Last summer, during the endless job hunting months, I became rather obsessed with an obscure topic: American craft. People negotiate the difference between art and craft - by many accounts craft indicates the application of a technique as well as the object's ability to "function". Weaving baskets as generations of one's family has done, bookbinding and book design -- these are creative expressions as well as functional links to human history.

The Renwick Gallery has stood across from the White House for years. Though a few metro stops away from its "parent gallery" - the American Museum of Art in Chinatown, the Renwick houses the Smithsonian's collection of American crafts and decorative art. While the Renwick enjoys travelling exhbitions from time to time, it is its permanent collection that persists in my memory.

I won't ruin the surprise of Ghost Clock by explaining what it IS exactly, but this installation is a true crowd pleaser. I've found that the best way to get people to come see it with me is to repeat "Ghost Clock" over and over again, making my way toward 17th and Pennsylvania.  After awhile, everyone wants to join the fun. Ghost Clock is located on the second floor of the gallery.

How to get there? Take the blue and orange to Farragut West, or the red line to Farragut North. Walk up 17th to Pennsylvania and you’ll see the gallery. If you want to check out a historically relevant AND off-the-beaten-path museum, the Renwick is a great choice.