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 […]
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 of Michelle Obama and Breonna Taylor. The ticketed show focuses on Sherald’s experimentation with the conventions of portraiture and her ability to tell stories through […]
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.
The Phillips brings together some 75 paintings, prints, sculptures and mixed-media pieces spanning more than a century to celebrate and study the beauty and complexity of the American experience through the lens of visual art. Coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the U.S., the show reflects on the nation’s ever-changing culture and identity.
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.
An exhibit of more than 130 works on loan from the collection of music-industry power couple Alicia Keys and Kasseem Dean (aka Swizz Beatz) shines a light on 40-plus Black artists from Africa, Europe, the U.S. and the Caribbean. Pictured: A work by Amy Sherald.
Every year, local design teams partner with Washington Design Center showrooms to create seasonal vignettes and tablescapes composed with furniture, fabrics and finery sourced at the center. Proceeds benefit Children's National Hospital. At press time, this year's participants included Amoda Decor; Barbara Noguera Interiors; Charles C. Almonte, AIA ASID; David Anthony Chenault, Drysdale Design Associates; […]
The daughter of a silent-film star, the late Ruth Orkin is remembered for her postwar photographs of confident women in public and private spaces. Twenty-one striking images on view range from Hollywood glamour shots to depictions of women in classrooms, parks and homes.
Forty fine-arts and antiques dealers from the U.S. and Europe converge for this annual expo, now in its 71st year. Lectures, panel discussions and a jazz night are part of the mix.
This exhibit showcases several videos by peter campus, a New York artist long considered a new-media pioneer. Along with one of his iconic 1970s works, The Phillips unveils new videos inspired by the coastline near the artist’s Long Island home.
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.
Painter, printmaker and botanist Ilana Manolson celebrates species often dismissed as weeds, revealing their vitality, beauty and the essential roles they play within the ecosystems we share. From her luminous landscapes to her depictions of the intricate veins of leaves, the Canadian-born artist exposes unseen forces connecting all living things.
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.
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, […]
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.
Hillwood presents its dazzling collection of 18th-, 19th- and 20th-century timepieces, displayed alongside historic and contemporary loans in an exhibit that chronicles the history of horology and watch-making. Visitors will discover how changing clock and watch styles, from rococo to Neoclassical, were in sync with trends in interior design.
Now in its 49th year, this expo will showcase the creations of 400 artists working in ceramics, glass, jewelry, metalworking, printmaking, clothing, furniture and basketry. Visitors can enjoy artist talks, demonstrations and hands-on activities.
A dazzling selection of saddle blankets, horse covers and other textiles dating back 1,300 years illustrates the vital role horses have played in Asian civilizations.
The museum shines a light on abstract work by notable 20th- and 21st-century female artists. More than 70 pieces on display in an array of media explore themes of representation, identity and power.
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 […]
“Miró and the United States” reflects on the creative transatlantic symbiosis that occurred among Spanish artist Joan Miró (1893 to 1983) and his American artistic contemporaries, including Alexander Calder, Lee Krasner, Jackson Pollock and Helen Frankenthaler, during the post-war period from the 1940s to the 1960s.
A retrospective on the career of late New York artist Shirley Gorelick centers on three large-scale figure paintings along with more than 30 related paintings, drawings and prints that embody her bold, realist style.
An installation by conceptual artist Rachel Lee Hovnanian invites viewers to surrender their smartphones and immerse themselves in the BMA’s Spring House, which she has transformed into a natural oasis. She created the escape in hopes that it allows visitors “to rediscover how it feels to be fully present.”
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.
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.
Honoring the United States’ 250th birthday, this exhibit documents historic scenes that have unfolded at many of Washington’s most notable landmarks. In addition to mainstream imagery, depictions of laborers, activists and artists across generations add a new perspective to history.
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.
