National Building Museum

THE NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM INSPIRES CURIOSITY ABOUT THE WORLD WE DESIGN AND BUILD.

EXHIBITIONS:IN FISCAL YEAR 2023, THE NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM PRESENTED EIGHT EXHIBITIONS THAT EXAMINED AND INTERPRETED THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT. HOUSE AND HOME IS A LONG-TERM EXHIBITION PRESENTATION THAT TAKES VISITORS ON A TOUR OF HOUSES BOTH FAMILIAR AND SURPRISING, THROUGH PAST AND PRESENT, CHALLENGING OUR IDEAS ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO LIVE AT HOME IN AMERICA.PLAY WORK BUILD TAKES CHILDREN AND ADULTS ALIKE THROUGH AN EXPLORATION OF PLAY WITH AN IMMERSIVE, HANDS-ON INSTALLATION FEATURING MOLDED FOAM BLOCKS OF ALL SHAPES AND SIZES AND AN ORIGINAL VIRTUAL BLOCK PLAY EXPERIENCE.JUSTICE IS BEAUTY: THE WORK OF MASS DESIGN GROUP FEATURES THE WORK OF THIS NONPROFIT ARCHITECTURE FIRM WHOSE WORK SEEKS TO ANSWER QUESTIONS SUCH AS THESE, COMMITTED TO THE IDEA THAT ARCHITECTURE IS NEVER NEUTRAL IT EITHER HEALS OR HURTS. FOUNDED IN 2008 BY SIX STUDENTS AT THE HARVARD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF DESIGN, THE NAME OF THE FIRM IS DERIVED FROM THE MOTTO "A MODEL OF ARCHITECTURE SERVING SOCIETY." MASS DESIGN GROUP'S BODY OF WORK REFLECTS THE BELIEF THAT DESIGN CAN, AND SHOULD, IMPROVE PEOPLE'S LIVES. THE WALL/EL MURO: WHAT IS A BORDER WALL EXAMINES THE BORDER WALL FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN. BY FOCUSING ON THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT, VISITORS WILL UNDERSTAND THAT A BORDER WALL MAKES REAL AND INTERNATIONALLY CONSEQUENTIAL SOMETHING THAT IS OTHERWISE RELATIVELY SYMBOLIC.ANIMALS COLLECTED SHOWCASES A SELECTION OF ARCHITECTURAL OBJECTS DEPICTING ANIMALS, BOTH REAL AND MYTHOLOGICAL, AS DECORATIVE ELEMENTS. AS ORNAMENTS ON MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS AND MONUMENTS, CHURCHES AND WAREHOUSES, ANIMALS HAVE APPEARED ON STRUCTURES AND STATUES ACROSS TIME, GEOGRAPHY, AND FUNCTION.ALAN KARCHMER: THE ARCHITECTS' PHOTOGRAPHER PRESENTS A CROSS-SECTION OF KARCHMER'S PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHS, COUPLED WITH PERSONAL PHOTOS AND ARTIFACTS THAT SHED LIGHT ON HIS WORK. WHILE THE EXHIBITION FEATURES NUMEROUS LARGE-FORMAT IMAGES OF REMARKABLE BEAUTY, IT ALSO INCLUDES DIDACTIC DISPLAYS EXAMINING THE TECHNICAL AND CREATIVE PROCESSES UNDERLYING SUCH IMAGES. IT THUS ILLUMINATES WHY CERTAIN IMAGES ARE SO SUCCESSFUL IN EXPRESSING BOTH THE PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL ASPECTS OF ARCHITECTURE. BRICK CITY CELEBRATES ICONIC ARCHITECTURE FROM CITIES AROUND THE WORLD THROUGH CAREFULLY RECREATED CONSTRUCTIONS MADE FROM LEGO BRICKS BY U.K.-BASED ARTIST WARREN ELSMORE. VISITORS WILL TAKE A WORLD TOUR DISCOVERING NEW DESTINATIONS ACROSS ALL SEVEN CONTINENTS THAT INCLUDE: LIVELY STREETSCAPES FROM CARTAGENA, COLOMBIA; MARDI GRAS CELEBRATIONS IN NEW ORLEANS; INTRICATE TEMPLES FROM INDIA TO MEXICO; AND IMAGINATIVE CASTLES FROM MEDIEVAL JAPAN TO MODERN LAS VEGAS.IN A BETTER WAY HOME: THE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY BREAKTHROUGH CHALLENGE VISITORS EXPLORED THE VISION AND EARLY IMPACT OF THE SIX FEATURED INNOVATIONS THROUGH PERSONAL STORIES, INFOGRAPHICS, AND MEDIA PRESENTED WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF SMALL-SCALE "HOUSES." AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE EXHIBITION, ALL WERE INVITED TO REFLECT ON THE POWER OF A STABLE, AFFORDABLE HOME, AND BRAINSTORM HOW WE CAN ENGAGE AND BETTER SUPPORT OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEIGHBORS TO THRIVE IN OUR OWN COMMUNITIES TOWARD MAKING HOMES MORE AFFORDABLE, AVAILABLE, AND SUSTAINABLE NATIONWIDE.

