Connections at the Renwick Gallery

Image courtesy of Christopher Vitale

By Christopher Vitale

Washington D.C. is recognized internationally for its vast and diverse collection of public museums, and the most notable selection of these are operated under the Smithsonian Institute. Hallmark Smithsonian locations, like the National Air and Space Museum, the National Gallery of Art, and the National Museum of Natural History, are key to any D.C. sightseeing bucket list, but what most people don’t know is that the Smithsonian also administers numerous lesser-known gems.

Among these is the Renwick Gallery, a relatively small historic art museum located on Pennsylvania Avenue, mere blocks from the White House. The Renwick is a branch of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and is free to the public. Once known as “America’s Louvre,” the Renwick Gallery’s design was inspired by the architecture of France’s premier art museum. It is a National Historic Landmark and was the first building designed specifically with the intent of showcasing art in the United States.

Connections is a permanent collection located on the second floor of the gallery. At first glance, the exhibit appears to comprise a random collection of unrelated objects created by various modern artists, but the intention of the exhibit is to look past this facade and seek to find connections between the featured objects. 

The display draws upon the “hyperlinked” nature of the 21st century, as a result of the influence of the internet, and encourages viewers to approach the installation inspired by the way that the internet finds nuanced pathways between mass quantities of data.

“Connecting is at the heart of modern life, and the connections we make, whether factual or fantastic, tell us stories about ourselves and the world around us,” states the Renwick Gallery on the panel introducing the exhibit.

While the panels describing each artwork suggest relationships with various other pieces to consider, the display is not organized according to artists, media, or periods, but rather allows visitors to assume the aura of the digital world and navigate the gallery in any path or order they desire. 

The objects themselves can be described as manifestations of modern American craft, and some highlighted works include: a mahogany sculpture of a grandfather clock covered by a sheet, an unconventional American flag dedicated to veterans, a small glass and steel sculpture of the Boston skyline, a “foreclosure quilt” depicting a map of Washington D.C. during the economic crisis of the 2000’s, a glass spinning wheel, a collection of unique cups and mugs on shelves, a curving wooden bureau, and shovels made of pennies.

It may be difficult to draw links between groups of artistic objects such as these, but the museum assures that deep contemplation will give rise to understanding of the thematic relationships at play.

The installation’s introduction panel maintains that “crafts today are not only about utility, skill, and the value of the handmade, but about larger social, environmental, and philosophical questions.”Connections is all about experiencing the world in unconventional ways, as the exhibit breaks the norms of art installation and intrigues artists and museum-goers from many different backgrounds. Visitors can encounter the Renwick Gallery every day of the week from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.