Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Artisphere not acquiring Corcoran Gallery collection

Among art-world insiders, speculation has been swirling for months about the possibility of Artisphere working with the struggling Corcoran Gallery to creative more innovative exhibits more closely engaged with community development.  The Corcoran's announcement of a proposed collaboration with the National Gallery of Art and George Washington University leaves open the question of how Artisphere will contribute to a better future for the Corcoran. 

The Corcoran Gallery was founded to be "Dedicated to Art and Encouraging American Genius."  With exhibits such as Alicia Eggert's kinetic art and the upcoming FERMATA sound art exhibit, Artisphere is expanding the horizons of creative genius.  The Kennedy Center is evolving in the direction of Artisphere.  The Corcoran should also look to Artisphere for a new model of cutting-edge art and community engagement.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

this is such a surprise. In some ways, the neighborhood surrounding the Corcoran could really be considered a suburb of Rosslyn, and a merger between the two art institutions a natural evolution. Assuming that Artisphere's popularity has made it a self-sustaining cultural juggernaut, it is surprising it didn't more aggressively pursue its aging and frail sibling. The resulting improvements to the Corcoran's collection could only have helped.

Douglas Galbi said...

That GWU and NGA would make a proposal without Artisphere is surprising and somewhat disappointing. But a more forward-looking proposal may yet emerge.