American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center

American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center Dedicated to local, international, and political art. Wednesday-Sunday 11:00AM-4:00PM.

Housed in the dynamic and multidisciplinary Katzen Arts Center, the American University Museum builds its programming on the strengths of a great college and great university. We focus on international art because American University has a global commitment. We show political art because the university is committed to human rights, social justice, and political engagement. We support the artists i

n our community because the university takes an active and responsible role in the formation of our contemporary art and culture. We present exhibitions that mirror American University’s aspiration to be the premier Washington-based, global university. Our programming puts the best art of our region in a national and international context. Our collections enable us to present the art history of Washington, while our Kunsthalle attitude brings the most provocative art of our time to our place.

Vintage Dr. Gonz* was serenaded with everything from 'Tainted Love' to 'Under the Sea' by the talented staff  members of...
12/26/2024

Vintage Dr. Gonz* was serenaded with everything from 'Tainted Love' to 'Under the Sea' by the talented staff members of the American University Arts team -- whose holiday party took place earlier this month. We think he liked it.

From all of us to all of you - happy holidays! ☃️

*The sculpture "Vintage Dr. Gonz" is from the recent exhibition "Ralph Steadman: And Another Thing" at the American University Museum.

💡 The AU Museum Fall Exhibition Cycle closes today, December 8 at 4pm. Great shows and lots of press coverage - thank yo...
12/08/2024

💡 The AU Museum Fall Exhibition Cycle closes today, December 8 at 4pm. Great shows and lots of press coverage - thank you so much for visiting! Join us when we re-open February 8 with new shows 🎨 🎨 🎨... see you then!

One last review for the road! Read The Wall Street Journal's take on Ralph Steadman and political satire. See "Ralph Ste...
12/07/2024

One last review for the road! Read The Wall Street Journal's take on Ralph Steadman and political satire. See "Ralph Steadman: And Another Thing" before it closes this Sunday, December 8th! https://ow.ly/I50h50UmA5O

Our fabulous Fall 2024 Exhibition Cycle comes to a close Sunday, December 8th. Which show has been your favorite?*Ralph ...
12/06/2024

Our fabulous Fall 2024 Exhibition Cycle comes to a close Sunday, December 8th. Which show has been your favorite?

*Ralph Steadman: And Another Thing
Ralph Steadman (Artist)

*Joseph Holston: Call and Response
Joseph Holston (Artist)

*Endless Transformations: The Alchemy of Connie Imboden
Connie Imboden (Artist)

*Faces of the Republican Party
Jeff Gates (Artist)

*New American Landscapes
Mark Kelner (Artist)

*in the center thereof rose a fountain
Mira Hecht (Artist)

FLUX II: Light on Water
Pegan Brooke (Artist)

"Gate's digital portraits are a fascinating combination of familiarity and revulsion. The intensity of the hues and text...
12/06/2024

"Gate's digital portraits are a fascinating combination of familiarity and revulsion. The intensity of the hues and textures in these portraits lures me into the maelstrom of psychological and emotional energy these political operatives represent. It's like an element of the sublime--I can't look away!"
-Jonathan Ellis

🎓The Alper Initiative for Washington Art at the AU Museum aims to promote an appreciation of our region's art and artists. Jonathan Ellis is an Alper Fellow and a graduate student in the AU Art History department.

See "Jeff Gates: Faces of the Republican Party" before it closes December 8.
Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz Accused Insurrectionists of Being Antifa Disguised as Trump Supporters, 2022.

Defending Florida’s New Education Curriculum, Governor Ron DeSantis Agreed That Slavery Led Many Blacks to Learn Essential Skills “For Personal Benefit,” 2022.

Project 2025’s Kevin Roberts: “We Are in the Process of the Second American Revolution, Which Will Remain Bloodless if the Left Allows It to Be,” 2024.

Jeff Gates, artist. All images are digital prints, 23 x 16 in.

Sharing JAZZ EVENT TONIGHT 12/5 - 5:30-8:30 - at Amy Kaslow Gallery in Bethesda which is hosting a Joseph Holston exhibi...
12/05/2024

Sharing JAZZ EVENT TONIGHT 12/5 - 5:30-8:30 - at Amy Kaslow Gallery in Bethesda which is hosting a Joseph Holston exhibit concurrent with ours.

