Smithsonian

Eddie Van Halen's Guitar Ends Up In The Smithsonian

The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History has picked up a little rock and roll, in the form of the Van Halen "Frank 2" guitar. This guitar was played eddie Van Halend uring the Van Halen 2007-08 North American tour with original lead singer David Lee Roth. The guitar replaced the original "Frankenstein" guitar which Van halen had built way back in the mid-1970s when he was experimenting with how to make new sounds. Chip Ellis, a master guitar builder at Fender, replicated every detail of the original guitar. The "Frank 2" will be part of the museum's Division of Culture and the Arts but Smithsonian Magazine says that it is not on display yet. Fender has sold 300 replicas of the original Frankenstrat for $25,000 and is the parent company to Eddie Van Halen's EVH brand which sells guitars and related equipment.

Tags: eddie van halen, fender, frakenstrat, smithsonian

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Warhol Foundation Withdraws Support Amid Smithsonian Controversy

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

The often staid Smithsonian has been the site of controversy recently. A video by the late artist David Wojnarowicz was recently removed from the museum's exhibits. The film, "A Fire in My Belly" (1986-87) which depicts an 11-second scene of ants crawling on a crucifix, an image that Wojnarowicz said reflected his experience of being diagnosed with AIDS, came under fire the Catholic League and members of Congress said it was sacrilegious. After the exhibit was taken out earlier this month protesters took to the steps of the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery holding up masks of David Wojnarowicz including images of him with his mouth sewn shut.

On Monday, the Andy Warhol Foundation said that it will withhold future funding to the Smithsonian Institution unless the video is restored. The board of the foundation sent a letter to the Smithsonian calling the censorship "unconscionable." Joel Wachs, president of the foundation, wrote that while the Warhol Foundation has been a proud supporter of the current Portrait Gallery exhibit "Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture," (the exhibit the video was a part of) but that it can't watch the Smithsonian "bow to the demands of bigots who have attacked the exhibition out of ignorance, hatred and fear." The foundation has given $375,000 over the past three years to various Smithsonian museums, including $100,000 to help fund "Hide/Seek."

Museums, galleries and universities around the country are showing the video and the Association of Art Museum Directors has condemned the Smithsonian's removal of the piece. You can find it online as well.

Tags: A Fire Inside, Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, David Wojnarowicz, Smithsonian

The Smithsonian's Hope Diamond Gets a Makeover

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Harry Winston's historic donation of the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian Institution, the world-renowned international jeweler has designed a new "Embracing Hope" setting for the legendary gem. The incredible necklace featuring the 45.52-carat Hope Diamond officially debuted today in Washington, D.C.

This is the first new setting for the fabled deep blue gem since it was given to the museum by Harry Winston himself in November 1958 to help found the National Gem Collection. Harry Winston, a premier diamond jeweler and luxury timepiece retailer, is the Luxist Awards' Readers' Choice Winner for Best Jewelry Line.

Designed and handcrafted in the Harry Winston design studio and jewelry workshop in New York, the temporary "Embracing Hope" setting suspends the Hope Diamond in a sculptural ribbon of 340 baguette diamonds set into platinum. Eight master jewelers devoted more than 1,000 hours to creating the exquisite new setting, which was selected from three different Winston designs by popular vote in an online poll in 2009.

Gallery: The Hope Diamond's New Setting by Harry Winston

Tags: awards-main, blue diamond, diamond, diamonds, harry winston, luxist-awards, Smithsonian

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Smithsonian Museum of Natural History Acquires Cullinan Blue Diamond Necklace

by McLean Robbins (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Big Givers

Yesterday, the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History unveiled its latest addition to the National Gem Collection, the Cullinan Diamond Necklace - a piece dating back to 1910 and boasting a history nearly as rich as its famous neighbor, the Hope Diamond.

A 30-carat piece is crafted in the Edwardian style, and boasts a unique structure which allows it to be worn as both brooch and necklace. The centerpiece stone is a large 2.6 carat "fancy blue" diamond with a chain of smaller blue and white diamond pieces.

