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Photo illustration by Meilan Solly / Photos via Getty Images
How Smithsonian Curators Are Rising to the Challenge of COVID-19
Families, communities and colleagues around the world are each grappling in their own ways with the impact of COVID-19. Smithsonian curators know it is a time in history that must be documented. So how are Smithsonian experts working to chronicle the COVID-19 pandemic when they are more physically disconnected from one another – and the public – than ever before?
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Wallpaper, Petite Safari, 1963; Designed by William Skilling; Made by Karl Mann Associates; Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum; Gift of Jacqueline Davidson.
7 Funky Backgrounds For Your Next Virtual Party
Now that we've moved celebrations of all kinds into the digital realm, dressing up for a party includes finding the perfect virtual background! Enjoy 7 designs from the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum's astonishing collection of wallcoverings that are sure to be conversation pieces at your next virtual happy hour!
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A female bottlenose dolphin and her offspring. Photo by Betzi Perez.
The Effects of Social Distancing on Dolphins
Wild animals are changing their behavior as COVID-19 puts the world in lockdown, including dolphins that frolic along the beaches of Lima, Peru. At the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, researchers are sharing new results about dolphin behavior with and without tourist boats, giving us some clues about how dolphins may be experiencing the world as humans shelter in place.
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Believe it or not, this giraffe family – measuring 4.5 to 7.5 feet high – is made from flip-flops washed up on the Kenyan coast! Carvers Francis Mutua Muvua and Jonathan Lento of the Nairobi-based Ocean Sole project brought them to Washington, D.C. for the 2014 Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Ocean Sole was created to address the tons of debris on the East African coast, employing more than 100 people to make innovative art from recycled materials. Read about these giraffes and 49 other storied objects from the Smithsonian Folklife Festival »
Photo by Zvonimir Bebek, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
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Percy Moran, "Young Girl and Dog," 1890, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Alfred Duane Pell, 1939.4.1. Recreation by Ariel and Chloe O’Connor.
Animals in Art and at Home
May is National Pet Month, and the Smithsonian is celebrating in style! See how staff from the Smithsonian American Art Museum recreated some of their favorite artworks from the museum using their own sweet, sassy, annoyed, sleepy, and amusing pets.
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Phoebe Waterman Hass. Illustrated by Diane Kidd, Educator and Illustrator, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.
Closing the Gender Gap Online
Kelly Doyle is the open knowledge coordinator for Because Of Her Story, the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative, which means she collaborates with other Smithsonian experts to make sure notable American women are represented online, especially on Wikipedia. Learn more about her job, and how editing Wikipedia can be empowering.
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Did you know that everything in this newsletter is made possible thanks to support from Smithsonian fans like you? Help bring knowledge to life.
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Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe now to be the first to hear about the latest Smithsonian news!
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Hirshhorn Projects for Kids at Home
Let’s get creative at home! HIRSHHORN KIDS is an initiative to bring the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden into your home. You'll find unique hands-on projects inspired by your favorite Hirshhorn artwork to keep kids of all ages engaged and interested in exploring art—and new projects are released every week!
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Plain-Talk Answers to Estate Planning Questions
Planning a secure future for you and your loved ones can feel like a challenge. Let the experts answer some of the most common questions people have about estate planning.
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Preserving Salmon in Alaska’s Kenai Lowlands
“Not everybody in Alaska is a fisherman. But all of us live on salmon land…” These words, spoken by a young Alaska fisherwoman, open a short Smithsonian documentary called The Heartbeat. Featured in the D.C. Environmental Film Festival this March, it tells the story of Alaska’s Kenai Lowlands—one of the few places on Earth where sustainable salmon management remains possible.
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James Smithson, c. 1765-1829 (detail), James Roberts, 1753-c.1809, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Trivia: May Day
May Day is a holiday that many Americans have celebrated on May 1st, but whose purpose has changed over time—a long time! The roots of May Day are tied to an ancient Roman festival of Spring.
For the Romans, the first of May stood at the heart of their weeklong festival honoring which goddess?
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Images: Ceres, 1901, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Laura Dreyfus Barney and Natalie Clifford Barney in memory of their mother, Alice Pike Barney. Diana, Pompeo Lapi, 1789, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Gift of Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt. Flora, D.W. Kellogg and Company, 1833-1842, National Museum of American History, Harry T. Peters “America on Stone” Lithography Collection. Fortuna, Francis Augustus Lathrop, ca. 1895, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.
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