Museum points focus away from government

Museum points focusaway from government
One would expect a new Washington city museum to focus on the White House, Congress, the Supreme Court, the United States Mint, right? Wrong.
The City Museum, which opened to the public Friday, is not about the federal government -- it's about the city itself, its history, culture, diverse people and neighborhoods. A weeklong series of events started Monday to celebrate the opening of the museum in the old Carnegie Library, an elegant Beaux-Arts building that served as the city's central library from 1903 to 1970.
First lady Laura Bush, the honorary chairwoman, was not expected at festivities, but Washington Mayor Anthony Williams presided at the dedication Thursday, said Ciaran Clayton, a spokeswoman The Savoy Ellington band. Edward and April Ellington, son and daughter of the famed Duke Ellington, will entertain. Other events include a citywide scavenger hunt with free Metro passes and soccer game discounts to the first 300 participants.
The museum, managed by the Historical Society of Washington, D.C., will feature a multimedia show, interactive exhibits and an archaeology lab.
Rental cars that cause less pollution are available
Vacationers who want to tool around the United States this summer without guilt over polluting the atmosphere or adding to global warming can rent an environmentally friendly car at rates comparable to a nongreen car.
EV Rental Cars, now partnered with Budget, are available in Washington, D.C., Phoenix, Pittsburgh and several areas in California (877-EV RENTAL).
Green cars come in three varieties: gasoline-electric hybrids such as the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic, which never need to be plugged in; electric-only cars such as General Motors EV-1, which need to be recharged after 100 miles; and natural-gas powered cars, which must be refueled at a special station.
Exhibit shows historyof black beach town
CONWAY, S.C. -- A new exhibit captures the heyday of Atlantic Beach -- a time the historically black beach town was segregated even in the surf.
The exhibit, "The Black Pearl: A Celebration of the Times and Lives of Atlantic Beach, South Carolina," is on display at the Horry County Museum in Conway.
It includes photos and postcards from the 1940s and 1950s and features transcripts of interviews with town residents. It is part of an effort by the Atlantic Beach Historical Society to preserve the history of the town.
The exhibit reflects life in the town when segregation extended into the ocean with ropes in the surf dividing Atlantic Beach and North Myrtle Beach.
"But intertwined with it is the fun times," said historical society president Sherry Suttles. "It's almost because it was segregated and closed off from the rest of the world that it spawned this wonderful, vibrant life in the streets."
During segregation, black performers such as James Brown stayed in Atlantic Beach after performing in nearby South Carolina cities.
Asparagus heraldsspring in Germany
In Germany, the arrival of asparagus is an eagerly anticipated sign of spring.
From the beginning of May until mid-June, nearly every eatery in Germany offers a special asparagus menu, in addition to its regular menu.
The vegetable is almost always the white variety and is celebrated in numerous ways throughout the country. For example, the town of Zerbst hosts the world-championship asparagus peeling competition, which marks the beginning of Zerbst Asparagus Weeks running through June 21.
Visit www.germany-tourism.de on the Web for more information.
Baden-Wurttemberg has established an "Asparagus Road" that winds through asparagus-producing towns in the region that host festivals.
For more information, visit www.tourismus-baden-wuerttemberg.de or www.visits-to-germany.com on the Web.
Iraqi art treasuresshown by N.Y. museum
Not all the ancient art treasures of Iraq have been carried off by looters and thieves. Recently, New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art opened a mammoth exhibition on the culture that flowered between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers 5,000 years ago, spreading civilization from Mesopotamia (now Iraq) to a vast region extending from what is now Europe to India.
Called "Art of the First Cities: The Third Millennium B.C. From the Mediterranean to the Indus," the exhibition contains nearly 400 priceless objects drawn from 50 museums in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
Mesopotamia is the civilization that invented writing and monumental buildings. Its art was among the very first to combine realism with abstract forms in the depiction of humans and animals. On display will be sculpture, jewelry, drinking and cooking vessels, weapons, inlays, seals and tablets. Among the notable works in the show is the "Standard of Ur," a mosaic depicting the themes of kingship that is being exhibited outside the British Museum for the first time.
Other exotic treasures on view include representations of the divine King Naram-Sin; the "Priest King" of Mohenjo-daro, a city in the Indus Valley; and of Gudea, ruler of the city-state of Lagash.
This impressive show will be on view through Aug. 17 at the Met, Fifth Avenue and 82nd Street. For more information, call (212) 535-7710 or visit www.metmuseum.org on the Web.
Show illustratesimportance of memory
Another major exhibition of antiquity treasures, "The Museum of the Mind: Art and Memory in World Cultures," has opened at the British Museum in London.
Celebrating the museum's 250th anniversary, this show incorporates the entire institution, though it focuses on 60 key objects illustrating the importance of memory in various cultures.
The show explores the use of portraiture, identity, ritual, currency, shrines and festivals dating back to the 4th Millennium B.C.
For more information, visit www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk on the Web.
Combined dispatches