This morning I registered for the conference that begins this evening. The morning and afternoon involved visits to a couple of museums. The first stop was the Newseum, which is filled with the history of news communication. Given my research interests, viewing the historical displays was very interesting. Four sections of the Berlin Wall complete with a stories tall guard tower spoke volumes, particularly the graffiti on the west side and the stark nothingness of the east side. The 9/11 news wire notices from the first plane hitting to the final building falling into the evening surrounded a portion of the broadcast antenna from the top of the tower. Another gallery showed Pulitzer Prize winning photos and another held a moving memorial to journalists who died while working. The latter was a two-story glass installation with names etched on the small panes. It was quite moving.
After the emotion of the first stop, a brief walk in the sun helped me to re-centre. The next stop was the National Portrait Gallery. These artworks were amazing. The President's gallery held portraits of all Presidents, with some more modern painting or photography methods including those for Kennedy, Clinton, and Obama. Civil rights leaders from the 1960s featured in another gallery. Celebrities and pop culture icons filled other rooms. I was glad that I was able to see these works of art by many key artists.
The rest of the evening was spent with a friend and colleague and a veg-heavy supper, something that often seems to be difficult to find when eating away from home. One song had been running through my mind since the museum visit in the morning -- one that fit the topics discussed at both venues visited. Enjoy!
For What It's Worth -- Buffalo Springfield
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