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Smithsonian's Anacostia Community Museum

Name: Smithsonian's Anacostia Community Museum
Address: 1901 Fort Place SE, Washington D.C., DC, 20020, US
Telephone: (202) 633-4820
Price range: Not Applicable

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09/27/2024

In 1980, when asked by the Washington Post if he were a native Washingtonian, Almore Dale "winced" and responded, "A native Anacostian, if you please."

Indeed, Dale, seen here at his market in August of 1956, was touted in the same article as an "unsung hero" who upheld a "family tradition of civic service." He was a member of the Dale-Patterson family, who first settled in Anacostia in 1866, according to Dale, due to better opportunities for Black Americans and because, "Fred Douglass lived out here then, and many people were inspired to come over, just to be near him."

During his life, Almore Dale founded or helped to found the Anacostia Development Corporation, the Southeast Neighborhood Advisory Board and the Anacostia Southeast Federal Credit Union. He also, according to former ACM director John Kinard, was vital in helping persuade the Smithsonian to build a museum in the neighborhood.

On Anacosta, he said: "Living here fits in with some strong ideas about certain things that have been handed down to me over the years. About roots. About the meaning of where you choose to live. About holding onto the grandeur of family traditions."

📸Dale-Patterson Family collection, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution, gift of Dianne Dale.

09/26/2024

This painting by Robert Allen depicts the Anacostia Pharmacy, which served the health and wellness needs of neighborhood residents from 1941 to1983.

Owner and pharmacist Charles E. “Doc” Qualls created a space where young and old alike could gather and share neighborhood news. The painting, created in 1967 but imaging the store in 1945, captures the pharmacy’s heyday as a gathering place and a focal point of community-building efforts. Viewed from across the street on Nichols (now Martin Luther King Jr) Avenue SE, the window displays evidence the business’ various social and medical functions.

🖼️: "Anacostia Pharmacy, 1945", Robert Allen. 1967. Anacostia Community Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

09/25/2024

Fifty-five thin stripes span this long, vertical canvas in a cool, dark palette that includes browns, greens, and blues. The painting is a characteristic work of Washington Color School artist Gene Davis, best known for his stripe paintings.

Though his earlier work in the 1960s featured thick stripes with hard edges, here he uses softer edges and a more muted color palette typical of his oeuvre in the 1970s and 1980s. Measuring over eight feet high, the scale and intensity of the painting encourages a meditation on color. The title draws attention to how color can vividly evoke senses beyond sight, like the bittersweetness of licorice.

🖼️"Licorice Stick", 1986. Gene Davis. Gift from the Trustees of the Corcoran Gallery of Art (Jim and Mary Singer and Tom and Jane Singer). Anacostia Community Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

09/24/2024

Join artist-educator, Dr. Pamela Harris Lawton, for a workshop on making artist’s books. Create a unique accordion book to capture stories about family, community, and the art educators who inspired you. All materials will be supplied.

Let us know you're joining: https://s.si.edu/3Tbrkwv

09/23/2024

A serene scene for a Monday morning ☀️

The man in the moon looks down onto Earth in this colorful quilt by Carmel Washington. Piecing for the yard, house, sky, and portions of the roof are partly machine sewn; all other details are hand-appliqued.

MORE: https://s.si.edu/3Qdac8E

09/22/2024

In autumnal yellows and reds, William N. Buckner, Jr. (1888-1984) created this expressionist-style portrait of oak leaves on a branch in 1909, a year before he began teaching woodworking at Lincoln Elementary School in Washington, D.C.

Buckner had developed a passion for art and honed his woodworking expertise at the city’s renowned M Street High School, a public school for African Americans under the District’s segregated system. After graduating in 1907, he studied at Miner Normal School, which trained teachers for the city’s African American schools. He later earned bachelor and master’s degrees, respectively, from Howard and Columbia universities. Buckner served as an educator at Howard and, for forty-seven years, in the District’s public schools, retiring as principal of Armstrong Vocational High School in 1957.

