The Renwick Art Gallery

The Renwick Gallery is a part of the Smithsonian Art Museum and is located in Washington, DC. It was originally intended to be DC's first museum of visual art, but it was first converted into a military storehouse for a period during the civil war. The gallery is an older building that is very close to the White House itself. I was touring the city during a break from my classes when I stopped to explore the gallery and check out the fascinating pieces within. There weren't too many other patrons there enjoying the art, which I found to be odd after learning about the rich history of the actual building, the high quality art and big names of artists whose pieces can be viewed inside.

The Renwick Gallery focuses on American crafted art from the 19th to the 21st centuries. There were a lot of different pieces inside the museum but the ones that I remember best were the ones made of clay. This is because ceramic art is my favorite form of handmade art simply because of the unlimited possibilities when creating the form, texture, glaze, etc. There was one piece that was a slab of clay in which the artist had carved eloquent designs in the surface, then he glazed it in a way so that the light changes color when the viewer moves around the room. This created an interesting effect that complimented the form of the piece. There was also a collection of bowls there that looked so smooth they almost looked like they were made out of glass rather than ceramics. Each one of them was designed in a very symmetrical manner and were glazed with dark, neutral colors. Some other non-ceramic pieces there also taught me a lot about design and how to compose sculptural forms to be viewed from different directions.

After visiting The Renwick Gallery, I learned a lot about American design and the way that out ancestor's art has changed as our country grew from a small, newly formed nation into a would superpower. The gallery is set up very nicely and has informative displays regarding different artists and their works. There was also a tour there that walked visitors through the museum while a guide explained the history and methods of creation behind the works of art. It's certainly worth the time and admission was free when I went, so everyone who is interested in art should pay it a visit if they are in the area.