Brick City
NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUMLego lovers of all ages will delight in an around-the-world tour featuring reproductions of 37 iconic structures and places made entirely of Lego bricks. Edinburgh-based artist Warren Elsmore constructed the […]
Lego lovers of all ages will delight in an around-the-world tour featuring reproductions of 37 iconic structures and places made entirely of Lego bricks. Edinburgh-based artist Warren Elsmore constructed the […]
Inaugurating its new modern and contemporary galleries, the museum spotlights the photographic work of Park Chan-kyong—the Korean artist’s first solo exhibit at a major U.S. institution. Visually powerful still and […]
The gallery shines a light on scientists, politicians, activists, writers and artists who played a pivotal role in the conservation movement from the late 19th century until today. Showcasing more than 25 portraits of thought leaders ranging from Henry David Thoreau to Maya Lin, the exhibit also addresses issues of environmental justice, biodiversity and climate.
Hung Liu (1948–2021) lived through Mao Zedong’s totalitarian regime before immigrating to the U.S. The museum reveals “weeping” paintings and prints by the artist featuring signature paint drips and layers of color. Inspired by vintage photographs discovered on a trip to China in the 1990s, the works convey the dignity and resilience of her subjects—predominantly […]
French artist Antoinette Bouzonnet-Stella (1641–1676) is best known for a work entitled The Entrance of the Emperor Sigismond into Mantua. This series of 25 prints is on display as part of an exhibit focusing on her life and career in Paris, where she lived and studied in the Louvre with her uncle, artist Jacques Stella. […]
The museum highlights work by 25 influential contemporary artists from the U.S. and around the world. More than 120 selections in an array of media include paintings by DC-based Rozeal and a self-portrait by Baltimore’s John Waters.
An exhibit spotlights Franco-Senegalese artist Alexandre Diop, whose mixed-media creations explore legacies of colonialism and the diaspora.
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. The Freer Gallery displays pieces dating back to the 18th century that exemplify glazes and forms unique to Raku ware.
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 Harold and the Purple Crayon are designed to spark curiosity and encourage visitors to create stories of their own.
The gallery shines a light on the portraits and biographies of 60 visionary American women who lived and worked in Paris in the early 20th century—a time when they ostensibly […]
This retrospective celebrates three decades of innovation by fiber artist DY Begay, whose work marries her traditional Diné upbringing on the Navajo Nation reservation with a modern, experimental handling of […]
A pivotal 1874 exhibition in Paris is considered by many to be the birthplace of modernist painting. Many works that appeared in that historic show—seen as radical at the time—will […]
Los Angeles-based artist Suchitra Mattai creates layered textile installations, sculptures, collages and paintings by combining richly colored saris, vintage needlepoints, book pages, jewelry, tinsel, beads and other found objects. The […]
Peruse—and purchase—one-of-a-kind creations from a curated collection of wearable crafts at this annual event. More than 90 makers display their wares, from jewelry and leather to clothing, accessories and decorative fiber. Proceeds support grants to the Smithsonian for education, outreach and research projects. The Smithsonian Craft2Wear show will feature a necklace by Holly Anne Mitchell […]
Nearly 100 contemporary works spanning multiple disciplines comprise this collection by more than 40 emerging and established artists—some American by birth and others who have adopted this country as their home.
Two ground-breaking paintings—one by Jean-Michel Basquiat and the other by Banksy—are placed in dialog in the Hirshhorn’s first presentation of either artist’s work. Also on display are 20 small Basquiat pieces made between 1979 and 1985, along with Downtown 81, a film starring Basquiat as a struggling artist.
Now in its 70th year, this annual event will attract more than 40 dealers from the U.S. and Europe presenting furniture, art, jewelry and collectibles. Visitors can browse antiques and decorative arts from historic houses in a special anniversary exhibit.
A lifelong resident of Washington, DC, Otho D. Branson is known for his mathematical compositions of intersecting lines and color. His first solo show highlights modern works from 1970 to 2022, detailing his career and his dedication to craft.
