Art beyond the Smithsonian: unique galleries and museums thrive in D.C

Most everyone has heard of them. The Hirshorn Museum. The National Gallery of Art. The Sackler Museum. These well-known art venues, all of which are part of the partially government-funded Smithsonian Institution's collection of 14 galleries and museums, are practically Washington landmarks--but they have not yet cornered the market on the D.C. visual arts scene. In fact, many D.C. art destinations offer everything from collections centering on local artists to traveling exhibitions from around the globe.

While the District of Columbia is small in size for a major metropolitan city, it is densely packed with a variety of neighborhoods that can change in character from one block to the next. Alas, the city's "gallery row" can be found all over town: on 7th Street in downtown Washington; in trendy Georgetown; and in a variety of other haunts, both popular and inconspicuous.

Passion for the visual arts is, perhaps, among the few pursuits that unite "the donkeys" and "the elephants," or more formally, Democrats and Republicans, in this city's partisan environment.

A Block-Long Smorgasbord

A stretch of 7th St., beginning in the 400 block and ending in the 1000 block, is home to the 7th Street Arts District, a veritable contemporary art cornucopia bounded at either end by Pennsylvania Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue. And it is the monthly event called "Third Thursday" that is orchestrated by the private non-profit Cultural Development Corporation (CulturalDC), which provides a "gallery crawl" of 7th Street's offerings, led by two alternating local artists. "We try to provide a time that is welcoming to newer and younger audiences that might be intimidated by the gallery scene," notes CulturalDC Executive Director Anne L. Corbett. "We get a lot of regulars who come for a glass of wine and a little bit of culture."

The wine reference alludes to the customary wine and cheese offerings that grace many a gallery opening. "We have had as many as 200 people, but normally we have 30 or so that are split into two groups." And at 6 p.m. on the designated monthly day, a group of eager gallery hoppers gather at the Goethe Institut for the start of the tour.

While the diverse list of participating galleries and arts organizations on the "crawl" is constantly evolving, the roster of 12 destinations now includes, of course, the tour's starting point, the Goethe Institut, which is the cultural foundation of the Federal Republic of Germany. Among its many cultural offerings are exhibitions of selected German artists, whose works range from painting to photography to sculptures, and beyond. On the opposite end of the block, Zenith Gallery exhibits the work of local, national and international artists, as it has for nearly three decades. The gallery, owned by founder and director Margery Eleme Goldberg, has a collection that runs the gamut of artists' media and includes an assortment of three-dimensional, mixed media pieces ranging from tapestries to sculptured furniture. And Goldberg even provides consulting services, offering a staff of professionals that can wisely advise both the novice collector and "the shepherd" of a corporate collection.

Zenith's biggest claim to fame, however, may very well be its neon art collection. Exhibited for the last 25 years, this collection receives extra promotion with the venue's annual Zenith Gallery Neon Invitational. The collection reads like a "Who's Who" in the country's 3-D neon art arena, boasting works by the likes of Craig Kraft. A common theme in Kraft's work--a theme that immediately holds a peruser's eyes hostage--is the seemingly partial emergence of a human figure from the canvas, made all the more captivating by the strategically placed neon backlighting that appears to serve as the portal for the bas-relief segment of the work.

While the Zenith Gallery is a highlight on the 7th Street Arts District tour, the promenade up and down 7th is not void of the corporate element. The development of the MCI Center sports and entertainment locale, and other large commercial projects in the area, are fast encroaching on the Bohemian atmosphere. However, what has been emerging from the dust of new construction is an unlikely marriage between business and art. Financial holding company BB&T, which recently opened a branch at 1021 7th Street, is a stop on the arts walk trail. "They participate because they recruit local artists to show in their space," Corbett says. Alternative space, in this case, takes on new meaning.

Out of the Ordinary

Every city has a hidden jewel or two; a place that is so unique and very much off the beaten path, that one might consider keeping the secret to oneself. For Washington, the Kreeger Museum fits the bill. It is not found on the bustling streets of Dupont Circle or along any other gallery-laden corridor, but tucked into a residential neighborhood. The venue is, in fact, a sizeable mansion that was designed by celebrated architect Philip Johnson with Richard Foster, and built in 1967. Even the exterior of the facility, striking upon first sight with its stark white limestone facade, offers hints of surprise treasures contained within its walls. A sprawling 24,000-square-foot building, the Kreeger Museum is a modernist structure that, depending on the mindset, can be envisioned as the residence of its founders, or as a museum.

Kreeger's striking collection of works span the artistic periods between the 1850s and 1970s. Its offerings, all amassed by the world-traveling philanthropist husband and wife team, David and Carmen Kreeger, include works by renowned European artists of the 20th century, pieces by American artists, as well as works from central and west Africa. One should not be surprised to see Frank Stella's strikingly colorful "Flin-Flon XIII," with its rounded geometric shapes that hold court in the lower level gallery along with pieces from the likes of Rosenquist and Gene Davis--all part of a permanent collection that also contains its share of Kandinskys, Monets, Picassos and Van Goghs. And then there is the Sculpture Terrace that graces the 5.5-acre estate with works by Jean Arp, Henry Moore and others. But that's not all. The Kreeger Museum encompasses the arts beyond the visual with a concert venue, or the Great Hall where, among other events, the museum presents the annual June Chamber Festival. "It is truly a jewel in Washington," says Kreeger Museum Director Judy A. Greenberg. "It's been open to the public for 11 years and the audience is still growing; and they're not just coming in to see art."

