A $20 million makeover turned a D.C. school into a modern art museum
How to establish the first contemporary art museum in the nation’s capital...
Services Provided
- Analysis and strategic planning
- Brand positioning + constituency development
- Communications and media relations
- Digital strategy and social media
- Program strategy
- Sponsorship strategy
R+A’s campaign to launch the Rubell Museum DC traces back to the 2019 opening of the Rubell Museum Miami. Both institutions present exhibitions drawn from the Rubells’ unparalleled contemporary art collection. By creating greater public access to the collection, first in Miami and then DC, the campaign signaled a new chapter for the institution marked by a reinvigorated mission to serve as a public resource.
The campaign for the Rubell Museum DC was tailored to the unique conditions of opening a new cultural institution in DC, a city renowned for its many museums. Great care was also taken to engage the community around the restoration of Randall Junior High School, a historically Black public school that has been revitalized as a public resource with the Museum’s opening.
Impact
5K+
Visitors during opening weekend
1K+
Visitors per weekend on average
15%
Increase in Museum membership
- Generated significant media coverage reflecting positioning and advancing campaign goals
- Fostered relationships between media and Museum leadership, seeding ongoing interest and coverage
- Established long-term priority arts and culture, education, and civic relationships
- Drew opening and sustained visitor numbers that exceeded predictions
- Advised on website content and social media strategy
