Georgetown Independent

Issue date: 9/30/09 Section: Arts and Entertainment

Last fall I found myself part of a late night conversation in line at Philly P's. "We go to Corcoran," one of the fellow pizza eaters said, much to my surprise. Corcoran? As it turns out, there is an art school, albeit tiny, within walking distance of Georgetown that is one of only three college-museum partnerships in the United States. The campus museum by the Foggy Bottom campus of the art school offers an interesting perspective in its exhibitions by virtue of its connection with the College, adding an educational approach to the works it displays.

The parent museum, The Corcoran Gallery of Art formally opened its doors twenty-six years earlier than the college to house William Wilson Corcoran's private collection. As one of the few patrons of contemporary American art in the early to mid 1800s, Corcoran befriended many of the artists whose work he purchased. In the beginning, Corcoran opened his home twice a week to viewers and soon made plans for a public building to house his collection.

Visitors can see Corcoran's mission, "Dedicated to Art," inscribed above the doorway as they enter and its focus on education with the museum's unique exhibits and programming.

Today, the museum's permanent collection has grown to include close to 18,000 works spanning five main subjects: Historic American art, European art, decorative arts, photography and media arts and contemporary art. Unlike the Smithsonians that seem to go on forever in a maze of time period after time period, The Corcoran is divided into two floors, each with ten to twenty rooms that flow without any dead ends. Student price is $8 per visit, or a $30 one time fee for a year of free admission (as opposed to $60 for non-students).

On Display Now at the Corcoran: "Sargent and the Sea"

The Corcoran is currently exhibiting many of the works of 19th century American painter John Singer Sargent. Positioned at the focal point of the museum, Sargent's display begins in the Rotunda with two portraits, the genre for which Sargents is most famous, and then leads viewers up the stairs to a special exhibition of his lesser-known maritime works from his early career. The collection features three of his most prominent maritime pieces, focusing primarily on "En Route Pour la Pêche" (Setting Out to Fish), completed in 1878.

Created in the beginning of Sargent's artistic career, the sea subject pieces of this exhibition come from transatlantic voyages with his family from 1874 to 1879, when he was 18 to 23 years old. The exhibit goes beyond the art itself, focusing as much attention on the artist and the artistic experience as on the finished product. The galleries are filled with sketches, drawings and even the artist's own scrapbook of his travels, displaying the process of creation that leads up to the masterpiece of "En Route Pour la Pêche." The exhibit also includes a slide show of digital images from his sketchbook and scrapbook, giving viewers the fullest possible exposure of Sargent's work.

The Corcoran provides a fantastic historical context on both the artist and his work, making the exhibit that much more accessible for those not familar with Sargent. The obvious influence of the educational aspect of The Corcoran manifests throughout the display. The last room of the exhibit was called the "Inspiration Gallery," housing a maritime "set" in front of benches outfitted with sketchbooks and charcoal for those who felt inspired to try a hand at one of Sargent's subjects. This interaction between art and audience is a rare thing in the art world, it seems. It offers a unique experience to not only create your own art in the presence of masterpieces, but to also view the art of your peers inside the communal sketchbook. This exhibit will be on view until January 3.

The Corcoran Gallery of Art is located at 500 17th Street near the Farragut West metro stop on the blue and orange lines. It is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday with extended hours until 9 p.m. Thursday.


Shifflet is a College sophomore.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools