Rubell Museum Opens in Washington D.C. with Inaugural Exhibition 'What's Going On'

The Rubell Museum has opened a new location in Washington D.C., housed in the former Randall Junior High School, a historically Black school founded in 1906 where Marvin Gaye studied. The inaugural exhibition, titled 'What's Going On' after Marvin Gaye's song, features over 190 works by 37 artists from the Rubell collection, including El Anatsui, Carrie Mae Weems, John Waters, Purvis Young, Jenny Holzer, and Keith Haring. The museum is directed by Juan Roselione-Valadez (Miami) and Caitlin Berry (D.C.), with the Rubell family—Mera, Don, and son Jason—overseeing the project. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008 and underwent a minimalist restoration led by architect Hany Hassan of Beyer Blinder Belle. The museum offers free admission to D.C. residents and features local artist Sylvia Snowden. It is located on the same street as the family's hotel, opened in 2002. The Rubell Museum aims to bring contemporary art to a city competing with New York and Baltimore, and is part of a broader gentrification effort in the neighborhood, including the adjacent Gallery 64 condominium. The collection focuses on painting, sculpture, and photography, excluding digital and video art. The museum plans collaborations, performances, and concerts.