Corcoran College of Art + Design

Specialties

Established in 1869, the Corcoran Gallery of Art was one of America’s first museums of art – dedicated, in the words of founder William Wilson Corcoran, to «encouraging American genius.» Today it is Washington, D.C.‘s largest nonfederal art museum, known internationally for its distinguished collection of historical and modern American art as well as contemporary art, photography, European painting, sculpture, and the decorative arts. A dynamic schedule of special exhibitions complements a range of educational programming, which together enrich the perspectives of the visiting public, support the local arts community, and encourage thoughtful interpretation of today’s most compelling social issues. The Corcoran College of Art + Design was founded as a school of art in 1890 and stands as Washington’s only four-​year accredited college of art and design.

History

Established in 1869.

The Corcoran Gallery was founded to house the private art collection of William Wilson Corcoran (1798 – 1888). As his collection expanded, William Corcoran began to open his home to visitors twice a week to allow them to view it. This practice soon led him to formulate plans for a public building to house and display the collection. In 1859, he commissioned James Renwick to design a gallery at the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and 17^th Street (now the Smithsonian Institution’s Renwick.) By 1890 the gallery had outgrown Renwick’s red brick building. Stymied by neighbors who would not sell their property to allow the gallery to expand at the original site, the Trustees bought a lot a few blocks away at 17^th Street and New York Avenue. Architect Ernest Flagg was commissioned to design a Beaux-​Arts building to house both the museum and the school. Ground was broken on June 26, 1893 and the finished building opened to the public on January 8, 1897.