Museums Live in the Cultural Moment

Fall 2025 update from Vradenburg Director & CEO Jonathan P. Binstock. 

At this significant moment in our history, The Phillips Collection is pleased to present Out of Many: Reframing an American Art Collection, joining museums across the country in commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States. This milestone offers an important opportunity to reflect on how the arts foster greater understanding of our country’s sweeping and complex history and culture. Duncan Phillips understood museums as spaces not only for art appreciation, but also for dialogue, learning, and shared civic responsibility.  

Whatever their purview, museums live in the cultural moment and are always tasked with responding to it. Out of Many is the culmination of an ongoing, years-long research initiative. Guided by an advisory committee of distinguished scholars from the Howard University Gallery of Art, the David C. Driskell Center at the University of Maryland, and other esteemed institutions, this collaborative project exemplifies of how our museum approaches art-historical scholarship and questions of US identity. Our responsibility is to push the American story forward—to widen the lens and invite communities to contribute to that evolving understanding. Beyond this exhibition, we will continue to closely examine and contextualize the works in our collection and the museum’s history, recognizing the value of diverse perspectives and the ways scholarship and understanding evolve over time.  

In June, we welcomed Julie Garcia as our new board chair. Julie’s sincere love for the Phillips and her enthusiasm for helping the museum thrive have been invaluable to the institution since she became a trustee in 2018. I am also deeply appreciative of the leadership of our former board chair, John Despres, who played a critical role in supporting my transition, and the institution’s, when I began my tenure as Vradenburg Director early in 2023, as well as in shaping our new strategic plan.  

Phillips Music’s 85th season launched in September and has already presented many breathtaking concerts in our Music Room. The crowds continue to come for the many activities during Phillips after 5. In addition, I encourage you to visit our Staff Show—a Phillips tradition for more than 30 years—and be amazed by the extraordinary range of talent among our team. I hope you will join us for one of the artist’s talks.  

Thank you for supporting the arts, and I look forward to seeing you in the galleries soon.