Phillips Collection

THE PHILLIPS COLLECTION IS THE OLDEST MUSEUM OF MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART IN THE U.S.

MANAGEMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF THE MUSEUM'S PERMANENT COLLECTION OF NEARLY 6,000 WORKS WAS ORIGINALLY CREATED BEGINNING IN 1913 BY DUNCAN PHILLIPS AND LATER HIS WIFE MARJORIE PHILLIPS AND OPENED TO THE PUBLIC IN 1921 AS THE NATION'S FIRST MUSEUM OF MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART. OUR NEW ACQUISITIONS REFLECT THE MUSEUM'S EFFORTS TO ENHANCE AND DIVERSIFY THE COLLECTION BY EMBRACING WORKS THAT REFLECT A NARRATIVE OF MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART BEYOND THE TRADITIONAL FOCUS ON EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN ART AND SPEAK TO COMMUNITIES WE ARE WORKING TO SERVE. ACTIVITIES INCLUDE CONSERVATION, ACQUISITION OF NEW WORKS THROUGH BOTH GIFT AND PURCHASE, DIGITAL REPRODUCTION FOR PUBLICATIONS AND FOR PRESENTATION ON THE MUSEUM'S WEBSITE, ARTSTOR, GOOGLE ART, AND THE MULTI-MUSEUM APP BLOOMBERG CONNECTS. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)THE HIGH QUALITY OF WORKS IN THE COLLECTION PRESENTS MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION WITH OTHER MUSEUMS BOTH FOR EXHIBITION PARTNERSHIPS AND FOR SHARING WORKS TO ENHANCE EXHIBITIONS AT OTHER VENUES. THE PHILLIPS ALSO DEVELOPS EXHIBITIONS WHICH TRAVEL TO OTHER VENUES TO GIVE THOSE LIVING OUTSIDE THE DC AREA THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENJOY THE TREASURES WE HOLD. OUR TRAVELING EXHIBITIONS WERE PUT ON HOLD DURING 2021 FOR OUR CENTENNIAL YEAR CELEBRATIONS AND INSTALLATIONS. THE PHILLIPS COLLECTION LIBRARY SUPPORTS RESEARCH ON WORKS OF ART IN THE MUSEUM'S PERMANENT COLLECTION, SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS, AND THE HISTORY OF THE MUSEUM.

THE PHILLIPS COLLECTION REMAINED ENGAGED WITH OUR AUDIENCES, DESPITE CLOSURES AND SCALED BACK VISITATION, THROUGH DIGITAL PROGRAMS AND SOCIAL MEDIA, AS WELL AS A NEWLY LAUNCHED ONLINE E-COMMERCE MUSEUM SHOP IN NOVEMBER 2020, A NEWLY DESIGNED WEBSITE IN DECEMBER 2020, AND A NEW CULTURAL ARTS PARTNERSHIP IN MARCH 2020 WITH BLOOMBERG CONNECTS APP. THESE INITIATIVES PROVIDED A CONNECTION WITH OUR GROWING NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE TO PURCHASE FROM OUR FABULOUS GIFT SHOP AS WELL AS PARTICIPATE IN ONLINE PROGRAMS AND FURTHER THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF ART. THE PHILLIPS MUSIC SEASON, TRADITIONALLY BEGINNING IN OCTOBER, BEGAN IN JANUARY 2021 WITH 18 VIRTUAL CONCERTS. OUR AUDIENCE INCREASED BY 300%, WITH 6,600 ATTENDEES FROM ALL 50 STATES AND 29 COUNTRIES INTERNATIONALLY. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)THE SEASON ALSO INCLUDED FOUR WORLD PREMIERE PERFORMANCES OF NEW WORKS COMMISSIONED BY THE PHILLIPS FOR THE CENTENNIAL YEAR. FOR OUR ONSITE VISITORS, THE MUSEUM TRANSFORMED THE EXTERIOR LANDSCAPING TO CREATE A MORE VISIBLE, INNOVATIVE, AND WELCOMING SPACE AS GUESTS APPROACHED OUR DYNAMIC MUSEUM OF MODERN ART. ONCE INSIDE THE MUSEUM LOBBY, IN JUNE 2021, THE CENTENNIAL INSTALLATION OF VICTOR EKPUK'S ARTIST COMMISSION IN THE LOBBY CONTINUED THIS OPEN DIALOGUE AND GREETING TO ALL WHO ENTERED AND CROSSED THE THRESHOLD. WHILE OUR CAF REMAINED CLOSED IN THE INTERESTS OF ENSURING A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR VISITORS DUE TO ITS INTIMATE SIZE AND LIMITED ABILITY FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING, WE RE-IMAGINED AND UTILIZED THE SPACE AS A POP UP TO EXTEND THE OFFERINGS OF OUR POPULAR MUSEUM GIFT SHOP. VOLUNTEERS ENGAGED VIRTUALLY WITH THE MUSEUM, LENDING THEIR SKILLS AND TIME IN A REMOTE CAPACITY.

