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Corcoran Gallery of Art
Rating Details »
500 17th St NW
(between N E St & N State Pl)
Washington, DC 20006
(202) 639-1700
(between N E St & N State Pl)
Washington, DC 20006
(202) 639-1700
- Nearest Transit:
-
Farragut West (Blue, Orange)
- Hours:
Wed. 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Thu. 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
29 reviews for Corcoran Gallery of Art
One of my favorite museums here in the city (of course it's a stone's throw from my office). If you are a fan of photography, there will frequently be an exhibition here that should whet your appetite.. Just went to see the Eggleston exhibition; if you do not know about Eggleston or have not seen his work go and see it now! Eggleston has had a long affiliation with the Corcoran and the exhibition has a wide swath of the early work, even early B&W prints (Eggleston is known for being the first color photographer to have had a solo exhibition at the MOMA in NY, in 1976).
The Corcoran's permanent exhibitions may be considered a bit less overwhelming, but the special exhibitions have consistently been worth the price of admission for me. And regarding the price--if you do not want to pay for each visit, become a member! It pays for itself anyway after a couple of exhibitions. Also you receive discounts at the gallery shop, special invitations, etc., and the museum has reciprocity with various other museums in DC and other cities so it is worth it.
Yay for free Saturdays this summer!
Boo for Family day which made the whole museum feel like a baby rock concert==but I am sure it was fun for the kiddos and hot dads they had in tow.
The Wiliam Eggleston and Maya Lin exhibits were great.
Came here to see the "Portraits of Power" exhibit a month ago, and later returned to attend their "Fall Fete," had a great time both visits and will definitely go back when I am in DC again. I love photography and the exhibitions here aren't big enough to exhaust me.
Date Rating: 7
Pick up Scale: 2
Strong Suggestion: Check their website before heading in for interesting events / exhibits.
I've always been a big fan of the Corcoran.
Prior to this weekend, I had enjoyed all three exhibits I've seen here, the first being the Warhol show they had a few years ago. The Ansel Adams exhibit last year was worth seeing, but Annie Leibovitz's definitely took the cake. Mixing Leibotivz's personal photographs with her well-known work made a winning combination and I still look back on that exhibit as one of my favorites of all time.
I'm still not over missing "Portraits of Power," but this past Saturday, I checked out Maya Lin's "Systematic Landscapes" and was seriously impressed. The sheer scale of her work is mind-blowing and since Lin's first came to fame is an easy walk from the museum, I sauntered down to the Vietnam Memorial afterwards to take in the artist's most famous work once more.
On a significantly less cultural note, I attended a benefit at the Corcoran in February, and the space is pretty amazing for entertaining. It can get a bad rap for not having free admission like most of the museums in town, but the extra-special exhibits make the wallet hit worth it to me.
The Corcoran is always a tough sell! The Smithsonian has some great art museums on the mall with free admission and comparable viewing hours. But the Corcoran does get its share of really interesting exhibitions. I will never forget J. Seward Johnson's exhibit there a few years ago that actually let you step inside some of the most famous paintings ever painted. That was a hit.
Currently, they have a Maya Lin exhibition going on. All I knew about her was that she had submitted the winning design for the Vietnam War memorial when she was an undergraduate. Her being Asian and unestablished generated some buzz at the time. But I never knew what happened to her since, so I always amounted her contribution to a trivia question that might net me a $1000 on Jeopardy some day. But she is actually up to good work, and some of it is currently on display. It is worth seeing. Her projects are primarily large-scale, intensely detailed, and have a fair amount of scientific underpinning. The scientist in me was abeam with giddiness in this exhibit.
The museum is considered to be pricey given the free competition, but they are currently offering 2 for 1 adult admission ($5 each) -- so it is a steal. Go now, before the offer ends at the end of the month!
In Washington, DC, city of a thousand free galleries and museums, how does a COLLEGE art gallery justify charging admission?? For the Special Exhibitions, I could maybe see it, but not for the permanent collection. They have a $2 student discount off the $12 special exhibit price, but nothing off the $6 general admission. Now I'll grant that $6 is not a lot of money, but it adds up and it's really the principle of the thing. A little subsequent research also indicates that the Board of Directors apparently decided at some point to countermand the wishes of founder William Corcoran to open the gallery for free 2 days a week.
