May #Phillips95 Challenge: Architects of Design

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(left) Piet Mondrian Painting No. 9, between 1939 and 1942. Oil on canvas, 31 3/8 x 29 1/4 in. Gift from the estate of Katherine S. Dreier, 1953. The Phillips Collection, Washington, DC (right) Photo: Emily Conforto

We’re celebrating our 95th anniversary with a year of monthly challenges and giveaways! This month’s challenge takes inspiration from Piet Mondrian’s Painting No. 9, at left above. The ample white areas can be read as either flat surface or limitless space, and the colors, placed near the edge, draw the eye away from the center. As a result, the image hovers, as though weightless, in timeless silence or suspended energy. Mondrian believed that colors expressed spiritual light as well as emotion.

YOUR CHALLENGE: Explore your city’s architecture with Mondrian’s concepts in mind. Take a photo of your favorite building and share with #Phillips95 for a chance to win two tickets (+ two free drinks!) to Phillips after 5 on June 2. We’ll announce winners May 25.

January #Phillips95 Challenge: Lightplay

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Installation view of Ellsworth Kelly’s 2013 exhibition at The Phillips Collection. Photo: Lee Stalsworth

For the first monthly #Phillips95 social media challenge of the year, we’re taking inspiration from Ellsworth Kelly, who passed away at the age of 92 last month. Among his many contributions to the art world, Kelly was known for blurring the lines between painting, drawing, and sculpture, creating irregularly shaped canvases, layered reliefs, and engaging light and shadow as elements in his work.

YOUR CHALLENGE: Take a photo that plays with light and shadow and share it with #Phillips95 for a chance to win two tickets (+ two free drinks!) to Phillips after 5: Opposites Attract on February 4. We’ll announce winners Jan. 19. NOTE: we can only see your submissions if your account is public.

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Depending on the time of day it’s viewed, Kelly’s Untitled (EK927) can be a completely different visual experience. (left: Lee Stalsworth; right: Instagrammer @bedspring)

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Visitors @papershadow and @riotmary found moments of lightplay in and around the Phillips on their trips to the museum.

We’re Turning 95!

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(left) Photo: Alexander Morozov for Photography By Alexander (center) Photo courtesy The Phillips Collection (right) Photo: Alexander Morozov for Photography By Alexander

This year, our 95th anniversary, marks five years to The Phillips Collection’s centennial in 2021. Help us kick off the countdown! There are lots of ways to celebrate:

Join us for a 95th anniversary signature event.
We’re highlighting some of our best programs, events, and performances throughout the year, and wasting no time jumping in. Attend one of the three signature events this month (ring in the New Year at Phillips after 5, and hear from artist Genesis P-Orridge or author Christopher Rothko on his new book about his father), and check the Phillips’s event page for more as the year unfolds.

Participate in a #Phillips95 challenge for a chance to win prizes.
Each month, we’ll issue a #Phillips95 social media challenge. It will change every time—there might be one grand prize winner or 95 winners; sometimes the first to respond wins and sometimes the winner will be randomly selected. Prizes range from admission tickets to memberships to gift bags and more. Check back here and any of our social media for instructions each month.

Visit us on your birthday for free admission.
To thank you for helping us celebrate our birthday, it’s only fair that we celebrate yours! Visit the museum on your birthday in 2016 and receive free admission. Present a valid ID at the admissions desk to redeem.