The Art Gallery Description Document
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The Art Gallery Description Document The Art Gallery: Flight and the Arts Main Message: A space for displaying artwork related to aviation, spaceflight, and planetary science. Exhibit Statement Art and Technology are inseparable. The National Air and Space Museum’s new Flight and the Arts Center will explore the relationships between art and the complexities of aerospace technology, and the transformative power of the human experience of flight. The NASM art collection is a prestigious collection of aeronautical and space-related art in the United States and abroad and reflects the history of aviation and space flight, social culture, and the holdings within the Museum. he NASM art collection and temporary collaborative exhibitions will be integrated into the Flight and the Arts Center after the transformation. This description covers the transformation of the art gallery. Future exhibits with outlined content and themes will be done at a later date by NASM staff. Exhibition Abstract Art is essential to the existence of humanity and is reflected in all aspects of society for cultural understanding in the world in which we live. A dedicated space for art within NASM is imperative to the goals and learning objectives of the Smithsonian with intended uses of the collection, interpretation, exhibition, and education. The Smithsonian has collected flight-related art since the early 20th century. Works of art have been collected for social and cultural interest, for the historical documentation they provide, and for the significance of particular artists who have created works on the theme of flight. In the history of NASM, the Flight and the Arts Gallery 211 has offered a diverse selection of art to the public since 1976. Ten years prior to NASM's opening, the Smithsonian's Hall of Aerospace Art located in the Arts and Industries building filled the role of presenting temporary flight-related art exhibitions. A 1967 press release stated, “The art gallery has earned a permanent place within the National Air and Space Museum by virtue of public interest in the subject matter and its historical and cultural values. When NASM moves from its temporary quarters in the Arts and Industries Building to the spacious new home on the Mall authorized by Congress, the Hall of Aerospace Art will become an integral part of the museums' program of education and inspiration.” The Flight and the Arts Gallery has hosted over 30 exhibitions that have ranged from exhibits with works from NASM’s permanent collection, single and multiple featured artists, temporary traveling exhibitions, to pop culture. The transformed Flight and the Arts Gallery 211 will be a contemporary art center that focuses on the unity of art and flight technology with a permanent exhibition space (mezzanine level) dedicated solely to works from NASM’s art collection, a research center and art lounge, and a main gallery (entrance level) that supports diverse temporary exhibitions and specialty installations of major influential artists, artworks and/or other themes on flight. The art gallery will reflect the art collection of NASM and also offers the opportunity to collaborate with other artists and organization for exhibitions. The rotating space allows for temporary exhibitions that will be adaptable to the changing needs and expectations of the public and will engage new and diverse audiences. Exhibition Educational Objectives The vision of the transformed Flight and the Arts Center is a true rebirth of its original intention and mandate by Congress. It offers a dynamic setting for educational experiences and programming. The gallery will provide an environment with both a permanent space dedicated to artworks in NASM’s art collection and a lower level exhibition area for rotating temporary exhibitions. The temporary exhibits could be of international acclaim and engage a wide range of visitors, and especially repeat visitors and Media from the metropolitan Washington D.C., area. The mezzanine level offers a glimpse of the NASM art collection, which includes over 4,500 artworks to include paintings, drawings, sculpture, photography, and mixed media. There is a direct learning link to virtually all of the aircraft and artifacts on view throughout the Museum and Udvar-Hazy Center, with many of the artworks in the collection connected to the NASM aircraft collection. The collection includes a multitude of artistic approaches and all art is collected first by appropriateness of the subject to NASM. Artists of different regions, style, medium, and aesthetic quality offer diverse examples. NASM’s art holdings include superior works by professional fine artists and illustrators and several artists of international stature are also represented. Such pioneers include Alexander Calder, Richard Estes, Morris Graves, Robert Rauschenberg, Annie Leibovitz, and Norman Rockwell. Many artists are represented in other collections, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). The art gallery will facilitate exhibitions that will particularly lend itself to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Arts) initiatives, education, and platforms for programming for all audiences. Interactive Engagement The Research Center and Lounge on the mezzanine level will allow visitors such as students, scholars, visiting fellows, and art collectors, to access the entire art collection through interactive kiosks and links to the collection. The upper level art lounge will also serve as a quiet space for studying the collection. Interactive engagement in the temporary exhibit space will vary according to theme. A permanent digital projection system and darkened theater area will offer opportunities for educational videos and cutting-edge interactive art installations. The art collection on view will also be available as a self guided tour on electronic devices. Links to other exhibit elements The gallery has the potential to link to all major artifacts on exhibition throughout the museum on the Mall and at the Udvar-Hazy Center. For example, a painting by one of the NASA artists might show the Apollo 11 rocket on the Launchpad with reference to many related objects in NASM’s collection. Paintings of the Winnie Mae, Spirit of St. Louis, and other notable aircraft are a direct correlation to the collection. Once transformed, this gallery will have key contributions from art curatorial teams for the display of artwork on the upper mezzanine and from all other departments from the National Air and Space Museum for the opportunity to propose temporary exhibits on the lower entrance level. Other SI bureaus, especially the National Portrait Gallery and the Hirshhorn Museum, the Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), the Smithsonian Affiliations, and external partners that could include domestic and international art museums and science centers, NASA, and other arts organizations could be involved with exhibition development, planning, and content. Learning Goals Visitors will be able to identify artworks from the National Air and Space art collection. Visitors will be able to express how art and technology impact and influence each other. Visitors will be able to compare art works to the physical artifacts in the collection. Walkthrough - The Visitor Experience of a transformed art gallery The art gallery will offer an immersive experience for NASM visitors. It will attract audiences and demographics of all cultures and ages. In particular, the art gallery provides opportunities for both U.S. and international audiences with interests in art, history, aviation, space, and technology. The art gallery offers the Museum a platform for exploring art and technology in depth with interpretive views on flight. The redesign of the art gallery will inspire visitors in a contemporary setting with design elements to create an environment that encourages contemplative thinking and revitalized energy. Architecture in airports such as the Bilbao Airport in Spain, with its sweeping roofline and glass walls, helps the passenger transcend beyond the weariness of travel. The new internal structures of the art gallery will offer an inviting atmosphere with tranquil settings. It will also serve as a spiritual sanctuary for the already over stimulated NASM visitor. The gallery will have a natural flow to conjure the feel of flight, without interfering with the artworks, exhibits, or tools for learning engagement. Diffused lighting from the high bay ceiling to emulate a low intensity natural light will provide an “outdoor” feel to the space, such as can be experienced at the National Gallery of Art and other world renowned art museums. Partial glass balcony wall units and a striking glass staircase will integrate forms of flight, such as the curves and angles of airplane wings to draw visitors to the upper level mezzanine. Partial glass flooring on the mezzanine level will open up the intimate space and allow for low levels of ambient light to flow through the gallery below. The Research Center and Art Lounge should be conducive for quiet study with couches, tables, and lamp tops for research and writing, and equipped with personal laptop and cell phone recharging stations. The lower level will have flexible spaces with module wall and case units with changeable spaces to allow for diverse exhibits and for artists to create site-specific installations. There will be a projection area to view videos or digital installations. The flooring in