[United States Government Manual] [May 31, 1996] [Pages 718-735] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 1000 Jefferson Drive SW., Washington, DC 20560 Phone, 202-357-1300 Board of Regents: The Chief Justice of the United States William H. Rehnquist (Chancellor) The Vice President of the United States Albert Gore, Jr. Members of the Senate Thad Cochran, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, (vacancy) Members of the House of Representatives Samuel Johnson, Robert Livingston, (vacancy) Citizen Members Howard H. Baker, Jr., Barber B. Conable, Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., Hanna Holborn Gray, Anne d'Harnoncourt, Manuel L. Ibanez, Homer A. Neal, Frank A. Shrontz, Wesley Samuel Williams, Jr. Officials: The Secretary I. Michael Heyman The Inspector General Thomas D. Blair Director, Office of Planning, L. Carole Wharton Management and Budget Counselor to the Secretary for Thomas E. Lovejoy Biodiversity and Environmental Affairs Counselor to the Secretary for Marc Pachter Electronic Communications and Special Projects Counselor to the Secretary for Miguel Bretos Latino Affairs Executive Assistant to the James M. Hobbins Secretary Executive Secretary to the Barbara Cederborg Secretary Under Secretary Constance Newman General Counsel John E. Huerta Director, Office of Government M. John Berry Relations Director, Office of David J. Umansky Communications Director, Office of Information Vincent Marcalus Technology Senior Information Officer Arthur Lee Denny Senior Business Officer Roland Bascher, Acting [[Page 719]] Assistant Secretary for Institutional Alice Green Burnette Advancement Director, Office of Development Marie Mattson Director, Office of Special Nicole L. Krakora Events and Conference Services Assistant Secretary for Finance and (vacancy) Administration Senior Administrative Services Carolyn Jones Officer Deputy Assistant Secretary for Rick Johnson Finance Director, Office of Sponsored Ardelle Foss Projects Director, Office of Equal Era Marshall Employment and Minority Affairs Director, Office of Human Susan Roehmer Resources Director, Office of Printing and James H. Wallace, Jr. Photographic Services Director, Office of Contracting John W. Cobert and Property Management Director, Office of Physical Patrick J. Miller Plant Director, Office of Protection Michael J. Sofield, Services Acting Director, Office of Environmental William F. Billingsley Management and Safety Treasurer Sudeep Anand Comptroller Leslie Casson Provost J. Dennis O'Connor Director, Anacostia Museum Steven Newsome Director, Archives of American Richard Wattenmaker Art Director, Cooper-Hewitt, National Dianne Pilgrim Design Museum Director, Freer Gallery of Art Milo C. Beach and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Director, Hirshhorn Museum and James T. Demetrion Sculpture Garden Director, National Air and Space Robert Hoffmann, Acting Museum Director, National Museum of (vacancy) African Art Director, National Museum of Elizabeth Broun American Art Curator in Charge, Renwick Kenneth R. Trapp Gallery Director, National Museum of Spencer Crew American History Director, National Museum of the W. Richard West, Jr. American Indian Director, National Campaign for John L. Colonghi NMAI Director, National Museum of Robert W. Fri Natural History Director, National Portrait Alan M. Fern Gallery Director, National Postal Museum James Bruns Director, National Zoo Michael Robinson Director, Office of Exhibits Michael Headley, Acting Central Director, Center for Museum Rex Ellis Studies Director, Smithsonian Institution Anna R. Cohn Traveling Exhibition Service Director, Institutional Studies Zahava Doering Office Editor, Joseph Henry Papers Marc Rothenberg Project Director, Office of Fellowships Roberta Rubinoff and Grants Director, Smithsonian David L. Correll Environmental Research Center [[Page 720]] Director, Smithsonian Irwin I. Shapiro Astrophysical Observatory Director, Smithsonian Tropical Ira Rubinoff Research Institute Director, Conservation Analytical Lambertus Van Zelst Laboratory Director, Smithsonian Institution Barbara Smith Libraries Director, Museum Support Center Vincent Wilcox Coordinator, International Joan Zavala Environmental Science Program Director, Environmental Awareness Judith Gradwohl Program Director, Smithsonian Institution Ethel W. Hedlin Archives Director, Office of Elementary Ann Bay and Secondary Education Director, Center for Folklife Richard Kurin Programs and Cultural Studies Director, National Science Douglas Lapp Resources Center Director, Wider Audience Marshall Wong Development Program Director, Office of International Francine Berkowitz Relations Director, Office of Paul B. Johnson Telecommunications Director, Smithsonian Institution Daniel Goodwin, Acting Press Editor, Smithsonian Magazine Don Moser Publisher, Smithsonian Magazine Ronald Walker Director, The Smithsonian Mara Mayor Associates The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts \1\ Chairman James A. Johnson President Lawrence J. Wilker National Gallery of Art \1\ President Robert H. Smith Director Earl A. Powell III Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars \1\ Director Charles Blitzer Deputy Director Samuel Wells Deputy Director for Planning and Dean W. Anderson Management Chairman, Board of Trustees Joseph H. Flom --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\ Administered under a separate Board of Trustees. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ________________________________________________________________________ One hundred fifty years old, the Smithsonian Institution is an independent trust instrumentality of the United States that fosters the increase and diffusion of knowledge. The world's largest museum complex, the Smithsonian includes 16 museums and galleries, the National Zoo, and research facilities in several States and the Republic of Panama. The Smithsonian holds more than 140 million artifacts and specimens in its trust for the American people. The Institution, a respected center for research, is dedicated to public education, national service, and scholarship in the arts, sciences, and history. The Smithsonian Institution was created by act of August 10, 1846 (20 U.S.C. 41 et seq.), to carry out the terms of the will of British scientist James Smithson, who in 1826 had bequeathed his entire estate to the United States ``to found at [[Page 721]] [[Page 722]] Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men.'' On July 1, 1836, Congress accepted the legacy and pledged the faith of the United States to the charitable trust. In September 1838, Smithson's legacy, which amounted to more than 100,000 gold sovereigns, was delivered to the mint at Philadelphia. Congress vested responsibility for administering the trust in the Smithsonian Board of Regents, composed of the Chief Justice, the Vice President, three Members of the Senate, three Members of the House of Representatives, and nine citizen members appointed by joint resolution of Congress. To carry out Smithson's mandate, the Institution: --performs research; --publishes the results of studies, explorations, and investigations; --preserves for study and reference more than 140 million objects, works of art, and scientific specimens; --maintains exhibits representative of the arts, the sciences, and American history and culture; and --engages in programs of education and national and international cooperative research supported by its trust endowments; gifts, grants, and contracts; and funds appropriated to it by