Learn more about Buckner and other Black arts educators by visiting our current exhibition "A Bold and Beautiful Vision: A Century of Black Arts Education in Washington, D.C., 1900-2000".

🖼️: "Leaves", William N. Buckner. 1909. Anacostia Community Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

09/21/2024

This flag commemorated the groundbreaking ceremony of the Green Line Metro on this day in 1985. It celebrated the beginning of a new connection between Anacostia and the wider Washington, D.C. area, bringing the population on either side of the river closer together. William T. Fauntroy, Jr., a Tuskegee Airman, a D.C. native, and the first African American civil engineer to be hired by the National Capital Transportation Agency, helped plan the Green Line Metro route with input from the local Anacostia community.

🚩"Anacostia Green Line Metro Flag, 1985". Anacostia Community Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

09/20/2024

🎉 Thanks to everyone who came out last night and joined us for A Night at the Museum and to celebrate 57 years of the Anacostia Community Museum! We had an absolute blast.

Learn more about our current exhibition and all of our programs by visiting our website: anacostia.si.edu

09/19/2024

James Wells was already an established Harlem Renaissance artist when he began teaching at Howard University in 1930. His work—particularly prints that celebrated the everyday lives and work of Black people—appeared in numerous publications of the era. Although he was a master printmaker, he never stopped seeking out opportunities to learn new techniques. Wells taught more than 2,000 students in his 39 years at Howard. His many mentees included Georgette Seabrooke Powell, Elizabeth Catlett, David Driskell, Lloyd McNeill, and Lou Stovall.

This print by Wells of two Black women combines the elegant, streamlined modernism characteristic of the 20th century with the clean, hand-cut lines of traditional woodblock printing. The women’s faces are the focus of the image, and simple white linework on a solid black background delineate their eyes, noses, eyebrows, and lips. A black border frames the women, palm tree, and rolling hills in the background.

See the print on display and learn more about Wells by visiting our current exhibition "A Bold and Beautiful Vision: A Century of Black Arts Education in Washington, D.C., 1900-2000".

🖼️"Sisters II", 1928. James Lesesne Wells. Anacostia Community Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

09/17/2024

The Gratitude Garden featured in our exhibition "A Bold and Beautiful Vision" encourages visitors leave a note to an arts educator who impacted their life. Have you ever told a teacher about the impact they had on you?

09/16/2024

This artwork by M. Tony Peralta reimagines a black-and-white photograph of Afro-Cuban singer Celia Cruz, the "Queen of Salsa."

"Celia con Rolos" is part of Peralta’s portrait series, "Rolos and Icons," celebrating extraordinary Latinas. Before silkscreening each canvas, Peralta paints these icons in hair rollers, a weekly ritual in many Latinx communities.

The painter, a New Yorker whose parents are Dominican, hopes the rolos will help viewers connect with Cruz and other Latinas, such as his favorite artist, Frida Kahlo.

🖼️: "Celia con Rolos" by M. Tony Peralta, 2015.

09/15/2024

On this day in 1967 we first opened our doors under a marquee displaying our name: Anacostia Neighborhood Museum. While our location and name have since changed, we are still powered by the people.

Today, the Anacostia Community Museum aspires to illuminate and share the untold, and often overlooked stories of people furthest from opportunity in the Greater Washington D.C. region. Our mission is to tell stories of everyday people making impactful changes, who use their collective power to tackle complex issues and advance a more equitable future for all. We hope you will join us!

📅: Countdown to Opening of the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum, by Kinard, John 1936-1989, September 1967, Smithsonian Archives - History Div, SIA2016-011451a.

09/14/2024

Join us for our next Growing Community!

