Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/633921
B M & T ••• November/December 2015 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 11 ANACOSTIA COMMUNITY MUSEUM – A SPECIAL PLACE IN WASHINGTON, DC AND NOAH PURIFOY AT THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART (LACMA) BY PATRICIA ANN JORDAN Hello Readers. I was fascinated on a recent trip to DC when I discovered I was staying really close to the Anacostia Community Museum, either a place I had forgotten or didn't know existed.. It's a special find in South East (SE) Washington. A part of the Smithsonian, it was the first community museum to be funded by the federal government. Founded as the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum, opening 1967, the Anacostia Community Museum was envisioned by S. Dillon Ripley, then-Secr etary of the Smithsonian Institution, as an outreach effort by the Smithsonian to the local African-American community. John Kinard, a local community activist and minister, was appointed found- ing director and employed his skills in community engagement, organiz- ing, and outreach to shape the practice and direction of the museum. Following the inaugural exhibition, which was an eclectic mix of art and artifacts from other Smithsonian museums, local residents and museum advisory board members expressed a desire to have a museum that was relevant to their experiences and history. A slate of exhibitions and public programs focusing on African-American history, community issues, local history, and the arts were developed. I found particularly interesting, "Bridiging the Americas: Community and Belonging From Panama to Washington, DC" which is running indefinitely. Using images and narratives, this exhibition pres- ents the v arious ways in which Zonians and Panamanians in the D.C. metropolitan area think about home and belonging in and in-between Panama and Washington, D.C. From passage during the California Gold Rush to the 100th anniversary of the Panama Canal in 2014, the United States and Panama have a long and intertwined history. The exhibition shows the formal ties between the two nations but focuses on the human stories and migra- tions that underscore t he connection. A unique perspective, "How the Civil War Changed Washington," which exhibits until November 15, 2015, examines the social and spatial impact of the Civil War on Washington, DC and the resulting dramatic changes in social mores, and in the size and ethnic composition of the city's population. The population of the city increased tremendously during the war. Between 1860 and 1870, the population of the area that became the city of Washington increased from 75,080 inhabitants to 131,700, and the African-American population increased from 1/5th to 1/3rd. This began a trend of growth that continued until a century after the war when they would become the majority. Women workers joined the federal work force; the federal government was reimagined and after the War; the forts built in the hilly terrain around the city became new neigh- borhoods, expanding the city's footprint. The exhibition contextualizes these and other changes while telling the fascinating stories of individu- als who came to Washington during the Civil War and who contributed to its shaping. Back home in Los Angeles, I was able to catch "Noah Purifoy: Junk Dada," which was at LACMA to the end of September. This was the first m onographic exhibition dedicated to the California based artist since his death in 2004. I was mesmerized by Purifoy's ability to give new life to an object by changing its context, transforming junk into artwork. His larger than life pieces from the Joshua Tree desert area really spoke to me. He was a talent before his time. He found beauty and meaning in what was discarded. Purifoy was one of the f ounding directors of the Watts Towers Arts Center in Los Angeles and created an early body of sculpture constructed out of charred debris from the 1965 Watts rebellion. These works were a part of the exhibition. If this exhibition comes anywhere near you, see it. Also, find out more about this legendary artist. An artist before his time! I'm always pleased when I get to see what I write about. Find m ore about these museums: anacostia.si.edu ; lacma.org.