In late October and mid-November PIA, together with Director Gaetane Verna of The Power Plant, led two art trips to Washington, DC, home to an amazing collection of galleries and museums. The trips had slightly varied but equally interesting itineraries.
The October trip’s first stop was at the home of Tony Podesta, a well-known lobbyist and avid collector, who happens to live two doors down from the Obamas. He very kindly shared his passion for art and how he collects.
Next stop for both groups was the National Portrait Gallery, where among the highlights were the portrait of Barack Obama by Kehinde Wiley and the portrait of Michelle Obama by Amy Sherald as well as the Outwin Portrait Contest winners.
While the first trip visited the Canadian Embassy, an Arthur Erickson designed building, and viewed their art collection, the second trip visited the home of Dr. Frederick Ognibene and his very personal collection of contemporary art in his 1920’s apartment. Both trips attended the impactful Judy Chicago exhibit at the National Museum for Women in the Arts, the Phillips Collection, and the amazing Hirshhorn and its “Manifesto Art x Agency” show.
Both trips toured the beautiful and stirring National Museum of African American History and Culture designed by Freelon Adjaye Bond/Smith group and visited Stable Studios where we met several of the resident artists.
Undoubtedly, the highlight for both groups was the extraordinary Glenstone Museum, a private art collection housed in spectacular gallery spaces in beautiful countryside near Potomac, Maryland. The collection was superb and included many outdoor works by Richard Serra, Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller, Tony Smith, Jeff Koons and others.
By all accounts, both groups thoroughly enjoyed their trips and for many, it was their first, but definitely not their last, trip to Washington.
