National Museum of African American History and Culture Breaks Ground Today

Design concept for NMAAHC building.

On Presidents Day, I decided to visit a new exhibitition at the National Museum of American History (NMAH). Slavery at Jefferson’s Monticello: Paradox of Liberty is located on the second floor and is open until October 14, 2012. The exhibit examines individual slaves and the families of slaves who worked on properties under Thomas Jefferson's ownership -- all in and around Monticello. Through fairly detailed family mapping charts, artifacts, and photographs, the exhibit explores familial connections between those who were Jefferson's slaves (as much as we know), including individual people as well as slave family connections to the President himself.

I've been to Monticello many times and appreciate all they have done to illuminate the man, his philosophy, his home/personal life, and his place in American history regarding the office of the President. I am also glad to see near a complete focus on the actual slaves this time, as opposed to treating them as the backdrop to Jefferson's success and rise to prominence. 12 of the first 18 Presidents of the United States owned slaves, 8 while in office. We should be so lucky to scrutinize this aspect of their lives in such detail, and in the public realm.

Although housed in NMAH, the exhibition is a joint venture between Monticello and the new Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC.) The National Mall's newest edition will have a groundbreaking today at 10:00AM. The $500 million dollar project is on track for completion in 2015 and they're still seeking private funds (covering about half) towards design and construction costs.

Two years ago I wrote about the designs being considered for the museum. This outstanding design from the Freelon Adjaye Bond/SmithGroup was chosen.

The site is the southwest corner at the intersection of 14th and Constitution NW; almost between the NMAH and the Washington Monument. Here's the approximate spot on Google Maps. This is the site of the groundbreaking today. Exciting news that I don't suppose will be replicated anytime soon. There are no solid plans for another Smithsonian on the Mall at this time and I don't foresee any for the near future. If you are able to attend the groundbreaking, keep me updated or send photos to me at @The42BusDC.

New Museum Designs Are Cutting Edge

A new museum is scheduled to open on the National Mall in 2015. And yesterday, I took a trip downtown to view the proposed designs for it. The Smithsonian's new National Museum of African American History and Culture will be located at the corner of 15th and Constitution Sts NW. It will be one of the first landmarks visible to visitors entering DC by way of 14th Street. The Smithsonian tasked six architect and design teams to create the initial vision of what the museum will look like. These are not the final designs. Once a firm is chosen, the designs will be modified and will have to pass through a series of reviews by several entities which oversee these sorts of additions to the DC architectural cannon.

Here are some photos of each of the six models. The Washington Post has additional renderings and the full story. I can find good things to say about each of the designs, but my initial favorite is the Devrouax & Purnell + Pei Cobb Freed & Partners design. The models are on display with additional information about each presentation. See them at the Smithsonian Castle.