Corcoran Gallery of Art Museum

Former Washington DC art museum with historical collection

Founded in 1869, the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington was a major 19th-20th-century art institution; its historic building on Pennsylvania Avenue draws interest from art historians and those studying museum history.

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Address
500 17th St NW, Washington, DC, USA
38.895851, -77.039879
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The Corcoran Gallery of Art was a private art museum and gallery institution in Washington, D.C., established in the 19th century and historically important to the city’s cultural life. Its founding collection and endowment were given by William Wilson Corcoran, and the institution occupied a landmark building on 17th Street NW.

The museum housed a broad collection of American and European art and operated public exhibitions and educational programmes for over a century. The institution underwent a major change in 2014 when its collection and institutional functions were redistributed; the original Corcoran building is now used by a university arts school and for exhibitions under new administration.

The Corcoran building occupies a prominent site near Lafayette Square and the central Washington federal district. The structure remains a recognizable architectural landmark in the downtown area and continues to host arts-related activity under its current institutional arrangements.

  • Founding: Founded in 1869 by philanthropist William Wilson Corcoran and for many years was one of Washington's principal private art museums.