Helping to save the historic Washington Canoe Club!

My painting of this Potomac architectural treasure!

I recently had the honor of being commissioned to do a painting of the famous Washington Canoe Club. Nestled in a wooded setting on the shores of the Potomac River, the Club is part of the Georgetown neighborhood.  I thought you might be interested in seeing this painting and in learning a little about the Club’s rich history, which I just became aware of after reading the Washington Canoe Club’s website.

I further learned that the Club is in the midst of a historic effort to restore their boathouse, which has twice been identified by the DC Preservation League in its annual list of “Endangered Places.”  

I have decided to help this vital cause. I am selling high quality prints of this original painting of the Boathouse to help raise funds for the restoration efforts. 

The cost of a matted print is $100 (the size  is 11 x 14 inches with the mat and backing board.) For each sale, $50 will be donated to the Washington Canoe Club, the remainder covering the cost of making the print and shipping.  If you wish to buy a print and support this effort, please email me at leisa@leisacollins.com.

Here’s some more info about the Washington Canoe Club’s fascinating history, straight from their website.

The  Club was founded in 1904 and is the oldest paddling club in the Washington area – built before the Key Bridge! The boathouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a D.C. landmark. The Club helped pioneer flat-water canoe racing at the 1924 Olympics.

Shortly after its founding, Washington Canoe Club members initiated construction of a boathouse on the Georgetown waterfront next to the Aqueduct Bridge (later replaced by the Key Bridge).  That original boathouse structure, which has been added to and modified over the last 114 years, has been home to generations of paddlers (including Olympians) as well as a myriad of activities and events which have served club members and the greater D.C. community for decades.

Today, the boathouse is located on National Park Service land, leased by the club. Floods, ice, and age have taken their toll on Georgetown’s historic waterfront over the last century, and the Boathouse has not been spared. Working closely with the National Park Service and local preservation and community organizations, membership of the Club is committed to major repairs and renovation to save this D.C. icon.

In the past two years, the 200 members of the Washington Canoe Club have raised nearly $30,000 and donated more than 1,000 hours of time to restore the boathouse. Be it meeting with the National Park Service or physically replacing wooden boards on the dock,  members are 100% committed to leading the charge to save this beautiful building on the shores of the Potomac River.

You can learn more about the efforts of the Boathouse Rehabilitation Committee (a non-profit 501c3) to save this amazing landmark.

As mentioned above,  your purchase of a print of the Washington Canoe Club will contribute to saving and fully restoring this beautiful historic landmark.  The cost of a matted print is $100 (the size is 11 x 14 inches.) For each sale, $50 will be donated to the Washington Canoe Club, the remainder going to the cost of making the print and shipping.  If you wish to buy a print, email me at leisa@leisacollins.com .

Thank you for your attention to this vital issue.

Leisa

Leisa Collins Art Newsletter Sign Up

Sign up for news, giveaways, sales, and events!