Kara Ramirez Mullins and Dorothy Kosinski in front of As Time Goes By by Howard Hodgkin

Art museums can be cold and impersonal, and while they are quiet spaces of contemplation, many emit an air of formality that is difficult to overcome. This is decidedly not the case with The Phillips Collection. Open 90 years strong, the space and the collection together foster an emotional connection to the works found inside. Kara Ramirez Mullins, the collection’s director of development, recently sat down with director Dorothy Kosinski. On the table: the Phillips’s staying power, its unique place in the art world and what lies in store for the venerable collection.

KARA RAMIREZ MULLINS: The Phillips celebrates “90 Years of New” this year. What is the secret to the collection’s longevity and popularity?
DOROTHY KOSINSKI: First of all, it’s a great collection: great works of art, great quality. And, I think, especially important is our very special ambience, the idea that you’re in someone’s home, you’re experiencing Duncan Phillips’s environment, his taste—an intimate atmosphere. The idea of this museum combined with an experiment station gives us more than permission; it gives us a mandate to do innovative, wonderful things here.

KRM: Why does art matter to you? Do you have a modern-art mantra that you bring to your desk?
DK: I don’t think there’s a conversation that goes by in which I’m not referencing Duncan Phillips’s words from the ’20s—“an intimate museum combined with an experiment station.” For him it was about the conversation with the work of art, with the artist, with the community. He felt very strongly that art has a positive impact on your life and on society, and those are the words that modern museum leaders are trying to articulate today—the social value, the moral impact of art.

KRM: We’re here in Washington with so many other incredible cultural organizations. What gives the Phillips its edge?
DK: Its unique character. Our size. We’re nimble. We’re not down at the Mall. We’re in a distinctive place; our neighbors are the embassies but, also all the great, dynamic young professionals who work and live around us. I think our great advantage is that we are appreciated for the qualities that none of our sister institutions on the Mall can hope for.

KRM: And what makes the Phillips tick globally? How do we harness that power?
DK: Our work—that we’re all about European and American modern and contemporary art— puts us in dialogue with sister institutions all across the globe. It’s just part of our work, and it’s very beneficial for us to think in those terms, to remind ourselves that we are an internationally active institution.

KRM: At the same time that we celebrate our rich history, we spend a lot of time looking forward at the Phillips. What are you most looking forward to this year and beyond?
DK: This year is explosive, in so many ways. We’ve got our normal, very exciting roster of major exhibits. And then, for the 90th anniversary, we’ve just layered one fantastic installation and celebration and program after another. But I’m already looking beyond the 90th, and there’s a lot of work we have to do. I see that this is an institution that has really profound financial challenges, and I think to bring the message of our excitement, our quality, our future-oriented, innovative, experimental, risk-taking character out into the community is how we’re going to solve that problem.