Frederick
P. Ognibene is a Washington, DC-based collector of contemporary art who
for decades has has been an avid supporter of artists and arts
organizations in the District. He is respected and loved by many for his
unflappable loyalty to causes he believes in, his optimism, his
kindness and compassion, and his extraordinary knowledge of the history
of local contemporary art.
"Fred's encyclopedic
knowledge of the people and events involved in the DC contemporary arts
scene is testament to his dedication to that community, for decades
now."
-Jim Ritter, WPA Chair
When he stepped
down from the Washington Project for the Arts' (WPA) Board of Directors
last summer, Fred was its longest serving member. He first joined the
Board of Directors in 1995-just prior to the organization's merger with
the Corcoran Gallery of Art. He co-chaired the annual WPA/Corcoran's art
auction for three consecutive years (1997-99). From 2011 to 2013, he
served as the WPA's Chair. Though no longer on the Board of Directors,
he remains committed to the WPA, as evidenced by his serving as a
co-chair of this year's WPA Auction Gala.
"Fred is
a pillar of the DC contemporary arts community and we are lucky to have
had his energy, time, and commitment for the last almost twenty years."
-Kim Ward, past WPA Chair
Fred
began collecting contemporary art in 1984 and is an avid supporter of
emerging and mid-career artists. Today, his collection includes nearly
350 works by local, national, and international artists. He takes much
pride in getting to know the artists whose work he owns.
"Do
you know the simultaneous thrill and comfort of being in Fred
Ognibene's presence? I do, and I am proud to be one of the many artists
he has known and supported for more than a decade. May we all lead lives
as visionary, vibrant, and hard fought as Fred's and Alice Denney's."
-Maggie Michael, artist, Washington, DC
In
addition to his service to WPA and his collecting, Fred Ognibene has
supported Washington, DC's art community in other ways. He has also
served on the Board of Directors of the Cultural Development Corporation
of DC as well as on its Arts Incubator ("Flashpoint") Committee. He is a
past member of the Hirshhorn Contemporary Acquisitions Council and its
Curators' Circle. He has served on the Host Committee of (e)merge Art
Fair in Washington, DC and was recently asked to become a member of the
inaugural Host Committee for Untitled Art, San Francisco, in 2017. Many
works in his collection have been loaned to museums and other arts
organizations for their exhibitions and he has donated works to the
permanent collection of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.
"Fred's collection is both profound and critical. And he has inspired others to become more courageous in what they collect."
-Jason Gubbiotti, artist, Paris, France
Fred
Ognibene resides in Washington, DC. He works at the National Institutes
of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, where he is the NIH Clinical Center's
Deputy Director for Educational Affairs and Strategic Partnerships. He
holds a MD degree from Cornell University Medical College and a BA in
Biology magna cum laude from the University of Rochester.
