Home & Design

Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea

National Museum of African Art

Since the 16th century, Raku ceramics have been central to Japanese tea culture. Built by hand as opposed to on a potter’s wheel, these vessels continue to inspire artistic creativity. […]

Building Stories

NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM

An exhibit conceived for young museum-goers celebrates the concept of home and the built environment through the lens of children’s literature. Installations featuring classics such as Winnie-the-Pooh, The Hobbit and […]

Adam Pendleton: Love, Queen

HIRSHHORN MUSEUM AND SCULPTURE GARDEN

In honor of its 50th anniversary, the Hirshhorn Museum is hosting a landmark exhibition by conceptual artist Adam Pendleton. New and recent paintings and a video work pay homage to […]

Fantastic Realities 

AMERICAN VISIONARY ART MUSEUM

This mega-exhibition marking the 
Baltimore venue’s 30th anniversary focuses on alternate worlds by a coterie of self-taught artists. Among 130 creations shown are paintings and lithographs, ceramic subway scenes, handcrafted action figures, chainsaw-carved minotaurs and hand-painted sci-fi galaxies.

Big Things for Big Rooms

Hirshhorn Museum

Since the late 1960s, immersive, large-scale artworks have blurred traditional boundaries. This exhibit traces the evolution of installation art, displaying early works such as Sam Gilliam’s 1969 Light Depth (pictured) along with those of contemporary artists such as Mika Rottenberg and Spencer Finch.

Clifford Ross: Digital Waves

National Gallery of Art

This immersive video installation dives deep into multi-media artist Clifford Ross’ ongoing fascination with the vast, awe-inspiring ocean through computer-generated media. Installed on a 23-foot-high screen in the West Building’s Rotunda, the work prompts viewers to reflect on the natural world and their own place in it.

Ties of our common kindred

Glenstone Museum

Marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the gallery celebrates significant achievements in American art over the past century. Among the artists represented, the show includes works by Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, Ruth Asawa and Cindy Sherman.

Nick Cave: Mammoth

Smithsonian American Art Museum

The largest solo show SAAM has ever commissioned, “Mammoth” will transform a suite of galleries into a series of immersive environments. Combining sculpture, video and thousands of found objects, the exhibition draws on artist Nick Cave’s childhood in Missouri, where his grandparents were farmers and his grandmother was a quilter. As curator Sarah Newman remarks, […]

Mary Cassatt: An American in Paris 

The NGA celebrates Mary Cassatt on the 100th anniversary of her death in 1926. The only American and one of three women who participated in the Impressionist movement, she spent most of her life in France. This display of some 40 paintings and works on paper document Cassatt’s creative 
process.

A Trio of Matisse Exhibits

BALTIMORE MUSEUM OF ART

Three exhibitions capture the enduring influence of Henri Matisse. In “To See This Light Again,” works by the 20th-century French icon and Maryland painter Louis Fratino are juxtaposed, creating a dialogue between figural studies. “Matisse and Martinique” highlights how the Caribbean influenced the artist’s work, and “Matisse in Vence” examines the mural he created for […]

Into the Waters with Senju and Bingyi: Two Contemporary Paintings

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ASIAN ART

A pair of paintings shown side by side illustrate how Hiroshi Senju and Bingyi reimagine their cultures’ rich artistic traditions. The former applies modern techniques to traditional Japanese methods, while the latter draws on historic Chinese ink painting in his approach. Though dramatically different, both pieces celebrate the beauty and power of water.

Dear America

National Gallery of Art

More than 100 works on paper represent the American experience through ruminations on the country’s landscape, people and concepts of freedom. The exhibit includes photographs by Carleton Watkins, Dorothea Lange and Carrie Mae Weems; prints by Thomas Hart Benton, Roy Lichtenstein and Rupert García; and drawings by Thomas Moran, John Wilson and Tonita Peña.

Sky Hopinka: Kicking the Clouds

National Gallery of Art

Expressing himself through moving images, sound, poetry and photography, Native American
artist Sky Hopinka forges powerful 
ties between language and landscape. 
Videos (including one of his grandmother), photos and large-scale 
calligrams on display present a nuanced understanding of place and the contemporary Indigenous experience.

Niagara Falls: Mist and Majesty

National Gallery of Art

An iconic 1857 
panorama of Niagara Falls by landscape painter Frederic Edwin Church anchors a group of 20 works depicting the natural wonder. From historic Native paintings to contemporary photography, the collection homes in on the many symbols and histories associated with the world-famous falls and how these notions have evolved over centuries.

Seeing the Essential: 
The Sigmund M. and Mary B. Hyman Collection of American Art

BALTIMORE MUSEUM OF ART

The BMA showcases more than 100 works from the collection of Baltimore philanthropists Sigmund M. and Mary B. Hyman, which focused on modern American culture and history. Along with the work of well-known painters such as Guy Wiggins and John Singer Sargent, the exhibit shares pieces by Native American, immigrant and European artists whose perspectives […]

Interwoven: A Tradition of Textiles

HILLWOOD ESTATE, MUSEUM & GARDENS

Drawn from Hillwood’s vast collections, this exhibit celebrates the artistry, craftsmanship and cultural importance of textiles from the 17th century to today. Casting a wide net, it unveils fabrics ranging from antique lace to embroidery and fashionable silks—and includes pieces from the personal wardrobe of Hillwood’s own Marjorie Merriweather Post.

American Icon: The US Flag in Art

National Gallery of Art

Displaying some 30 works dating from the late-1800s to present day, the museum examines how the meaning of the American flag has evolved over time. Paintings, prints and photographs by notable artists such as Gordon Parks, Dorothea Lange, Jasper Johns and Childe Hassam (whose work is pictured) provoke thought and introspection.

Homelands

National Gallery of Art

More than 20 works drawn from the museum’s contemporary collection shine a light on the emotional, historical and cultural bonds that shape our concept of home. Touching on themes of fam- ily, memory and belonging, the exhibit examines the experiences of people from around the globe who have landed on American shores. Pictured: Kay WalkingStick’s […]

Much Here Is Beautiful: Photography Surveys of the U.S. Bicentennial

Smithsonian American Art Museum

Timed to coincide with the nation’s 250th anniversary, this exhibit unveils a cross- section of the many photography surveys that were commissioned to mark the country’s Bicentennial. From dramatic landscapes to city scenes, 225 photo- graphs on view document late-1970s and early-1980s America. Pictured: A 1979 photo by Kenneth McGowan is part of SAAM’s look […]

Routed West: Twentieth-Century African American Quilts in California

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WOMEN IN THE ARTS

During the Second Great Migration (1940 to 1970), many African Americans who fled the rural South brought quilts on their journeys north and west. Along with comfort and warmth, the textiles were also a source of ancestral memory and cultural survival. The NMWA focuses on more than 80 colorful quilts carried to California, showcasing the […]

Smithsonian Craft2Wear

SMITHSONIAN ARTS & INDUSTRIES BUILDING

Over 80 artisans exhibit wearable creations, from clothing to jewelry and accessories, at this annual marketplace. Proceeds benefit the Smithsonian’s museums, research facilities and the National Zoo. Pictured: A necklace by Jinbi Park.

Avery, Gottlieb & Rothko: By the Sea

Not only did 20th-century American artists Milton Avery, Adolph Gottlieb and Mark Rothko share a lasting friendship, but they also admired and supported each other’s work. The Phillips chronicles their connection, partly forged during summers spent in Cape Ann, Massachu- setts, in a display of some 90 paintings, drawings, watercolors and prints made from the […]

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