Jeff Post, curator of the collection, calls the piece "very important ... people get a little bit jaded here [with the Hope Diamond so close by] but there's no where else in the world you can go [to see two such diamonds together."

Tags: Cullinan Diamond, cullinan mine, CullinanDiamond, hope diamond, Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian, thomas cullinan, washington dc

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A Look At The Smithsonian Collection on QVC

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

Earlier this year we mentioned the announcement that the Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest museum and research complex, had entered into a licensing agreement with QVC to sell a jewelry collection. The pieces are now being revealed and they are simply gorgeous. The designs range from delicate to dramatic and include earrings, rings and bracelets. Pieces were inspired both by specific jewelry pieces at the Smithsonian as well as by the large gemstone and mineral specimens at the gallery. The highly anticipated jewelry collection, The Smithsonian Institution – National Gem Gallery, is scheduled to debut Tuesday, September 14 at 7 PM (ET). Pieces will be available on QVC.com.

One of the most striking pieces is the Judith Ripka Sterling Blue Topaz & 4/10 ct tw Diamond Ring. The ring will sell for approximately $538.06. The ring was created in celebration of the100th Anniversary of both the National Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian's own Blue Heart Diamond.

Gallery: The Smithonsian Collection for QVC

Sterling Turquoise & White Topaz Lever back Earrings

Tags: jewelry, qvc, smithsonian, smithsonian institution

Smithsonian Auctions Off Cover Art For Haitian Recovery

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Charity

The September issue of Smithsonian magazine has a great article on Haitian artists and their lives after the earthquake that killed 230,000 in January 2010. Smithsonian commissioned a painting by Haitian artist Frantz Zéphirin for the September 2010 issue cover which will be auctioned off for charity. The painting is more than just a piece of art it's representation of the response to Haiti's earthquake. The birds represent those who have offered help and carry words such as justice, education, health, and peace in their beaks. The bags with dollar signs show that Haiti is still in dire financial need.

Fifty percent of the proceeds from the auction will benefit the Smithsonian Institution-Haiti Cultural Recovery Project and the other half will go to the artist and the Gallerie Monnin, which represents Zéphirin and plans to donate part of its proceeds to the Dallas Monnin Foundation, a foundation that hopes to protect the environment in Haiti through reforestation, to conserve watershed areas and to conduct civic education classes for children in the Port Salut area. The auction starts on September 8 and ends on September 17. The minimum bid is $4,000.

Tags: Haiti aid, haiti earthquake, Smithsonian, Smithsonian Magazine

Kermit The Frog Heads To The Smithsonian

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Did you know that the original Kermit the Frog was made from an old coat thrown away by Jim Henson's mom? The fabled frog is one of 10 characters donated to the Smithsonian by Henson's widow, Jane Henson. The original Kermit the Frog puppet made his television debut in 1955 on local Washington TV appearing on a show called "Sam and Friends" that ran after the local news. The 10 puppets were donated to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History where they will be in the company of other Henson puppets including a later, greener version of Kermit.

Jane Henson told the AP that the family hopes to give more puppets to the museum wanting to get them "out while they're still in relatively good condition."

Tags: jim henson, kermit the frog, muppets, National Museum of American History, smithsonian

Smithsonian Offers Behind-The-Scenes Event

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Events, Art

A rare chance to go behind the scenes at the Smithsonian will be offered October 20-23. Smithsonian Journeys has announced the "Celebrate Smithsonian" event in which participants will meet Smithsonian curators and staff, explore Smithsonian collections not on public view, attend private demonstrations and the newest exhibitions and enjoy exclusive dinners with Smithsonian staff in museum galleries.

The program begins with a private gala reception and dinner at the Smithsonian "Castle" building. Richard Kurin, Under Secretary for History, Art and Culture, will welcome participants and give an overview of the Smithsonian's colorful past and present. The next two days will focus on Smithsonian collections in storage and on display. Museum staff will lead tours through the Museum Support Center, a high-tech home to more than 54 million artifacts, where scholars work on the research and conservation of some of the nation's treasures. At the National Museum of American History, curator of musical instruments Kenneth Slowik will how priceless instruments from the collection and demonstrate their rich tones.