That gripe aside, I wasn't terribly impressed with the exhibits themselves anyway. The historical photography was less than gripping. The ancient Greek ceramics room was mildly interesting, particularly for the rare, bright colors still evident. A couple drab rooms of faded rugs and tapestries led on to a hall of impressionist landscapes. After being slightly perked up by the ceramics, I felt like someone had slipped me a roofie--the rugs and paintings were just blurry, dull messes. Thankfully, the last bit woke me up. The main stairs and atrium feature classical marble statuary (see photos) There's nothing quite like a beautiful, naked woman to make you stand up and pay attention!
For a college art gallery, there was a distinct shortage of student artwork, which is probably how they rationalize charging admission. The one small room where they'd shown student work was in transition when I visited, but I noted that the student exhibit had only been up for 1 month and was actually just 4 1-week rotations. Talk about doing your students a disservice...
TRIVIA: Founder William Wilson Corcoran (1798-1888) made his riches as a banker and financier. By the mid-1850s he followed the lead of other industrialists of the era by founding philanthropies, a trend now re-surging with the example of Bill Gates (http://www.gatesfounda...) and Warren Buffet (http://money.cnn.com/2...). Corcoran is considered one of the "few early patrons of contemporary American art".
Yes, this place was pretty expensive and the permanent collection was fairly dull... However the current Richard Avedon "Portraits of Power" exhibit was WONDERFUL!!! It's very large and dense, so it didn't seem like such a rip-off since I spent a couple hours in the Avedon alone. More importantly, his work is exquisite. A few of the photographs were so moving they actually made me tear up a little (and believe me, I don't usually cry at art.) There is one in particular of a gay couple and their child...all absolutely beaming and it just breaks your heart especially right after Prop 8.
Sorry to go political on this review... but seriously, the exhibit is amazing and you should go see it before it closes.
This museum gave me a whole new appreciation for the Modernism movement and the impact it's had on our entire society as we know it today. Even if you're not a fan of modern art, if you can get to their Modernism expo, you will definitely gain a new appreciation for art and the influence it has had on our culture.
Getting in is pricey (in comparison to the rest of the museums in the area) - it's $14 for adults. But if you figure that every other museum is free, then average that out... it's not too bad right?
Their standard gallery pieces seem to be predominantly 14th-17th century art.
Oh, and I totally loved the girls bathrooms - they're very unique :-)
The Corcoran is a lovely museum which is perhaps not visited as often because you actually have to pay for it. But wait, not always... on Thursday evenings the gallery is open until 9 and it is a pay-what-you-can after 5 pm! This gallery has a pretty decent collection of contemporary art and all of the special exhibits I've seen have been very well curated.
Another fun thing about the Corcoran is the Sunday Gospel Brunch. It's exactly what it sounds like. In the atrium area, they set up tables and a champagne brunch buffet, while a full choir sings Gospel music. It is really quite fun and a great thing to do when you have visitors in town. It was someone's birthday so they gathered round their table to sing, and made the man get up and sing and dance with them. It was quite amusing and provided great brunch entertainment and conversation!
ANSEL ADAMS EXHIBIT: Unbelievable opportunity to check out a lot of actual prints from Ansel Adams portfolio. Stuff that he printed from his own negatives. How often does that happen? Like NEVER! Not even at the George Eastman House in Rochester, NY have I seen a more impressive photography exhibit.
Several rooms are filled with some of his earliest photos from 1919, taken with his Kodak Brownie, until his later stuff when he revisited Yosemite portraying his well-developed heroic style. It was amazing to stand directly in front of his prints and check out the tonal range that you just don't see in poster prints. This was the first time I'd really studied his work and gotten a feel for his artistic progression over a 60-year span... his Early Works, Group f/64: Exploring Straight Photography, The National Parks, The American Southwest, etc. There was a bit of everything, including his most famous pieces.
Though you're not allowed to take pictures inside the gallery, I found it amusing how many people lugged their big SLRs and camera bags into the gallery with them. It was as though they brought their gear to share the pilgrimage!
