Art Collection

Art For The People

Taste Test, David Opdyke, 2000-2001, painted plastic paper on wood
Taste Test, David Opdyke, 2000-2001, painted plastic paper on wood

Every day art comes alive in Washington, DC. In a city famed for its museums, the Walter E. Washington Convention Center is often called the “best kept secret” in the nation's capital. It houses the country’s largest public art collection outside of a museum, and the largest of any convention center nationwide. 

Visitors from around the world can feast their eyes on more than 130 works of art in the hallways, entrances and stairwells of the Convention Center. This diverse collection showcases the best of local and international artists, and includes one-of-a-kind sculptures, paintings, and photography. Pieces in the collection celebrate the human connection and the diversity of the District, highlighting the historic Shaw community, one of the city’s oldest African American neighborhoods.  Make sure to check out the collection the next time you are downtown.

Thank you for your continued interest in our curator-led tours of the permanent art collection installed throughout the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the July 1 and December 1, 2020, tours have been canceled.
 
For a peek at the collection, visit our YouTube channel to see Behind the Canvas, a virtual discussion featuring the curators and artists behind the $4 million art collection at the Convention Center.