Renwick Gallery facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
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 Location in Central Washington, D.C.
Location in the District of Columbia
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1661 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, D.C. |
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| Built | 1859–1873 |
| Architect | James Renwick Jr. |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| NRHP reference No. | 69000300 |
| Added to NRHP | March 24, 1969 |
The Renwick Gallery is a special art museum in Washington, D.C.. It's part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. This museum shows amazing American craft and decorative arts. You can see art from the 1800s all the way to today.
It's in a beautiful old building on Pennsylvania Avenue. This building is so important it's a National Historic Landmark. It first opened in 1859 and was home to the Corcoran Gallery of Art. When it was built, people called it "the American Louvre". Today, it's named after its architect, James Renwick Jr..
Contents
History of the Renwick Gallery
Building Washington's First Art Museum
The Renwick Gallery building was first planned to be Washington, D.C.'s very first art museum. It was meant to hold William Wilson Corcoran's large collection of American and European art.
The famous architect James Renwick Jr. designed the building. It was finished in 1874. You can find the gallery at 1661 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Renwick designed it to look like a part of the Louvre museum in Paris, France. Because of this, it was known as "the American Louvre" when it was new.
The Civil War and New Uses
The building was almost finished when the Civil War began. In August 1861, the U.S. Army took over the building. They used it as a temporary warehouse for military records and uniforms. Later, in 1864, General Montgomery C. Meigs made it his main office.
On May 10, 1869, the building was given back to Mr. Corcoran. Then, on January 19, 1874, the Corcoran Gallery of Art officially opened to the public. The art collection quickly grew too big for the space. So, in 1897, the Corcoran Gallery moved to a new building nearby. From 1899 onward, the building became home to the federal United States Court of Claims.
Saved from Demolition
By the 1950s, the Court of Claims needed more room. They suggested tearing down the historic building. But in 1963, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy stepped in and saved it from being destroyed.
In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson and Smithsonian Secretary S. Dillon Ripley had an idea. They suggested that the building should become part of the Smithsonian. President Johnson then signed an order. This order gave the Renwick building to the Smithsonian Institution. It was to be used as a "gallery of arts, craft and design."
After a big makeover led by Lloyd E. Herman, the Renwick Gallery opened in 1972. It became the home for the Smithsonian American Art Museum's modern craft program. Today, it continues to be a branch of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. It proudly displays the museum's collection of decorative art and crafts.
Modern Renovations and Reopening
The Renwick Gallery closed on December 9, 2013, for a major renovation. The building had been slightly damaged during the 2011 Washington D.C. earthquake. The renovation involved updating the building's original systems. The museum reopened its doors on November 13, 2015. Its first exhibition after reopening was called "Wonder." This show featured special art installations created by nine artists just for the museum.
The renovation included many important updates. All the heating, cooling, electrical, and plumbing systems were replaced. Security, phone, and Wi-Fi systems were also improved. The original window design was brought back. Two vaulted ceilings on the second floor were restored. The basement was redesigned for staff offices and workshops. New LED lighting was installed throughout the building. The Renwick's Grand Salon, a large event space, was also updated to look more modern.
Visiting the Renwick Gallery Today
The Renwick Gallery reopened after its renovation on Friday, November 13, 2015. It's free to visit! The gallery is open every day from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The first-floor galleries usually show temporary exhibits. These exhibits change about twice a year. Many people say the crafts displayed there are "high art," not just everyday objects. The second floor's Grand Salon has always been one of Washington's most famous art rooms. For a long time, it displayed 70 paintings by 51 American artists. These included landscapes, portraits, and classical scenes. Since November 2015, these paintings are no longer on display in the Grand Salon. Many of them were moved to the main Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Exciting Exhibitions
In 2012, the Renwick Gallery hosted an exhibition called "40 Under 40: Craft Futures." This show featured 40 artists who were pushing the boundaries of craft. They used materials like glass, fiber, ceramic, and wood in new and exciting ways. Their art often included performance, interaction, and even political messages.