I consider this exhibit to be a once in a life-time opportunity, especially if you're a photography buff, like myself. If you're looking for an outstanding way to spend a day... check out this exhibit before January 27, 2008. You won't regret it!
If you're planning on visiting the Corcoran anytime between now and January 13, I would plan on spending the better part of a day here, if you want to see all of the special exhibits and the permanent collections. We made it there at 3 on Saturday afternoon and the line for tickets was never-ending. I think we waited 30 minutes and we were so happy not to be waiting anymore....that is until we got up to the Annie Leibovitz exhibit where we were greeted with another long line that progressed at a snail's pace throughout each room. The Leibovitz exhibit was excellent - it showcased many of her personal pictures as well her famous and not-so-famous celebrity photos.
Our main reason for going was the Leibovitz exhibit so anything else was icing on the cake. We flew through Ansel Adams' work since it was approaching closing time. I didn't have time to see any of the permanent collection but now I know to get there earlier for my next visit.
Last fall I was in town for a conference presentation and took the opportunity to visit the Ansel Adams and Annie Leibowitz -paired exhibits at the Corcoran.
I was first taken aback by the admission prices at the gallery. DC is renowned for its free museums, so the $6 admission and $6 (student!) special exhibit fees were hard pills to swallow. In hindsight, that $12 is cheaper than therapy and so, I might end up owing the Corcoran some change.
Although I viewed the regular collection, I spent significant time at the Adams-Leibowitz corridor. Ansel Adams' landscapes were evocative and the ability to see a progression in his work was quite powerful. However, viewing Leibowitz' work was cathartic.
Having done little upfront research, I had envisioned a simple series of Leibowitz celebrity pix - a smattering of naked, pregnant Demi Moore, Iggy Pop in all his skintastic glory, or Keith Haring in Haringesque body paint. I hadn't expected the small, intimate portraiture of her family and her friend, author Susan Sontag as she suffered from cancer.
The timing of this exhibit and of events in my own life was impeccable. The month before, I had lost my aunt to cancer. Through these photographs, I was able to experience the same loss conveyed by Annie Leibowitz. I couldn't help it -- tears welled up in my eyes. It was the first time I had cried over my aunt, and truly mourned, since her funeral. So there I stood, shoulders shaking softly and my face red and stained with tears. Several other visitors gave me concerned looks and a few asked if I was OK. In truth, in the end, I was.
Overall, I really think this is a hidden gem, which you can see by the difference in the number of reviews from other museums.
I saw the Societe Anonyme the best way one can go to an exhibit -- alone. It was very reviving to my artsy but not in a pretentious way soul. Seeing a few Kandinskys releases the "in love" endorphins for me. Not to be dramatic, but it breaks my heart when someone has never heard of him, or worse, just doesn't get it. Sigh. The exhibit was well organized and executed. I was very surprised by how large the gallery was, like it unfolded as you were walking through. Magic! Yeaaaaaa.
And yes, I'm taking off a star for the entry free. Call me Queen Stingy.
People, please stop complaining about the price of this museum. Seriously, it's only $6 for general admission, with a little extra for the special exhibits. I know you're spoiled from all the free museums, but it's still cheap compared to the museums in most cities, such as, yeah, you know it was coming, Chicago.
I spent a good three hours walking around here with my friend on Sunday, and even though there was a long line to get in, which worried me that the exhibits would be packed, but it was surprisingly easy to move from piece to piece without shoving into anybody.
My only complaint is that it's VERY warm, and I saw many people turning their pamphlets into make-shift fans.
When there are so many free museums in town, it's hard to justify paying the hefty admission fee to come here ($14 for special exhibits).
But those special exhibits have been impressive. Past shows include Warhol, John Singer Sargent, Modernism... Currently, the photography double-bill of Annie Leibovitz and Ansel Adams can't be beat. (Well, except by the Turner-Hopper double-bill across town).
