Showcasing landscapes depicted in various media, this exhibit of Israeli art from the 1950s through the early 2000s applies the formal language of Western modernism to narratives about myth-making, forced […]

The Katzen presents some 70 paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures created by 12 women and nonbinary artists from the Mid-Atlantic region. Infused with emotional and metaphorical content, the selection celebrates […]

Ongoing—New York-based artist Iké Udé paid homage to Nollywood, the $3 billion film industry in his birthplace of Nigeria, by photographing its most famous celebrities. On view with garments and […]

While temporarily closed for renovation, the museum will display a series of public commissions on its scaffolded façade. The first is a mural by DC-based MISS CHELOVE, also known as […]

Chronicling the life and work of American abstract artist Joan Mitchell, this retrospective presents paintings, pastels and works on paper. Viewers will discover the influence poetry and music had on […]

Historical maps, prints and documents explore the complex relationship between the city and its adjacent rivers. Above: art from an 1866 publication, National Farm School for Children of Colored Soldiers […]

The museum shines a light on the myths and legends surrounding subjects living on the fringes of society in early modern Japan. Works on view reflect on the virtues of […]

Visitors can experience five installations by Yayoi Kusama, who at 93 is still creating art in her native Tokyo. The show includes sculptures, an early painting, photographs and two of […]

This exhibit assembles more than 130 works including paintings, sculptures and photographs to reflect upon the African Diaspora since the 17th century. Artists from Africa, Europe, the Americas and the […]

Now in its 89th year, this event opens the doors of a handful of historic Georgetown homes and gardens. Attendees are invited to a tea reception at St. John’s Episcopal […]

A selection of works from the museum’s collection illuminates Henri Matisse’s ability to speak volumes about his subjects with a few simple lines. Pen-and-ink drawings, aquatints and bronzes reveal the artist’s shift from classical style to a more fluid treatment of the body. artbma.org

An artist whose work focuses on the social history of plants, Beatrice Glow has turned her lens on tobacco and the repercussions of its trade. Digitally printed and embroidered silk textiles, 3D-printed objects and watercolors express both the decadent opulence and unsavory realities of the industry. artbma.org

Born in Pakistan and living in New York, Salman Toor upends tradition and outdated notions of power and sexuality in his work. This assemblage of 45 of his paintings and […]

The museum celebrates the late Washington-based abstractionist with an exhibit of his circular paintings, or tondos, created in 2021. Ranging from three to five feet in diameter, each starts with […]

Hamiltonian Artists is a DC incubator that promotes the careers of emerging visual artists. This indoor-outdoor exhibit presents new work by seven Hamiltonian Artists’ fellows alongside pieces in the museum’s […]

After studying fine arts at the Corcoran in DC and working under several Washington Color School artists in the ’80s and ’90s, Mokha Laget eventually moved to Santa Fe. The […]

More than 80 pieces of couture, accessories and photographs on loan from the Palace of Monaco shed light on the glamorous wardrobe of Princess Grace and her longstanding collaboration with […]

This exhibit displays drawings, paintings and sculptures by 43 seminal self-taught artists of the 20th century; it includes a painted work on cut-and-pieced sheet metal by David Butler (pictured). The […]

This exhibit is the first to examine the life of Joanna Hiffernan, a model who was depicted in many early works by James McNeill Whistler and who played an integral […]

Twenty works explore the evolving role of indigenous artists in the North American Arctic. The exhibit traces the transition from the ornate, ritualistic and utilitarian objects crafted for many generations […]

Through January 29, 2023 This show explores various brush techniques Japanese artists applied in their depictions of birds over several centuries. On view are hanging scroll paintings, folding screens, ceramics […]

Curated by Rebecca Cross of Cross MacKenzie Gallery, this exhibit of powerful ceramic sculptures created through accumulation and repetition demonstrates the principle: “out of many, one.” Pieces by eight artists […]

This installation blurs the lines between real and imagnary. Sculptures by Georgia Saxelby (pictured) and paintings by Devan Shimoyama explore alternate realities in a post-pandemic world where fantasy and imagination […]

More than two dozen works on paper by the French Fauvist artist celebrate the pomp and pageantry of British horse racing. Sketches of the famous Ascot course made by Dufy […]

Working in a range of media, seven Hamiltonian Artists Alumni mimic surfaces, spaces and objects, exploring the aesthetic possibilities of materials and textures.

