NMAI Artist Leadership Program Part 6: First Plane Ride, and The River Inn

We hadn't flown in nearly twenty years when we boarded the tiny jet at DFW for the nonstop flight to D.C. Only a few nerves at take off, and then we enjoyed the Google Earth style view behind the wing.

Now you see it...

NMAI Artist Leadership Program Part 5: MSC National Anthropological Archives

In the National Anthropological Archives, we photographed hundreds of original documents from the time period of our study focus, the Choctaw Removal, otherwise known as the Trail of Tears.

What treasures are in here? Sarah Elisabeth opening yet another box of the dozens we examined and photographed at the NAA

Book Fun Magazine: Yelling in the Library of Congress

Mother and daughter team, Lynda Kay and Sarah Elisabeth

In the April Issue of the digital publication, Book Fun Magazine, you'll find our Choctaw Spirit column with more details of our trip to Washington, D.C.. It includes the story of when I yelled in the Library of Congress on our last day of research: Choctaw Spirit: Yelling in the Library of Congress

Chahta Siah,

Sarah Elisabeth

P.S. For back issue columns, see Choctaw Spirit in Book Fun Magazine

NMAI Artist Leadership Program Part 4: Smithsonian NMAI Cultural Resources Center

We spent two days in the CRC (Cultural Resources Center) collections with our assistant, Callie Martin. With gloves on, we handled artifacts nearly two hundred years old. I overcame some personal fears too.

Callie Martin and Sarah Elisabeth preparing to pull out Choctaw artifacts

I took each object out with great care and concern so these objects will be in the same condition for my grand kids

NMAI Artist Leadership Program Part 3: Smithsonian Museum Support Center

The first week of our trip to Washington, D.C. was spent in orientation, getting hands on with our first set of artifacts, artist training, and a lunchtime presentation at the Cultural Resources Center. We also made our first visit to the Library of Congress, but we'll save that experience for another post. For this one, here are photos from our experience in the MSC where we handled artifacts in the National Museum of Natural History Department of Anthropology.

Week One: Smithsonian Museum Support Center

Amazing...the things beyond those doors