Growing Community is the longstanding community gardening program at the Smithsonian's Anacostia Community Museum. Through garden programming, residents of all ages can engage with the beauty of the natural world, a healthy food system, and their cultural past. We welcome the community to participate in our monthly workshops, taking place throughout the growing and harvesting seasons. All workshops incorporate themes such as gardens as places of community and connections to our cultural past; gardens as sites of stewardship and nurture; and gardens as sites of empowerment and access to good nutrition and healthy living.

Learn more by visiting anacostia.si.edu/growingcommunity

09/12/2024

This signed reproduction print of an original pastel drawing was a gift from the artist John Robinson to the Anacostia Community Museum’s founding director, John Kinard. In the image, a Black child with bright eyes smiles up at the viewer, his youthfulness emphasized by the drawing’s perspective. The boy in the image is Pete, the artist’s youngest son. Themes of family life, love, and happiness abound in details of their home in the Garfield neighborhood of Anacostia, such as the oriental rugs, shiny wood floor, upholstered chair, and happy child. Known for his ability to capture the character of his sitters, Robinson portrays his son’s physical likeness and provides insight into his disposition.

🖼️"Pete", John N. Robinson. Anacostia Community Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

09/10/2024

In this brown and cream-colored quilt, square and rectangular patches are arranged to form framed checkerboards and crosses. The eye constantly oscillates between these two patterns; sometimes the checkerboards are dominant, other times the crosses are. The quilt’s tassel ties are made visible by the use of contrasting thread colors. The backing is made of pieced sections of natural, undyed cloth.

After moving to Washington, DC following World War II, Ira Blount mastered dozens of artisanal crafts. His love for crafting, learning, and community engagement would endure over the course of his long life and career.

🔊 Listen to an interview with Blount, given just before his 100th birthday: https://s.si.edu/4cUfoXj

🧵"Checkerboard and Cross Block Quilt with Tassels", 2003-2004. Ira Blount. Gift of Ira Blount. Anacostia Community Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

09/10/2024

International opera star Madame Lillian Evanti was the daughter of teacher Annie Brooks and Dr. Bruce Evans—a medical doctor and the founding principal of Armstrong High School. Evanti attended her father’s school, showing talent in music and singing while at Armstrong. She went on to study at Miner Normal School and Howard University. Before becoming the first African American to perform with a major European opera company, she was a devoted kindergarten teacher in Washington public schools.

Learn more about Evanti and other Black arts educators in our current exhibition "A Bold and Beautiful Vision: A Century of Black Arts Education in Washington, D.C., 1900-2000".

📸 Lillian Evanti receives Distinguished Alumni Award at Howard University. 1943. Scurlock Studio (Washington, D.C.). Evans-Tibbs collection, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution, gift of the Estate of Thurlow E. Tibbs, Jr.

09/08/2024

Theresa Howe Jones worked at a community agency in Southeast Washington, D.C. when the Smithsonian set out to create its first neighborhood museum. She became deeply involved in the museum's development and ensured that the institution embraced community input.

Learn more about Thresa Howe Jones and the museum's early years, and discover the oral histories of other D.C. women featured in "D.C. Women Speak" a project that digitized over 300 interviews archived in the museum's collection by visiting: anacostia.si.edu/DCwomenspeak

📸: Theresa Howe Jones, pictured at the typewriter, is joined by Zella Rempson, Katie Ridley, and Zora Martin-Felton as they document the results of a Southeast Neighborhood House membership drive in 1967. Dorothy Burlage Southeast Neighborhood Collection, Anacostia Community, Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

09/07/2024

Five diagonal stripes in shades of purple, red, and orange are the central focus of this painting, characteristic of artist Sam Gilliam’s nonrepresentational work from the 1960s. The evenly proportioned lines, created by masking off areas with tape, travel diagonally from the top left to the bottom right corner, with alternating stripes of bare canvas situated in a field of black. Analogous colors separated by lighter stripes invite the viewer to compare and contemplate the tonal shifts presented in this dynamic composition.