Congress. Activities Anacostia Museum The Museum is located in the historic Fort Stanton neighborhood of southeast Washington. The Museum serves as a national resource for exhibitions, scholarly and applied research, historical documentation, and interpretive and educational programs relating to African-American history and culture. The African-American church, the Harlem Renaissance, African-American inventors, and works by renowned artists such as Sam Gilliam have been the subjects of exhibitions by the Museum. The Research Department, open for use by scholars, supports exhibition design and educational programs. It conducts independent studies of African-American history, minority and ethnic studies, and the history of Anacostia and Washington, DC. The Education Department designs, prepares, and schedules programs that enhance current exhibitions and develops independent programs and activities to serve the needs and interests of the immediate neighborhood, as well as the broader community. These activities include guided tours, demonstrations, lectures, storytelling, teacher seminars, family workshops, conservation seminars, and performing arts programs. Administratively connected to the Anacostia Museum, the Center for African American History and Culture mounts exhibitions, sponsors public programs, and collects material representative of the black experience in performing arts, literature, and fine arts. For further information, contact the Anacostia Museum, 1901 Fort Place SE., Washington, DC 20020. Phone, 202-287-2060. Archives of American Art The Archives contains the Nation's largest collection of documentary materials reflecting the history of visual arts in the United States. The Archives gathers, preserves, and microfilms the papers of artists, craftsmen, collectors, dealers, critics, museums, and art societies. These papers consist of manuscripts, letters, notebooks, sketchbooks, business records, clippings, exhibition catalogs, tape-recorded interviews, and photographs of artists and their work. The extensive microfilm holdings include bodies of materials not belonging to the Archives but recorded by it with permission of the owner. The Archives' chief processing and reference center is in the historic Old Patent Office Building. The Archives has administrative offices in both Washington and New York. Regional branch offices, each with a complete set of microfilm duplicating the archives' collections, are located in Boston, Detroit, New York, and San Marino, CA. For further information, contact the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560. Phone, 202-357-2781. [[Page 723]] Conservation Analytical Laboratory The Laboratory is a Smithsonian research institute with a focus on the preservation, conservation, and technical study and analysis of collection materials, with a special emphasis on materials in the national collections. Its researchers investigate the chemical and physical processes that are involved in the deterioration of museum objects and specimens, and attempt to formulate conditions and procedures for storage, exhibit, and stabilization that optimize the preservation of these materials. In interdisciplinary collaborations with archaeologists, anthropologists, and art historians, natural and physical scientists study and analyze objects from the collections and related materials to expand our knowledge and understanding of their historical and scientific context. Many of the research projects involve close collaboration with outside scholars and other Government and academic laboratories. The Laboratory also provides active analytical and technical support to conservation and curation efforts in the various museums within and occasionally outside the Smithsonian. The Laboratory's education program offers a wide range of training opportunities, within the areas of its specialty, to professionals in conservation and related museum disciplines. Its outreach program includes students at institutes of secondary and higher education and the general public. For further information, contact the Conservation Analytical Laboratory, Museum Support Center, 4210 Silver Hill Road, Suitland, MD 20560. Phone, 301-238-3700. Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum The Museum, located in New York City, is the only museum in the country devoted exclusively to historical and contemporary design. Collections in four curatorial areas include nearly 250,000 objects in the areas of applied arts and industrial design, drawings and prints, wallcoverings, and textiles. A fifth curatorial area, contemporary design, is non-collection-based. The library houses more than 50,000 volumes related to design and decorative arts, a rare book room, and archives containing information related to designers, as well as a Latino/Hispanic and African-American archive. Changing exhibitions and public programs seek to educate all people by exploring the role of design in daily life. The Museum is open daily except Mondays and Federal holidays. Admission is charged. For further information, contact the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, 2 East Ninety-First Street, New York, NY 10128. Phone, 212-860- 6868. Freer Gallery of Art The building, the original collection, and an endowment were the gift of Charles Lang Freer. The Gallery houses one of the world's most renowned collections of Asian art as well as an important group of ancient Egyptian glass, early Christian manuscripts, and the works of James McNeill Whistler together with other 19th and early 20th century American artists. More than 26,000 objects in the Asian collection represent the arts of East Asia, the Near East, and South and Southeast Asia, including paintings, manuscripts, scrolls, screens, ceramics, metalwork, glass, jade, lacquer, and sculpture. Members of the staff conduct research on objects in the collection and publish results in scholarly journals and books for general and specialist audiences. They arrange thematic exhibitions from the collection and present lectures in their fields of specialization. For further information, contact the Freer Gallery of Art, Jefferson Drive at Twelfth Street SW., Washington, DC 20560. Phone, 202-357-4880. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden The Museum houses major collections of modern and contemporary art. The nucleus of the collection is the gift and bequest of more than 13,000 works of art for the people of the United States from Joseph H. Hirshhorn (1899-1981). Supplementing the permanent collection, which keeps up with current developments through an active acquisitions program, are loan exhibitions focusing on emerging contemporary artists as well as on art [[Page 724]] movements of the modern era. There is an active program of public service and education, including docent tours through the Museum to introduce visitors to the collections, lectures on contemporary art and artists, films of historic and artistic interest, and others. The Museum houses a collection research facility, a specialized 42,000-volume art library, and a photographic archive--available for consultation by prior appointment. For further information, contact the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Seventh Street and Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20560. Phone, 202-357-3091. National Air and Space Museum Created to memorialize the development of aviation and space flight, the Museum collects, displays, and preserves aeronautical and space flight artifacts of historical significance as well as documentary