Corcoran School of the Arts and Design at the George Washington University

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Corcoran School of the Arts and Design at the George Washington University

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Visit us virtually! See events, talks and performances online at go.gwu.edu/atcorcoran.
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The CORCORAN SCHOOL OF THE ARTS AND DESIGN at the George Washington University prepares its graduates to be the next generation of global leaders. Part of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, the school functions as an incubator for artists, designers and scholars, who learn from internationally renowned faculty at the intersection of creativity and social innovation. It is an academic experience like no other—inspiring students to research, create, and innovate with the potential to shape the world around them.

10/06/2026

🎉 Celebrating 50 years of Museum Studies at GW!

This October, reconnect with alumni, faculty, students, and friends as the GW Museum Studies Program marks its 50th anniversary with an afternoon reflecting on the people, ideas, and trends that have shaped the field over the past half century.

The program will feature Corcoran Director Laura Schiavo, current and emerita Museum Studies faculty, and program alumni discussing the evolution of museum practice and where the field is headed next.

📅 Saturday, October 17
⏰ 2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. program | 3:30 p.m. – 5 p.m. reception
📍 Flagg Building

Join us for the conversation and stay for a reception with light refreshments as we celebrate 50 years of the GW Museum Studies community.

RSVP at the link in our bio or visit go.gwu.edu/MuseumStudies50th

10/02/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us last night at the Corcoran's Flagg Building for the opening reception of A Gift in Motion, Cracks & Reforms: The 1920s Through the GW Collection, and Unfossilizing African Art. We loved celebrating this work with our community!

If you weren’t able to make it, there’s still plenty of time to visit. A Gift in Motion remains on view through December 5, while Cracks & Reforms and Unfossilizing African Art are open through December 12.

We hope to see you in the galleries!

09/24/2026

How can the design of a room support the people who use it?

Students in Interior Architecture Design Studio 4, taught by faculty members Jihyun Song and Melina Misri, are exploring that question this semester as they design a healthcare environment focused on both mental and physical health.

To better understand the people these spaces serve, the studio is bringing healthcare professionals into the classroom. Recently, students heard from Dr. Adam Rosen, a pediatric psychologist and doctoral alum of GW, about the relationship between the built environment and mental health, particularly in spaces designed for children.

Through discussion and role-playing exercises, students considered how a therapeutic space might respond to different ages and needs. For children, that can mean room to move, play, and explore. For families and clinicians, it can mean clear sightlines, safe distances, flexibility, and a space that supports difficult conversations.

The visit gave students a firsthand look at the many considerations that inform healthcare design and challenged them to think about how lighting, furniture, floor space, storage, sensory experiences, and even the ability of a room to change over time can contribute to psychological and physical well-being.

08/24/2026

Welcome back, Corcoran! 🎨📖 ✨

Today is the first day of classes and the start of a new academic year filled with opportunities to create, collaborate, experiment, and explore.

We’re excited to see our spaces come back to life and can’t wait to see what our students, faculty, and staff make possible this year.

07/01/2026

The Corcoran School of the Arts and Design is pleased to announce Laura Schiavo as its next director, effective July 1.

Schiavo currently serves as deputy director of the Corcoran and associate professor of museum studies. She will succeed Lauren Onkey, who will conclude her tenure as director on June 30 and continue at the Corcoran as a full-time professor of music.

An educator, scholar, and academic leader, Schiavo brings deep experience supporting students, faculty, and interdisciplinary work across the Corcoran. In her new role, she will continue to prioritize thoughtful space planning, student success, faculty research and creative practice, and the continued activation of the school’s spaces and partnerships.

We are grateful to Lauren for her leadership and service to the Corcoran, and we look forward to this next chapter under Laura's leadership.

Read more in GW Today and The GW Hatchet at the link in our bio.

Photo by William Atkins.

04/08/2026

Congratulations to Corcoran music professors Heather Stebbins and Ning Yu on the upcoming release of SPIRALS, out this Friday. 🎶

The duo’s debut recording emerges from collaborative improvisation and experimentation, using piano, effects pedals, and digital processing to create a work that blurs the line between acoustic and electronic sound. SPIRALS invites listeners into a richly layered sonic world shaped by curiosity, iteration, and shared discovery.

We’re proud to celebrate Heather and Ning and this exciting new release!

09/29/2025

✨ Opening October 2 ✨
Join us at the Corcoran School of the Arts & Design for the opening reception of Americas, the first in a two-part exhibition series presented in collaboration with For Freedoms.

Co-curated by Eric Gottesman and Susan Sterner, the exhibition brings together the photography of Wesaam Al-Badry and Peter van Agtmael to explore the myths, contradictions, and lived realities that shape the American story.

📍 Atrium, Flagg Building
🗓️ October 2, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. | Reception details at link in bio
🎟️ Free and open to the public | On view from Oct. 2 - Jan. 25

09/22/2025

🎨✨ This Wednesday, join us for a Research + Practice lecture and conversation with artist Nekisha Durrett, part of the For Freedoms Residency & Civic Arts Lab.

Durrett’s work delves into overlooked histories of Black life and imagination through public art, social practice, painting, sculpture, and design. Her expansive practice invites us to reflect on memory, history, and the stories that shape our communities.

This event is presented as the first installment of the American Realities: For Freedoms Town Halls.
📍 Flagg Building, Corcoran School of the Arts & Design
🕒 Free & open to the public

This event is presented as the first installment of the American Realities: For Freedoms Town Halls. Register at the link in our bio 🔗

07/01/2025

A lookback at NEXT 2025!🌟🎨
A celebration of art, expression, and creativity with projects ranging from the fields of Music and Dance to Interior Architecture, Graphic Design, Museum Studies, and more. This year, our students went above and beyond to showcase their talents in relation to the issues that matter most to them, and show us the power of art not only as a movement, but also a reflection of our past, present, and future.

05/09/2025

Don’t miss the final week of the NEXT Festival at the Corcoran! There’s still time to catch some incredible student work before it wraps up on May 16!

On view through the 16th: 🎨NEXT Exhibition – A campus-wide celebration of student creativity 🌍Once Known – Reclaiming and reimagining African heritage (Gallery 102) 🫟Subverting Their Standards – Bold challenges to societal norms by Daysia Barr & Dylan Reynolds (Gallery 206) 📸 [Un]Framed – Indigenous perspectives reframing historical photography (Luther W Brady Art Gallery – open through May 17!)

Join us in celebrating the next generation of artists, curators, performers, and thinkers.
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Address

500 17th Street NW
Washington D.C., DC
20006

Telephone

+12029941700

Website

http://corcoran.gwu.edu/

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