Hildreth Meière (pictured) designed the decorations for the dome and arches of the Great Hall of the National Academy of Sciences.

Art Deco in Washington, D.C.: The Legacy of Hildreth Meière

Documentary World Premiere and Panel Discussion

Saturday, April 2, 2022, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. EDT

NAS Building, 2101 Constitution Ave., N.W., Fred Kavli Auditorium

Free. Photo ID and proof of up to date COVID-19 vaccination are required. Masks are optional for those with proof of up to date vaccination. For those who cannot show proof of being up to date, masks are required. We regret that those who are unvaccinated, including children, cannot attend. Up to date means a person has received all recommended doses in their primary series COVID-19 vaccine, and a booster dose when eligible.

This is an in-person event with an option to watch on Livestream.

About this Event
Cultural Programs of the National Academy of Sciences, the Art Deco Society of Washington, and the International Hildreth Meière Association invite you to attend the world premiere of the first two videos in the new Hildreth Meière documentary series, a DOCYOURSTORY production. The program will also include a panel discussion with scholars, artisans, and preservationists.

COVID-19 Requirements
All in-person attendees must show a photo ID and proof of up to date COVID-19 vaccination (a photo of the card is fine). Masks are optional for those with up to date COVID-19 vaccination.

For those who cannot show proof of being up to date, masks are required. We regret that those who are not vaccinated, including children, cannot attend.

Up to date means a person has received all recommended doses in their primary series COVID-19 vaccine, and a booster dose when eligible.

Hildreth Meière
Muralist Hildreth Meière (1892-1961) designed the decorations for the dome and arches of the Great Hall of the National Academy of Sciences building which opened nearly 100 years ago in 1924. The project was her first major commission and launched her 40-year career. Her images celebrate the history, significance, and role of science and blend Art Nouveau and Byzantine influences with the Art Deco approach to design that became a Meière trademark.

Documentaries
“Hildreth Meière Designs for Washington, D.C.” highlights four locations in D.C. where her work can be seen--National Academy of Sciences, Municipal Center (Henry J. Daly Building), Washington National Cathedral, and Harvard University’s Center for Hellenic Studies--and the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution where her papers are located.

“Hildreth Meière Restoring an Art Deco Mural” recounts the restoration and relocation of the three-paneled marble mosaic Pillars of Hercules mural originally installed in the lobby of Prudential Plaza in Newark, N.J. In the late 1990s, the mural was removed and placed in storage for more than ten years. Now restored, one of the panels is on display at the Newark Museum of Art and the other two are at Harvard University’s Center for Hellenic Studies.

Video trailer available here.