Ribbon Cutting, Dedication Ceremony Held for City Museum of Washington, D.C.; Officials, Historical Society Celebrate Opening

5/15/2003

From: Ciaran Clayton, 202-887-0500 ext. 26 or Pamela Woolford, 202-383-1830 both for the City Museum of Washington D.C.

WASHINGTON, May 15 -- The Historical Society of Washington, D.C. held a ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony today to celebrate the opening of the City Museum of Washington, D.C. located in the Carnegie Library Building (801 K Street, between 7th and 9th Streets, NW). The City Museum is the only museum dedicated solely to the history of the nation's capital.

City officials including Mayor Anthony A. Williams, City Council Chair Linda W. Cropp, and City Councilemember Jack Evans and Dolores Kendrick, the poet laureate for the District of Columbia, helped the Historical Society and its friends and donors mark the special occasion with a ceremonial ribbon cutting in the Great Hall of the new City Museum.

During the ceremony, Barbara Franco, president and CEO of the Historical Society of Washington, D.C., expressed thanks to the unique design team consisting of the architectural firms Washington-based Devrouax & Purnell (D&P) and RKK&G Museum and Cultural Facilities Consultants of New York, and GSM Design of Montreal, Canada, which produced the City Museum's exhibits. Other firms that worked on the City Museum included Transwestern Commercial Services and Regan Associates as project managers, Lee & Lui Associates as landscape architects, the Clark Construction Group, Inc. as the pre-construction contractor and Nasuti & Hinkle advertising agency.

"I see so many familiar faces in the audience today and without your support and encouragement, our City Museum project would not have been possible," said Franco in her remarks. "For almost 110 years, the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. has collected, catalogued, restored, and shared the artifacts and documents of this unique city's history, and we now have a wonderful new building in which to showcase these items."

Construction on the Carnegie Library and City Museum began in October 2001. The project was funded by private donations, federal and local appropriations and grants. The Carnegie Library building was dedicated in January 1903 and served as Washington, D.C.'s central library for almost 70 years. The City Museum features exhibits that highlight the District's vivid past, including "Washington Perspectives," which features interactive displays and a giant lighted floor map of D.C. where visitors can pinpoint their home, workplace or school or historic places, "Washington Stories," a sometimes edgy, sometimes comical multimedia show, and two changing galleries opening with "Taking a Closer Look: Images from the Albert Small Collection, " which features historic maps and prints, and "From Sandlots to Stadiums: Sports and Community in Washington," a retrospective of sports in D.C.

Mayor Anthony A. Williams, Council Chair Linda W. Cropp and Councilmember Jack Evans provided remarks on what the opening of the City Museum means to Washington, DC.

Although she was unable to attend the ceremony, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton stated earlier that, "The District of Columbia has played a pivotal role in our national history and has fascinating, largely undiscovered, stories to tell. Our new City Museum finally provides us with a place to celebrate that history and tell these stories to residents and visitors."

Following the Dedication and Ribbon Cutting, the City Museum will continue its celebration into the weekend. On Friday, May 16, the City Museum officially opens to the public. At noon Friday, the City Museum continues its Lunchtime Music Series with an outdoor concert open to the public. In conjunction with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, the City Museum is sponsoring a citywide Scavenger Hunt on Saturday, May 17 beginning at 9 a.m. and concluding at RFK Stadium in time for a Washington Freedom and D.C. United doubleheader. On Sunday, May 18, the City Museum celebrates International Museum Day with an Open House featuring free admission to exhibits and the "Washington Stories" multimedia show and special programming for visitors of all ages.

City Museum opening week sponsors include Capital Community News, Charles E. Smith Residential, Clear Channel Communications, Comcast, DiamlerChrysler Corporation Fund, Hecht's, Hines Interests Limited Partnership, Horning Brothers, Starbucks, WAMU 88.5 FM, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, and the Washington Post.

EDITOR/REPORTER NOTE: Interviews and photo opportunities as well as exhibit photos and floor plans are available upon request. Please call Ciaran Clayton at 202-887-0500 ext. 26.

About the City Museum of Washington, D.C.

Located in the historic Carnegie Library building, the City Museum of Washington, D.C. will be the only museum dedicated solely to the history of the nation's capital. The City Museum will tell the stories of Washington's fascinating past, its neighborhoods and its people and encourage visitors to explore "off-the-Mall" historic sites. Managed by the Historical Society of Washington, D.C., the City Museum will feature a multimedia show, interactive exhibits, changing exhibits, community galleries, an education center with meeting space, an archaeology lab, a D.C. visitor information center, and a research library and reading room, in addition to a cafe and museum store.

About The Historical Society of Washington, D.C.

Founded in 1894, the Historical Society of Washington, D.C., is an educational institution working to promote knowledge of the past for better understanding of the future. The Historical Society seeks to make the city's history accessible and understandable to a diverse public and to foster a sense of identity, place and pride for Washingtonians. In addition to managing the City Museum, the Historical Society offers a variety of public programs for children and adults and publishes the award-winning journal Washington History.