Diplomacy and Design in D.C.

This program is sold out. Please email thetrust@decorativeartstrust.org to join the waitlist. 

Thursday, January 9

Gathering at the Westin Washington D.C. City Center, we depart for a day of tours around the National Mall.

We head to architect John Russell Pope’s West Building at the National Gallery of Art to explore the heralded Kaufman Collection of American decorative arts, a promised gift from Linda Kaufman and her late husband, George. The gift includes superlative examples of 18th- and early-19th-century furniture, ceramics, and glass, displayed amidst the museum’s excellent collection of contemporary portraiture. Wendy Cooper, Curator Emerita of Furniture, Winterthur Museum, leads the tour, after which we enjoy a convivial lunch in the Garden Café.

Located in the U.S. Department of State’s Harry S. Truman Building in Washington, D.C., the Diplomatic Reception Rooms (DRR) are one of America’s most astonishing yet little-known treasures. Since their inception in 1961, the DRR have served as the setting for many accomplishments of American diplomacy that have guided the course of world history. The DRR are home to an unparalleled collection of more than 5,000 fine and decorative art objects from our nation’s founding era and formative decades.

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art (formerly known as the Freer-Sackler Gallery) houses exceptional collections, with more than 46,000 objects dating from the Neolithic period to today, including renowned holdings from China, Japan, Korea, South and Southeast Asia, the ancient Near East, and the Islamic world. The Freer Gallery of Art also presents a significant group of American works of art largely dating to the late 19th century and boasts the world’s largest collection of works by James McNeill Whistler, including the famed Peacock Room, which will be the focus of our visit.

Friday, January 10

Departing from the Westin Washington D.C. City Center, we head out for a day of tours stretching from the capital’s historic center up to its northwestern reaches.

We enjoy a tour of the Daughters of the American Revolution Museum, which contains one of Washington’s best decorative arts collections, including over 30,000 objects reflecting the material culture and social history of the United States prior to 1840, with particular strengths in furniture, costumes, quilts, and needlework. The museum is housed inside an impressive Beaux Arts complex anchored by Edward Pearce Casey’s Memorial Continental Hall (1910) and John Russell Pope’s Constitution Hall (1929).

The Gilded Age Anderson House, now home to the Society of the Cincinnati, was designed by the Boston firm of Little and Browne as the winter home of Larz Anderson, an American diplomat, and his wife, Isabel. The house is furnished with art and artifacts gathered by the Andersons during numerous trips around the world, including noteworthy European and Asian decorative arts. Larz was a devoted member of the Society, and Isabel gave the house and its contents to the organization following his death in 1937. The Society’s notable collection includes materials related to the Revolutionary War and its distinguished membership.

We continue for lunch at the nearby Sulgrave Club, considered the finest dining establishment of the capital’s many social clubs. We also have the chance to admire the building’s historic fabric. Located on Dupont Circle, the clubhouse is a Beaux Arts mansion built on Embassy Row as an entertaining venue for Herbert and Martha Blow Wadsworth to host dignitaries during Washington’s winter social season. The house was designed by architect George Cary, who, like the Wadsworths, hailed from upstate New York.

Taking advantage of opportunities offered at the Washington Winter Show, we spend the remainder of the afternoon and early evening at the Katzen Arts Center at American University. The Show is celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2025, and features a loan exhibition bringing together decorative arts from seven of the country’s most important historic houses, including: Anderson House, Gunston Hall, Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens, Mount Vernon, Stratford Hall, Tudor Place, and Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library. In addition to a tour of the show and loan exhibition, participants enjoy a special lecture, cocktail reception, and private shopping hour.

Included in Trip Cost: Meals and receptions as indicated in the itinerary. Roundtrip transportation will be provided on January 9-10 from the Westin Washington D.C. City Center. Parking is available for in-town participants. Guides and admissions as indicated in the itinerary.

Membership: You must be a Decorative Arts Trust member to register for this program. Members at the Dual level and above may register both household members. Members at the Benefactor level and above may register a nonmember guest.

Itinerary: The schedule outlined in this itinerary is contracted at this time but subject to change as necessary.

Participation: The trip is limited to a maximum of 25 members and requires a minimum of 15. The trip will be canceled if undersubscribed, and payments will be refunded.

Cancellations and Refunds: All cancellations received through Thursday, December 26, 2024, are subject to a full refund less a $50 administrative fee per person. Refunds will not be remitted for participants canceling after December 26, 2024.

Accommodations: Guests should indicate during registration if they would like the Decorative Arts Trust to secure accommodations on their behalf at the Westin Washington D.C. City Center (1400 M Street NW, Washington, D.C., 20005) at a rate of $229 per night plus taxes and fees. Out-of-town participants should plan to arrive in Washington on Wednesday, January 8, in order to be prepared to start the tour the following day at 9:00 am.