The "Wonder" exhibition, which opened in November 2015, was incredibly popular. It almost doubled the number of visitors to the gallery. This exhibition celebrated the completion of the two-year renovation. Nine major contemporary artists were invited to create special artworks for the gallery's nine exhibition spaces. The theme was "wonder." The artists included Jennifer Angus, Chakaia Booker, Gabriel Dawe, Tara Donovan, Patrick Dougherty, Janet Echelman, John Grade, Maya Lin, and Leo Villareal.
The artists had a lot of freedom to create their installations. For example, Jennifer Angus's piece, "In the Midnight Garden," used over 5,000 insects arranged in patterns in a pink room. Gabriel Dawe's "Plexus A1" wove a rainbow of threads through one of the rooms. Patrick Dougherty made his artwork, "Shindig," from willow branches. Janet Echelman's piece was inspired by images of waves from the 2011 Japan tsunami. Leo Villareal created a stunning LED chandelier that hung from the ceiling.
By January 2016, over 176,000 people had visited the gallery. The "Wonder" exhibition was very popular on social media. Users tagged the Renwick over 20,000 times on Instagram. The "Wonder" exhibition closed after eight months and attracted 732,000 visitors.
The Renwick Craft Invitational is a special exhibition that happens every two years. It showcases the best in modern fine craft. The 2016 exhibition featured works by Steven Young Lee, Kristen Morgin, Jennifer Trask, and Norwood Viviano. The 2018 show, Disrupting Craft: Renwick Invitational 2018, included art by Tanya Aguiñiga, Sharif Bey, Dustin Farnsworth, and Stephanie Syjuco.
Since 2011, the Renwick has hosted a fun event called "Handi-hour." It's a crafting-themed happy hour inspired by the DIY (Do It Yourself) movement. Besides craft activities, the event for adults (21+) also features special craft beers.
In 2019, the Renwick hosted an augmented reality exhibition. It was created by glass artist Ginny Ruffner and digital artist Grant Kirkpatrick. The show was called Reforestation of the Imagination.
In 2023, the tenth Renwick Invitational, Sharing Honors and Burdens, featured amazing Native American artists. These included Joe Feddersen, Erica Lord, Geo Soctomah Neptune, Maggie Thompson, Lily Hope, and Ursala Hudson.
Notable Artists and Artworks
Many well-known artists have had their works in the Renwick Gallery's collection. As of the November 2015 reopening, some of these pieces are no longer on permanent display. Here are a few examples of the amazing art that has been part of the collection:
- Margaret Boozer's Eight Red Bowls is a sculpture made from Maryland clay and pine wood.
- Wendell Castle's Ghost Clock is a clever piece that makes time seem to disappear.
- Dale Chihuly's famous glass sculptures look like colorful bubbles floating in sandboxes.
- Arline Fisch created a beautiful silver Body Ornament.
- Larry Fuente's Game Fish is a mounted sailfish decorated with game pieces. It includes dice, poker chips, domino tiles, Scrabble letters, yo-yos, and Ping-Pong balls.
- Sam Maloof is known for his unique furniture designs.
- Maria Martinez created beautiful pottery.
- Albert Paley is famous for his large metal sculptures.
- Ginny Ruffner's Reforestation of the Imagination (with Grant Kirkpatrick) is an augmented reality art experience.
- Judith Schaechter's A Little Torcher is a stained-glass artwork.
- Kim Schmahmann's Bureau of Bureaucracy (1993–1999) is a wooden cabinet. It has cupboards that lead nowhere, drawers within drawers, and hidden spots. It's a fun way to think about how complicated government can be.
See also
In Spanish: Galería Renwick para niños
- Oak Hill Cemetery Chapel – another building in Washington, D.C., designed by James Renwick.
- Smithsonian Institution Building – another building in Washington, D.C., designed by James Renwick.
- St. Patrick's Cathedral – James Renwick's most famous work, located in New York City.
- Architecture of Washington, D.C.
