Summer Doldrums

It’s the hottest time of the year, and not much is scheduled in D.C., but still people are out and around and we’ve seen a lot of interesting things these past couple of weeks.

If you walk around the Mall, you’ll see the Botanic Garden and Smithsonian Gardens in full bloom, and often some political art in the middle of the Mall.

Changes around the city

The city is undergoing more “improvements” than we have seen in a long time.

The equestrian statues by Memorial Bridge have just been gilded:

Helipad under construction on the south lawn of the White House:

The on-going saga of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, as it is drained and examined.

Workers taking down all the construction for the State Fair on the Mall:

The new temporary statues on Freedom Plaza:

Flags at half-staff for the death of Lindsay Graham:

New sculptures

Sculptures by famed international artists Gillie and Marc are on display around CityCenter, where you can touch and climb on them. As with much of their other work, the theme (“A Wild Race Against Time”) brings attention to the plight of endangered species.

National Building Museum

A great alternative to the heat is THE PLAYGROUND at the National Building Museum (free to look at from the Great Hall, but requires a paid ticket to get inside the playground). It’s another of the popular annual summer installations from Snarkitecture.