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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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, […]
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 […]
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.
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.
An iconic 1857 panorama of Niagara Falls by landscape painter Frederic Edwin Church anchors a group of 20 works depicting the natural wonder. From historic Native paintings to contemporary photography, the collection homes in on the many symbols and histories associated with the world-famous falls and how these notions have evolved over centuries.
The BMA showcases more than 100 works from the collection of Baltimore philanthropists Sigmund M. and Mary B. Hyman, which focused on modern American culture and history. Along with the work of well-known painters such as Guy Wiggins and John Singer Sargent, the exhibit shares pieces by Native American, immigrant and European artists whose perspectives […]
Displaying some 30 works dating from the late-1800s to present day, the museum examines how the meaning of the American flag has evolved over time. Paintings, prints and photographs by notable artists such as Gordon Parks, Dorothea Lange, Jasper Johns and Childe Hassam (whose work is pictured) provoke thought and introspection.
Drawn from Hillwood’s vast collections, this exhibit celebrates the artistry, craftsmanship and cultural importance of textiles from the 17th century to today. Casting a wide net, it unveils fabrics ranging from antique lace to embroidery and fashionable silks—and includes pieces from the personal wardrobe of Hillwood’s own Marjorie Merriweather Post.
More than 20 works drawn from the museum’s contemporary collection shine a light on the emotional, historical and cultural bonds that shape our concept of home. Touching on themes of fam- ily, memory and belonging, the exhibit examines the experiences of people from around the globe who have landed on American shores. Pictured: Kay WalkingStick’s […]
Timed to coincide with the nation’s 250th anniversary, this exhibit unveils a cross- section of the many photography surveys that were commissioned to mark the country’s Bicentennial. From dramatic landscapes to city scenes, 225 photo- graphs on view document late-1970s and early-1980s America. Pictured: A 1979 photo by Kenneth McGowan is part of SAAM’s look […]
During the Second Great Migration (1940 to 1970), many African Americans who fled the rural South brought quilts on their journeys north and west. Along with comfort and warmth, the textiles were also a source of ancestral memory and cultural survival. The NMWA focuses on more than 80 colorful quilts carried to California, showcasing the […]
Over 80 artisans exhibit wearable creations, from clothing to jewelry and accessories, at this annual marketplace. Proceeds benefit the Smithsonian’s museums, research facilities and the National Zoo. Pictured: A necklace by Jinbi Park.
