A modernist man
At age 12, Albert Wein learned the traditions of classicism when he and his mother took classes at the Maryland Institute of Fine and Applied Arts. He became a sculptor and painter, continuing his training during the Art Deco movement, and was instrumental in introducing modernism to America. Wein went really modern in the '50s, when he moved to California and designed sets for television shows. At "Albert Wein: American Modernist" at the Athenaeum, the first museum retrospective of his work, you can see how the artist stayed true to his mission of modernizing the classical tradition. His paintings and sculptures, especially his bronze "Phryne Before the Judges," reflect his passion for the human figure and mythology, but not, it seems, for TV shows. Today's hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (show up through Nov. 29) Free. The 