A Note from Member Julia Wisniewski...

My son Leo and I recently took the Voice of America studio tour. The VOA (http://www.voanews.com/english/portal.cfm) occupies the former Social Security building at 3rd and Independence Avenue SW, Washington, decorated inside and out with social realist art. In the entrance lobby are murals by Seymour Fogel, and down the hall Ben Shahn's Meaning of Social Security murals show life before and after. With federal buildings now obsessed with a different kind of security, such tours are an easy way to see WPA-era frescoes up close. Reservations are recommended, but walk-ins are no problem for this small, broadcaster-led, and ultimately moving program. Tours start at noon and 3:00 p.m. Call 202-203-4990 or book online at http://ibb7.ibb.gov/voatickets/index.cfm. Combine this with a visit to the National Museum of the American Indian (http://www.nmai.si.edu), right across the street, and refresh yourself with our favorite beverage: Mexican hot chocolate!

And if you have a favorite yet little-known art cache, please share it!

Julia Wisniewski
jwis@loc.gov