Hirshhorn Building and Grounds

We hadn’t been to the city for a while. On Friday we were expecting temps in the 70’s. After a week or more of ice, snow, rain, fog and ugly weather, we thought a morning walk on the National Mall was in order. We parked by the Tidal Baisn and rather than go to the Lincoln Memorial, we walked in the opposite direction towards the Smithsonian Castle. I thought there were a couple of new exhibits at the Hirshhorn Art Museum, so after we walked through the Mary Livingston garden we went inside the building to see what was up. The main exhibit area was being prepared for a future show, so we walked through the Jessica Diamond and Simone Leigh galleries. The views overlooking the mall are really lovely. But what was even more striking than what was on the inside of the building caught my attention on the outside. After passing by the entrance lobby area where there is a coffee shop with a great view of the fountain that isn’t on now, we exited on to the plaza. The outdoor sculpture garden across the street is totally being renovated. So a lot of the pieces have been moved to the Hirshhorn grounds, and not in the most exciting spots. There are tables set up outside for warmer weather and sitting about. But this wasn’t a day for that - still a bit wet. There was a great view of the Capitol beneath the building overhang, centered by more sculpture pieces. On the way back to the car you could feel the temps getting warmer. It was a lovely walk.