The Leibovitz show had lots of family snapshots, but my favorites were the fancy celebrity portraits. You see Jon Bon Jovi tanning in his briefs, Brad Pitt laying on a bed in leopard skin pants, and Leonardo DiCaprio with a swan around his neck!! (It's like Bjork, except the swan's real). There's also a giant portrait of the Bush war cabinet (Bush, Cheney, Rice, Powell, Tenet, Rumsfeld) soon after 9/11. Their expressions had such confidence and certainty; it's striking to look back at it now. Next to it, the curator had placed an equally giant pic of Michael Moore and his film crew, also posing in serious 'combat' mode.
Ansel Adams never did much for me before, but this show made me appreciate how hard the guy worked to get his shots: lugging equipment up the mountains, working through all kinds of storms and bad weather, trying to keep his camera steady in high winds (at one point he'd use two tripods, one for the camera and one for the lens) ...
Where else do you get to see George Bush's cabinet and Michael Moore standing next to each other?
What about life-sized Demi Moore naked and pregnant?
Ok, this is really sounding like the intro for an ad. But I had to pay $14 to get into the Corcoran to see these marvels and many more.
The Annie Leibovitz and Ansel Adams exhibits were really neat - we came all the way from Baltimore just to seen them. It is an interesting contrast to compare the two - Adams is all about photographing interesting things, while Leibovitz covers more people and interactions. I didn't think much of the photos of her family, but they are supposedly marvelous as well.
If you can somehow manage to get there on a quiet day, all the better. This exhibit is pretty crowded during the weekends, and you need to view these photos from both way back and up close to really appreciate them (which is hard when there are too many people).
Overall, a photography lover's wet dream (ok, maybe that came across a bit strangely, but not far from the truth).
who cares about the cover? it's soo worth it. it's a small museum but gorgeous and the exhibits are always awesome and you can spend a good bit of time there going through everything.....we're spoiled with all the free museums so i think you should go there after your morning coffee, spend the afternoon, and then walk over by the mall and sit in the sun and read that book you've been meaning to pick up. well that's what i did the other day and it was awesome.
While one of the few museums in the District you have to pay for, it also is one of the few that has constantly interesting exhibitions. the modernism exhibition earlier this year was something easily on par with what you can expect from cities like new york or london. at the same time the place is small and extremely easy to get to.
But one of the key attractions of the place I find are the events they organize. artist talks, movie screenings (I can't wait to see the Helvetica documentary), and concerts.
As we finished eating, we understood that the caf gives you coupons for $2 off admission so we asked for them- finding it odd that the waitress didn't just give them to us- and the waitress said she didn't think we'd want them because "the exhibits are closed." So we got our stupid coupon and went to go pay admission and asked what the waitress meant by "the exhibits are closed." The woman at the desk said, " she was referring to the Annie Leibowitz and Ansel Adams exhibits which are closed and she probably didn't know that. In fact, just today I wasn't sure if they were closed either so I had to ask myself." The following two thoughts subsequently ran through my head:
A. The waitress having no idea what's going on around her is one thing. But the admission person ALSO HAD TO ASK to see if the exhibits had ended? Again, that's like me attending the upcoming inaugural ball for President Barack Obama and asking if George Bush is still president. Do none of the staff know what's going on here? The Corcoran is not the size of any Smithsonian Museum or anything.....
B. The banners for these exhibits were still up everywhere- Annie Liebowitz/Ansel Adams through January 27, 2007. First of all, take those down. What are you trying to still impress visitors who were unaware of these exhibits that you managed to secure these two artists simultaneously? Second, what is WRONG with the staff here that they didn't walk into work that morning and think, " Gee. today is February 3,2008 and these exhibits ended January 27,2007. I wonder if they are still going on....."
The bottom line is don't go here unless these is a main exhibit because apparently even the STAFF is confused about why people are there when the "exhibits are closed." In fact, they don't know how to function unless there is an exhibit so stay away unless they have a big name to showcase and sneak in all the smaller exhibits in the same visit. Apparently the discount coupon from the caf applies to the traveling exhibits (Ansel and Annie, for example) and no one understands why visitors would want the coupon otherwise. I'm done with this place.....
Well, being the first to review the Corcoran, I hate to give it a bad rating...so I am going to be nice...but the last time I was there was one the lousiest exhibition i've ever seen in DC. Blown-up characters from impressionistic paintings, rendered into gigantic sculptures, reminiscent of the sets on a Disney-land ride. I'm not sure what sort of statement on Art they were trying to make, but it was lost on me...and I know i'm not the only one.