In 2020, the museum acquired 40 works from the Souls Grown Deep Foundation—all created by Black artists who were seldom recognized for their contributions. Though many were made from recycled […]

Past meets present in this immersive exhibit that juxtaposes futuristic digital imagery with two paintings from the museum’s permanent collection. Drawing on disparate influences, from video games to Baroque architecture, […]

Rather than working in a vacuum, many artists seek feedback and criticism from their peers. Eight pairings of works on view shed light on how artists support each other outside […]

This exhibit documents the buildings, parks and businesses that lined Washington’s historic promenade from the White House to the U.S. Capitol in the 19th century. Pictured: A depiction of President […]

John Singer Sargent traveled extensively throughout Spain, capturing its landscapes, marine scenes, street life and architecture in his work. This exhibit assembles more than 120 of the artist’s oils, drawing […]

Mysteries have long surrounded the acclaimed 17th-century Dutch master’s process and technique. During covid closures, National Gallery researchers performed a deep study of the museum’s four Vermeer paintings, as well […]

Now in its 40th year, this popular event showcases an array of furniture, American and European silver, art, Asian antiquities, porcelain, Americana, antique and estate jewelry, glass, textiles, contemporary fine […]

The museum shares the work of six winning teams that participated in a three-year, $20 million initiative to find innovative ways to close the economic gap in the affordable-housing market. […]

Closed to visitors for renovation, the museum continues to engage patrons with online content as well as displays on its exterior. In her first U.S. installation, Austrian artist Katharina Cibulka […]

The Rubell Museum DC, 
a new venue dedicated to contemporary art, has opened in a reinvigorated 1906 building in Southwest DC that once housed Randall Junior High.
Its inaugural exhibit honors […]

Modern design buffs will will get a very unique look into the homes of the architects, designers, and builders that created them on this self-guided tour. Organized by the Modern […]

Italian artist Giuseppe De Nittis, who was very much a part of the Paris art scene in the 1870s and ’80s, is known for his detailed realism. The Phillips unveils […]

This assemblage of paintings on paper and cloth created between 1700 and 1900 celebrates the palaces, lakes and mountains of Udaipur, a city in northwestern India, illustrating the region’s cultural […]

The first exhibition outside of Italy to be 
dedicated to this 15th-century master displays some 75 of his creations, from large-scale narrative paintings to drawings that once graced the homes […]

Charm City icon John Waters bequeathed 372 objects from his art collection to the Baltimore Museum of Art in 2020. This exhibit reveals about 90 of the works, including paintings, […]

Matisse has long inspired contemporary artist Stanley Whitney, who was commissioned to create stained-glass windows for the BMA. This exhibit explores parallels between the artists’ work. Several Matisse prints—including The […]

The BMA shines a light on Senegal-born Omar Ba, who explores the notion of power through paintings, modular works and a site-specific mural. The artist portrays a range of people […]

During his short career, New York-based Darrel Ellis redefined Black male identity and family through his complex paintings, drawings and photography. This show presents 60 works on paper plus archival […]

Local designers partner with showrooms to create festive tabletops and seasonal décor. A party on December 6 kicks off the celebration; displays remain on view through the 16th. Home & […]

This immersive, 10-screen film installation by Sir Isaac Julien focuses on 19th- century abolitionist Frederick Douglass and the influences of technology and images on human relations. Spanning space and time, […]

Charles Lang Freer, patron of the museum’s Freer Gallery, was intrigued by ancient Egypt. He visited the country three times, collecting works ranging from glass vessels to amulets and a […]

For centuries, some of the most ambitious and compelling art in Europe was painted on ceilings in styles ranging from Baroque to Neoclassical. The National Gallery spotlights 30 examples of […]

This immersive installation combines thousands of fine chromatic yellow and blue threads to create a color scheme that the eyes and mind cannot perceive. In what she calls an “imaginary, […]

For 20 years, The Trawick Prize has recognized exceptional artists in DC, Maryland and Virginia. The Katzen celebrates 18 past prize-winners with a showing of their work in sculpture, painting, […]

This ground-breaking show is not only the first major exhibition of Aboriginal Australian bark-painting in the U.S., it’s also the largest display of Aboriginal Australian art to be seen in […]

The Hirshhorn focuses on Chinese photography’s recent shift away from realism and toward conceptual art. The 186 images on view, made between 1993 and 2022, reveal how Chinese artists have […]

