Expressions 2005

May 26–June 14, 2005

Showcasing the artwork and community spirit of Washington, DC, students, Expressions 2005 reveals the energy, talent and creativity of the more than 200 young people involved in the award-winning Corcoran ArtReach program. Corcoran ArtReach provides free visual arts and design education to DC youth through three component programs: Community Studios, Apprenticeship and Mentorship. Featuring student work from each of these components, Expressions 2005 will be on view at the Corcoran from May 26 through June 14, 2005.

“Corcoran ArtReach continues to have a tremendously positive impact on children in the greater Washington area and it’s wonderful to see this year’s theme of identity and community reflected in many different forms,” comments Susan Badder, Corcoran Senior Curator of Education.“Each year we are more and more inspired by the collaborative efforts of this program.”

This year’s Expressions exhibition features approximately 50 works by Corcoran ArtReach students who have created imaginative works inspired by visits to recent Corcoran exhibitions, including Thinking Inside the Box: The Art of Andrew Krieger and Common Ground: Discovering Community in 150 Years of Art, Selections from the Collection of Julia J. Norrell. They explore through art such themes as family and community while celebrating the value of identity and individuality. The student art work on display, which include art boxes of all sizes, accordion books, a handmade lantern and a video installation, represent the creativity and diversity of our community.

This year’s exhibition also includes a 10-foot portion of the mosaic mural to be installed on and near the reconstructed Nannie Helen Burroughs Bridge in Southeast DC, a project developed through a first-ever partnership with the Corcoran’s Apprenticeship program and the DC Department of Transportation. The mosaic will be exhibited along with models and drawings done by students.

ABOUT CORCORAN ARTREACH
Since its inception in 1992, Corcoran ArtReach has served thousands of students. Each year, the program extends the resources of the Corcoran Gallery of Art and College of Art + Design to young people throughout Washington, DC, through three components: ArtReach Community Studios provide free after-school studio art and creative writing instruction for DC students. All classes take place in partnership with four local community centers: Asian American LEAD, CentroNia, the Latin American Youth Center Art and Media House and The Patricia M. Sitar Center for the Arts. ArtReach Apprenticeship offers students the chance to apprentice with professional artists, acquire advanced art skills, earn a stipend and explore careers in public art and urban design. Over the course of two years, Apprenticeship students will plan, design and create artworks to be installed on and near the Nannie Helen Burroughs Bridge by the DC Department of Transportation. The public art project located near the entrance to Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens in Southeast DC will contribute to efforts already underway to revive this section of the Watts Branch corridor, the longest municipal park in DC.

The Mentorship Program, now in its last year, is concluding with five high school seniors. These students were recruited on the basis of teacher recommendations and referrals from other Corcoran ArtReach programs. They have benefited from on-going, intense support, training and encouragement from professional artists over the past several years. Long-term artist and youth partnerships have lasted up to three years and are at the heart of the mentorship experience.

Corcoran ArtReach has won national recognition for its work with young people in DC and has received awards from the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts and The National Multicultural Institute for its exemplary community arts programs and its success in promoting multiculturalism and understanding.

EXHIBITION ORGANIZATION AND SPONSORSHIP
Corcoran ArtReach extends special thanks to the D.C. Department of Transportation
the Comcast Foundation and Capital One Financial Services for their extraordinary generosity in helping ArtReach serve more than 200 DC youth this year.

Additional essential support has been provided by the following patrons:
Anonymous; Susan Spicer Angell; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; The Capital City Chapter of the LINKS; The D.C. Commission on the Arts & Humanities; The Mark and Carol Hyman Fund; Liatis Foundation; The Mary and Daniel Loughran Foundation; the George Preston Marshall Foundation; Morningstar Foundation; the Ochsman Foundation, Inc.; the Starr Foundation; and Whole Foods Market.

In addition, the Corcoran would like to recognize and thank its community partners and in-kind contributors: Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens and Friendship Edison Public Charter School.

ABOUT THE CORCORAN GALLERY OF ART
A privately funded institution incorporating both a museum and college of art and design, the Corcoran Gallery of Art was founded in 1869 as Washington’s first museum of art. It is one of America’s oldest art institutions, predating both New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and is known internationally for its distinguished collection of historical and modern American art as well as European painting, sculpture, photography and decorative arts.

Founded in 1890, Corcoran College of Art + Design is Washington’s only 4-year college of art and design, offers a four-year Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree program in Fine Art (painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, ceramics and digital art), Graphic Design, Digital Media Design, Photography and Photojournalism; a two-year Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) degree program in Fine Art, Photography, Graphic Design, Interior Design and Digital Media Design, Masters of Arts (MA) degrees in Interior Design, History of Decorative Arts and Teaching; and a Continuing Education Program encompassing more than 250 courses and seven certificate programs aimed at meeting the needs of part-time adult students; as well as year-round classes designed especially for children and teens. The Continuing Education Program, which offers part-time credit and non-credit classes for children and adults, draws more than 3,500 participants each year.

The Corcoran Gallery of Art is located at New York Avenue and 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC, and is open every day, except Tuesday, 10 am – 5 pm and until 9 pm on Thursday. The museum is closed every Tuesday. Admission to the Corcoran is: $6.75 for adults; $4.75 for senior citizens; $3 for students with current ID; and $12 for families. Admission is free for Members and children under 12. Admission is “pay as you wish” on Monday all day and on Thursday after 5 pm. A satellite educational facility is located at the Corcoran’s historic Fillmore School in Georgetown at 1801 35th Street, NW. The public information line for the museum is (202) 639-1700. The public information line for the college is (202) 639-1800.

:: View images and further details from this exhibition

CONTACT:
Kristin Guiter
Manager of Media Relations
(202) 639-1867,
kguiter@corcoran.org

Media Resources:

Curator Susan Badder

Advance Exhibition Schedule

Archived Press Releases