommie Smith and John Carlos’ black power salute on the 1968 Olympics podium. Let’s remember how controversial the seemingly simple act of raising their fists was; the two athletes were subsequently kicked out of the Games and faced death threats after returning to the US. There was just something about being there in the museum, alone in their presence as they challenged smothering oppression, that brought me to tears.
NMAAHC sports hall.
Day 5: Travel
My flight to Tucson left around 10:30 am, around the same time as my dad’s flight back to Albuquerque. We took an Uber to the airport together and said our goodbyes before going to our respective terminals. It was a smooth journey home.
Summary
The trip to DC was a success! Tom is now serving his one-year term as AIA president and I got to see several new places while not overdoing it. By far my favorite part of this trip was the opportunity to experience the National Museum of African American History and Culture in a way few people ever will. I’m endlessly grateful for the relationships I have that lead to experiences like this.
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