ABSTRACT
The Corcoran Gallery of Art (founded 1869) and the College of Art + Design (founded in 1890 as the Corcoran School of Art) comprised two intertwined halves of the same institution until the Corcoran was dissolved in 2014. In the final three years of their existence the two entities developed and maintained the most strategic, dynamic, and effective collaboration of their shared history. This flourishing partnership involving education programs, exhibitions, curriculum development, and outreach directly and dynamically impacted Corcoran students, faculty, museum and college staff, volunteers, and the greater Washington, D.C. community. Each of these constituent groups shared their skills, talents, and knowledge in what was described as “creative exchange.” In this essay, the authors present highlights from the most significant and impactful collaborations, which took place from 2011–2014.