We appreciate all the national attention "Ralph Steadman: And Another Thing" has gotten - but so nice to also see this M...
12/05/2024

We appreciate all the national attention "Ralph Steadman: And Another Thing" has gotten - but so nice to also see this Mark Jenkins article giving some of our other Fall '24 Exhibition Cycle shows some �. Read about Connie Imboden, Mira Hecht, Pegan Brooke, and Joseph Holston in and make sure to stop by and see their shows before they close December 8th!
https://ow.ly/XPAR50UlpkW

Mira Hecht on her work “Invisible Veil: Vibrance”“[This is] one of five paintings in my exhibition now on view at AU Mus...
12/04/2024

Mira Hecht on her work “Invisible Veil: Vibrance”

“[This is] one of five paintings in my exhibition now on view at AU Museum that has a grid under structure. This is one of my ‘white’ paintings, a color I enjoy working with for many reasons… I think one because of its difficulty and another is that I want the viewer to search for the image. The subtlety of the work plays with the viewers perception similar to what happens when viewing the black paintings of Ad Reinhardt.”

See Mira Hecht's show "in the center thereof rose a fountain" before it closes this weekend, December 8!
Mira Hecht, Intangible Veil: Vibrance, 2024. Graphite and oil on canvas, 32 in x 28 in. Courtesy of Addison Ripley Fine Art.
Photograph by Brandon Webster.

This Giving Tuesday, consider including American University Museum in your end of year donation plans.AU Museum is commi...
12/03/2024

This Giving Tuesday, consider including American University Museum in your end of year donation plans.

AU Museum is committed to presenting art and ideas that are fresh, relevant, and thought provoking. Your support allows our programming to be free and open to all.
https://ow.ly/WCPH50Ukf5y..

Come by the second floor of the AU Museum to see one of Alper Fellow Amy Abraham's  favorite paintings in person."This p...
11/30/2024

Come by the second floor of the AU Museum to see one of Alper Fellow Amy Abraham's favorite paintings in person.

"This painting engages all the senses for me. I can hear the rushing water of the falls, feel the cool mist, and the tactile roughness of the stratified rock. These elements, combined with the irregular, natural positioning of the trees, remind me of many waterfalls I've seen in the Appalachians."

🎓An Alper Fellow is an Art History graduate student recipient of a fellowship associated with the Alper Initiative for Washington Art at the American University Museum.
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DeWitt Clinton Boutelle, Trenton Falls near Utica, New York, Oil on canvas, 50 ½ x 40 in., 1876, Gift from the Trustees of the Corcoran Gallery of Art.

From the current exhibit "A Sight to Behold: The Corcoran Legacy Collection of Nineteenth and Early Twentieth-Century American Landscape Paintings at the American University Museum" (ends 12/8)

Check out Alper Fellow Jonathan Ellis's pick from our critically acclaimed exhibition 'Ralph Steadman: And Another Thing...
11/29/2024

Check out Alper Fellow Jonathan Ellis's pick from our critically acclaimed exhibition 'Ralph Steadman: And Another Thing'...

"Ralph Steadman's work "A fantasy of Paradise" excites my eyes with it exquisite draughtmanship and use of color. Looking deeper, the subtle humor, sarcasm and awareness in his social commentary reminds me of Honore Daumier and stimulates my thinking!"

See it before it ends December 8!
Ralph Steadmam, A Fantasy of Paradise, 1983, Pen and ink on paper, 59 x 84 cm. (detail)

🎓An Alper Fellow is an Art History graduate student recipient of a fellowship associated with the Alper Initiative for Washington Art at the American University Museum.

Could this painting from our current "Sight to Behold" Corcoran Legacy exhibition be any more Thanksgiving-y? 🦃 🍁 🥧Even ...
11/28/2024

Could this painting from our current "Sight to Behold" Corcoran Legacy exhibition be any more Thanksgiving-y? 🦃 🍁 🥧

Even though the image has no link to the song, you can almost hear the words when you look at it...

Over the river and through the woods,
To grandmother's house we go;
The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh,
Through white and drifted snow!

Happy Thanksgiving from the AU Museum staff!
Edward Willis Redfield, Road to Lumberville, 1930/1935. Oil on canvas, unframed: 21 1/2 x 19 1/2 inches. Gift from the Trustees of the Corcoran Gallery of Art (Bequest of James Parmelee).

