NMWA Art Picks

CARLA HALL
Chef, TV Host, Entrepreneur, Teacher
My Favorite Artwork:
Alison Saar, Snake Man, 1994
Why It Moves Me: I’m immediately drawn to  the striking contrast of gold, red, and gray.  Then I find myself mesmerized by the white space of the eyes. The painting makes me stand tall, which in turn makes me feel strong. For me, this painting is about power and grace.
Visiting NMWA Since:
1997

 

ANDREA ROANE
TV News Anchor
My Favorite Artwork:
Joan Mitchell, Sale Niege, 1980
Why It Moves Me: Seeing the meltdown that often happens in Washington during a snowstorm, I love that this storm shows beauty instead of chaos. Even when the “Dirty Snow” melts, the colors seeping into the ground are the colors of flowers we’ll enjoy in the spring.
Visiting NMWA Since:
1986. A year before the museum opened, I profiled Mrs. Holladay, the museum’s founder, for Channel 9.

WARREN BROWN
Entrepreneur, Owner of CakeLove
My Favorite Artwork:
Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Indian, Indio, Indigenous, 1992
Why It Moves Me: This work inspires me—and we could all use a little inspiration these days! I love the colors and the organization. the way the artist fills up the  space of the canvas—it somehow fits my personality. Her vision helps me better understand how I  see the world.
Visiting NMWA Since:
1995
 

BONNIE McELVEEN-HUNTER
Founder & CEO of Pace Communications;     Diplomat and Humanitarian
My Favorite Artwork:
Élisabeth Louise Vigée-Lebrun, Portrait of Madame Thérèse, 1803
Why It Moves Me: Both artist and subject speak to me as strong women who succeeded in a male-dominated world. The painter is among the greatest of all 18th-century artists. The woman in the portrait—a celebrated dancer—is the epitome of poised and casual elegance.
Visiting NMWA Since:
1987

ELIZABETH LYNCH
Editor since 2011
My Favorite Artwork:
Elena Presser, Unfinished Symphony, 1982
Why It Moves Me: I like it because Presser’s meticulous craftmanship and evocative visual language combine to make a book-object that is both visually stunning and inspirational.

SHARON BOYD-BLUE
Receptionist, Security, Ticketing since 2000
My Favorite Artwork:
Elisabetta Sirani, Virgin and Child, 1663
Why It Moves Me: I like the painting because it shows Mary and the baby Jesus.

 

ANNA ALLEGRO
Associate Educator since 2009
My Favorite Artwork:
Petah Coyne, Untitled (#781), 1994
Why It Moves Me: I love all the associations that spring to mind when standing before this work. From a distance, it looks like something to wear, maybe a tutu or frothy pink party dress. On closer look, the wax is more clear, and I think of candles dotting a child’s birthday cake or even dripping candles on a church altar.

LAURA HOFFMAN
Web Project Coordinator since 2011
My Favorite Artwork:
Alma Woodsey Thomas, Iris, Tulips, Jonquils, and Crocuses, 1969
Why It Moves Me: I love the colors in this piece. Also, even though it’s abstract, I find it very accessible. This artwork always brings a smile to my face, which is why I made it my desktop background image at work!
 

JORDANA POMEROY
Chief Curator, at NMWA since 1996
My Favorite Artwork:
Elizabeth Jane Gardner Bouguereau, The Shepherd David, ca. 1895
Why It Moves Me: Because religious painting was an anomaly in the late 19th century, but there was Jane Gardner producing this expressive painting about the young shepherd who would eventually become King David. I found a letter from the artist in which she admits that the painting would hold no appeal to an individual buyer but would be destined for a museum's collection. Perfect!

DEBORAH GASTON
Director of Education since 2005
My Favorite Artwork:
Mickalene Thomas, A-E-I-O-U and Sometimes Y, 2009
Why It Moves Me: This recent acquisition is one of my new favorites. I love that Thomas examines concepts of female beauty, which surround us in popular culture. She likens the rhinestones she adheres to her paintings to “the glossy lipstick women wear,” which for most women is a way of masking or shaping public identity. Her work is smart and fun.
 

ELIZABETH KEANEY
Assistant Educator since 2009
My Favorite Artwork:
Nikki S. Lee, The Hispanic Project (19), 1998
Why It Moves Me: I’m fascinated by Lee’s total immersion into an ethnic or social group to explore identity. I’d love to document her process!
 

KRYSTYNA WASSERMAN
Curator of Book Arts since 1982
My Favorite Artwork:
Chakaia Booker, Acid Rain, 2001
Why It Moves Me: I love the material she uses for her sculpture (rubber tires). She is a true original. I also like the combination of darkness and whimsy in her work. It reflects how I often feel about the world.