In 1921, Duncan Phillips opened America’s first museum of modern art in his home, inviting visitors to become acquainted with the art and artists of his day. Founded in 1918, the museum officially opened to the public three years later, eight years before the Museum of Modern Art and two decades before the National Gallery of Art.

The Phillips Collection is home to the beloved Luncheon of the Boating Party by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, which Phillips purchased in 1923, and has housed works by Mark Rothko, Pierre Bonnard, Georgia O’Keeffe, Vincent van Gogh and Richard Diebenkorn, just to name a few. The collection quickly outgrew the Phillips family, who opted to move out of the residence in 1930, to fully give over the house to the ever expanding collection of contemporary and modern art.

The building was added onto or upgraded several times in its history, easing the way for the collection, temporary exhibits and visitors. At the end of 2010, the Phillips suffered minor damage in a fire, but quickly recovered. A full ninety years later, visitors continue to learn about the contemporary and modern art that grace the walls of the museum.

You can help celebrate the Phillips Collection’s 90th birthday when it opens its doors for a free weekend this Saturday and Sunday. It is the official grand reopening of the Phillips house and the opening of the Anniversary Reading Room. Birthday cakes by local pastry chefs, inspired by artworks in the collection, will be on display. Visitors can vote for their favorite by donating $1 in support of Phillips education programs. Raise a glass to the museum with complimentary champagne, which will be available in the cafe, while supplies last.