⏰ The countdown is ON! Just two more weekends before all our fall shows CLOSE DECEMBER 8. Don't miss them! We're open Sa...
11/28/2024

⏰ The countdown is ON! Just two more weekends before all our fall shows CLOSE DECEMBER 8. Don't miss them! We're open Saturday and Sunday Thanksgiving weekend. https://ow.ly/q2sV50Uanfq
Ralph Steadman: And Another Thing; New American Landscapes; Faces of the Republican Party; Endless Transformations: The Alchemy of Connie Imboden: Pegan Brooke: FLUX II, Light on Water; in the center thereof rose a fountain; A Sight to Behold: Landscape Paintings from the Corcoran Legacy Collection; Joseph Holston: Call and Response

We understand that the holidays can stir up many emotions! Check out why this artwork by Connie Imboden is one of Alper ...
11/27/2024

We understand that the holidays can stir up many emotions! Check out why this artwork by Connie Imboden is one of Alper Fellow Jessica Ban's favorite pieces.

“Rage is rarely allowed to be beautiful. But here, it’s raw, unrestrained, unapologetic—and within that, beautiful. In this silent scream, there’s a release, a power that refuses to be mitigated or softened. In the end, it’s not just about anger; it’s about the strength in letting go. By baring everything one has been told to keep quiet about, Imboden captures more than a moment; she captures a force—a collective and individual release.”

Endless Transformations: The Alchemy of Connie Imboden ends Dec. 8

🎓An Alper Fellow is an Art History graduate student receiving a fellowship associated with the Alper Initiative for Washington Art at the American University Museum.
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Connie Imboden. Untitled (5978), 1994, Gelatin Silver Print, 35 1/2 x 43 1/2 in. Ed. 3/5

Check out "Beacons of Capitalism Become Painterly in New American Landscapes" - a new review in the Washington City Pape...
11/26/2024

Check out "Beacons of Capitalism Become Painterly in New American Landscapes" - a new review in the Washington City Paper. https://ow.ly/uWRY50UfxCK

See this exhibit by Mark Kelner at AU Museum before it closes December 8!

Thank you to everyone who came to Joseph Holston's talk on Saturday, November 16! If you missed it, the recording of the...
11/25/2024

Thank you to everyone who came to Joseph Holston's talk on Saturday, November 16! If you missed it, the recording of the talk is available on our YouTube channel, and there is still time to see the show in person.

Joseph Holston's Call and Response is on view until December 8, 2024.

Link to Youtube recording: https://youtu.be/GGJu5Lwdbfg?si=f7YWYQdbDOQ0vMos

Thank you to everyone who attended our Kids @ Katzen event last Saturday, November 16.  Stop by the museum anytime and a...
11/24/2024

Thank you to everyone who attended our Kids @ Katzen event last Saturday, November 16. Stop by the museum anytime and ask the gallery attendants for the museum passport activity for your kids! Keep an eye out for more Kids @ Katzen events in the future 👀

Read why our Alper fellow, Jessica Ban, loves Connie Imboden's work and why you should be at tomorrow's gallery talk: "I...
11/22/2024

Read why our Alper fellow, Jessica Ban, loves Connie Imboden's work and why you should be at tomorrow's gallery talk:

"I love how Connie Imboden reinterprets the classic subject of the reclining woman. In this image, she feels both physically and mentally wrapped in her own thoughts. The figure occupies a private, introspective space, resisting the traditional gaze that might seek to objectify her. Her closed-off posture invites us into an intimate moment that feels personal rather than performative, as she asserts her control over what is revealed. This photograph offers us an idea of personal sanctuary, where looking transforms into an encounter with one’s inner world, rather than a spectacle for external consumption."

The Alper Initiative for Washington Art at the AU Museum aims to promote an appreciation of our region's art and artists. Jessica Ban is an Alper Fellow and a graduate student in the Art History department at AU.

Endless Transformations: The Alchemy of Connie Imboden is on view until December 8, 2024.
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Connie Imboden, Untitled (1894), 1988, Gelatin Silver Print, 13 3/4 x 17 5/8 in. Ed. 9/25

Address

4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington D.C., DC
20016

Opening Hours

Wednesday 11am - 4pm
Thursday 11am - 4pm
Friday 11am - 4pm
Saturday 11am - 4pm
Sunday 11am - 4pm

Telephone

+12028851300

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