and artistic materials related to air and space. The exhibitions and study collections record human conquest of the air from its tentative beginnings to recent achievements by high altitude aircraft, guided missiles, rockets, satellites, and manned space flight. The principal areas in which work is concentrated include flight craft of all types, manned and unmanned; space flight vehicles; and propulsion systems. The Langley Theater, with a giant screen presentation, and the 70- foot domed Einstein Planetarium are featured. For further information, contact the National Air and Space Museum, Seventh Street and Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20560. Phone, 202-357-2700. National Museum of African Art This is the only art museum in the United States dedicated exclusively to portraying the rich, creative visual traditions of Africa. Established in 1964 and incorporated as a bureau of the Smithsonian in 1979, the Museum opened at its new location on the National Mall in September 1987. Its research components, collection, exhibitions, and public programs establish the Museum as a primary source for the examination and discovery of the arts and culture of Africa. In recent years, works of outstanding aesthetic quality have been added to a collection numbering about 7,000 works in wood, metal, fired clay, ivory, and fiber. Examples of traditional art include a wooden figure of a Zairian Yombe carver; a Lower Niger Bronze Industry vessel, with chameleons; and a memorial figure from the Cameroon grassfields. The Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives includes some 100,000 slides, photos, and film segments on Africa. There is also a specialized library of 18,000 volumes and periodicals. For further information, contact the Museum of African Art, 950 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20560. Phone, 202-357-4600. National Museum of American Art The Nation's oldest Federal art collection presents more than 250 years of American painting, sculpture, folk art, photography, and graphic art. A flexibly structured changing selection from the permanent collection of more than 37,500 works of art allows for special groupings based on subjects, media, and other considerations. Approximately 15 special exhibitions are presented each year on various aspects of American art, often accompanied by publications and interactive computer programs. A major center for research in American art, the Museum has dealt with resources that include the Inventory of American Paintings Executed Before 1914, with data on nearly 260,000 works; the Peter A. Juley & Sons collection of 127,000 historical photographs; the Slide and Photographic Archives; the Smithsonian Art Index; the Pre-1877 Art Exhibition Catalogue Index; the Inventory of American Sculpture, with information on more than 50,000 indoor and outdoor works; and the Joseph Cornell Study Center. The library, shared with the National Portrait Gallery, contains volumes on art, history, and biography, with special emphasis on the United States. It also houses the Archives of American Art, with its vast holdings of documentary material on American art and artists. The Museum makes hundreds of images from the collection and extensive information on its collections, [[Page 725]] publications, and activities available to personal computer users on the Internet (World Wide Web, http://www.nmaa.si.edu/) and commercial online services. There is a research program for visiting scholars, and university interns are welcomed in many museum departments. The Renwick Gallery of the National Museum of American Art offers changing exhibitions of American crafts and decorative arts, both historical and contemporary, and a rotating selection from its permanent collection of 20th century American crafts. Its Grand Salon is elegantly furnished in the opulent style of the 1860's and 1870's. For further information, contact the National Museum of American Art, Eighth and G Streets NW., Washington, DC 20560. Phone, 202-357-1959. National Museum of American History The Museum's exhibits offer a unique view of the American experience. Important elements of the collections present the European background, but emphasis is placed upon the growth of the United States, upon the men and women who have shaped our heritage, upon science and the arts, and upon the remaking of our world through technology. Exhibits draw upon strong collections in the sciences and engineering, agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, medicine, printing, photography, ceramics, coins, and glass. Outstanding holdings include Whitney's cotton gin, Morse's telegraph, the John Bull locomotive, and a great variety of scientific instruments. Political, social, military, and cultural history are also well represented. Major installations treat everyday life in America just after the Revolutionary War, science in American life, and the diverse origins of the American people. The Museum offers changing exhibits on a wide range of subjects including information technology, political history, American music, and American cars and trains. Hands-on activities, demonstrations, films, and performances highlight many aspects of the Museum. Scholars may be aided in the use of the Museum's research collections and specialized library facilities by appointment. For further information, contact the National Museum of American History, Fourteenth Street and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20560. Phone, 202-357-2700. National Museum of the American Indian The Museum was established by act of November 28, 1989 (20 U.S.C. 80q et seq.), and will eventually be located in a museum to be built on the National Mall in Washington, DC, near the turn of the 21st century. In the meantime, some of the Museum's collections are on view in the George Gustav Heye Center located in the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House in lower Manhattan in New York City. The Museum, whose collections were transferred to the Smithsonian from the former Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, is dedicated to the collection, preservation, study, and exhibition of the living cultures, history, and arts of the native peoples of the Americas. Highlights include Northwest Coast carvings; Eskimo masks; pottery and weaving from the Southwest; painted hides and garments from the Plains; goldwork from Colombia, Mexico, and Peru; and Amazonian featherwork. For information on hours and admission fees, call 212-825-6700 (in New York City) or 202-357-2700 (in Washington, DC). For further information, contact the National Museum of the American Indian, Suite 7102, 470 L'Enfant Plaza SW., Washington, DC 20560. Phone, 202-287-2523. National Museum of Natural History This museum is dedicated to understanding the natural world and the place of humans in it. The Museum's permanent exhibits focus on Earth sciences, biology, and anthropology, with the most popular displays featuring gemstones, dinosaurs, marine ecosystems, birds, and mammals. Notable attractions include the O. Orkin Insect Zoo, where a variety of arthropods live in five realistic habitats; and the Discovery Room, where visitors can use [[Page 726]] all of their senses to explore specimens and artifacts. The Museum also produces and hosts a variety of thought-provoking temporary exhibits along with special exhibitions. The public displays represent only a small portion of the national collections housed and maintained by the Museum. These encyclopedic collections comprise more than 120 million