Bender is constantly thinking about both the past and the future. In the crowded local museum landscape, the potential role for the Heurich House that she spotted when she first arrived—and the one she has been shaping for it over time—is that of a key D.C. history resource. She and her colleagues have turned the dignified mansion into a welcoming hub of social activity and cultural experiences, but it’s a place of scholarly research, too.

“My vision is for us to be an important local history organization and to work to be a leader in the strengthening of the value of local history,” she says.

The 30-room mansion has been meticulously preserved in its original Victorian state, which means gilded mirrors, imposing chandeliers, and hand-carved wooden tables are a dime a dozen.

The new pieces “shift the tone and the air” in each room, says Kim Bender, the museum’s executive director. Some are tongue-in-cheek, like a piece by Mexican-American artist Irene Clouthier (above). Others are more subtle, like cloths printed with Sanskrit that hang over the windows in the kitchen basement. They are one of three works by the Pakistani artist Sobia Ahmed.