Originally trained as a classical pianist, Linling Lu creates exuberant works of art inspired by the properties of sound. For this solo show, she created a series of abstract paintings […]

Like the first installation of this exhibit, which remains on view through January 29, the second part also presents portraits by Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Brian Lanker of Black women who […]

Léon Bonvin (1834-1866) is known for his exquisite watercolors, inspired by Japanese prints, photography and trends of the day. Following the French artist’s tragic suicide, Baltimore patron William Walters began […]

An accomplished businesswoman and legendary arts patron, Hillwood founder Marjorie Merriweather Post applauded female artists and designers. Hillwood displays art and objects from its collection that depict women whom Post […]

The museum presents a stunning array of antique Islamic prayer rugs collected around the globe from Ottoman Turkey to Mughal India. Exploring the spiritual meaning behind the rugs’ iconic motifs, […]

A major retrospective surveys the 50-year career of modern artist Philip Guston (1930 to 1980). Some 110 paintings and 115 drawings on view run the spectrum from figurative and abstract […]

Now in its 46th year, this craft show will host more than 350 artists displaying handmade treasures. Attendees can browse basketry, ceramics, furniture, fiber art and works in wood and […]

In this collection of newly acquired work, 25 modern and contemporary artists reveal their emotional and spiritual selves. Taken as a whole, the pieces on view illustrate the power of […]

This novel exhibit explores how the materials and methods artists employ in their work evoke history, memory and meaning among viewers. Paintings, sculptures, photographs, drawings, prints and textiles are among […]

Approximately 80 recently acquired watercolors and drawings in the museum’s permanent collection provide a vast overview of British art created over two centuries. The display features portraits, landscapes, historic scenes […]

Commemorating hip hop’s 50th anniversary, this exhibit surveys the cultural, conceptual and aesthetic attributes that have made the art form a global phenomenon. Ninety works by famed contemporary artists such […]

Twenty-nine tours will take place throughout Virginia during this annual event, sponsored by the Garden Club of Virginia. Among them: a walking tour in Old Town Alexandria and visits to […]

Now in its 90th year, this spring event offers participants a glimpse into some of Georgetown’s most spectacular homes and gardens. A parish tea at St. John’s Episcopal Church follows […]

Marking the 125th anniversary of the Spanish-American War, this exhibit examines the rise of the U.S. as an empire through the lens of portraiture and visual culture. More than 90 works from collections in Puerto Rico, the Philippines, Guam, Spain and the U.S. present an array of viewpoints in a fascinating look back at history.

In the 1990s, Drexciya, a Detroit-based techno duo, imagined an underwater kingdom populated by the offspring of pregnant women who were either pushed or jumped overboard during voyages of the transatlantic slave trade. Since then, many artists—including Ayana V. Jackson—have conjured their own interpretations of this mythical world. In her first solo museum exhibition, Jackson […]

Now in its 41st year, the Smithsonian Craft Show will display creations by 120 artists representing all facets of craft and design, from ceramics and basketry to glass, jewelry, furniture, […]

When they envisioned Washington’s architectural profile, America’s Founding Fathers and subsequent leaders frequently invoked Greek and Roman styles as a link to America’s political roots. This exhibit explores depictions of […]

Martha Jackson Jarvis’ great-great-great-great grandfather, Luke Valentine, was a free Black militiaman who served during the Revolutionary War. In a series of 13 large abstract works on paper, the multi-media […]

This retrospective celebrates the 50-year career of Robert Houle (Saulteaux Anishinaabe, Sandy Bay First Nation). Embracing Western and Indigenous artistic traditions, Houle pays homage to the earth, the sacred and the creative moment in his paintings via color, light and gesture.

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 intricate models depicting attractions on every continent, from San Francisco’s Painted Ladies to the Shalamar Gardens of Pakistan. Pictured: A model of the Lincoln Memorial, […]

Italian Neoclassical sculptor Antonio Canova (1757–1822) started each of his masterpieces in marble by producing a model in clay. More than 30 of some 60 surviving clay sketches shed light on the artist’s creative process.

