Andy Warhol's "Indian Head Nickel" (1986) hangs in the Four Seasons lobby.

New Art "Gallery" at Four Seasons Washington

Each time I travel, I’m reminded how spoiled we are in Washington by our museums and galleries. Think about it: they’re usually free; they hold world-renowned art; and they feature programs—after hours, during lunch, on weekends—that bring in the best minds for serious students of art, antiquity and history.

And then there are those venues where you discover art in the most serendipitous ways.

One new spot on my list: Four Seasons Hotel Washington.

The luxury hotel that sits alongside the C&O Canal in Georgetown has just unveiled a new “gallery” that showcases 1,650 pieces of art, including original works by Andy Warhol, Robert Mangold and Andrei Petrov.

When we think of art in public spaces—if we think of it at all—it’s usually centered around color schemes or capturing the geographic pitch of what lies outside. In short, the investment is in square inches and not necessarily much to contemplate.

That wasn’t the intent here, as guests will immediately encounter a commissioned series by British artist Roni Stretch in the hotel’s redesigned lobby. Stretch, who lives in Los Angeles, gives us five faces of America: from American Indian to French/Russian. The abstract works are painted in black and white and layered in two tones of gray, green and white.

Now, about that Warhol…it’s a rare 1986 screen print trial proof “Indian Head Nickel,” and guests can find it, appropriately enough, before entering the business center adjacent to the lobby.

The new collection, like the hotel’s design, is decidedly contemporary and heavily representative of American artists. 

Four Seasons offers a Patron of the Arts package, which includes a pre-theater dinner for two at Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak, accommodations and overnight parking.

Michael McCarthy is the editor in chief of Washington Flyer. He can be reached at mmccarthy@tmgcustommedia.com.