It's a Castle, Not a Dump
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Although Philip Kennicott raised the right questions in his Aug. 30 Style article "Artifact or Artifice?," he only glanced at the issue of the use or abuse of the Smithsonian Castle's space. Until just a couple of years ago, as director of the Castle, I and my colleagues steadfastly resisted stuffing the original Smithsonian Building with "exhibits" that were not acceptable to the Smithsonian's museums. It seems that the pile of artificial "loot," itself an eyesore, unfortunately set a precedent, which is now confirmed by the installation of the "American Idol" desk.
Will the Castle aspire to higher standards or will it become the dumping ground for whatever isn't accepted by the institution's museums?
JAMES M. HOBBINS
Potomac
