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America’ s First Museum of Modern Art
When it opened in Washington, D. C.’ s Dupont Circle neighborhood in 1921, The Phillips Collection was America’ s first museum of modern art. It is still housed in the elegant 19th-century home of its founder, Duncan Phillips, but now also has two additions to showcase its collection of more than 3,500 works by great European and American impressionist and modern masters, including Monet, Degas, Cézanne, Matisse, Picasso, O’ Keeffe, and Rothko, as well as artists of today.
Education has been a key part of the museum’ s mission since its early years, when art classes were held on the third floor of the house. Today the Phillips has a packed schedule of gallery talks, classes, family programs, and educator workshops. It reaches out to the nation— as well as international audiences— through initiatives such as Prism. K12 and Art
Links to Literacy, a program for underserved D. C. public schools.
To raise funds for these innovative educational programs, the museum holds an annual gala in May, which raised $ 1 million last year. One of its supporters is the Embassy of the State of Qatar, a sponsor of the 2015 event.
Dreaming of Doha
Ambassador Mohammed Al-Kuwari will serve as diplomatic chair for the 2016 Phillips Collection Annual Gala,“ Arabesque: Patterns of Beauty East – West, A Salute to Qatar.” It will be followed by an after party, the“ Dreaming of Doha” Contemporaries Bash.
Modern masters such as Klee, Kandinsky, Matisse, and Picasso were inspired by the calligraphic ornamentation of Middle Eastern art, patterns at the heart of Islamic Art. These abstract designs not only adorn the surfaces of Qatari architecture but also function as the major decorative elements in the objects and books that play a key role in that rich tradition. Arabesque will pay homage to these designs and celebrate the artistic and cultural connections between the State of Qatar and the United States.
The Phillips Collection Annual Gala attracts more than 400 cultural, political, diplomatic, and business leaders for a cocktail reception and dinner, followed by dancing at the Contemporaries Bash. Unique among such fundraisers, the blacktie event does not take place in a
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downtown hotel but in the historic Georgian revival house, in elegant, intimate rooms adorned with masterworks of modern painting. Pride of place goes to Pierre-Auguste Renoir’ s Luncheon of the Boating Party, the collection’ s best-known painting.
By coming along and celebrating Arabesque, the 400 guests at this year’ s Annual Gala will be helping students across the United States empathize with others through the power of art.
The 2016 Annual Gala takes place on May 13, starting 6.30 pm. The event’ s Diplomatic Chair is Qatar Ambassador Mohammed Al-Kuwari. For more information, including tickets and donations, visit phillipscollection. org / support / annual-gala
Organizations Supported by the Embassy of the State of Qatar
Arab American National Museum Cultural Tourism DC Filmfest DC
Smithsonian’ s Freer and Sackler Galleries
The Kennedy Center National Portrait Gallery The Phillips Collection
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