50 Years of Trailblazing Art in DC: The Second Decade (1985-1994)
1985
- April 2-May 11: “Art in Washington and Its Afro-American Presence: 1940-1970” documents the presence of African American art and artists in DC. It demonstrates how Black artists and their supporters contributed to raising racial awareness while advancing a modernist aesthetic in the District and beyond.
1987
- September 15-December 19: “War and Memory: In the Aftermath of Vietnam,” organized by WPA director Jock Reynolds and Philip Brookman, provides a framework for preserving historical memory, confronting and understanding differences, and moving America towards reconciliation after the Vietnam War.
1989
- July 20-August 13: “Robert Mapplethorpe: The Perfect Moment” opens at WPA after its presentation at the Corcoran Gallery of Art is cancelled following threats from the Federal Government of being defunded. It becomes a major flashpoint in the Culture Wars of the late 80s / early 90s and remains to this day WPA’s highest attended exhibition.
- September 14-December 9: “The Blues Aesthetic: Black Culture and Modernism” opens to great fanfare, reaching an audience of over 50,000 people during its national tour.
1993
- April 23-June 27: “Beyond Loss: Art in the Era of AIDS”
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Visit the links below to explore a small selection of some of the many highlights from WPA’s first five decades.
- 50 Years of Trailblazing Art in DC: The First Decade (1975-1984)
- 50 Years of Trailblazing Art in DC: The Second Decade (1985-1994)
- 50 Years of Trailblazing Art in DC: The Third Decade (1995-2004)
- 50 Years of Trailblazing Art in DC: The Fourth Decade (2005-2014)
- 50 Years of Trailblazing Art in DC: The Fifth Decade (2015-2024)
