The opening of the Rubell Museum in Southwest represents a sea change in the District’s museum landscape.
The new museum’s facade
There’s not a food truck in sight. Nor a tour bus. Instead, we see a revitalized Randall Junior High School, built in 1906, tucked into a neighborhood in Southwest DC. To say this is a decidedly different approach to creating a museum space in the nation’s capital is like saying Duke Ellington merely wrote songs.
John Miller, “A Refusal to Accept Limits.”
Not only is the 32,000-square-foot Rubell Museum’s (rubellmuseum.org) location in the city a revelation, but its collection offers a range of depth that will make contemporary art lovers swoon. The museum, which opened in late October, serves as a DC outpost for Mera and Don Rubell’s extensive contemporary art collection.
Artwork (Gary Simmons, Leonardo Drew and Natalie Ball) from What’s Going On
“The museum’s historic setting in a place of learning invites the public to explore what artists can teach us about the world we live in and the issues with which we are wrestling as individuals and as a society,” says Mera. “As a former teacher, I see artists and teachers playing parallel roles as educators and in fostering civic engagement.”
Mickalene Thomas, “Mama Bush II.”
The inaugural exhibitions, Sylvia Snowden and What’s Going On, are exceptional surveys of history and impact of contemporary art. What’s Going On, named for the 1971 album by Randall Junior High alum Marvin Gaye, showcases 190 works by 51 artists—including Jonathan Lyndon Chase, Robert Colescott and Karon Davis—who tackled social issues. Keith Haring’s work appears at the front of the exhibit and, as expected, is perhaps the most impactful as he addresses themes of oppression, destruction and illness. Haring apparently listened to Gaye’s “What’s Going On” continuously when he created the series.
Sylvia Snowden, “Shell, Glimpses #22”
In a city blessed with truly great places to see contemporary art, Rubell Museum is a welcome addition. If it feels like it’s always been here, it has—now with a renewed purpose that props up artistic vision and honors those who once occupied these sacred walls.
Keith Haring, “Untitled (Against All Odds)”
Photography by: COURTESY OF THE RUBELL MUSEUM; COURTESY OF THE RUBELL MUSEUM; CHI LAM; COURTESY OF THE RUBELL MUSEUM; CHI LAM
