Where can you see original artwork, have tea, catch a concert and get married? Answer: the mansion at Strathmore.
The beautiful century-old mansion is an oasis from the frenetic activity of the nearby Rockville Pike and Interstate 270, shielded from the sight and sound of the roads by lush foliage and an expansive green lawn. Riding up the sloping driveway to the top of the hill on Strathmore’s 11-acre site, the mansion rises into view.
The brick mansion has a myriad of uses, with three art galleries spread over two of its stories and a sculpture garden encompassing the back and side yards. Exhibits in the galleries change about every six weeks, and the mansion hosts around 22 different exhibitions a year. This is great news for the art collector, since almost every piece of art in all 22 shows is available for purchase.
Eliot Pfanstiehl, the Strathmore president, has a favorite exhibition. “‘Common Bond X’ is fascinating,” Pfanstiehl said, referring to an exhibition by African-American artists, which started in 1996. The four founding artists — John P. Beckley, Richard Fitzhugh, Barbara Hardaway and Wayland House — found they had a “common bond” in that each had attended Howard University. Each year more African-American artists were invited to be a part of “Common Bond X,” and the exhibition grew into the show it is today. It left the gallery on July 15, but will return next summer. Upcoming exhibitions include the cartoonist Kevin Kallaughers “Mightier Than the Sword: The Satirical Pen of KAL” in September, and 50 paintings of the Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association in January 2007.
The gift shop is full of art-themed products, with books, colorful scarves, umbrellas and jewelry being just a few of the wares available. Just outside the gift shop is the invitational gallery, which is made up of specially selected pieces from a variety of artists.
There is even more original artwork upstairs in the Gudelsky Gallery, which occupies what was once the bedroom of a nunnery. The nuns of the Order of the Holy Cross later moved to an adjacent property, where they founded the Holy Cross School, but thanks to the care they took of the building, there remain original marble fireplaces and moldings.
Outside the mansion is its fourth gallery: the Strathmore Sculpture Garden, which is spread out over the Strathmore’s 11 acres and includes more than 20 pieces of sculpture. All different media are represented, including steel, clay, stone, wood and bronze, and the sculptures are presented year-round.
ART IS NOT the mansion’s only attraction. Those who adore the sophistication of formal tea need look no further than the mansion’s 100-seat Dorothy M. Shapiro Music Room.
Every Tuesday and Wednesday at 1 p.m., visitors can enjoy a full tea with live classical music. Scones, pastries and the Strathmore’s very own Signature Blend Tea are among the items on the menu. Visitors can nibble on their finger sandwiches while they take in the antique organ pipes which are still in place in the room. It is a good idea to call ahead for a reservation.
The mansion also has a diverse concert calendar with its “Artist in Residence” and “Music in the Mansion” programs. The “Artist in Residence” program allows local music fans to see the development of an up-and-coming local artist over the span of a month — Walt Whitman High School graduate Andy Luse, a talented piano player, was a Strathmore artist in residence earlier this year. The month’s artist performs a concert on the first Wednesday of their month, then again on the last. Tickets are only $10 for these concerts.
Internationally and nationally recognized artists regularly perform at the Strathmore mansion through the “Music in the Mansion” program. Some upcoming concerts include flutist Gary Schocker performing “Back to School” on Sept. 21 and Sharona Joshua performing on the Strathmore’s own 150-year-old piano on Oct. 12. Both concerts are in the Dorothy M. Shapiro Music Room as well.
THE MANSION IS a popular site for couples to exchange their vows. Between the mansion and the concert hall, Strathmore hosts more than 100 weddings a year. A visit to the mansion makes the attraction clear — many are sold after a look at the grand staircase, where a blushing bride could make her entrance. Among other perks, the mansion boasts a private, marbled bathroom for the bride, along with a suite in which the couple may select everything from place settings to floral arrangements.
The mansion isn’t just for adults, however. Two different camp programs are offered for children: Fine Arts Camps and Plein Air Workshops. The Fine Arts camps run the first two weeks of August and instruct children in a variety of different art media. These half-day camps are for children ages 5-10. The Plein Air programs are workshops that run for three days in July. These workshops are for children ages 11-12 and teach them how to paint outdoors.
The Strathmore mansion is a gem waiting to be discovered, and easily accessible by car or by Metro, with the Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro next door. With its wide array of events and programs, every visitor is likely to find something to enjoy at the mansion.