Anyway, I'm sure they have changed the main exhibit by now, and let's hope it is something current and aesthetically pleasing. Even if it isn't, The price of admission is still worth it at least one time (the permanent collection of American impressionist paintings is the best they have to offer)...the building itself has good aesthetic value...my favorite touch is the Lion's out front -- especially the Lion to the right of the entrance, who appears to be bored with being King of the Beasts.
Dropped by yesterday with my husband for the noon entrance to see the Adams/Leibowitz exhibits and it was pure mayhem. I guess that's what you get when you see it close to the end of one of the shows. I was a little surprised that the Corcoran didn't do more crowd control, but I guess they are trying to get the most out of that $14 price. Not that that's expensive, but it's a great chance to get as many people in as possible.
I sometimes find it difficult to visit the Corcoran because the NGA is so much more expansive. In any case, it looks like the Corcoran is still doing well, but little reason to go if there's nothing special on hand.
Maya Lin exhibit was fantastic -- fun and interesting and thought-provoking.
I hate to say it, but why go here when you can go to the National Gallery of Art for free? The Corcoran is housed in a nice building, but the permanent collection felt like an appetizer, not a hearty entree. I'd only recommend going if the special exhibit is something you really want to see.
Finally! After living in DC for 3 years, I made my walk down from Dupont to downtown to see this gallery and the special Ansel Adams exhibit. Today was the last day for his exhibit so I was ready to see some pretty long lines. I arrived around 1pm, and surprised to find a small line for tickets and another small line to go through the special exhibit. Once inside I opted out of the lines and explored Adams' collection on my own pace and walked around the see the other exhibits. This gallery is known for its collection of historical and modern American art as well as contemporary art, photography, European painting, and sculpture. So is it worth the admission price of $14? YES!
I love the Corcoran. Some of the most interesting sculpture in the city and an extensive collection of American Art. Usually I go whenever there's a new exhibition. They tend to be, on average, a little edgier and focus more on photography than the other art galleries in DC. There's a fun program for young supporters that has regular happy hours and meetings.
So what if there's an admission fee, quit being cheap. Of all the museums I visited in DC, the Corcoran did the best job of guiding you through the space in a way that guarantees that you haven't missed anything. The Modernism exhibit was really well designed and executed. It's the kind of exhibit where you leave understanding the impact that this period had on art and architecture as we know it today. Definitely a must-see!
Hard to pay the $14 admissions fee, but with the exhibits offered, it's well worth it. I especially liked both the Ansel Adams and Annie Leibowitz exhibits. My first visit here was when the Ansel Adams first opened and the Leibowitz exhibit was not ready. I was sad to see just one and not the other, but they were nice to give us vouchers for us to see the Leibowitz exhibit on our next visit. I really appreciated their efforts and their exhibits made up for the double trip I had to make to see both of them. Permanent exhibits are pretty good, too.
Well worth the dough you have to throw down to see the Ansel Adams and Annie Liebovitz exhibitions ($14). They have almost all the famous prints from these two fantastic photographers, including panels from Liebovitz's workshop (which gave it a very personal touch) and some of Adams' raw photographs before they were touched up and blown up. There were a ton of people on a Saturday, so you basically had to follow the conga line past the photographs. But at no point did I feel rushed. Some of Liebovitz's photos were very moving.
I went here with a friend since the Andy Warhol exhibit was passing through the area. The place itself is gorgeous! I don't think we had to pay because we went after a certain time so that was an added bonus. The exibit was very well planned out - all the rooms had cohesive themes and all the art was well spaced. After we checked out the Warhol exhibit, we looked at some of the permanant collections in the gallery but wern't too fond of them. I am a fan of modern art so perhaps this is just a matter of taste. Though their private collection (in my opinion) is not that great, I do think that a lot of their featured exhibits from other artists are definately worth seeing. The Corcoran itself is a breathtaking structure - from it's foyer to it's marble EVERYTHING. I hear that you can hold wedding receptions in their halls. The only thing I didn't like about the Corcoran is that some of the gift shop empolyees can be a little snobby sometimes.