When artist Sam Gilliam painted this canvas, he was working in the style of the Washington Color School, introduced to him by artist Thomas Downing in 1963. Considered one of the most important Color Field painters, Gilliam’s work evolved throughout his career, from his pioneering use of unsupported canvases suspended from the wall, to the textured surfaces and painted sculptures that would come to define his late work.

Learn more about Gilliam by visiting our current exhibition "A Bold and Beautiful Vision: A Century of Black Arts Education in Washington, D.C.,1900-2000".

🖼️"Muse I", Sam Gilliam. 1965. Anacostia Community Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

09/06/2024

Hundreds of hexagons create colorful bouquets in Grandmother’s Flower Garden, a centuries-old quilt pattern whose popularity peaked in the mid-1920s. Out of necessity in the Great Depression, quilters transformed scrap fabric into warm bed coverings while generating equally needed good cheer from the floral “mosaics,” as the quilt style was also known.

Though Emma Russell (1909-2004) made this fancy quilt six decades later, it sports occasional asymmetry, from fifteen partial bouquets edging the carefully plotted grid of twenty-one full bouquets to a single red, patterned center amidst twenty orange, solid ones. The flowers are constructed from both solid material and prints (calico, gingham, madras) in a wide range of colors, with marigold yellow, bright pink, and aqua predominating. Russell revises the traditional honeycombed pattern by piecing a garden path in orange diamonds. To piece a quilt is to sew its many parts together, akin to assembling the pieces of a puzzle. This quilt was both machine and hand pieced. Its three layers (top, batting, and back) were sewn together by machine. The quilt’s backing is made of undyed cotton muslin, which also forms the front border.

Russell was a fifth-generation African American quilter who grew up quilting in the Doloroso community of Woodville, Mississippi. She and her sister, Annie Dennis (1904-1997), learned from their mother Phoeba Johnson (1883-1984), and, in turn, taught others. Beginning in the 1970s, the family played a pivotal role in documenting African American quilting traditions, first in the Mississippi Delta and then nationally, in partnership with photographer Roland L. Freeman. The quilt was on display at the Anacostia Community Museum’s exhibition Home Sewn: Quilts from the Lower Mississippi Valley from December 2013 to February 2015.

🧵"Grandmother's Flower Garden", Emma Russell. 1987. Anacostia Community Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

09/06/2024

During the early 20th century, Washington, D.C., was the cultural capital of Black America. Prefiguring Harlem in the 1920s, D.C.’s Uptown area nurtured dynamic figures such as Duke Ellington, Langston Hughes, Mary Church Terrell, Justice Thurgood Marshall, and Dr. Charles Drew. In this program, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Hedrick Smith tells the often-overlooked story of the heyday, decline, and renewal of Uptown. Combined with rare photographs and archival footage, sparkling interviews with jazz pianist Billy Taylor, Ellington biographer John Hasse, historians James Horton and Edward Smith, and others describe the community’s halcyon days, the post-desegregation exodus that opened the door to urban decay, and efforts that are reclaiming and renewing the neighborhood. (57 minutes).

Immediately following the film, join us for a dialogue and Q & A with John Hasse, Curator Emeritus of American Music, Smithsonian Institution. Register now at https://s.si.edu/3MyeWTG

09/04/2024

Romare Bearden (1911-1988) worked in a wide array of media, but was best known for collages, like this one created primarily from photographs glued onto a projection, or photographically enlarged print.

Against a pastel blue sky, a streetscape emerges from torn black-and-white images. A chimney takes shape from a photo of a brick chimney, for example, and sits atop a house made from a photo of wood paneling. Cloud-like forms and an aloe plant loom large over structures, vegetation, elements of human figures, and typed text. Blue Projection draws on the artist’s understanding of both rural and urban African American experience.

🖼️: "Blue Projection", Romare Bearden. 1965. Anacostia Community Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

09/03/2024

✨ This September, we have free programs EVERY Saturday! We're thrilled to share that we will be hosting the 2024 Anacostia Youth Media Festival this month.

