May Highlights By Maura McCarthy washingtonpost.com Staff Writer Wednesday May 1, 2002

The Fraktur Room at Winterthur. (Winterthur Museum)

Comings

The oft-overlooked National Postal Museum examines correspondence by Japanese Americans forced into internment camps during World War II in the "Power of Letters: Forwarding Address Required," starting May 4. Of particular focus is a collection of more than 250 letters from children to their librarian in San Diego. Always prepared with family guides and children's programs, the museum is perfect for the school-age set.

Henry Francis du Pont's Winterthur estate in Wilmington, Del., celebrates its 50th year, at the National Gallery of Art beginning May 5. "An American Vision" features 300 objects -- culled from a mere 85,000 -- from one of the finest collections of American decorative arts. The exhibit includes furniture, textiles, paintings, ceramics, glass and metalwork from the 17th through 19th centuries.

Artist Larry Rivers has never been easy to pin down. His many moods are the subject of a Corcoran Gallery retrospective, starting May 18. Rebel or innovator, Rivers continues to challenge the status quo after more than five decades. For another look at contemporary art, artist and film director Julian Schnabel ("Basquiat," "Before Night Falls") lectures at the Corcoran May 23.

The Baltimore Museum of Art's Cone Wing has dazzled visitors since its reopening last year, and the trend continues with a new showcase of Cezanne landscapes. The permanent collection will enjoy good company: Three Cezanne paintings from the Museum of Modern Art are on loan to the exhibition, beginning May 22.

Goings

May 12 marks the end of three intriguing shows: Chinese expatriate Xu Bing's fascinating installations at the Sackler; the quirky, humorous, often dark assemblages of H.C. Westermann at the Hirshhorn and "Places of Their Own: Emily Carr, Georgia O'Keeffe and Frida Kahlo," a compelling examination of the lives and works of three major 20th-century artists, at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

Two impressionist showcases move on from Washington for national tours. At the Phillips, "Corot to Picasso" takes off May 12 and "Age of Impressionism" at the Walters closes May 26. Along with French masters, both shows include a few surprises, from British modernism to 18th-century Dutch landscapes.

One last reason to hop to it: "Peter Rabbit's Garden" scurries off May 26. Catch that impish bunny and his Beatrix Potter pals in this interactive and illustrative show at the National Museum of Natural History.