specimens, making the Museum one of the world's foremost facilities for natural history research. Some 100 doctorate-level staff researchers ensure the continued growth and value of the collection by conducting studies in the field and laboratory. To this end, the Museum maintains permanent research facilities in Alaska, Florida, Belize, Guyana, and Brazil. For further information, contact the National Museum of Natural History, Tenth Street and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20560. Phone, 202-357-2700. National Portrait Gallery The Gallery was established by act of April 27, 1962 (20 U.S.C. 75a), as a museum of the Smithsonian Institution ``for the exhibition and study of portraiture depicting men and women who have made significant contributions to the history, development, and culture of the people of the United States.'' It is housed in one of the oldest Government structures in Washington--the former U.S. Patent Office Building, constructed between 1836 and 1867--on the very site that Pierre L'Enfant, in his original plan for the city, had designated for a pantheon to honor the Nation's immortals. The first floor of the Gallery is devoted to major loan exhibitions, changing exhibitions from the Gallery's collection of paintings, sculpture, prints, photographs, and drawings as well as several galleries with special portrait collections. On the second floor are featured the permanent collection of portraits of eminent Americans and the Hall of Presidents containing portraits and associative items of our Chief Executives. The two-story Victorian Renaissance Great Hall on the third floor of the gallery houses a Civil War exhibition (on the mezzanine), and is used for special events and public programs. Publications include a free bimonthly calendar of events, illustrated catalogs for major exhibitions, an illustrated checklist of portraits in the collection, and educational materials. A 45,000-volume library is shared with the National Museum of American Art and the Archives of American Art. The education department offers public programs; outreach programs for schools, senior citizen groups, hospitals, and nursing homes; and walk-in and group tours. For general information and descriptive brochures on the Gallery's activities, contact the Public Affairs Office, National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F Streets NW., Washington, DC 20560. Phone, 202-357- 2700. National Postal Museum The Museum houses the Nation's postal history and philatelic collection, the largest of its kind in the world, with more than 16 million objects. The 75,000 square-foot Museum is devoted to the history of America's mail service. Five major galleries include exhibits on mail service in colonial times and the Civil War, the Pony Express, the evolution of modern mail service, automation, mail transportation, the art of letters, and displays of the Museum's priceless stamp collection. Highlights include three mail planes, a replica of a railway mail car, a mudwagon, an airmail beacon, displays of letters and greeting cards, foreign and domestic mail boxes, and more than 5,000 U.S. and foreign issue stamps and covers. Located on Capitol Hill next to Union Station, the Postal Museum is geared for a family audience. A state-of-the-art museum setting offers more than 40 videos and interactive displays, as well as a museum shop, a stamp retail store, and a discovery center for educational programs, lectures, and performances. For further information, contact the National Postal Museum, 2 Massachusetts Avenue NE., Washington, DC 20560. Phone, 202-633-9360. National Zoological Park The National Zoo encompasses 163 acres along Rock [[Page 727]] Creek in Northwest Washington, DC. Established in 1889, the Zoo is one of the oldest branches of the Smithsonian Institution. The collection today encompasses more than 5,600 animals and 491 species, ranging in size and diversity from leaf-cutter ants to elephants and rhinos. State- of-the-art exhibits include ``Amazonia,'' a simulated tropical rain forest; ``Think Tank,'' an exhibit focusing on animal thinking; the ``Vertebrate'' exhibit; ``Pollinarium''; and the Reptile Discovery Center, featuring the world's largest lizards, Komodo dragons. The Zoo's exhibits are supported by scientific investigations conducted at the Zoo's Department of Zoological Research. Work focusing on genetics, animal behavior, and reproductive studies has given the National Zoo a leadership role among the Nation's conservation institutions. In addition to its Washington facilities, the Zoo's Conservation and Research Center, located on 3,150 acres near Front Royal, VA, houses an additional 4,500 animals. Research at the Center explores animal behavior, ecology, nutrition, reproductive physiology, pathology, and clinical medicine. The CRC also conducts research into the long-term maintenance of wild animal populations and captive-breeding of endangered animals. The Center operates a training program for wildlife professionals from other countries including those with endangered and rare wildlife. For further information, contact the National Zoo, 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20008. Phone, 202-673-4721. E-mail, listserv@sivm.si.edu. Internet, http://www.si.edu/natzoo/. Office of Fellowships and Grants This office develops and administers the numerous Smithsonian programs designed to assist scholars and students from the United States and throughout the world in utilizing the Institution's unique resources. These academic programs, which include long- and short-term appointments, are an important complement to those offered by universities and support participants' research in art, history, and science. Predoctoral, postdoctoral, and graduate student fellowship programs provide scholars and students the opportunity to conduct research on independently conceived projects at Smithsonian facilities in conjunction with the Institution's research staff. The Office of Fellowships and Grants offers internships aimed at increasing minority participation in ongoing Smithsonian research activities and fields of interest. In addition, it administers all internships funded by stipends. In addition to these programs, the Office administers other research opportunity programs for many of the Smithsonian bureaus. For further information, contact the Office of Fellowships and Grants, Suite 7300, 955 L'Enfant Plaza SW., Washington, DC 20560. Phone, 202- 287-3271. E-mail, siofg@sivm.si.edu. Center for Folklife Programs and Cultural Studies The Center is responsible for research, documentation, and presentation of grassroots cultural traditions in the United States and abroad. It produces the annual Festival of American Folklife on the National Mall, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, educational materials, documentary films, publications, and traveling exhibits. The Center also maintains a documentary collection. For further information, contact the Center for Folklife Programs and Cultural Studies, Suite 2600, 955 L'Enfant Plaza, Washington, DC 20560. Phone, 202-287-3424. International Center The International Center supports Smithsonian activities abroad and coordinates the Smithsonian's international interests, particularly those that do not fall within the scope of a single Smithsonian bureau or museum. The International Center provides a meeting place and an organizational channel to bring together the world's scholars, museum professionals, decisionmakers, and the general public, to attend and participate in