A Favorite Spot

Do you have a favorite spot in a museum you visit frequently? In the Smithsonian's American Art Museum, one of my favorite spots is on the top floor. Deborah Butterfield's "Monekana" becomes almost a silhouette, backlit by Nam June Paik's "Continental U.S, Alaska, Hawaii." Children love both of these artworks. They run to the dinosaur-horse then, caught in the thrall of the many TV screens, slowly walk towards the visual cacophony of Paik's video map of the U.S. They stand mesmerized until their parents pull them away. I remain, watching the subtler bonus show of changing colors dancing across the polished marble floor.