Difference between revisions of "Corcoran Gallery of Art" - New World Encyclopedia

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The '''Corcoran Gallery of Art''' is the largest privately supported cultural institution in [[Washington, DC]]. The museum's main focus is [[Visual arts of the United States|American art]].
 
The '''Corcoran Gallery of Art''' is the largest privately supported cultural institution in [[Washington, DC]]. The museum's main focus is [[Visual arts of the United States|American art]].
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The city's oldest private art gallery, founded by Washington philanthropist William Wilson Corcoran in 1869, houses one of the most comprehensive collections of American art in the world. Corcoran's goal was that of "encouraging American genius" in the arts, and he was remarkably successful. Originally located in what is now the Renwick Gallery, at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, his museum rapidly outgrew that space and in 1897 moved to a grand Beaux Arts building at 17th Street and New York Avenue, NW
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It was designed by Ernest Flagg, who also designed the Singer Office Building in New York and the US Naval Academy at Annapolis. In 1928, a new wing was added to the building, designed by Charles Adams Platt, who also designed the Freer Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian museum that houses a fine collection of oriental art. Another planned addition, which will provide more space for the Corcoran School of Art, which was also endowed by Corcoran, is being designed by the renowned architect Frank Gehry, who designed the spectacular Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. In the Corcoran Gallery's permanent collection are more than 14,000 items, most of them American. The Gallery also presents a variety of musical events, lectures, and educational programs.
  
 
==History==
 
==History==
 
 
The Corcoran is the oldest and largest non-federal [[art museum]] in the [[District of Columbia]].  Founded in 1869 by [[William Wilson Corcoran]], the co-founder of [[Riggs Bank]], it was one of the first [[fine art]] galleries in the country[http://www.ability.org.uk/art.html].  Its mission is to be "dedicated to art and used solely for the purpose of encouraging the American genius."
 
The Corcoran is the oldest and largest non-federal [[art museum]] in the [[District of Columbia]].  Founded in 1869 by [[William Wilson Corcoran]], the co-founder of [[Riggs Bank]], it was one of the first [[fine art]] galleries in the country[http://www.ability.org.uk/art.html].  Its mission is to be "dedicated to art and used solely for the purpose of encouraging the American genius."
  
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The Museum and [[Corcoran College of Art and Design|its affiliated art and design college]] together have a staff of about 185 and an operating budget of about $20 million.  Revenue comes from various sources, including grants and contributions, admissions fees, tuition, membership dues, gift shop and restaurant sales, and an [[endowment]] currently worth around $30 million.  In February 2001, two [[America Online|AOL]] executives ([[Robert Pittman]] and [[Barry Schuler]]) and their wives donated $30 million to the Museum, its largest single donation since its founding.
 
The Museum and [[Corcoran College of Art and Design|its affiliated art and design college]] together have a staff of about 185 and an operating budget of about $20 million.  Revenue comes from various sources, including grants and contributions, admissions fees, tuition, membership dues, gift shop and restaurant sales, and an [[endowment]] currently worth around $30 million.  In February 2001, two [[America Online|AOL]] executives ([[Robert Pittman]] and [[Barry Schuler]]) and their wives donated $30 million to the Museum, its largest single donation since its founding.
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==The Collections==
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The permanent collection includes works by Eugène Delacroix, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Rembrandt, Pablo Picasso, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Andy Warhol, and many others. There are always several exhibitions, which can be found on the museum's website. Individual collection include European Art, Contemporary Art, Photography and Media Arts, Prints and Drawing, and
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the Corcoran collection of nineteenth-century American art, which is is among the best in the world.
 +
 +
The collection's paintings and sculpture are the legacy of William Wilson Corcoran (1798-1888), the museum's founder and a leading patron of American art. Together with its noted holdings of 19th-century American prints and drawings, the collection brings us face-to-face with the people, the landscape and the lifestyles of a dramatically different time.
 +
 +
In keeping with its founder's commitment to the art of his day, the Corcoran continues to broaden its collection to include a wide selection of works by contemporary artists. Today, the Corcoran is renowned for its collection of 20th-century painting, sculpture and photography. In total, the Corcoran's American holdings illuminate the nation's history and artistic development from colonial times through the 20th century.
  
 
==Visiting==
 
==Visiting==
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The permanent collection includes works by [[Eugène Delacroix]], [[Edgar Degas]], [[Claude Monet]], [[Rembrandt]], [[Pablo Picasso]], [[Pierre-Auguste Renoir]], [[Andy Warhol]], and many others. There are always several exhibitions, which can be found [http://www.corcoran.org/exhibitions/index.htm on the museum's website].
 
The permanent collection includes works by [[Eugène Delacroix]], [[Edgar Degas]], [[Claude Monet]], [[Rembrandt]], [[Pablo Picasso]], [[Pierre-Auguste Renoir]], [[Andy Warhol]], and many others. There are always several exhibitions, which can be found [http://www.corcoran.org/exhibitions/index.htm on the museum's website].
  