About 40 paintings, prints and drawings from the BMA’s collection explore the roles of water and landscape in defining the early modern Dutch Republic. Pieces by luminaries such as Frans […]
Could pollution have played a role in the emergence of European modernism in art? This exhibit poses that question using paintings and works on paper by Henri Matisse, Claude Monet and James McNeill Whistler to demonstrate how their artistic styles emerged partially in response to industrial-era smog in London and Paris.
How does Southern architecture reflect the needs of its locale and its people? This exhibition aims to examine the contemporary architecture and design practices of the American South as the region deals with population growth as well as rebuilding after several devastating natural disasters.
Sea Cloud, a windjammer that was once the world’s largest sailing yacht, was commissioned by Marjorie Merriweather Post and her husband, E.F. Hutton, in the early 20th century and survives […]
Acquired by the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, 35 vibrant quilts honor Black history and culture. The collection celebrates the legacy of the Women of Color Quilters Network, founded in […]
The largest juried craft fair on the East Coast highlights creations by more than 350 artists and makers from across the country, alongside demonstrations, talks and hands-on experiences.
More than 250 companies will showcase the latest products and services in home remodeling, décor, landscape and garden design at this event, headlined in 2025 by Mika and Brian Kleinschmidt of HGTV’s “100 Day Dream Home.” Seminars by home-remodeling and landscape experts will take place throughout the weekend.
In 1925, George Hewitt Myers founded The Textile Museum to showcase his global collection of carpets and textiles. This show will bring together iconic pieces from the museum’s coffers as […]
The career of Art Nouveau illustrator and designer Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939) is the subject of an exhibit that explores the development of his style and its impact, from the psychedelic […]
The idea of perception versus reality informs this exhibit of painting, sculpture, photography, works on paper and video by women artists spanning the Surrealist movement to the present. Art by […]
This yearly spring showcase features more than 450 exhibitors, along with 125 crafters and the latest home and outdoor-living products. Presentations by HGTV landscape expert Chris Lambton and hosts Leslie Davis and Lyndsay Lamb of “Unsellable Houses” are also part of the mix. The show takes place on March 1 and 2 and from March […]
Consumers who want to update a living room, transform a bedroom into a spa retreat or create a more efficient workspace can get professional design advice at a special rate during ASID's annual Spring Spruce Up. For $150 per hour (maximum two hours), a certified ASID designer will lend their expertise to help homeowners with […]
Dedicated to visionary artist and activist Elizabeth Catlett, this retrospective showcases the Howard University grad’s legacy through more than 150 politically engaged works, including sculpture, prints, rare paintings, drawings and […]
For the first time in nearly 50 years, 14 larger-than-life cotton cloth paintings—known as pichwais—depicting the god Krishna go on view at the Sackler Gallery. Dating from the 18th to […]
Interior designers, makers and creative entrepreneurs will converge for a weekend of design talks, hands-on demonstrations, and a curated shopping experience set against the charming backdrop of Maryland’s Eastern Shore at this special event held at the Wildset Hotel, a boutique getaway in St. Michaels, Maryland. Attendees will enjoy roundtable panels featuring leading DC-area visionaries, […]
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 the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The show is the Richmond native’s first solo exhibit in DC.
For more than 40 years, sculptor Chakaia Booker has created monumental, abstract works of art from discarded rubber tires. This exhibit, which includes three large-scale wall relief pieces as well […]
This comprehensive show presents 30 rarely seen works by Frida Kahlo supplemented by behind-the-scenes photographs of the enigmatic artist. Vibrant paintings that celebrate her Mexican heritage take center stage, but her backstory of trauma and physical hardship imbues each with a deeper message: the triumph of creativity over adversity.
In its ninth year, this day-long event features nearly a dozen stops at the town’s most notable homes and gardens, with a focus on historic and contemporary architecture and new developments. Proceeds benefit the Falls Church Education Foundation.
An installation marks the 40-year anniversary of the anonymous feminist artist collective Guerrilla Girls, known for provocative street campaigns that take on gender inequality through billboards, banners and more. This visual timeline highlights the group’s history and its dedication to effecting change.
For one week every spring, Virginia’s only statewide house and garden tour offers visitors insider access to private landscapes, public gardens and historic sites across the Commonwealth. Adding to the splendor, the Garden Club of Virginia will contribute more than 1,000 fresh floral arrangements to the tour’s 29 properties.
