Washington DC Art Galleries

(Washington, District of Columbia - DC, USA)



The sheer quality and quantity of art galleries in Washington DC certainly matches the city's powerful status. Many of the biggest and best galleries and art museums in Washington are completely free to visit, being the perfect attraction for tourists sightseeing on a budget.

Founded in 1937, the Washington National Gallery of Art is quite exceptional and each year enjoys visitor numbers of around five million people, clearly showing what an important attraction this venue has become. This museum was established for the people of the United States by a congress resolution and today continues to maintain an outstanding collection of paintings, prints, drawings and sculptures, as well as innumerable photographs.

If you favour American art, then the Smithsonian American Art Museum is the place to come and this prestigious gallery was actually established as far back as 1829, being currently divided into two main sections - the Lunder Conservation Center and the Luce Foundation Center for American Art. Located within the Dupont Circle area of Washington, the Phillips Collection is another exceptional exhibition space, as is the Freer Gallery of Art, both of which were founded in the early 1920s and continue to draw the crowds.


Photo of the Smithsonian American Art Museum

Smithsonian American Art Museum (formerly the National Museum of American Art)

Address: 8th and F Streets Northwest, Washington, District of Columbia D.C., 20004, USA
Tel: +1 202 633 7970
The Smithsonian American Art Museum is situated in Washington's 7th Street area and features art work by many of America's leading artists, such as George Catlin, James McNeill Whistler, Jasper Johns, Mary Cassatt and Willem de Kooning. This noteworthy exhibition space also includes a wide range of American craftwork and numerous, impressive and unusual modern sculptures.
Open hours: daily - 11:30 to 19:00
Admission: free

Washington National Gallery of Art

Address: 4th Street and Constitution Avenue Northwest, Washington, District of Columbia D.C., 20565, USA
Tel: +1 202 737 4215
Washington Art GalleriesThe Washington National Gallery of Art is one of the city's most popular galleries and is home to a large collection of both European and American works of art. Much of the art work in this prestigious gallery was donated by wealthy investment banker Andrew Mellon, who also paid for the construction of the gallery's grand, neoclassical West Building in 1941, as a gift to the nation. Mellon's son created to large East Building in 1978, where many temporary art exhibitions are displayed. He also donated over 900 works of art, many of which are by world-famous artists, including paintings by Monet, Renoir, Seurat and Cezanne. The Washington National Gallery of Art houses a number of separate art galleries, a large sculpture garden, a caféteria and a popular gift shop.
Open hours: Monday to Saturday - 10:00 to 17:00, Sunday - 11:00 to 18:00
Admission: free

Picture showing the Freer Gallery of Art

Freer Gallery of Art

Address: 12th Street and Jefferson Drive Southwest, Washington, District of Columbia D.C., 20560, USA
Tel: +1 202 633 4880
The Freer Gallery of Art is situated in the National Mall area of Washington and features a number of separate art galleries, displaying more than 25,000 works of art from Asian countries. Much of the art work was originally collected by Detroit businessman Charles Lang Freer (1854 to 1919) who collected a large amount of Asian art during his travels to the Middle and Far East. The Washington Freer Gallery of Art includes Neolithic Chinese pottery, Japanese screens and Hindu temple sculptures. There is also art work by 19th-century American painters, including a number of excellent paintings by James McNeill Whistler, who originally encourage Freer to collect Asian art.

The most stunning attraction at the Freer Gallery of Art is the deep green and gilt Peacock Room, which is the museum's only permanent installation. Purchased in 1904, this 1876 dining room was actually transported wholesale from British ship-owner Frederick R. Leyland's London town house.
Open hours: daily - 10:00 to 17:30
Admission: free

Photograph of the esteemed Phillips Collection

The Phillips Collection

Address: 1600 21st Street Northwest, Washington, District of Columbia D.C., 20009, USA
Tel: +1 202 387 2151
Located in the Dupont Circle district, the Phillips Collection art gallery is housed in a large mansion, which was opened as a gallery in the 1920s by Duncan Phillips, as a memorial to his father. This grand building was remodeled in the 1960s and underwent further renovation work in the 1980s, when it was also extended.

Highlights in the art galleries include works of art by Degas, Van Gough, Cezanne, Bonnard, Klee and also Renoir, whose 'Luncheon of the Boating Party' remains one of the star exhibits.
Open hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday - 10:00 to 17:00, Thursday - 10:00 to 20:30, Sunday - 11:00 to 18:00
Admission: charge, discounts available for students and seniors, children under 18 years old are free

Torpedo Factory Art Center

Address: 105 North Union Street, Alexandria, Virginia VA, 22314, USA
Tel: +1 703 838 4565
The Torpedo Factory Art Center can be found in the old US Naval Torpedo Station, in the city of Alexandria, close to Washington DC. After closing in 1945, the Torpedo factory was used by the government for storage until 1969, when the buildings were purchased by the city of Alexandria and renovated into art studios. The Torpedo Factory Art Center is now one of America's largest and most successful art centers.
Open hours: Sunday to Wednesday and Friday and Saturday - 10:00 to 18:00, Thursday - 10:00 to 21:00
Admission: free

Other popular art galleries in the Washington DC area include:











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Washington, DC USA - Art Galleries - Last updated 7/9/2019 - gprofile - Google+

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