Judge allows Corcoran to split into two institutions allowing museum to stay afloat

Corcoran Gallery of Art

A D.C. Superior Court judge gave the green light Monday to split the Corcoran Gallery of Art into two institutions, giving momentum to a plan that gives George Washington University control over the art and design college and the National Gallery of Art much of the Corcoran’s 17,000-piece art collection. 

Judge Robert Okun, who issued the ruling, wrote in his statement that he found the decision difficult to make but could find no reasonable alternative to keep Washington’s oldest private art museum afloat in a sea of debt. 

“This court finds it painful to issue an order that effectively dissolves the Corcoran as an independent entity,” Okun wrote. “But this court would find it even more painful to deny the relief requested and allow the Corcoran to face its likely demise — the likely dissolution of the college, the closing of the gallery, and the dispersal of the gallery’s entire collection.”

The decision is a fatal blow against Save the Corcoran, an advocacy group composed of students and faculty who sought to keep the institution independent.  

George Washington University, however, has announced that Corcoran students’ tuition will remain at a similar level, below the university’s rate, according to The Washington Post. About 25 Corcoran staff members will be let go before the new school year, but another 20 will have new jobs at the National Gallery of Art, The Post reported.

The current gallery will undergo a series of repairs, and the new museum, named the “Corcoran Contemporary, National Gallery of Art,” will have about 40 percent as much space as the current museum, according to the Post. It will exhibit contemporary and modern art, with a “legacy gallery” of the Corcoran’s most famous works as a tribute to the gallery.  

The Corcoran will pay George Washington University $35 million to help cover building repairs and other costs. After the National Gallery of Art has chosen which art pieces to use, other Washington museums can incorporate the leftovers into their own collections, according to The Post. 

While members of Save the Corcoran lamented the upcoming changes, Corcoran lawyer Charles Patrizia, who lobbied for the merger, praised the decision.

“We are gratified by the court’s decision,” Patrizia said in a statement. “It assures that the Corcoran’s collection will be preserved, the College will be strengthened, and the Corcoran’s landmark Beaux Arts building will be restored, with exhibitions of contemporary art continuing.”