conferences, public forums, lectures, performances, exhibitions, films, and workshops. Through the International Center, the Smithsonian seeks to [[Page 728]] encourage a broadening of public understanding of the histories, cultures, and natural environments of regions throughout the world. For further information, contact the Office of International Relations, MRC 705, 1100 Jefferson Drive SW., Washington, DC 20560. Phone, 202-357- 4281. Fax, 202-786-2557. Center for Museum Studies The Center is an outreach office of the Smithsonian that helps museums in the United States fulfill their public service mission. It conducts training programs for museum professionals on museum operational methods, management of collections, exhibitions techniques, and educational activities. The Center is also the central intern office for the Institution, registering all interns and administering a central intern application referral service. Located in the Center is the Smithsonian Institution Libraries Museum Reference Center, the Nation's largest museological library. For further information, contact the Center for Museum Studies, 900 Jefferson Drive SW., Room 2235, MRC 427, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560. Phone, 202-357-3101. Fax, 202-357-3346. Arthur M. Sackler Gallery The Museum of Asian Art opened to the public September 1987 on the National Mall. Changing exhibitions drawn from major collections in the United States and abroad, as well as from the permanent holdings of the Sackler Gallery, are displayed in the distinctive new museum. The Gallery's growing permanent collection is founded on a group of art objects from China, South and Southeast Asia, and the ancient Near East that was given by the late Arthur M. Sackler, a medical researcher, publisher, and art collector. Dr. Sackler's gift included Chinese jades, bronzes, ancient Near Eastern ceramics, gold and silver, and sculpture from South and Southeast Asia. The collection has expanded to include Persian manuscripts; Japanese paintings; ceramics, prints, and textiles; and paintings and metalware from China, Japan, and South and Southeast Asia. Programs at the Gallery include loan exhibitions and major international shows offering both surveys of distinctive Asian traditions and comparative exhibitions showing the art of different centuries, geographic areas, and types of patronage. Many exhibitions are accompanied by public programs and scholarly symposia. For further information, contact the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, 1050 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20560. Phone, 202-357-4880. Office of the Smithsonian Institution Archives The Office consists of the Division of the Smithsonian Institution Archives, the Institutional History Division, and the National Collections Program. The Archives division acquires, preserves, and makes available for research the official records of the Smithsonian Institution and the papers of individuals and organizations associated with the Institution or with its work. These holdings, described in the Guide to the Smithsonian Archives, 1996, document the growth of the Smithsonian and the development of American science, history, and art. The Institutional History Division explores the history of the Smithsonian by drawing upon the holdings of the Archives and by creating new historical records such as audio and videotaped interviews. Within the Division, the Joseph Henry Papers publishes the correspondence and papers of the Smithsonian's first Secretary and renowned scientist, Joseph Henry. The National Collections Program assists in and monitors the development of effective collections management policy throughout the Institution and the museum community at large. For further information, contact the Office of the Smithsonian Institution Archives, 900 Jefferson Drive SW., MRC 414, Washington, DC 20560. Phone, 202-357-1420. Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory The Observatory is located in Cambridge, MA, on the grounds of the Harvard College Observatory. Since 1973, the observatories have coordinated research activities under a single director in a cooperative venture [[Page 729]] known as the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. The Center's research activities are organized in seven divisions, as follows: atomic and molecular physics, radio and geoastronomy, high- energy astrophysics, optical and infrared astronomy, planetary sciences, solar and stellar physics, and theoretical astrophysics. Data-gathering facilities include a major observatory in Arizona, optical and radio astronomy facilities in Massachusetts, and a submillimeter-wave facility in Hawaii (now under construction). The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory's observational capabilities are complemented by library, computation, and laboratory facilities in Cambridge. Research results are published in the Center Preprint Series and other technical and nontechnical bulletins, and distributed to scientific and educational institutions around the world. As a further service to international science, the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory serves as the headquarters for the International Astronomical Union's Central Telegram Bureau and the Minor Planet Center. The Central Telegram Bureau provides rapid international dissemination of news about the discovery of comets, novae, and other astronomical phenomena. The Minor Planet Center is the principal source for all positional observations of asteroids as well as for establishing their orbits and ephemerides. The Public Affairs Office coordinates an extensive public education program. A variety of ``open nights'' are held in Cambridge and at other facilities. Information about these activities and other general materials for students and teachers may be obtained from the Information Officer, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138. Phone, 617-495-7461. Smithsonian Environmental Research Center The Center measures physical, chemical, and biological interactions in the environment and determines how these interactions control biological responses. This research is carried out in a 2,600-acre facility in Edgewater, MD, where the ecology of land/water interactions is studied for the estuary and adjacent watersheds of the Chesapeake Bay. For further information, contact the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, P.O. Box 28, Edgewater, MD 21037. Phone, 301-261-4190. Smithsonian Institution Libraries The libraries of the Smithsonian Institution include approximately 1.2 million volumes with strengths in natural history, museology, history of science, and humanities. The systems' administrative services and Central Reference and Loan are located in the National Museum of Natural History with 18 branch libraries located in most of the major Smithsonian museums and research units including the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, New York City; the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA; and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Republic of Panama. Inquiries should be addressed to the appropriate branch library or to Central Reference and Loan. Phone, 202-357-2139. E-mail, libmail@sil.si.edu For further information, contact the Smithsonian Institution Libraries, Tenth Street and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20560. Phone, 202-357-2240. Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) Since 1952, SITES has been committed to making Smithsonian exhibitions available to millions of people who cannot view them firsthand at the Smithsonian's own facilities. Each year, audiences across the North America experience the treasures and opportunities of the Smithsonian by visiting SITES exhibitions that come to local museums, libraries, science centers, historical societies, zoos, aquariums, community centers, and schools. More than 65 exhibitions on art, history, and science circulate every year. To receive a copy of Update, the annual catalog of current exhibitions, and for information on booking a SITES exhibition, contact the Service. For further information, contact the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, MRC 706, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560. Phone, 202-357-3168. [[Page 730]] Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) The Institute is a research organization for advanced studies of tropical ecosystems. Headquartered in the Republic of Panama, STRI maintains extensive facilities in the Western Hemisphere tropics. It is the permanent base of a corps of tropical researchers, who in turn provide an intellectual environment that attracts many visiting scientists and research fellows. The Institute's researchers study the evolution, behavior, ecology, and history of tropical species on systems ranging from coral reefs to tropical rain forests. Growing strengths in molecular biology, plant physiology, and paleoecology compliment established excellence in evolutionary biology and ecology. The Institute operates the Barro Colorado Nature Monument, a 12,000- acre forest reserve, including Barro Colorado Island (protected since 1923) and adjacent peninsulas in Gatun Lake, part of the Panama Canal. It also maintains a research and conference center in Panama City, including one of the world's finest libraries. In addition, STRI has two marine laboratories, one at Naos Island on the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal and another at Galeta Island on the Atlantic. It administers marine stations in the Caribbean in the San Blas Islands, and at Cayos Cochinos, Honduras, and maintains a research vessel for off-shore studies. The Institute's scientific staff conducts research in these areas as well as in other parts of Central and South America, the Pacific, Asia, and Africa, where comparative studies are clarifying the distinctive role of the tropics. For a brochure describing the Institute's activities and illustrating some of the facilities and habitats available, contact the Visitor Services Office, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Unit 0948 APO AA. International phone with operator assist, 011-507-227-6022. E-mail, stri.tivol1.maggiorig@ic.si.edu. For further information, contact the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, 900 Jefferson Drive, Suite 2207, Washington, DC 20560. Phone, 202-786-2817. Fax, 202-786-2819. E-mail, siwp01.stridc.bcasana@ic.si.edu. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts The Center, the sole official memorial in Washington to President Kennedy, is an independent bureau of the Smithsonian Institution, administered by a 49-member Board of Trustees. In a public/private partnership, the Federal Government provides appropriated fund support for the maintenance and operation of the physical facilities of the Presidential monument, while the Board of Trustees is responsible for raising private funds for all of the artistic initiatives. Additional funds for programming and education are derived through box office sales and other earned income, and other government grants. The Center's Board is responsible for administration of the building and for performing arts programming and education. Since its opening in 1971, the Center has presented a year-round program of the finest in music, dance, and drama from the United States and abroad. Facilities include the Opera House, the Eisenhower Theater, the American Film Institute Theater, the Terrace Theater, the Theater Lab, and the Concert Hall, home of the Center's affiliate, the National Symphony Orchestra. The Center's Education Department includes the nationwide Performing Arts Centers and Schools: Partners in Education, American College Theater Festival, Youth and Family Programs, the National Symphony Orchestra Education Program, and the Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network, designed to increase participation by students throughout the country in Center activities and to establish the Center as a focal point for strengthening the arts in education at all levels. The Kennedy Center box offices are open daily, and general information and tickets may be obtained by calling 202-467-4600 or 202- 416-8524 (TDD). Full-time students, senior citizens over the age of 65, enlisted personnel of grade E-4 and below, fixed low-income groups, and the disabled may purchase tickets for most performances at a 50-percent discount through the Specially Priced Ticket Program. This program is [[Page 731]] designed to make the Center accessible to all, regardless of economic circumstance. Visitor services are provided by the Friends of the Kennedy Center volunteers. Tours are available free of charge between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. daily. National Gallery of Art The National Gallery of Art is governed by a Board of Trustees composed of five Trustees and the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Chief Justice of the United States, and the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. It houses one of the finest collections in the world, illustrating Western man's achievements in painting, sculpture, and the graphic arts. The collections, beginning with the 13th century, are rich in European old master paintings and French, Spanish, Italian, American, and British 18th- and 19th-century paintings; sculpture from the late Middle Ages to the present; Renaissance medals and bronzes; Chinese porcelains; and about 75,000 works of graphic art from the 12th to the 20th centuries. The collections are acquired by private donation rather than by Government funds, which serve solely to operate and maintain the building and its collections. The National Gallery's West Building, designed by John Russell Pope in neoclassical style, was a gift to the Nation from Andrew W. Mellon, who also bequeathed his collection to the gallery in 1937. On March 17, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt accepted the completed building and works of art on behalf of the people of the United States of America. The National Gallery's East Building, designed by I.M. Pei, was accepted by President Jimmy Carter in June of 1978 as a gift of Paul Mellon and the late Ailsa Mellon Bruce, son and daughter of the gallery's founder, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The East Building provides space for temporary exhibitions, the gallery's growing collections, the Center for the Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, including greatly expanded library and photographic archives, and administrative and curatorial offices. A professor-in-residence position is filled annually by a distinguished scholar in the field of art history; graduate and postgraduate research is conducted under a fellowship program; programs for schoolchildren and the general public are conducted daily; and an Extension Service distributes loans of audiovisual materials, including films, slide lectures, and slide sets throughout the world. Publications, slides, and reproductions may be obtained through the Publications Service. For general information on the National Gallery of Art and its activities, call 202-737-4215. Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars The Center, located in Washington, DC, is the Nation's official memorial to its 28th President. The Center's mandate is to integrate the world of learning with the world of public affairs. Through meetings and conferences, the Center brings scholars together with Members of Congress, Government officials, business leaders, and other policymakers. Through publication of books and the Wilson Quarterly and a nationally broadcast radio program, the results of the Center's research and meetings are made publicly available. The Center awards approximately 40 residential fellowships annually to individuals with project proposals representing the entire range of superior scholarship, with a strong emphasis on the humanities and social sciences. Applications from any country are welcome. Persons with outstanding capabilities and experience from a wide variety of backgrounds (including government, the corporate world, academia, and other professions) are eligible for appointment. For academic participants, eligibility is limited to the postdoctoral level. The Center prefers its fellows to be in residence for the academic year--September to May or June--although a few fellowships are available for shorter periods of not less than 4 months. The Center holds one round of competitive selection per year. The [[Page 732]] deadline for the receipt of applications is October 1, and decisions on appointments are announced in March of the following year. For further information, contact the Fellowship Office, Woodrow Wilson Center, Washington, DC 20560. Phone, 202-357-2841; Fax, 202-357-4439. Sources of Information Contracts and Small Business Activities Information may be obtained from the Director, Office of Contracting and Property Management, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560, regarding procurement of supplies; contracts for construction, services, etc.; and property management and utilization services for all Smithsonian Institution organizations except as follows: John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC 20566; Supply Officer, National Gallery of Art, Sixth Street and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20565. Phone, 202-287-3343. Education and Research Refer to statements on the Office of Fellowships and Grants, the Center for Folklife Programs and Cultural Studies, and other offices. For information, write to the Directors of these offices at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560. For information regarding Kennedy Center Education Programs, both in Washington, DC, and in nationwide touring productions and training, contact the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC 20566 (phone, 202-416-8000). The Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts was founded in 1979, as part of the National Gallery of Art, to promote study of the history, theory, and criticism of art, architecture, and urbanism through the formation of a community of scholars. The activities of the Center for Advanced Study, which include the fellowship program, meetings, research, and publications, are privately funded. For further information, contact the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC 20565. Phone, 202-842-6480; or fax, 202-842-6733. Electronic Access to Information A wealth of information about the Smithsonian Institution can be accessed electronically. Internet, http:/ /www.si.edu/. Employment Employment information for the Smithsonian is available from the Office of Human Resources, Smithsonian Institution, Suite 2100, 955 L'Enfant Plaza SW., Washington, DC 20560. Phone, 202-287-3100. Recorded message, 202-287-3102. Employment information for the following locations may be obtained by contacting the organizations directly as follows: Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (phone, 617-495-7371); Personnel Office, National Gallery of Art, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20565 (phone, 202-842-6298); or for the hearing impaired (TDD), 202- 789-3021); and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Human Resources Department, Washington, DC 20566 (phone, 202-416-8610). Films The National Gallery of Art circulates films, slide programs, videos, teaching packets, and videodiscs to schools and civic organizations throughout the country. Contact the Department of Education Resources, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC 20565. Phone, 202-842-6273. Please write to request a free catalog of programs. Memberships For information about membership in The Smithsonian Associates Resident Program, write to The Smithsonian Associates, 1100 Jefferson Drive SW., Washington, DC 20560. Phone, 202-357-3030. The Resident program offers a wide variety of performing arts events, courses, lectures, seminars, symposia, films, and guided tours with noted specialists. Additional activities include a lecture series for senior adults; classes, workshops, films, and summer camp sessions for young people; and family and adult/child activities. Membership benefits include discounts and admissions priority; a subscription to Smithsonian magazine; monthly copies of the Associate, the [[Page 733]] award-winning guide to Resident Associate activities; and dining privileges. Additionally, all members receive discounts on museum shop purchases; Smithsonian Catalog items; Smithsonian Institution Press publications and records; and discounts on subscriptions to Air and Space/Smithsonian magazine. The Smithsonian Associates also offer volunteer opportunities and special services for individuals with disabilities. For information about The Smithsonian Associates National Program, contact The Smithsonian Associates, 1100 Jefferson Drive SW., Washington, DC 20560. Phone, 202-357-4800. National membership benefits include a subscription to Smithsonian magazine; information services from the Associates' Reception Center; eligibility to travel on international and U.S. study tours and seminars guided by expert study leaders; discounted tickets for Smithsonian educational events nationwide; and dining privileges. The Contributing Membership offers additional opportunities to support the Smithsonian Institution. Contributing members, at various levels, receive an array of benefits-- from receiving quarterly issues of Smithsonian Institution Research Reports to being invited to the annual James Smithson weekend and other special events. For information about the Contributing Membership, call 202-357-1699. The Young Benefactors offers individuals between the ages of 25 and 45 the opportunity to increase their understanding of the Institution and to participate in unique fundraising events which assist the Institution in achieving its goals. For additional information about the Young Benefactors, write to The Smithsonian Associates, 1100 Jefferson Drive SW., Washington, DC 20560. Phone, 202-357-1351. The Circle of the National Gallery of Art is a membership program which provides support for special projects for which Federal funds are not available. Since its inception in 1986, the Circle has provided support for scholarly exhibitions, acquisitions of works of art, publications, films, and symposia at the Gallery's Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts. For more information about membership in the Circle of the National Gallery of Art, please write to The Circle, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC 20565; or