This annual self-guided tour gives attendees the opportunity to step inside some of the most impressive homes and gardens in Georgetown. It also highlights the neighborhood’s charm and history—and constant evolution. A parish tea at St. John’s Episcopal Church follows.
Viewers are challenged to make connections between modern and Renaissance art in this exhibit that contrasts paintings by Rozeal and Cezanne with Titian masterpieces. Historic references and other similarities relate these disparate works over centuries.
Hosted by All Hallows Guild, this annual flower sale and spring event has been the primary fundraiser for the Cathedral’s gardens and grounds since 1939. This year’s theme is “In Living Color.” Vendors and food stalls offer a wide array of goods and treats in addition to fresh blooms, so there’s something for everyone.
On select Saturdays in May and June, tour-goers can experience historic structures, homes and gardens in five different parts of Maryland, including Queen Anne’s, Southern Anne Arundel, St. Mary’s, Washington and Prince George’s counties.
Twenty large-scale works on view at the NMWA explore Niki de Saint Phalle’s output as a printmaker. For the lively, color-saturated prints, which were made between 1968 and 1970, the artist found inspiration in the female form, the California landscape and mystical Tarot card illustrations.
With works from 120 artists on tap, the 2025 Bethesda Fine Arts Festival will feature a wide range of media, including ceramics, jewelry, printmaking, furniture and photography, to name a few. Festivities will take place in the Woodmont Triangle area along Norfolk, Auburn and Del Ray Avenues.
Now in its 34th year, the Tephra ICA Arts Festival (formerly known as the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival) will feature the original handmade work of more than 200 contemporary artists and artisans from across the country.
Latin American works ranging from ancient urns and textiles to contemporary ceramics will be displayed in the Baltimore museum’s newly renovated North Court galleries. Representing 40 different cultures and 4,000 years of history, the show is organized by theme and geographic provenance, and will include bilingual materials for a more immersive experience.
Named for the fertile soil of ancient indigenous civilizations in the Amazon, this show celebrates the splendor of the natural world through works by artists of color and Native identity. Environmental injustice and the legacy of European settlement is examined through paintings, sculptures and films.
This exhibition puts the relationship between art and European natural history under the microscope—specifically the study of insects and small animals. Featuring more than 75 detailed works that inspired generations […]
A selection of photographs offers an intimate look at the everyday lives of Indigenous peoples across the Western Hemisphere. Drawn from the museum’s vast archive of more than a half-million […]
A Romanov by birth, Natalie Paley escaped the tragic fate of her family to live a culturally rich life in France, and later, America as the darling of fashion designers, […]
Its title alluding to periods of rising tension, this exhibit presents the work of four modern-day artists alongside pieces by 20th-century artists whose lives and art were impacted by tumultuous […]
David A. Douglas’ large-scale works blend drawing, painting and photography to explore memory and place. Through contemplative landscapes and interior scenes glimpsed through windows and thresholds, the Northern Virginia-based artist […]
Recent works by the American-born artist include Rubber Pencil Devil (Hell House), a neon sculpture commissioned by Glenstone to showcase Da Corte‘s videos exploring humor, satire, violence and tenderness. Also […]
Drawing on the National Portrait Gallery’s extensive early photography collection, this show traces the evolution of large-scale portraiture using the three popular mediums of the day: the upmarket daguerreotype, the […]
Upending assumptions about the one-dimensionality of photography and prints, the museum shines a light on 20th- and 21st-century Japanese art that blurs the lines between mediums and conventions. Pieces on […]
Thirty watercolors created over the course of two centuries trace the medium’s evolution from a mode of documentation to an art form. Largely drawn from the Corcoran collection, the paintings […]
Named “Narsha,” an archaic Korean word that means “to soar high,” this exhibit showcases the work of 31 Korean-American artists in a wide array of styles. Celebrating cultural traditions and the lived experience of Korean immigrants in the US, the show is presented by the Han-Mee Artists Association of Greater Washington to mark its 50th […]
This show honors the legacy of artist and activist Vivian Browne through paintings, prints and works on paper. Whether fighting for Black representation in New York museums or challenging the accepted parameters of abstraction and figuration through her work, she remains an admirable figure in 20th-century American art. phillipscollection.org
Photographs, ephemera and prints illuminate the historical hotels, motels, inns and taverns that have hosted visitors to Washington over the centuries. From famous landmarks to humble boarding houses, these accommodations speak to the capital city’s evolving identity.