Tags: Museum of Natural History, museum tours, norman rockwell, Smithsonian, washington, washington dc

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Smithsonian To Sell Jewelry On QVC

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

Everyone from Ivana Trump to Joan Rivers has sold jewelry on QVC but the latest QVC partnership is a bit of a surprise. The Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest museum and research complex, has entered into a licensing agreement with QVC offer a jewelry collection based on objects in the National Gem and Mineral Collection (part of the National Museum of Natural History). This is where you see beauties like the Hope Diamond, the Carmen Lucia ruby, Marie Antoinette's diamond earrings and the Tiffany amethyst shown above.

No images of the planned collection for sale have been released but Carol LeBlanc, director of consumer products for Smithsonian Enterprises said that they will "create jewelry that is not only fashionable, but also serves to educate the public about the Smithsonian and the jewelry, gems and minerals found in its collections." The line will include earrings, rings, bracelets, pins and brooches some of which will be replicas of pieces in the museum's collection. This is the Smithsonian's first foray into making a high-quality jewelry based on the museum's collection. The collection is scheduled to launch this fall.

Tags: jewelry, jewelry line, qvc, smithsonian

Will The Smithsonian Take O.J.'s Suit?

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Is the suit that O.J. Simpson was wearing back in 1997 on the day that he was acquitted in the trial for the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman really a historical object? For a moment it looked like the suit might be headed to the Smithsonian, the home of a variety of objects like the Hope Diamond, the Spirit of St. Louis and Julia Child's kitchen.

Fred Goldman, Ron's father, has struggled for years to get restitution in the $33.5 million civil suit which found Simpson liable for the two deaths. Goldman has sued Simpson and his former agent, Mike Gilbert, who allegedly has possession of the suit. Goldman and Gilbert agreed to donate the suit to the Smithsonian Institution. There's just one problem, the Smithsonian may not want it. TMZ quotes a Smithsonian official who said that any item that is to be donated goes to the museum curators for review. While the suit has not officially been offered yet it seems that it might not be the sort of thing that the museum generally accepts. There is no doubt that it represents a certain piece of history but the Smithsonian tends to celebrate American achievement and steer clear of more controversial exhibits (they turned down Monica Lewinsky's famous blue dress).

Tags: fred goldman, FredGoldman, o.j. simpson, O.j.Simpson, Smithsonian

Rothko, Diebenkorn and Degas join Obama in the White House

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art, Celebrity Design

The world's latest Nobel Peace Prize winner also has excellent taste in art. President Barack Obama has skipped the staid portraits that are usually pulled to adorn White House walls and instead opted for three dozen pieces with a bit more of an edge. Works have been pulled from the National Gallery of Art, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden and the Smithsonian American Art Museum to decorate the building the symbolizes executive authority in the United States.

The Obama family is definitely leaning modern, with Rothko, Degas and Diebenkorn among the artists represented. They've also included a word painting by Ed Ruscha. Not wanting to deprive the public of the opportunity to view works on display, the Obamas limited their choices to artwork in museum storage.

There's now a lot of money hanging from those White House walls. "Red Band" by Rothko, "Berkeley No. 52" by Diebenkorn and "White Line" by Sam Francis together are estimated to be worth between $20 million and $30 million. Throw a piece by Jasper Johns into the mix – specifically "Numerals, 0 through 9" – and you get a sense of the collection the Obamas have assembled.

Even with access to a collection of that caliber, though, I'd still never take Obama's job. And, there aren't enough Rothkos out there to change my mind.