The Renwick Invitational showcases 
mid-career and emerging artists deserving wider national recognition. Jurors selected six Native American artists for the 2023 exhibit, which examines the honors and burdens facing Native artists as they express their cultural traditions. Creations on display by Joe Feddersen, Lily Hope, Ursala Hudson, Erica Lord, Geo Neptune and Maggie Thompson address […]

This retrospective commemorates the life and work of artist and educator Benjamin Wigfall (1930–2017) in his native Richmond. After launching his career, Wigfall studied at Hampton University and Yale and later became a professor at State University of New York (SUNY), New Paltz. It was there that he founded his studio, Communications Village, as a […]

This show explores the powerful connection between video art and music, showcasing 29 time-based installations by 10 award-winning creators. Harnessing genres from hip-hop and jazz to spirituals and lullabies, the works explore personal and universal themes that form a commentary on contemporary life. This is the museum’s first fully accessible exhibition, designed in conjunction with […]

A text-and-image-based installation by New York conceptual artist Jessica Diamond offers a commentary on American culture and commercialism. Thirteen new wall drawings play off two of Diamond’s preexisting works.

The museum spotlights a 12-panel screen depicting women in an imperial palace during the Han dynasty. Visitors will learn about the 1672 screen’s meaning and manufacture as well as about recent conservation efforts to bring its intricate beauty back to life.

The rise of stylized, mass-produced posters in late-19th-century Europe and America blurred the lines between fine and applied art. Works by top French, Belgian, Viennese and American artists emphasized natural beauty in the flowing lines and flourishing patterns of the Art Nouveau movement. These posters represent early depictions of women as fashionable, independent individuals and […]

By expressing the personal stories and experiences of makers and their communities, quilts often illuminate historical events and cultural trends. Drawn from the collection of New York’s American Folk Art Museum, creations on display range from traditional early-American quilts to contemporary sculptural assemblages.
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Mounted in partnership with Hemphill Artworks, this exhibition shines a light on Washington-based artist Steven Cushner, showcasing 34 small-scale works on paper, woodcut prints and large paintings.

DC artist Franklin White has spent the past two decades in Merida, Venezuela, enamored by its scenery and traditions. The Katzen presents a selection of White’s expansive oil pastels on handmade paper, depicting the mountain village’s natural beauty.

This exhibition focuses on sculptures by Rachel Rotenberg created using cedar planks and other materials. The artist, notes the Katzen, “has managed to build works on a heroic scale without sacrificing intimacy.”

Science and imagination collide in a mind-bending video experience developed in collaboration with NASA. Exploring light as a thread connecting history, science and technology, the show reimagines cutting-edge processes and discoveries, including newly analyzed galactical data captured by the James Webb Space Telescope.

The museum reflects on the career and work of late African American artist Alma Thomas, who was born in the Jim Crow South but spent most of her life in Washington, DC. The show reveals how Thomas’ materials and techniques continued to evolve until her death in 1978.

Pieces by some 50 living Native American artists are a testament to indigenous survival and knowledge of the land. Works on view run the gamut from weaving and sculpture to beading, painting and more.

The museum displays more than 200 objects illustrating the integral role women played in the development of art, culture and commerce over four centuries. This vast display of royal portraits, devotional sculpture, tapestries, printed books, drawings, metalwork, ceramics and furniture made by both acclaimed and amateur women artists dispels the belief of the time that […]

The Modern Architecture + Design Society and listModern host a celebration of residential modern architecture and design. From DC to Arlington and McLean to Chevy Chase, come see the inside and out of some of DMV's most unique modern homes; meet the local architects, designers, and builders that created the homes; and find some inspiration […]

Featuring more than 70 creations by 50 artists, this exhibition explores art networks and exchanges between Africa and the U.S. during the postwar period. Organized into four parts, it reveals the depth of experimentation and diverse artistic practices that emerged in Africa in those years and the connections that challenged academic assumptions and biases.

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 moving images examine South Korea’s complex history, from the impact of rapid socioeconomic development to effects of the Cold War on politics and society.

This exhibit chronicles an early chapter in photography, when innovators perfected a way to etch a photographic image into a copperplate and print it in ink. Resulting images dazzled viewers with their delicate highlights and rich tonal range—and the process of photogravure was born. More than 45 photogravures will be shown along with bound-volume examples […]

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.

Fresh from a two-year renovation, the museum marks its reopening with a dramatic exhibit featuring contemporary sculpture and immersive installations created over the past two decades by 13 women artists. More than 30 works of art, many monumental in scale, will dangle from the ceiling, cascade down walls and extend across the gallery floors.

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. […]