The Corcoran Gallery was founded by Washington philanthropist William Wilson Corcoran in 1869. It was originally situated at the corner of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, but rapid growth forced the relocation of the Gallery in 1897 to its present location between New York Avenue and West Potomac Park. A fine example of French Beaux Arts design with Greek inspired details, the Corcoran was designed by Ernest Flagg. Flagg, who also designed the Singer Office Building in New York and the Annapolis Naval Academy, attended the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. When the Gallery opened at its new location in 1897, President Cleveland attended the inauguration. Throughout its history, the Corcoran Gallery has contributed significantly to the advancement of American art through its policy of exhibiting and interpreting contemporary American Art. The Gallery also houses a comprehensive early American collection that reflects a variety of subject matter and range of expressions demonstrating the development of American art.

http://www.corcoran.org/exhibitions