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Tags: art, art collecting, art collection, art museum, art museums, ArtCollecting, ArtCollection, artist, artists, ArtMuseum, ArtMuseums, artwork, barack obama, BarackObama, degas, ed ruscha, EdRuscha, hirshhorn-sculpture-garden, jasper johns, JasperJohns, mark rothko, MarkRothko, michelle obama, MichelleObama, museum, museums, national gallery of art, NationalGalleryOfArt, nobel peace prize, NobelPeacePrize, obama, president, president barack obama, president obama, PresidentBarackObama, PresidentObama, rothko, smithsonian, smithsonian american art museum, SmithsonianAmericanArtMuseum, white house, WhiteHouse

Steven Spielberg and George Lucas Partner For Rockwell Exhibition

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

Steven Spielberg and George Lucas have more than great movies in common, they are also both collectors of Norman Rockwell art. The latest collaboration from the talented pair won't be a movie but the pooling of their collections of Rockwell art as part of an exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington D.C. next year. "Telling Stories: Norman Rockwell From the Collections of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg" will be on exhibit from July 2, 2010 through Jan. 2, 2011 and will include more than 50 paintings and drawings from the movie moguls' collections.

The Washington Post reports that the exhibit will explore the connections linking the art and movies. It makes a certain sense that Steven Spielberg and George Lucas are collectors of Norman Rockwell art. After all, both directors share a certain love of Americana, of heroism and storytelling things that are key features in Rockwell's work. The pair have taped interviews on their thoughts on Rockwell which will be shown as part of the exhibit.

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Tags: art, exhibit, george lucas, GeorgeLucas, museum, norman rockwell, NormanRockwell, smithsonian, steven spielberg, StevenSpielberg

New Hope Diamond Setting Chosen

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

The Hope Diamond has gone naked. The 45.5 carat blue stone has been released from its setting in order to be prepared to its temporary new outfit. Last month I mentioned that there were three potential settings being considered for the stone to mark the 50th anniversary of its donation to the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History by jeweler Harry Winston. One was chosen, the Embracing Hope setting shown above. Embracing Hope received 45,000 out of a total 110,000 votes cast. The Hope will be on display by itself for the next few months while the setting is prepared by Harry Winston's team of jewelers. The legendary sparkler will then be shown in its glamorous new attire. The diamond will return to its own setting, a platinum setting surrounded by 16 pear-shaped and cushion-cut diamonds suspended from a diamond-set chain, in late 2010.

Tags: hope diamond, HopeDiamond, smithsonian

Vote On The New Setting For The Hope Diamond

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

The famous Hope Diamond which is in the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History is getting reset to mark the 50th anniversary of its donation to the museum by jeweler Harry Winston. The 45.52 carat blue diamond will be reset by the House of Harry Winston in one of three possible modern settings. You can vote on your favorite at the Smithsonian website. The voting continues through September 7 and the diamond in its new setting will be revealed in conjunction with the world premiere of the Smithsonian Channel's documentary "Mystery of the Hope Diamond" in March 2010. The setting is only temporary. The diamond will be returned to its original setting by the end of 2010 which makes me wonder why they are doing it in the first place but I suppose that this is one piece of jewelry that need never be evaluated in terms of resale value.

[via LA Times]

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Tags: harry winston, HarryWinston, hope diamond, HopeDiamond, smithsonian

Subway Co-Founder Buys Things To Give Them Away

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Big Givers

Some collectors wait until they have left this earth to see their treasures head to the museum. Not nuclear physicist and Subway co-founder Peter Buck. He buys things just to give them away. The Washington Post interviews Buck who in 2004 bought one of the world's most stunning rubies and donated it to the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in memory of his late wife. The Carmen Lúcia ruby is shown at right. More recently Buck acquired a 224-year-old George Washington letter which will also go to the National Museum of American History spending $250,000 to buy the document and arrange for its care.

Carmen's longtime jeweler Frank Cappiello brokered the beginning of the relationship between the Smithsonian and Buck. The letter Buck purchased was sent in 1785 and was kept in the family of the recipient until recently when it was sold to a dealer who sold it to Cappiello who then sold it to Buck, who hasn't seen the letter in person yet. Buck's generosity inspires a certain amount of envy, many organizations and individuals would love to have access to the ear and wallet of a billionaire. For Buck's part there seems to be pleasure not in as much in acquiring the specific goods but in being able to share them with the visitors to the Smithsonian.

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Tags: big givers, BigGivers, george washington, GeorgeWashington, peter buck, PeterBuck, smithsonian, subway