Phillips @THEARC Brings Arts-Infused Services to Southeast Washington, DC
New campus for The Phillips Collection now open
WASHINGTON—Phillips@THEARC,
Created with community partners, the new Phillips services aim to enhance the museum’s track record of engaging DC residents.
Opened in 2005, THEARC is a vital community center that provides high quality programs and services to children and adults living east of the Anacostia River through its resident partners. In 2014, THEARC announced a major expansion, inviting new partners—including The Phillips Collection—to have a permanent home in a new building. Since the building broke ground in October 2015, the Phillips has been working closely with THEARC and community organizations and stakeholders to determine how the museum can make a vital, ongoing contribution to its community.
The Phillips Collection’s new campus at the Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC), is now open. Phillips@THEARC will offer Southeast DC residents art and wellness programs, as well as K-12 arts integration for partner schools.
Phillips@THEARC stems directly from the Phillips’s mission and strategic goals. “With our centennial approaching in 2021, The Phillips Collection seeks more meaningful, lasting community relationships and programs that resonate with DC area residents. Our hope is that this new creative space combined with our 30 years of experience developing arts-integrated education provides creative support and an opportunity for dialogue among the Southeast DC community,” says Director Dorothy Kosinski. “We are co-creating Phillips@THEARC with the Southeast DC community, and it responds to community needs for wellness and education services through innovative creative expression.”
CO-CREATED WITH THE COMMUNITY
The Phillips is co-creating with THEARC partners and community organizations including Children’s National Medical Center, Levine Music, Double Nickels Theatre, Washington School for Girls, and Turner Elementary School (DCPS). All programs stem from the museum’s long-term Community Advisory Committee Initiative launched in fall 2015. Made up of THEARC partner organizations, Southeast DC stakeholders, and Phillips staff, the advisory group identified and assessed community needs, provided in-depth insights on goals, preliminary programming, and the design of the facility.
Phillips@THEARC—the Creativity Workshop and the Living Room Gallery—is located at 1901 Mississippi Ave, SE, Washington, DC, 20020, and winter hours are Monday through Friday, 2–4 pm. Currently on view is Belonging: Stories from the Seafarers Yacht Club of Washington, DC, celebrating the achievements and ongoing contributions of the first African American Yacht Club in the United States.
Learn more about Phillips@THEARC: http://www.phillipscollection.org/thearc