✨We are also celebrating our 57th anniversary on September 19 with A Night at the Museum!

✨The FRESHFARM ACM Farm Stand is still open on the ACM Plaza every Saturday at 10am.

🔗 Head to our website to learn more: anacostia.si.edu/events

08/30/2024

This dark blue and black stain painting explores spatial ambiguity, an enduring interest of Washington Color School painter Howard Mehring. He achieves a marbled effect by alternately applying and blotting daubs of paint, creating a nearly uniform “all-over” pattern of color across the canvas. The title, “Out of the Blue,” signals Mehring’s attention to the relationship between space and color.

🖼️: "Out of the Blue", Howard Mehring. 1960. Anacostia Community Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

08/29/2024

This work incorporates quilting, cross-stitch, and stencil. The center panel’s stitching depicts a schoolhouse, two children, and two trees, along with a meandering row of letters of the alphabet. Animals are scattered throughout the letters, including a bird near the “B,” a dog or deer near the “D,” and a turtle near the “T.” The green fabric border is stenciled with a geometric design in white paint and the quilt layers are tied with cream and green embroidery thread. The backing of the quilt is pieced from the same dark green as the border, and a dark calico cloth.

After moving to Washington, DC following World War II, Ira Blount mastered dozens of artisanal crafts. His love for crafting, learning, and community engagement would endure over the course of his long life and career.

🧵"School Days", Ira Blount. 2005. Gift of Ira Blount, Anacostia Community Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

08/27/2024

This etching, produced collaboratively by Percy Martin and his students, depicts a magical society. This is a recurring theme in Martin’s work, but its reimagining here through the eyes of children is an interesting exercise in artistic and social education. It is a task of creating an environment and thinking about how a community could exist within it. The ability to imagine a whole new world holds power and their signatures are a testament to the efforts the students put into the project.

🖼️"Etching by Percy Martin and Students", Percy Martin. Late 20th Century. Anacostia Community Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

Address

1901 Fort Place SE
Washington D.C., DC
20020

Opening Hours

Monday	11am - 5pm
Tuesday	11am - 5pm
Wednesday	11am - 5pm
Thursday	11am - 5pm
Friday	11am - 5pm
Saturday	11am - 5pm
Sunday	11am - 5pm

Telephone

(202) 633-4820

Website

http://anacostia.si.edu/

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Videos

Native Cinema Showcase

🎥 The Native Cinema Showcase is Smithsonian NMAI’s celebration of the best in Native film. This year’s showcase focuses on Native people boldly asserting themselves through language, healing, building community, and a continued relationship with the land. The program features a total of 47 films (seven features and 40 shorts) representing 39 Native nations in 13 countries. Streaming online from November 12-18th , with many brand programs offered worldwide and on demand, at https://nmai.brand.live/c/native-cinema-showcase

Stories for Change: Food Justice Edition Episode 1 (Virtual)

Stories for Change: Food Justice Edition (A Virtual 3-episode Series) Change the story, change the world. Seven community members took a leap and accepted our invitation to learn the craft of storytelling and to tell their truths on stage. Through their eyes we will look at a side of our food system we rarely see -- the struggles and triumphs of everyday people trying to eat healthily, grow sustainably, and cook with passion in Greater Washington DC. Coached and directed by a Grand Slam Champion of the Moth DC, Phill Branch, these stories are sure to entertain as much as they challenge the status quo. Individual performances were recorded and will be featured in a series of three virtual programs as well as a professionally produced podcast. Join us for an experiment in empathy. Two women step up to the stage for the first time to tell their own story. Each of these two thought-provoking and entertaining performances will reveal a side of our food system we rarely hear. Demi Mohamed and Sara Hernandez have lived and worked as essential food workers in DC- witnessing and servicing a rapidly gentrifying city and a food system that is increasingly designed for the wealthy. Step into their shoes. They will both be on-hand after the performance to share more about their perspectives. Supported by The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW)