Warren Wmiarski and family, Montgomery Watson 

 Americas, Robert Hemphill, Abell-Hanger Foundation, 

 Rockwell Fund, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Ladies 

 Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Society for 

 theWarofi8i2. 



The complex preservation process involves first wrapping 

 the Star-Spangled Banner in protective fabric and carefully 

 removing it from the metal framework that has supported it 

 since 1963. Then a team of conservators, led by Suzanne 

 Thomassen-Krauss, will examine the flag and develop a com- 

 prehensive treatment plan. Early in 1999 it will be moved to a 

 custom-designed lab in the museum for conservation work. 



When the 185-year-old flag returns to public view in 2002, 

 it will have been cleaned, restored, and installed in a four- 

 story climate-controlled display case — all made possible 

 through Smithsonian partnerships that preserve America's 

 treasures for the public to enjoy. 



Support for Online Innovation 



Can an electronic museum experience be just as enjoyable as 

 the teal thing? As online technology and content continue 

 their explosive growth, a Smithsonian program called 

 Smithsonian Without Walls is testing the possibilities. The 

 challenge is to create engaging Internet presentations that cap- 

 ture the sense of wonder and discovery visitors feel when they 

 come face-to-face with real objects in museum exhibitions. 



With generous support from the Rockefeller Foundation 

 and the Merck Family Fund, the program has launched the 

 prototype for "Revealing Things," an inventive online exhibi- 

 tion about the multiple meanings of everyday objects 

 (.wuw.si.edui'rsvealingtbings). A pair of patched bell-bottom 

 jeans, a chemistry set, and a Victorian-era gas meter are just a 

 few of the objects presented in the protorype. Using Smith- 

 sonian collections and scholarship along with material from 

 other museums and collections, the exhibition will combine 

 text, graphics, narration, and music. 



Broad-based support is essential for innovative projects 

 like "Revealing Things," which test the boundaries of public 

 education and outreach. Smithsonian Without Walls receives 

 no federal funds and raises all program and operating expenses 

 from outside sources. The Rockefeller Foundation and the 

 Smithsonian National Board currently provide program 

 support. 



Smithsonian Women's Committee 



Millicent E Mailliard, Chair 



The Smithsonian Women's Committee serves as an ongoing 

 source of support for a variety of Institutional programs 

 through volunteer fund-raising and public relations services. 

 In 1998, the Committee distributed $304,992 in competi- 

 tive grants to 27 projects in 10 museums and offices across the 

 Smithsonian. 



The committee's awards program is the result of its success- 

 ful and profitable annual Smithsonian Craft Show, which this 

 year celebrated its fifteenth anniversary and was held ar rhe 

 National Building Museum April 22 through 26. From more 

 than 1,500 applicants, 120 exhibitors in all media were 

 selected to show their wares. The annual event presents the 

 nation's finest contemporary crafts and also raises money for 

 the committee's educational and outreach programs benefit- 

 ing the Smithsonian. 



Smithsonian National Board 



Jean Mahoney. Chair 

 Frank A. Weil, Vice Chair 



Smithsonian National Board members work for the advance- 

 ment of the Institution as advocates and as private-sector ad- 

 visors to the Secretary and Under Secretary, as well as through 

 personal financial support and fund-raising activities. 



This year a Campaign Planning/Fund for the Future 

 Committee under the leadership of Allison Cowles and David 

 Silfen commenced work to structure the Smithsonian's first- 

 ever Institution-wide capital campaign. 



In calendat yeat 1998, Mrs. John M. Bradley chaired the 

 board's Annual Giving Committee. Under his leadership, 

 board members' cumulative annual contributions totaled 

 more than $1 million. This support went towatd construction 

 of a donot recognition room and for an Institution-wide mem- 

 bership and fund-raising database fot donor cultivation and 

 stewardship in the capital campaign. The board's support is 

 critical to the success of many promising projects that could 

 not move forward without their directed philanthropy. 



Archives of American Art 



Richard J. Wattenmaker, Director 



FY 1998 was an extraordinarily productive year for the Ar- 

 chives of American An, the largest collection of documents 

 pertaining to the study of the visual arts in America. New col- 

 lections wete added to its more than 13 million holdings, and 

 publications, exhibitions, and services to researchers fostered 

 new research in American art history. Highlights from the 

 Archives' work in FY 1998 follow. 



Collecting 



After four years of negotiation, the Archives acquired the 

 papers of the Hans Hofmann Estate. Hofmann (1880-1966) 

 was a member of the Abstract Expressionists who achieved 

 fame and influence not only through his abstract paintings 

 but also by means of the school that he established in 

 America. Many American artists, such as Lee Krasner and 



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