call 202-737-4215. Information about activities of the Friends of the National Zoo and their magazine, The Zoogoer, is available by writing to them at the National Zoological Park, Washington, DC 20008. Phone, 202-673-4960. Information about the national and local activities of Friends of the Kennedy Center (including the bimonthly Kennedy Center News for members) is available at the information desks within the Center or by writing to Friends of the Kennedy Center, Washington, DC 20566. Photographs Color and black and white photographs and slides are available to Government agencies, research and educational institutions, publishers, and the general public from the Smithsonian. Subjects include photographs of the Smithsonian's scientific, technological, historical, and art collections as well as pictures dating back more than 125 years taken from its photographic archives. Information, order forms, and price lists may be obtained from Photographic Services, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560. Phone, 202-357-1933. Publications The Smithsonian Institution Press and the Office of Public Affairs publish Smithsonian Year, the Institution's annual report. The Press also publishes a range of books and studies related to the sciences, technology, history, air and space, and the arts. A book catalog and a list of studies are available from Publications Sales, Smithsonian Institution Press, 1111 North Capitol Street, Washington, DC 20002. Phone, 202-287-3738. An events highlight advertisement, which appears on the next-to-last Friday of the month, is published in the Washington Post by the Smithsonian Office of Public Affairs. A free Welcome brochure provides a brief guide to the Smithsonian Institution, published in English and several foreign [[Page 734]] languages. A visitor's guide for individuals with disabilities; the Smithsonian Institution Research Reports, containing news of current research projects in the arts, sciences, and history that are being conducted by Smithsonian staff; and Smithsonian Runner, a newsletter about Native American-related activities at the Smithsonian, are available from the Smithsonian Office of Public Affairs, 900 Jefferson Drive SW., MRC 421, Washington, DC 20560. Phone, 202-357-2627. For the newsletter Art to Zoo for teachers of fourth through eighth graders, write to the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Room 1163, MRC 402, Arts and Industries Building, Washington, DC 20560. Phone, 202-357-2425. The Gallery Shops, National Gallery of Art (phone, 202-842-6466), makes available quality reproductions and publications about the Gallery's collections. The Information Office provides a monthly Calendar of Events and several brochures including Brief Guide to the National Gallery of Art and An Invitation to the National Gallery of Art (the latter in several foreign languages). Radio and Telephone Radio Smithsonian produces award-winning radio series and specials about the arts, sciences, and human culture for national broadcast on public radio. Dial-A-Museum, 202-357-2020 provides a taped message with daily announcements on new exhibits and special events. Smithsonian Skywatchers Report, 202-357-2000 is a taped message with weekly announcements on stars, planets, and worldwide occurrences of short-lived natural phenomena. For a Spanish Listing of Smithsonian Events, call 202-633-9126. Concerts From the National Gallery is broadcast 4 weeks after the performance on Radio Station WGTS, 91.9 FM, Sundays at 7:00 p.m., November through July. Speakers The Bureau maintains a roster of staff and volunteers available to speak about the Center and its activities. The Education Office, National Gallery of Art, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20565, provides gallery talks and lectures. Phone, 202-842-6246. Museum aides give slide and musical presentations in area schools and senior citizen facilities. National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F Streets NW., Washington, DC 20560. Phone, 202-357-2920. Special Functions Inquiries regarding the use of Kennedy Center facilities for special functions may be directed to the Office of Special Events, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC 20566. Phone, 202-416-8000. Theater Operations Inquiries regarding the use of the Kennedy Center's theaters may be addressed to the Booking Coordinator, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC 20566. Phone, 202-416- 8000. Tours For information about museum and gallery tours, contact the Smithsonian Information Center, 1000 Jefferson Drive, SW., Washington, DC 20560. Phone, 202-357-2700. School groups are welcome. Special member tours are provided through Friends of the National Zoo, National Zoological Park, 3000 Connecticut Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20008. Phone, 202-673-4960. Visitor Information The Smithsonian Information Center, located in the original Smithsonian building, commonly known as ``The Castle,'' provides general orientation. Members and the public learn about the national collections, museum events, exhibitions, and special programs. Write to the Smithsonian Information Center, 1000 Jefferson Drive SW., Washington, DC 20560. Phone, 202-357-2700. Information for visitors with a hearing impairment can be obtained by calling (TTY), 202-357-1729. The Visitor Services Office of the National Gallery of Art provides individual assistance to those with special needs, responds to written and telephone requests, supplies crowd control for ticketed exhibitions and programs, and provides information to [[Page 735]] those planning to visit the Washington, DC, area. For more information, write to the National Gallery of Art, Office of Visitor Services, Washington, DC 20565. Phone, 202-842-6681; or for the hearing impaired (TDD), 202-842-6176. Volunteer Service Opportunities The Smithsonian Institution welcomes volunteers and offers a variety of interesting service opportunities. Individuals may serve as tour guides or information volunteers, or may participate in an independent program in which their educational and professional backgrounds are matched with curatorial or research requests from within the Smithsonian. For information, write to the Visitor Information and Associates' Reception Center, 1000 Jefferson Drive SW., Washington, DC 20560. Phone, 202-357-2700. Volunteers with a hearing impairment may call (TTY) 202-357-1729. Volunteers at the National Gallery of Art may select from providing such services as giving tours of the permanent Gallery collection for children and adults in English or foreign languages; serving as art information specialists at the art information desks throughout the West and East buildings; and assisting the library staff on assorted projects. For further details, write the Education Division, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC 20565. Phone, 202-842-6246; or for the hearing impaired (TDD), 202-842-6176. For library volunteering inquiries, phone 202-842-6510. For information about volunteer opportunities at the Kennedy Center, write to Friends of the Kennedy Center, Washington, DC 20566. Phone, 202-416-8000. Members of the press may contact the Smithsonian Office of Public Affairs, 900 Jefferson Drive SW., Washington, DC 20560. Phone, 202-357- 2627. All other inquiries should be directed to the Smithsonian Visitor Information Center, 1000 Jefferson Drive SW., Washington, DC 20560. Phone, 202-357-2700. TDD, 202-357-1729. ________________________________________________________________________