OTHER PROGRAMS INCLUDE THE GREAT HALL, MUSEUM SHOP, AND COLLECTIONS.

EDUCATION AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS:SCHOOL PROGRAMMINGWE OFFERED 275 FORMAL PROGRAMS FOR A TOTAL OF 5965 STUDENTS. WE ALSO HAD TWO SPECIALTY PROGRAMS IN ADDITION TO THOSE (ALICE STREET FILM SCREENINGS AND WORKSHOPS WITH 116 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND PHILIPPE PETIT HIGH WIRE ACT WITH 500 DCPS STUDENTS)OUT-OF-SCHOOL YOUTH (SUMMER CAMP): THE MUSEUM DID NOT OFFER OUT-OF-SCHOOL YOUTH (SUMMER CAMP) IN FY23. WE ARE LAUNCHING SUMMER CAMP IN JULY 2024 (FY24) COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: FAMILIES, EARLY LEARNERS, AND ALL-AGES PROGRAMMING:BIG BUILD (4,042 ATTENDEES) FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2019, GINGERBREAD WORKSHOP IN DECEMBER (230 ATTENDEES), LAUNCHED TWO NEW GIRL SCOUT PROGRAMS THAT WELCOMED OVER 40 GIRL SCOUTS IN 2023, AND LAUNCHED MONTHLY STEAM SATURDAY AND WEEKLY STORYTIME THAT ARE BOTH FREE TO THE PUBLIC. WE ALSO OFFERED 3 WARD DAYS DURING WHICH DC RESIDENTS GOT FREE ADMISSION TO THE MUSEUM AND OUR SUMMER INSTALLATION. OUR KALEDISOCOPE WORKSHOP WAS OFFERED IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR SUMMER INSTALLATION AND WELCOMED 40 CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES. ADULTS:**THE MUSEUM PRESENTED 24 IN PERSON PROGRAMS FOR ADULT AUDIENCES, SERVING A TOTAL OF 4,610 PEOPLE, AS WELL AS AN ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN FILM FESTIVAL, A SUMMIT ON HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, AND THE ANNUAL VINCENT SCULLY PRIZE. THE MUSEUM'S HIGH-PROFILE LECTURE SERIES SPOTLIGHT ON DESIGN FEATURED NERI&HU, RONALD RAEL, AND SUCHI REDDY. IN NOVEMBER, THE MUSEUM'S VINCENT SCULLY PRIZE WAS PRESENTED TO THEASTER GATES AT AN IN-PERSON PROGRAM. EQUITY IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT, A SERIES EXAMINING THE ROLE THAT THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT HAS AS CAUSE OF OR SOLUTIONS TO SOCIAL INEQUITIES FEATURED A PROGRAM ON EQUITY IN TRANSPORTATION, A CELEBRATION OF ALBERT CASSELL AT HOWARD UNIVERSITY, AND A WORKSHOP WITH THE BLACKSPACE COLLECTIVE. IN SUPPORT OF THE WALL/EL MURO EXHIBITION, THE MUSEUM HOSTED AN INTERPRETIVE DANCE CALLED EL MURO/THE WALL. THE ANNUAL DARWINA L. NEAL CULTURAL LANDSCAPES LECTURE FEATURED A DOCUMENTARY SCREENING ON THE LANDSCAPES OF EXCLUSION. DURING THE SUMMER BLOCK PARTY, THE MUSEUM HOSTED SOUND BATH MEDITATIONS WITHIN THE INSTALLATION.THE MUSEUM HOSTED A SERIES OF WORKSHOPS, TWO VIRTUAL, ONE IN PERSON, WITH THE BLACKSPACE URBANIST COLLECTIVE.

MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS:TELLS THE STORY OF THE NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS, PROGRAMS, COLLECTIONS, ACTIVITIES, THE MUSEUM SHOP, AND MORE THROUGH WEBSITE AND ONLINE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, ADVERTISING, PRINT COLLATERAL AND DIGITAL MARKETING ASSETS, AND EMAIL MARKETING, AS WELL AS PUBLIC RELATIONS AND SOCIAL MEDIA.