DEVELOPMENT AND PRESENTATION OF SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS INCLUDING WORKS FROM THE MUSEUM'S OWN HOLDINGS, LOANS FROM INDIVIDUALS AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS, AND COLLABORATIONS WITH OTHER VENUES. HIGHLIGHTS FROM FY21 INCLUDED: CELEBRATING WOMEN ARTISTS IN THE PHILLIPS COLLECTION FEATURING WORKS BY WOMEN ARTISTS FROM THE PHILLIPS'S PERMANENT COLLECTION; DIGITAL INTERSECTIONS: PICTURE: PRESENT BY LUCA BUVOLI HIGHLIGHTED THE ARTIST'S TRAGICOMIC VISUAL NARRATIVES COMMENTING ON THE CURRENT COVID-19 HEALTH AND SOCIAL CRISIS.; HOPPER IN PARIS PRESENTED WORKS BY EDWARD HOPPER ON LOAN FROM THE COLLECTION OF THE WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART; SEEING DIFFERENTLY: THE PHILLIPS COLLECTS FOR A NEW CENTURY HIGHLIGHTED OVER 200 WORKS IN THE MUSEUM'S PERMANENT COLLECTION; (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)INTERSECTIONS: MARLEY DAWSON SHOWCASED TWO KINETIC SCULPTURES THAT RESPONDED TO THE DYNAMIC ARCHITECTURE OF THE PHILLIPS'S GOH ANNEX SPIRAL STAIRWELL; JACOB LAWRENCE: THE AMERICAN STRUGGLE FEATURED 25 PANELS FROM THE ARTIST'S STRUGGLE SERIES TOGETHER WITH WORKS BY CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS DERRICK ADAMS, BETHANY COLLINS, AND HANK WILLIS THOMAS; AND THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED WITH THE OPENING OF INSIDE OUTSIDE, UPSIDE DOWN, A JURIED INVITATIONAL COMPRISING WORKS ACROSS MEDIA BY 64 ARTISTS OF THE GREATER DC REGION THAT RESPONDED TO THE GLOBAL COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND RECENT SOCIAL UPHEAVALS.

THE PHILLIPS PRESENTED A BROAD RANGE OF PROGRAMMING DESIGNED TO APPEAL TO THE MUSEUM'S EXPANDING VISITOR DEMOGRAPHIC. WE WORKED WITH UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND TO VIRTUALLY PRESENT OUR ANNUAL ARTISTS OF CONSCIENCE FORUM IN SEPTEMBER 2020, "WOMEN, RACE, REPRESENTATION" WHICH ADDRESSED THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT IN THE U.S. AND CELEBRATED WOMEN'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS RELATED TO ISSUES OF SOCIAL JUSTICE, WHILE ACKNOWLEDGING THE CONTINUED STRUGGLE FOR EQUALITY AND INCLUSION IN ALL FACETS OF LIFE, INCLUDING EDUCATION, ARTISTIC PRACTICE, AND PHILANTHROPY. THROUGH THE MUSEUM'S 12-WEEK ARTS INTEGRATION COURSE, PRISM.K12: CONNECTING TO THE CORE CURRICULUM, HELD SEPTEMBER 2020-FEBRUARY 2021, 25 EDUCATORS OF DIFFERENT SUBJECTS AND GRADE LEVELS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BLEND THE VISUAL ARTS SEAMLESSLY INTO THEIR CORE CURRICULUMS, USING THE PHILLIPS'S PRISM.K12 ARTS INTEGRATION STRATEGIES AND RESOURCES. ADDITIONALLY, THE MUSEUM EXPANDED ITS MODEL FOR ARTS INTEGRATION TO CREATE A MODEL FOR CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING (HTTPS://WWW.PHILLIPSCOLLECTION.ORG/PRISMK12-STRATEGIES) AND ADDED 25 NEW LESSON PLANS TO THE WEBSITE. WE REACHED 115 TEACHERS THROUGH 7 ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS, AND 25 TEACHERS PARTICIPATED IN A WEEK-LONG SUMMER TEACHER INSTITUTE. WE REACHED 582 PK-12 STUDENTS WITHIN THE DC PUBLIC AND CHARTER SCHOOLS DURING THE FISCAL YEAR THROUGH VIRTUAL TOURS AND THE MUSEUM'S MULTI-VISIT SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM, ART LINKS. THE PHILLIPS COLLECTION'S WORKSHOP AND GALLERY AT THE TOWN HALL EDUCATION ARTS RECREATION CAMPUS (THEARC) PROVIDES A SPACE TO VIEW, DISCUSS, MAKE, AND EXHIBIT ART. OUR PROGRAMS ARE CO-CREATED WITH OUR PARTNERS AND PARTICIPANTS TO ENCOURAGE AUTHENTIC COMMUNITY DIALOGUE, COMMUNITY PLANNING, AND COMMUNITY ACTION. FROM ITS VERY INCEPTION, THE PHILLIPS HAS FOCUSED ON THE HEALING POWER OF ART. OUR CREATIVE AGING PARTNERSHIP WITH IONA SENIOR SERVICES AND ARTS FOR THE AGING (AFTA) TRANSITIONED TO VIRTUAL EVENTS IN APRIL 2020. IONA'S NEW CAMPUS NEAR THEARC ALLOWS THE PHILLIPS TO SERVE MORE OLDER ADULTS IN WARDS 7 AND 8. OUR MOST POPULAR VIRTUAL OFFERING WITH AN AVERAGE OF 70 PARTICIPANTS EACH WEEK IS OUR ART-BASED MEDITATION PROGRAM, CONSISTING OF AN ART DISCUSSION LED BY PHILLIPS'S EDUCATOR DONNA JONTE AND GUIDED MEDITATION LED BY THE MUSEUM'S RESIDENT YOGA TEACHER APARNA SADANANDA. DESPITE THE PANDEMIC, THE PHILLIPS CONTINUED TO PROVIDE SERVICES IN THE COMMUNITY, ASSEMBLING WELLNESS KITS FOR DISTRIBUTION BY BUILDING BRIDGES ACROSS THE RIVER.