Acclaimed Exhibit "For the Record" Opens at the George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum

WASHINGTON (Oct 26, 2017)—The Historical Society of Washington, D.C.’s annual juried exhibit For the Record (Nov. 9, 2017 to March 2018) documents D.C.’s evolving urban landscape through the eyes of local artists. The exhibit will be presented at the George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum in Foggy Bottom while the Historical Society awaits the restoration of its headquarters at the Historic Carnegie Library on Mount Vernon Square.

 

Now in its third year, For the Record encourages artistic documentation of D.C.’s built environment. The exhibit provides exposure and recognition to local photographers and fine artists while raising funds to support the work of the Historical Society. 

 

The 2017 exhibition, For the Record: Picturing D.C., features 44 works capturing and interpreting eight neighborhoods, one in each of the city’s wards. The 25 artists chose among Howard Town/Pleasant Plains, Burleith/Georgetown, Palisades, Shepherd Park, Ivy City, Buzzard Point, Kenilworth, and Congress Heights. Cash prizes will be awarded for the top three photographs and top three non-photographs. An additional prize will be given to the work deemed best overall. 

 

Winners will be announced during an opening reception at the George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum on Wednesday, November 8, from 4:30 to 6:30 pm. The event is free and open to the public. 

 

Judging this year’s For the Record are Aaron Bryant, Curator of Photography and Visual Culture at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture; Bill Lebovich, historian and photographer; Samir Meghelli, Ph.D., Curator at the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum; and Jacquelyn D. Serwer, Ph.D., Chief Curator at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. 

Artworks in For the Record will be available for purchase online via dchistory.org. Proceeds will be shared by the artist and the programs of the Historical Society. 

 

The Historical Society of Washington, D.C., is a community-supported educational and research organization that collects, interprets, and shares the history of our nation's capital. Founded in 1894, the Historical Society serves a diverse audience through its collections, public programs, exhibitions, and publications. The Historical Society’s research library is temporarily located at the Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, while its home, the historic Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square, is undergoing restoration. To learn more, please visit dchistory.org. 

 

The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum is a cultural destination located in the heart of GW's Foggy Bottom Campus at 701 21st Street NW. Focused on art, history, and culture, it showcases The Textile Museum’s highly regarded textile collections from around the globe and the Albert H. Small Washingtoniana Collection of artifacts that trace the founding and evolution of our nation’s capital. Visit the museum’s website for the latest information on exhibitions and educational programs: www.museum.gwu.edu.