==See also==
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==Corcoran College of Art and Design==
*[[Corcoran College of Art and Design]]''
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The '''Corcoran College of Art and Design''', founded in [[1890]], is the only professional [[art school|college of art and design]] in the [[Washington, DC|District of Columbia]]. The school is a private institution under the auspices of the [[Corcoran Gallery of Art]].
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It offers [[Master of Arts (postgraduate)|Master of Arts]] degrees in [[Interior Design]], [[History of Decorative Arts]], a [[Master of Arts in Teaching]] in [[Art Education]], [[Bachelor of Fine Arts]] degrees in [[Fine Arts]], [[Digital Media Design]], [[Graphic Design]], [[Photography]], [[Photojournalism]], a joint Bachelor of Fine Arts-Master of Arts program in [[Education|Teaching]], and [[Associate's degree|Associate of Fine Arts]] degrees in [[Fine Arts]], [[Digital Media Design]], and [[Graphic Design]].
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As of 2006, about 350 full-time students were enrolled in the Bachelor's degree program. For a period of time in the spring, senior students' works for their senior [[thesis|theses]] are exhibited within the museum, giving the students experience in gallery openings as well as public exposure to their work.
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The College's [[Continuing Education]] Program, which offers partial credit and non-credit classes to children and adults, draws more than 3,500 participants every year.
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==References==
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
{{commonscat|Corcoran Gallery of Art}}
 
 
*[http://www.corcoran.org/ Official Corcoran Gallery of Art site]
 
*[http://www.corcoran.org/ Official Corcoran Gallery of Art site]
 
*[http://www.corcoran.edu/ Official Corcoran College of Art + Design site]
 
*[http://www.corcoran.edu/ Official Corcoran College of Art + Design site]
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*[http://www.corcoran.edu official website]
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*[http://www.corcoran.org Corcoran College of Art and Design]
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{{Credit|124408280}}
 
{{Credit|124408280}}

Revision as of 02:41, 9 November 2007

Corcoran Gallery of Art, main entrance on 17th Street

The Corcoran Gallery of Art is the largest privately supported cultural institution in Washington, DC. The museum's main focus is American art.

The city's oldest private art gallery, founded by Washington philanthropist William Wilson Corcoran in 1869, houses one of the most comprehensive collections of American art in the world. Corcoran's goal was that of "encouraging American genius" in the arts, and he was remarkably successful. Originally located in what is now the Renwick Gallery, at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, his museum rapidly outgrew that space and in 1897 moved to a grand Beaux Arts building at 17th Street and New York Avenue, NW

It was designed by Ernest Flagg, who also designed the Singer Office Building in New York and the US Naval Academy at Annapolis. In 1928, a new wing was added to the building, designed by Charles Adams Platt, who also designed the Freer Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian museum that houses a fine collection of oriental art. Another planned addition, which will provide more space for the Corcoran School of Art, which was also endowed by Corcoran, is being designed by the renowned architect Frank Gehry, who designed the spectacular Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. In the Corcoran Gallery's permanent collection are more than 14,000 items, most of them American. The Gallery also presents a variety of musical events, lectures, and educational programs.

History

The Corcoran is the oldest and largest non-federal art museum in the District of Columbia. Founded in 1869 by William Wilson Corcoran, the co-founder of Riggs Bank, it was one of the first fine art galleries in the country[1]. Its mission is to be "dedicated to art and used solely for the purpose of encouraging the American genius."

The original building, a Beaux-Arts structure by architect Ernest Flagg, covers 135,000 square feet (12,500 m²). It was described by Frank Lloyd Wright as the "best designed building in Washington, DC."[citation needed] A proposed addition by Frank O. Gehry would have more than doubled the museum's size, but was scrapped due to funding problems in the summer of 2005.

The Museum and its affiliated art and design college together have a staff of about 185 and an operating budget of about $20 million. Revenue comes from various sources, including grants and contributions, admissions fees, tuition, membership dues, gift shop and restaurant sales, and an endowment currently worth around $30 million. In February 2001, two AOL executives (Robert Pittman and Barry Schuler) and their wives donated $30 million to the Museum, its largest single donation since its founding.

The Collections

The permanent collection includes works by Eugène Delacroix, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Rembrandt, Pablo Picasso, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Andy Warhol, and many others. There are always several exhibitions, which can be found on the museum's website. Individual collection include European Art, Contemporary Art, Photography and Media Arts, Prints and Drawing, and the Corcoran collection of nineteenth-century American art, which is is among the best in the world.

The collection's paintings and sculpture are the legacy of William Wilson Corcoran (1798-1888), the museum's founder and a leading patron of American art. Together with its noted holdings of 19th-century American prints and drawings, the collection brings us face-to-face with the people, the landscape and the lifestyles of a dramatically different time.

In keeping with its founder's commitment to the art of his day, the Corcoran continues to broaden its collection to include a wide selection of works by contemporary artists. Today, the Corcoran is renowned for its collection of 20th-century painting, sculpture and photography. In total, the Corcoran's American holdings illuminate the nation's history and artistic development from colonial times through the 20th century.

Visiting

The museum is located at the intersection of New York Avenue and 17th Street in Northwest DC, one block away from the White House.

HOURS

Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday: 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. Thursday: 10:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday: 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. The Gallery is closed Tuesdays.

The permanent collection includes works by Eugène Delacroix, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Rembrandt, Pablo Picasso, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Andy Warhol, and many others. There are always several exhibitions, which can be found on the museum's website.

Corcoran College of Art and Design

The Corcoran College of Art and Design, founded in 1890, is the only professional college of art and design in the District of Columbia. The school is a private institution under the auspices of the Corcoran Gallery of Art.

It offers Master of Arts degrees in Interior Design, History of Decorative Arts, a Master of Arts in Teaching in Art Education, Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in Fine Arts, Digital Media Design, Graphic Design, Photography, Photojournalism, a joint Bachelor of Fine Arts-Master of Arts program in Teaching, and Associate of Fine Arts degrees in Fine Arts, Digital Media Design, and Graphic Design.

As of 2006, about 350 full-time students were enrolled in the Bachelor's degree program. For a period of time in the spring, senior students' works for their senior theses are exhibited within the museum, giving the students experience in gallery openings as well as public exposure to their work.

The College's Continuing Education Program, which offers partial credit and non-credit classes to children and adults, draws more than 3,500 participants every year.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

External links


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