The Smithsonian and the National Gallery are only quasi-Federal.  They both
receive money from other sources and raise revenues through their museum
shops and other sources.  Really this should not be surprising since very
few federal or state supported museums these days actually get all the
money they need to operate without doing fundraising and having revenue-
generating activities. (Also, the Smithsonian does not charge admission.)

The holiday season is a very busy time for the Smithsonian.  Many people plan
trips just to go there.  Many people have been bitterly disappointed that
the museums are closed.  Right now at the National Air and Space Museum
only the Imax theater and the museum shop are open.  The Smithsonian
tapped into a trust fund that includes nonfederal monies from endowments,
private donations and gift shop and catalogue sales to reopen the National
Museum of American History until Sunday.  No decision has been made for
beyond that date.  The other Smithsonian museums remain closed.
Today's Washington Post reports:
"An Air and Space employee who asked not to be identified said a lot of
people have complained.  'Some people saved years to come down here,' the
employee said.  'They ask, 'Can we just go to see this one exhibit?'
They're just standing around.  There's nothing to do.'"

As for the Vermeer show, the National Gallery is the only US venue and the
time can't be extended there because it has to travel on to its next venue.
The National Gallery has tapped into its Fund for International Exchange to
reopen the Vermeer show and only the Vermeer show for a week (except on
New Years Day when the museum is normally closed) through Jan. 3.
The director of the National Gallery, Earl A. Powell 3d said (according to
today's New York Times):  "Given the uncertainty of when the furlough will
end, we decided to do what we could to make this once-in-a-lifetime event
accessible to people from all over the world who have been waiting to see
it." ... "Mr. Powell said the money for the reopening at the National Gallery
consisted of $30,000 to $40,000 from an account that had been devoted to
a future exhibition.  He also said that since the amount of discretionary
funds at the gallery was small, he did not think it would encourage budget-
cutters in Congress to conclude that the gallery could get along with less
money.  'I put this together from money for a future exhibition because it's
an important show,' he said.  He added that the gallery would not ask the
Vermeer exhibition's corporate sponsor, the United Technologies Corporation,
to contribute toward the reopening because it had made such a large contri-
bution already."

By the way, the National Gallery (and Smithsonian I assume) had to get
permission from the appropriate congressional committees and the federal
Office of Management and Budget to reopen Vermeer, per the Washington Post.

So, this is a case of the Smithsonian and the National Gallery *trying*
to do a good thing so as not to disappoint the tourists .... and they
are being criticised for it by some people???  Anita, and everyone, please
keep us Washington folks informed about what is being said in the press outside
of this area.

For anyone wanting to see the Vermeer show, this is the information for this
temporary reopening:  The Vermeer exhibit will be open weekdays and Saturday
from 10 am to 7 pm, and Sunday from 11 am to 6 pm.  Passes are still required,
but the rules have been bent for those who already hold tickets from times
when the exhibit was closed.  Passes dated Dec. 16 to Dec. 26 will be honored
every day, as close as possible to the time of day stamped on the ticket.
Passes for Dec. 27 to Jan. 3 will be honored on the stamped date and time.
New advance passes will not be distributed by the gallery or Ticketmaster
during this period, but same-day passes can be obtained at the will-call
desk in the East Sculpture Hall of the National Gallery's West Building.
The exhibit can be reached only through the entrance at Sixth Street and
Constitution Avenue NW. (this info. is from today's Washington Post)

-Felicia Pickering
(currently at home on furlough from the Smithsonian's National Museum
 of Natural History)