Trained in classical Indo-Persian miniature painting, Shahzia Sikander adds a contemporary spin to the genre. This 10-minute film is a commentary on the legacy of British colonialism in Asia. Combining visuals from Chinese paper cut-outs to watercolor maps of the region, the film blends inked and digitally animated scenes, all set to an electronic beat […]
A coterie of artists sets up their easels around historic Easton for the country’s largest juried outdoor painting competition, now in its 20th year. The event will feature demonstrations, art sales, interactive workshops and competitions for participants of all levels along with entertainment and children’s programming.
This Baltimore gallery celebrates feline subjects with a show dedicated to the portrayal of cats in medieval manuscripts. Not only endearing pets, 15th-century cats also played deeply symbolic roles in literature and served as protectors that warded off pests.
From a life-size butter cow created on-site by Iowa’s Sarah Pratt to a pyramid of 700 glass jars of preserved fruits and vegetables by canning expert and fellow Iowan Rod Zeitler, the Renwick celebrates the artistry and crafts that play an integral role in state fairs nationwide. More than 240 objects on view date from […]
Marking The Textile Museum’s centennial, this exhibition examines the roles textiles have played over the centuries in celebrations, performances and religious ceremonies around the world. Pieces on view run the spectrum from festival robes to palace carpets.
This show chronicles how 19th-century European and American artists not only documented but also influenced the transformation of pristine environments into resources of industry. More than 50 works on paper—organized by themes of desert, forest, field, city and studio—were pulled from the collection of Baltimore native George A. Lucas (1824-1909).
This landmark show chronicles the pivotal role women artists played in what is presently the Netherlands and Flanders, Belgium, during the 17th and 18th centuries. The nearly 150 works on view—from paintings and prints to sculpture, embroidery and lace—are a testament to women’s participation in nearly all aspects of artistic culture of the era. However, […]
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.
Tokyo-born Tawny Chatmon elevates cultural truths and confronts racist myths through her photography-based art. Her large-scale photographs are embellished with digital techniques and handmade elements that include embroidered and mosaic-like patterns.
This exhibition displays recent work by four DMV-based recipients of Anonymous Was a Woman (AWAW) grants. The 25-year-old program supporting mid-career female artists throughout the U.S. takes its name from a Virginia Woolf essay underscoring challenges faced by creative women. The Kreeger show highlights 26 works by Jae Ko, linn meyers, Joyce J. Scott and […]
October 18 to March 1, 2026 –This exhibit offers visitors a rare opportunity to discover modern and contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, dating from the late 19th century to the present. More than 200 works by 130 artists illustrate the diverse and distinct visual iconographies of Indigenous Australia, which is made up of […]
The museum reexamines the work and life of Anna Mary Robertson “Grandma” Moses (1860–1961), the self-taught artist who was propelled to fame after starting to paint in her late 70s. The 88 works on view illuminate lesser-known aspects of Moses’ experience and reconcile the roles she played—from mother of five and dairy farmer in post-Reconstructionist […]
In the most comprehensive unveiling of former Charm City resident Amy Sherald’s work to date, the BMA presents approximately 40 of her portraits, from rarely seen examples to iconic portrayals […]
A permanent exhibit showcases some 3,000 of the museum’s 500,000 historical artifacts. Find architectural models by I.M. Pei and Frank Gehry, an antique blueprint machine, 1960s dollhouses, building fragments from the Carnegie Mansion and more. Items on display will be regularly rotated.
In 2021, family of the late Samsung chairman Lee Kun-Hee donated his vast art collection to the Republic of Korea. Some 200 items from the endowment are on display in the debut of this traveling exhibit. Spanning 1,500 years, objects range from ancient Buddhist sculpture to Joseon dynasty furnishings and bold, 20th-century paintings.