One can hardly dismiss, however, those destinations that are found quite conspicuously on the beaten path. While Vision Gallery is not hidden in a secluded area--the locale makes its home in a sleek, 12,000-square-foot space at the Georgetown Place Mall in D.C.'s eternally trendy Georgetown neighborhood--it stands out for its business origins and its collection's unusual blend of cultures. Mahmoud Naemi, owner and director of the Vision Gallery, keeps an inventory of works on consignment by 17 local, national and international artists, including talent from Russia, Ghana and Iran. A native of Iran himself, Naemi also boasts a catalog of original lithographs by such contemporary masters as Chagall, Dali, Lichtenstein, Picasso, and Warhol. The diverse collection has emerged as a direct result of Naemi's straightforward selection process. "If I like the artwork, I choose to carry it," he explains."Also, I look at the market and at what sells in the area." Vision Gallery offers something else not often seen in galleries--an onsite framing shop. Naemi began an art framing business in 1996, long before his Georgetown days, and maintains the operations within the gallery. It is one-stop shopping on the gallery circuit.

Cultural Insight

For those who made the trek to our nation's capital to take in the cultural sights prior to Fall 2004, it may very well be time for a return trip. Just when it seemed that the Smithsonian had solidified its stable of museums, up pops the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI), a seemingly obvious venue, considering the origins of the nation's history. A nearly $220-million project, NMAI captured the last remaining parcel of unoccupied real estate, a 4.25-acre site, on the National Mall.

The new 350,000-square-foot museum's collection of approximately 7,500 items, dedicated to highlighting the culture of Native Americans, is held within the confines of one of the district's most distinctive examples of contemporary architecture. With an exterior made of the terracotta-hued Kosota limestone from Minnesota, the NMAI building is a striking five-story structure that can be aptly described as an expanse of darkly tinted sand dune wrapped like ribbons around a gift box. Among NMM's expansive roster of treasures are various cultural items such as baskets, clothing, quilled hides and wood carvings; as well as religious and ceremonial artifacts. And the pieces hail from locales around the world such as the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, Peru and South America. The collection is so vast--and accentuated by two theaters, museums shops and a cafe--it can only be summed up as an all-encompassing history of Native Americans contained under a single roof.

NMAI may have been a long time coming, but the same can be said of the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA), as the facility is billed as the only art museum in the entire world dedicated solely to women artists, despite the fact that women constitute just over half of the population. And the irony does not end there. The nearly 79,000-square-foot building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was originally a Masonic Temple whose entry was restricted to men only. Located on New York Ave., about five blocks from the White House, NMWA has been a big draw to both genders.

"We're attracting even more men because of the quality of the shows," says Barbara Kram, NMWA director of communications and marketing, pointing to the recently closed Berthe Morisot exhibit of Impressionist works as an example. "The artists are women, but it doesn't affect the quality of art." One of the permanent collection's most popular pieces among all visitors is eminent Mexican painter Freida Kahlo's, "Self-Portrait Dedicated to Leon Trotsky," an oil on masonite piece completed in 1937. While a great many of the museum's works are of the contemporary genre, the collection does include pieces from all periods, beginning with the 14th Century Renaissance to today.

"We have works from Renaissance painters who were important in their day, but didn't get the same attention because of their gender," says Kram. As a matter of fact, NMWA founder Wilhelmina Cole Holladay and her husband, Wallace F. Holladay, began amassing a collection of art back in the 1960s and soon after, were smack by the absence of reference to women artists in museums and notable art exhibitions in international and domestic arenas. The realization led to Holladay's official establishment of NMWA in 1981.

Today, the museum is in a class all its own and has expanded its offerings beyond the visual. "We have a theater and a prominent literary arts series," Kram says. "It's really all about women in the arts."

A First: The Phillips Collection

Discreetly situated on the outskirts of lively Dupont Circle, The Phillips Collection bills itself as "America's first museum of modern art." Having opened its doors in 1921, the expansive gallery--which is currently undergoing construction to increase the size of its exhibition space by 12,000 square feet and add an educational center--has a dedicated following in the district. And while it may not have the national recognition of, say, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, it does possess a 2,500-item collection that would rival that of any leading modern art facility in any major metropolitan market in the United States--but on a smaller scale, perhaps. The Phillips' permanent collection features a bevy of prominent works from a distinguished list of artists. Among them, Renoir's "Luncheon of the Boating Party"; El Greco's "The Repentant St. Peter"; Cezanne's "Self Portrait"; Degas' "Dancers at the Barre"; and an expansive anthology of paintings by Jacob Lawrence.

For reprints of this article, call 800-867-9285, ext. 5503.

SOURCES

* Third Thursday, 202-315-1305, www.culturaldc.org/scene/3rd thursday.html

* Kreeger Museum, 202-337-3050, www.kreegermuseum.org

* Vision Gallery, 202-333-5515, www.visiongallerydc.com

* National Museum of the American Indian, 202-633-1000, www.nmai.si.edu

* National Museum of Women in the Arts, 202-783-5000, www.nmwa.org

* The Phillips Collection, 202-387-2151, www.phillipscollection.org

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