The design movement that takes its name from the 1925 Paris Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes set trends in all aspects of the decorative arts. Now, more than 75 years later, Art Deco is appreciated as one of the classic design movements of the 20th century. You can be a part of this renaissance, recognizing the Deco era by joining the Art Deco Society of Washington.
Since its founding in the fall of 1982, the Art Deco Society of Washington has led the effort to save important Washington-area Art Deco architecture. Most notably among these are:
* The Silver Theatre and the Silver Spring Shopping Center (After a 20-year struggle led by ADSW, the theater was restored by the American Film Institute and reopened in 2003. Restoration of the shopping center is scheduled for completion in 2004.)
* The Greyhound Terminal, now known as 1100 New York Avenue (ADSW led the successful fight to achieve landmark designation, rehabilitation, and reuse)
* The Greenbelt Center School (now restored and reused as the Greenbelt Community Center, thanks to ADSW)
* The Hecht Company Warehouse on New York Avenue (a restored historic landmark, thanks to ADSW)
ADSW holds regular programs celebrating the design, dance, film, and music of the era. You can count on a variety of lively, educational, educational tours, lectures, slide shows, and much more. Programs have featured:
* Bus tours of Washington-area Art Deco architecture
* Behind the scenes visits to local Art Deco sites, such as the Pope-Leighey House, the Kennedy Warren Apartments, the Greenbelt Community Center, and the Silver Theatre and Cultural Center.
* Lectures on topics such as Washington's Art Deco monuments and memorials, painter Tamara de Lempika, and New York Art Deco.
* Docent-led tours of exhibits on Art Deco-era art and architecture at area museums.
* Lectures and discussions on Art Deco era collectibles.
