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
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.
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 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.
This survey of works by Washington printmaker Lou Stovall will offer a comprehensive look at his career, from the 1960s to today. The show will document Stovall’s collaboration with fellow artists including Elizabeth Catlett, Gene Davis and Sam Gilliam. An accompanying exhibit examines Stovall’s “Of the Land” series, a collection of poems, drawings and […]
Attendees will view a vast array of fabrics, from vibrant abstracts, florals and figurative motifs to simple stripes and block prints, created in India between the ninth and early 20th centuries. Masterworks from The Textile Museum and the collection of Karun Thakar make up the show.
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 migration and displacement. Pictured: "Crazy Tree" by Tal Shochat.
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 these artists’ often under-recognized contributions to the color field movement. Pictured: "Flow" by Jae Ko.
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 other items used in their creation, these portraits make bold statements about African identity. Pictured: A portrait of actress Genevieve Nnaji.
A necklace by Amy Blair. Now in its 45th year, the event formerly known as the Baltimore American Craft Show returns. More than 300 artists will display creations in ceramics, glass, jewelry, clothing, furniture, basketry and more. For the first time, admission is free but donations are encouraged to support the nonprofit event. The show […]
This comprehensive exhibit traces the complex history of porcelain, from its ninth-century origins in China to the 18th century, when Europeans finally unraveled the mystery of porcelain production and factories sprang up in Saxony, Vienna, Russia and France. Visitors will peruse more than 125 objects from the late heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post’s holdings, from vases […]
More than 70 paintings, sculptures and works on paper from Picasso’s early career (1900 to 1904) shed light on how the master’s famous Blue Period evolved. In addition, the exhibit will share the results of research conducted on several works from the period, revealing hidden compositions and motifs.
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 Cita Sadeli. Titled Reseeded: A Forest Floor Flow, the 60-by-40-foot work (shown in a rendering) speaks to the resurgence of the natural world during the […]
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 the artist, who died in her adopted home of Paris in 1992.
