Tangled in Red Tape?

The mysteries of bureaucracy will be explained today at 1 P.M. at the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Renwick Gallery

Curator-in-charge Kenneth Trapp and exhibitions specialist James Baxter explain the hidden compartments and intricate meanings in Bureau of Bureaucracy, a new Renwick acquisition.

Artist Kim Schmahmann parodies the imponderable complexity of bureaucracy in this meticulously detailed, cleverly crafted piece of furniture. Meet in the Renwick Lobby at 1 P.M.

The Renwick Gallery is located at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, across from the White House.

Pictured: Kim Schmahmann, born 1955, Bureau of Bureaucracy, 1993–99, various hardwoods, veneers, marquetry, mother of pearl, gold leaf, and brass, 96 x 36 x 24 in., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of an anonymous donor.