Part of the Smithsonian diaspora, the Renwick Gallery is set in a stately 1859 mansion and exhibits a superb collection of American crafts and decorative-art pieces. Alas, it's closed until early 2016 for infrastructure upgrades.
When it reopens, you'll see the ‘crafts’ here straddle a line between utilitarian and artistic expression, with a dash of whimsy thrown in. The playful pieces make it a wonderful place to introduce kids to art. Highlights include Larry Fuente's extravagantly kitsch Game Fish and Kim Schmahmann’s Bureau of Bureaucracy, a hilariously accurate expression of the futility of dealing with official ineptitude realized in a cabinet plucked from MC Escher’s nightmares.
