- O Street Museum Foundation
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O Street Museum Foundation Established April 24, 1998 Location 2020 O Street Northwest
Washington, DC
United StatesPublic transit access Dupont Circle Metro Red Line — South Exit Website www.omuseum.org Founded April 24, 1998, O Street Museum Foundation is a museum which focuses on exploring the creative process. Located in the nation’s capitol, O Street Museum Foundation is housed in five interconnected town houses that includes over 100 rooms and 32 secret doors.
Contents
Collection
The collection contains over 1,000 works and consists of diverse genres from all over the world including art, architecture, manuscripts, music, memorabilia, and literature. Visitors can listen to rare studio cuts, leaf through manuscripts and rare books, touch and explore art and sculpture, and tour through different architectural styles.
Among the pieces represented in the collection are works by sculptor Frederic Hart, and Frederic Remington, paintings by Kurt Wenner, architecture by Edward Clark, signed scripts of the Academy Award winning trilogy Lord of the Rings, and over 60 signed new and vintage Gibson guitars including guitars signed by Les Paul, inventor of the electric guitar, The Eagles, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Arlo Guthrie, Emmylou Harris, Paul Williams, The Rolling Stones, U2, Sean Lennon, and J.D. Souther.
Building History
Designed in 1892 by Edward Clark, architect for the US Capitol at the turn of the century, the building served as a home for himself, his extended family, and Champ Clark, Speaker of the House from 1911-1919 (during Teddy Roosevelt’s Presidency), a brother, known only as "the artist" and a sister.
Additional plans to replace the side garden with an adjoining home for their sister and extended family never came to fruition, although the archway to her house was one brick away from “being there”.
Originally spanning three row houses, the residence was connected through the basement and main floor and contained separate sleeping quarters for each brother upstairs. As one of the last architects working on the U.S. Capitol between the 19th and 20th centuries, Clark incorporated left over tiles and wood from the Capitol into his new home — rich in detail, these items can still be found there today. A testament to the fine craftsmanship, it is believed to be the last, virtually intact, private residence of that period in Washington, D.C.
In the 1930s the home was converted into three separate rooming houses for FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover's G-men.
On February 14, 1980 the property was purchased by H.H. Leonards, with the intent to restore its original character by reconnecting the row houses.
In 1990, nearly a century after its original construction, she transformed the garden site into a five-story companion annex - completing the Clarks' dream.
Today, the property consists of more than 100 rooms of varying architectural, artistic and design periods, from the Victorian Age to the Art Deco/Avant Garde. Highlights include hand painted ceilings original Tiffany stained glass windows, a two-story Log Cabin and an Art Deco penthouse.[1]
Public Programs
O Street Museum hosts educational programs for all age groups to learn about and participate in the creative process. Programs are designed to explore all facets of creativity and include artist-in-residence programs, jammin’ (live music collaboration) and songwriters’ workshops and performances.
Current Artist-in-Residence - Ying Ming Tu
A visual artist who focuses on painting, documentary film making, and photography.
After serving in the Taiwan military as a bodyguard to Chiang Kai-Shek, Tu entered National Taiwan University and earned a BA degree in history. In early 80's, he came to the US to study film and television at UCLA,where he earned his MFA degree. His Mickey Mao series has shown in Taipei, Los Angeles and Belgium, and was well received by the public and critics alike
Volunteers
As a non-profit corporation The O Street Museum operates without paid employees or paid board members. Everyone that works there is a volunteer.[2]
Hours of Operation
The Museum is located at 2020 O Street N.W. in the middle of 20th & 21st Streets. Less than a block from the Dupont Circle Metro Red Line — South Exit
Open daily 11:00 am to 4:00 pm by reservation only
References
- ^ "Charles Luck Perspective". http://perspectives.charlesluck.com/2010/06/10/a-tour-of-the-wonderfully-weird-o-st-museum/. Retrieved 2010-06-10.
- ^ "National Registry of Non-Profits". Guidstar. http://www2.guidestar.org/Home.aspx. Retrieved 2010-05-26.
External links
Categories:- Art museums in Washington, D.C.
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
