Corcoran Gallery: Why don’t donors give?

A former trustee, now associated with another arts institution, said the Corcoran’s persistent inability to fund its wavering ambitions is because “we never had the fundraising machine that I have experienced with other arts institutions, and I think we haven’t had the fundraising base.” (This trustee and some other trustees and patrons interviewed asked not to be identified in order to speak candidly.)

“Large donors have migrated to parts of the Smithsonian that reflect more directly their individual interests,” said the former trustee. “And there is also within those institutions a national platform and a national reach. The Corcoran has been hampered by its lack of focus.”

More on the Corcoran

Corcoran has trouble getting noticed

Lonnae O'Neal Parker

Although the museum is near major tourist attractions, many tourists seem unaware of the Corcoran, which is considering selling its 17th Street building.

The cost of change at the Corcoran

David Montgomery and Jacqueline Trescott

The estimated cost of renovating the landmark museum, $130 million, suggests an institution with ambitious goals.

Why the Corcoran Gallery’s plan doesn’t compute

Philip Kennicott

The Corcoran Gallery of Art’s announcement that it might leave its historic building, and the District, leaves questions that its leadership needs to answer.

Corcoran renews vows of museum-school marriage

David Montgomery and Lonnae O’Neal Parker

Behind the Corcoran Gallery of Art’s decision to move out is a gambit to thrive in a cultural landscape where it’s more common for museums and art schools to go their separate ways.

Artists oppose talk of selling Corcoran building

David Montgomery

Artists gathered Thursday to brainstorm to “Save the Corcoran,”keeping the gallery in the District.

GoingOut Guide

Looking for things to do?

Select one or more criteria to search

Anything Events Bars & Club Events Book Events Exhibits Food Events Miscellaneous Events Music Events Performing Arts Sports Events Movies Locations Bars & Clubs City Services Hotels Miscellaneous Locations Movie Theaters Museums Music Venues Restaurants Sports Locations Stores Theaters Anytime Today This Weekend Next 7 Days Opening Soon Closing Soon Anywhere in D.C. area D.C. U Street The Mall Tenleytown Takoma SW Waterfront Other Southwest Other Southeast Other Northwest Other Northeast Logan Circle Georgetown Foggy Bottom Dupont Circle Downtown Columbia Heights/Mt. Pleasant Cleveland Park/Woodley Park Chinatown Chevy Chase Capitol Hill Brookland Anacostia Adams Morgan Maryland St. Mary's County Prince George's County Montgomery County Howard County Greater Maryland Frederick County Charles County Calvert County Baltimore Anne Arundel County Virginia Prince William County Loudoun County Greater Virginia Fauquier County Fairfax County Arlington County Alexandria

Kid-friendly

Free admission

Get ideas

Now the Corcoran once again is embarked on the interrupted endeavor of reinvention, refocusing and refinancing.

The solution?

Much of the leadership is new. Thirteen of the 15 trustees joined the board after the Gehry flop. Bollerer is the second gallery director since Levy left, and, at 70, he plans to retire this year.

The new crowd is contemplating the most dramatic — skeptics say self-destructive — solution of all to the riddle of rethinking the Corcoran.

“The destiny of the Corcoran should not turn on the building it sits in, but on what it does,” said Harry Hopper, chairman of the trustees.

To Hopper, a venture capitalist and contemporary art collector who joined the board in 2005, the Corcoran’s identity crisis dates to 1937 and the founding of the National Gallery, while its credibility crisis has been compounded by the misadventures of 1989 and 2005.

“I would say the Corcoran’s life changed when Paul Mellon agreed to fund and drive the National Gallery to a different level and the Corcoran didn’t really respond to or understand that for decades,” Hopper said. “It hasn’t presented a crisp and clear position in the cultural marketplace. We’re working hard to change that.”

The board voted June 4 simply to consider selling the building and relocating, but Hopper says preliminary estimates suggest it would be significantly cheaper to go rather than stay. However, he would not disclose the estimated profit on selling the building nor the potential cost of developing new space elsewhere.

The Corcoran has received multiple offers, according to gallery officials who would not identify the buyers. The gallery is hiring brokers to sift the offers and scout relocation options.

“And at the same time, we’re open to other alternatives,” Hopper said. “For example, we have had partnership and joint venture discussions, and we remain open to those.”

He declined to say what other institutions participated in those discussions.

He added: “If a funding alternative reveals itself that takes us on a path to stay in the building, we would love that.”

Weighing relocation is just one piece of the puzzle. The board’s contemplated solution to the Corcoran’s identity crisis is to focus the mission more emphatically on education. What this means in practice remains to be seen, but Hopper said it could be accomplished more easily in a larger, more flexible space.