Though he earned a degree in architecture, DC-based Alan Karchmer has devoted his career to photographing buildings rather than designing them. This show presents images of structures Karchmer has captured around the world—including Washington National Cathedral’s Visitor Gateway (below), designed by SmithGroup Architects—and sheds light on his creative process.
In her depictions of immigrants seeking a better life abroad, contemporary Chinese-American artist Hung Liu speaks volumes about exile, identity and the Asian Pacific American experience. Her multi-layered portraits, many based on photographs, will be on view in the artist’s first major East Coast exhibit.
The work of seven contemporary artists reveals the profound ways in which humans impact the planet. A photograph by Edward Burtynsky (above) documents the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
This exhibit documents the Venetian glass revival on the island of Murano between 1860 and 1915, which coincided with Grand Tours of Europe made by American luminaries. The period produced a wellspring of art depicting Venice and its illustrious glassblowing studios. Works by Sargent (right), Whistler and many others are on exhibit alongside exquisite hand-blown […]
Pieces in this show depict a cross-section of 17th-century Dutch and Flemish life. Among the 27 paintings on view: landscapes by Jacob van Ruisdael and Salomon van Ruysdael and winter scenes by Jan van Goyen and Adam van Breen.
This global survey on glass-making features objects, installations, videos and performances by more than 50 artists, designers and architects from 23 countries. Works on view include Promise (right), made of blown and sculpted glass and mirror by Nadège Desgenétez. americanart.si.edu
Marking the 100th anniversary of Man Ray’s 1921 arrival in Paris, this exhibition assembles portraits taken by the photographer of the city’s avant-garde residents between the two world wars. Among the 100-plus subjects on display are Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, Jean Cocteau and Aldous Huxley.
A GW art history professor invited artists and cooperatives in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh to create new textiles inspired by works in The Textile Museum Collection. This show displays the results, as contemporary makers have interpreted century-old patterns and techniques in novel ways.
Some 100 works in aquatint—a printmaking technique that became popular in 18th-century Europe—are included in this exhibit that explores the medium’s influence on art publishing, travel and the rise of neoclassicism.
Glenstone spotlights American artist Vija Celmins, known for her powerful depictions of the natural world, from ocean currents to the night sky, as well as her portrayals of everyday objects. Works on view include paintings, drawings, mezzotints and sculpture.
A mammoth work by Swiss artist Nicolas Party, 829 feet in circumference, hides ongoing construction outside the recently reopened Hirshhorn. Digitally printed on scrim, the work encircles the museum with portraits based on classical sculpture, peeking out from trompe l’oeil drapery. Photo: Tony Powell
James Van Der Zee’s images captured during the Harlem Renaissance celebrate the people and places of this historic bastion of African American culture. Portraits are on display, along with photos of nightclubs, storefronts and religious, social and political groups.
The Dutch master Rembrandt left an indelible mark on the art of printmaking. This exhibit chronicles his influence on printmakers prominent during the Etching Revival (1850 to 1920), presenting his work alongside pieces by 19th- and 20th-century artists such as Edouard Manet, James A. M. Whistler and Mary Cassatt.
Bronze sculptures and works on paper from the museum’s collection illustrate Henri Matisse’s ability to capture graceful forms and movement in his work, from simple sketches to elaborate compositions. Pen-and-ink drawings, etchings and lithographs are part of the show.
