American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center

My soul is fed. I could spend the entire day here.

The American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center is a small but well-curated museum located in Washington, DC. The museum's permanent collection focuses on the art history of Washington, DC, but it also hosts rotating exhibitions of contemporary art from around the globe.

I had the opportunity to visit the museum today 07/21/23 and I was very impressed with the quality of the work on display. I particularly enjoyed the exhibitions by Leigh Wen, Rhoda Baer, and Pilar Albarracín. Wen's paintings are incredibly beautiful and her sculptures are both haunting and thought-provoking. Albarracín's installations are powerful and challenging, and they really made me think about the world around me in a new way. There was also an exhibition of photographs from Ukraine pre war. Which made it seem like a place that was still damaged from WWII.

The museum is also home to a number of educational resources, including a learning lab, a theater, and a variety of public programs. I would highly recommend visiting the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center if you are interested in contemporary art or the art history of Washington, DC.

Here are some additional thoughts on the four exhibitions I mentioned:

Leigh Wen: At One with the Elements I was really drawn to the way that Wen's paintings and sculptures capture the beauty and power of nature. Her work is both visually stunning and emotionally resonant.
Pilar Albarracín: Take a Knife and Open My Heart Albarracín's installations are incredibly powerful and thought-provoking. They challenge us to think about difficult issues such as gender, violence, and social injustice.

Rupert Garcia and the Chicano Art Movement: Prints and Posters from the Corcoran Legacy Collection This exhibition was a great introduction to the work of Rupert Garcia and the Chicano art movement. Garcia's work is both visually striking and politically engaged.

Glass Sculptures by Rhoda Baers Baers' glass sculptures are incredibly beautiful and intricate. They are also technically impressive, and they demonstrate the artist's mastery of her medium. The way she plays with light and Glass is impressive. Bonus was that I got a chance to meet the artist while I was there.

Overall, I had a great experience at the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center. The museum is home to a wide variety of high-quality art, and it offers a number of educational resources. I would highly recommend visiting the museum if you are interested in contemporary art or the art history of Washington, DC.

Beautiful space to see art. Modern building with large, open spaces. Has a nice shop that offers a good selection and reasonably priced objects
There are students about, so it appears to have classes there. Auditorium space, which I think is not related to the museum. I think they offer music and lectures.
Underground parking, free in the evening

Best looking DC area Museum and easily the one with the most diverse exhibitions as well as the only DC area museum to show area artists. Easy parking under the building.

The Katzen Museum is fighting hard for the top spot as my favorite place for art in DC. Yes it’s fighting the Hirshorn, it’s fighting NGA, it’s fighting Phillips and the like! The seasonal exhibits (Spring and Fall) are always curated with the highest attention to visual stimulation, engagement, with beautiful story telling. I’m always impressed and always want to be here. One of my favorite spots in the city

I've been here a bunch of times, three or more floors of art. Great when there's an art show opening (though people get trapped downstairs near the food and drink since you can't bring food or drink into the art space). My only suggestion would be for art opening talks to take place in an auditorium space instead of in the first floor next to the art.

In addition to curating spectacular exhibitions of Washington area artists, the display, hanging and lighting of each show is perfectly balanced. I've never entered this space and thought it was under or overhung, work was misplaced or badly lit. Everything is always exactly right.

Nice modern art exhibition. There's a cafeteria inside in case you want to have tea or coffee time with your friends