Washington Life Magazine
Washington Life Magazine

CELEBRITY SPOTLIGHT

Love Letters from the Archives
Patti Smith shares an intimate night of stories, poetry and music
B Y J O H N W . S M I T H , D I R E C T O R A R C H I V E S O F A M E R I C A N A R T
On February 1, acclaimed poet, artist and musician Patti Smith presented her Washington fans with an early Valentine’s Day gift — a special evening of spoken word and song inspired by artist’s love letters from the collection of the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art. The event was a celebration of the Archives’ most recent publication With Love: Artist’s Letters and Illustrated Notes and proceeds from the evening will benefi t the educational programs of the Archives of American Art, the world’s largest and most widely used resource dedicated to collecting and preserving the papers and primary records of the visual arts in America. Pe r f o r m i n g before a sold out audience at the auditorium of The Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture, Smith read from letters written by art world luminaries such as Joan Mitchell, Frida Kahlo, and Lee Krasner, and shared personal, offthe- cuff memories of her own, including a letter to Smith from iconic photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. Her heartfelt solo performance brought their words vividly to life. Interspersed among the readings, she performed several of her own songs on acoustic guitar, holding the audience in thrall for nearly two hours. By turns passionate, tragic and humorous, Smith’s incisive interpretations brilliantly demonstrated that in the right hands, these old letters are as powerful today as they were decades ago. Following the performance, a group of forty fans and friends of the Archives of American Art convened for a private reception and dinner hosted by Teatro Goldoni. Although our unparalleled collection of 16 million items has long been a crucial resource for scholars and art historians, never before has the public had so much access to our rich holdings. Washington, D.C. residents and visitors have the unique opportunity to view original documents at the Archives’ headquarters, visit our new exhibition space, the Lawrence A. Fleischman Gallery, at The Donald Reynolds Center, attend a program, or access many of our collections online at www.aaa.si.edu. This memorable event was the fi rst in what will be a continuing effort to work with contemporary artists in exciting and experimental ways to bring their unique perspectives to our collections, and we invite you to be a part of it.

 

 



Home  |   Where To Find Us  |   Advertising  |   Privacy Policy  |   Site Map  |   Purchase Photos  |   About Us

Click here to go to the NEW Washington Life Magazine