Traveling Exhibitions

Centerpiece of the New Republic, 36” x 36”

Within These Walls, 36” x 40” 

Artist: Peter Waddell
© 2005 Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia

See the The Initiated Eye Image Gallery

The Initiated Eye: Secrets, Symbols, Freemasonry and the Architecture of Washington, DC

See the The Initiated Eye Image Gallery

The Octagon, the museum of the American Architectural Foundation in partnership with the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Washington, DC will be circulating the exhibition The Initiated Eye: Secrets, Symbols, Freemasonry and the Architecture of Washington, DC with Paintings by Peter Waddell.

About the Exhibition

The exhibition began its national tour at the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, VA and will continue to museums and sites nationwide through 2009.

Through extensive research and in collaboration with an advisory committee, artist Peter Waddell has created 21 extraordinary oil paintings based on the architecture of our nation’s capital and the role that our founding fathers and prominent citizens many of whom were Freemasons, played in establishing the layout, design and construction of the city. Through the paintings, the exhibition portrays an unprecedented view into the world of Freemasonry, and through historical events, activities, ceremonies, and special gatherings carefully explains and demystifies Freemasonry for the public. The paintings often depict objects associated with Freemasonry that were carefully selected from local lodges to provide a context and richness to illustrate the many historical collections related to our nation’s heritage held in trust by the Freemasons.

About the Artist

Born in New Zealand, Mr. Waddell has resided in the U.S. since 1995. His fascination with America’s early history, particularly the nuances of social and political events that occurred behind the natural backdrop of large, dramatic aspects of our history, is cleverly captured in this series of paintings. Often his canvases portray intriguing scenes known only from written descriptions that draw the viewer in as an active participant.

About the Project

This project is the culmination of an unprecedented collaboration between The Octagon Museum, the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Washington, DC and Peter Waddell and encourages national participation in an effort to inform the public about Freemasonry and their role in our nation’s rich history and heritage.

Further Exhibition Information

We invite your site to consider hosting this important and unusual exhibition. If you are interested in further information or booking the exhibition, please contact us at sbirk@theoctagon.org.

See The Initiated Eye Image Gallery

Venues

• Joslyn Art Museum: Omaha, Nebraska
  April 28 - June 10, 2007
• Masonic Grand Lodge of California: San Francisco, CA
  August 1 – October 7, 2007

Smith House, Darien, Connecticut. Richard Meier & Partners, 2000 Award Recipient.

See the Structures of our Time Photo Gallery

Photographs by Carol M. Highsmith, except where noted.

Structures of our Time: 31 Buildings That Changed Modern Life

The Octagon is pleased to announce the latest addition to its national traveling exhibition program. Since 1969, The American Institute of Architects has celebrated the enduring power of architecture and good design through its annual 25-Year Award, honoring structures that are 25 to 35 years old and widely recognized to be of special significance and broad influence. To celebrate over three decades of this important award, the Octagon, the museum of the American Architectural Foundation is circulating a reproduction panel exhibition that not only honors these great American buildings and their designers but also explores the ability of architecture to affect the world around it.

Recipients of the award include Rockefeller Center, NYC, the Gateway Arch, St. Louis, Missouri, Dulles International Airport, Chantilly, Virginia, and the Farnsworth House, Plano, Illinois.

Structures of Our Time is available for six-week bookings starting in late summer of 2002. For additional information contact the Octagon’s assistant collections manager, Mari Nakahara at (202) 626-7461 or email mnakahara@theoctagon.org.

We are very grateful to the generous sponsors of this exhibition: CNA/Schinnerer Insurance Programs, The American Institute of Architects, the AIA College of Fellows, The Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, and McGraw-Hill Construction Information Group.

See the Structures of our Time Photo Gallery.

• Jefferson National Expansion Memorial; St. Louis, Missouri
  **1990 AIA 25-Year Award Recipient
  May 7-August 3, 2003

• Waynesboro-Wayne County Library; Waynesboro, Mississippi
  Aug. 18 – Sep. 28, 2003

• New Jersey School of Architecture; Newark, NJ
  Oct. 13 – Nov. 23, 2003

• Mt Lebanon Public Library; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  Dec. 8, 2003 – Jan. 18, 2004

• Southfield Public Library; Southfield, Michigan (tentative)
  Feb. 2 – March 14, 2004

• Loudonville Public Library; Loudonville, Ohio
  March 29 – May 9, 2004

• AIA Kansas City; Kansas City, Missouri
  May 24 – July 4, 2004

• Deere & Company Administrative Center; Moline, Illinois
  **1993 AIA 25-Year Award Recipient
  July 19 – Aug. 29, 2004

• AIA Iowa; Des Moines, Iowa
  Sep. 13 – Oct. 24, 2004

• Oklahoma City Foundation for Architecture; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
  Nov. 8 – Dec. 19, 2004

• Jefferson Parish Library; Metairie, Louisiana
  Feb. 28 – April 10, 2005

• Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library; Evansville, Indiana
  April 25 – June 5, 2005

• Price Tower Arts Center; Bartlesville, Oklahoma
  **1983 AIA 25-Year Award Recipient
  August 15 - Oct. 2, 2005

• AIA San Antonio/ Witte Museum; San Antonio, Texas
  Oct.17 - Nov. 27, 2005

• Stauth Memorial Museum; Montezuma, Montana
  Dec. 11, 2005 - Jan. 22, 2006

• Clear Lake Arts Center, Clear Lake, IA / AIA Iowa
  July 17 – Aug. 27, 2006

• Durham Western Heritage Museum, Omaha, NE / AIA Nebraska
  Sept. 11 – Oct. 22, 2006