Community Partner Spotlight: The Corcoran Gallery of Art

One of my favorite Junior League of Washington community partners is the Corcoran Gallery of Art. At 17th and E streets downtown, it’s a short walk from my office and is my top choice for a lunchtime escape.

I’m so proud that the League is dedicated to helping the community learn what the Corcoran has to offer. In fact, for over 50 years, JLW volunteers have promoted cultural and visual literacy as museum docents.

The word docent comes from the Latin word docere, meaning “to teach.” The Corcoran considers its docents an important link between the public and the art and credits them for offering an interactive, educational experience for visitors.

If you haven't already visited the Corcoran, I encourage you to find a friend on the committee and sign up for a tour. In the meantime, please enjoy this virtual guided selection of Corcoran highlights:

Permanent Collection: The permanent collection includes historic and modern American art, European painting, decorative arts, photography and media arts. I especially like the Luxembourg Gardens painting by William Glackens, who is known in some circles as the American Renoir.

Todd Gray's Muse: Something about the museum's cafe is reminiscent of a modern lunch spot in Paris. Seasonal, local ingredients are featured in all of the colorful, creative dishes on the menu curated by Chef Todd Gray.

Continuing Education Courses: Indulge your inner artist with for-credit and non-credit classes in areas of study including ceramics, digital media, interior design and photography. Many courses are on nights and weekends and are held at the upper Georgetown campus.

Artini: The guest of honor at this Corcoran party is the art - paintings that inspire drinks created by mixologists around Washington. The celebration lasts for an entire month, with participating venues around the city hosting Feature Nights until the evening of the benefit, when the winning artini is revealed.

 

Editor's note: Interested in going on a JLW docent lead tour? JLW members are usually on the schedule Thursday evenings at 7:00 p.m., as well as Saturday and Sunday afternoons at 3:00 p.m. Contact the current placement Chair with questions.