Corcoran Dog-Paddles in Sea of Free Museums

WHILE HEADING DOWN to this past weekend's Jamaican Independence Day festivities at the Organization of American States, we had two options for artistic escapes from the intense heat along 17th Street NW: The Corcoran Gallery of Art or the Renwick Gallery, part of the Smithsonian American Museum of Art. Both have air conditioning, but only one is free: the Renwick, whose Grand Salon we featured earlier this year.

Facing a city of free museums, the Corcoran has been in the midst of redefining itself trying to draw new visitors after a few years of instability at the gallery. And as The Post's Jacqueline Trescott reports, its highly touted show, "Modernism: Designing a New World 1914-1939," wasn't a exactly flop, but missed an attendance projection of 100,000 visitors by some 7,000 people, figures show. The museum is pleased by the 1,800 new members brought in during the course of the 116-day exhibition, organized by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Says Corcoran President and Director Paul Greenhalgh of gallery visitors:

The visitors' comments often said, "I'm pleased with the new direction of the Corcoran." There had always been a great deal of affection for the museum. For more than a decade, it had been a troubled child or a troubled grandparent. I think people were anxious for us to succeed.

But the Corcoran continues to face competition from the Smithsonian and other free museums where, Trescott writes, "local residents and tourists are accustomed to free first-class shows."

Last year, the National Gallery of Art, a free museum established by Congress and not part of the Smithsonian, drew 335,049 visitors to "Cezanne in Provence" over the exhibition's 92-days run.

» "Independent Roots: Jamaica at 45" [Express]
» "Escape the Office: Renwick Retreat" [Free Ride/Express]
» "Corcoran Gallery's Major Modernism Exhibition Was a Modest Success" [WaPo]

Photo of the Corcoran's Moderism exhibit by Carol Guzy/The Washington Post

Posted By Michael Grass at 1:54 PM on August 9, 2007 Tagged in Escape the Office , Farragut North , Farragut West , Free Ride , Museums & Galleries , Out & About , Sight Scene , The District , Top Stories

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