Past Exhibitions | Smithsonian Institution

Momentum: A National Juried Exhibition for Emerging Artists with Disabilities, Ages 16-25

View works by 15 award-winning emerging artists with disabilities, ages 16-25.

September 7, 2011 – January 22, 2012

Ripley Center

Family Matters: Portraits from the Qing Court

Paintings of three generations of the Qing dynasty's imperial family are on view.

June 11, 2011 – January 16, 2012

Asian Art Museum, East Building

Andy Warhol: Shadows

Take this rare opportunity to see Andy Warhol's Shadows—102 large paintings extending almost 450 linear feet—in its entirety.

September 25, 2011 – January 15, 2012

Hirshhorn Museum

Hope Diamond in Its New Temporary Setting

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the historic donation of the Hope Diamond and the museum's centennial, the museum is exhibiting for the first time ever the Hope Diamond in a new temporary setting called "Embracing Hope."

November 18, 2010 – January 11, 2012

Natural History Museum

Collecting History: 125 Years of the National Philatelic Collection

The National Postal Museum celebrates the 125th anniversary of its National Philatelic Collection, which predates the museum by more than 100 years, with this exhibition that traces the history of this national treasure.

August 8, 2010 – January 9, 2012

Postal Museum

Design with the Other 90%: CITIES

This exhibition examines the complex issues arising from the unprecedented rate of urban growth projected to take place over the next 20 years in informal settlements.

October 15, 2011 – January 9, 2012

Cooper Hewitt Design Museum

Seasons: Chinese Flowers

View Chinese art featuring seasonal flowers.

July 2, 2011 – January 8, 2012

Asian Art Museum, West Building

Robots on the Road: Stanley

Stanley, a modified Volkswagen Touareg, offers a glimpse into the future of "smart" cars. It can drive itself without a human in the driver's seat or at remote controls.

November 21, 2008 – January 8, 2012

American History Museum

Portraits of John F. Kennedy

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's presidential inauguration, the museum displays five portraits of Kennedy.

January 8, 2011 – January 8, 2012

Portrait Gallery

The Great American Hall of Wonders

This exhibition examines the American ingenuity that energized all aspects of 19th-century society, from the painting of landscapes and scenes of everyday life to the planning of scientific expeditions and the development of new mechanical devices.

July 15, 2011 – January 8, 2012

American Art Museum

Artists in Dialogue 2: Sandile Zulu and Henrique Oliveira

Observe two artists creating site-specific works in response to each other's style and artworks.

February 2, 2011 – January 8, 2012

African Art Museum

Race: Are We So Different?

This traveling exhibition looks at race and racism in the United States through biological, cultural, and historical points of view.

June 18, 2011 – January 8, 2012

Natural History Museum

HIV and AIDS Thirty Years Ago

Learn about early responses to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

June 3, 2011 – January 8, 2012

American History Museum

Bon Appetit! Julia Child's Kitchen at the Smithsonian

Step into the culinary world of Julia Child, America's favorite chef!

August 19, 2002 – January 8, 2012

American History Museum

The Bright Beneath: The Luminous Art of Shih Chieh Huang

Artist Shih Chieh Huang's creations, inspired by bioluminescent marine organisms, evoke a sense of wonder and curiosity as they "float" in the darkness of the gallery.

September 3, 2011 – January 8, 2012

Natural History Museum

Conversations with the Earth: Indigenous Voices on Climate Change

Have a look at Indigenous science and gain a Native perspective on global climate change through photographs, video, and audio clips.

July 22, 2011 – January 2, 2012

American Indian Museum DC

Made in Chicago: The Koffler Collection

See 26 works of art dating from 1960 to 1980.

August 12, 2011 – January 2, 2012

American Art Museum

ColorForms

On view are artworks from the Hirshhorn's collection, dating from the postwar era to the present, that explore the ways in which color has been an essential tool for artists, regardless of medium.

March 11, 2010 – January 2, 2012

Hirshhorn Museum

IndiVisible: African-Native American Lives in the Americas

Explore the cultural integration and diffusion of African American and American Indian people through this collection of twenty banners.

July 4, 2011 – January 2, 2012

American Indian Museum DC

The Cullinan Blue Diamond Necklace

On view is the Cullinan Blue Diamond Necklace, featuring a bow motif with nine extremely rare blue diamonds totalling 5.32 carats and 251 additional diamonds

September 27, 2010 – December 31, 2011

Natural History Museum

Words Cannot Express: Death in the Archives

See how the art world responds to the death of one of their own—from letters of condolence and drafts of eulogies to firsthand accounts of artists’ funerals and expressions of personal loss.

October 31, 2011 – December 31, 2011

Archives of American Art

Black Box: Nira Pereg

See Nira Pereg's video 67 Bows that was inspired by a visit to the Karlsruhe Zoo in Germany and features a flock of flamingos.

August 22, 2011 – December 4, 2011

Hirshhorn Museum

Taking Shape: Ceramics in Southeast Asia

Explore the migration of pots from their makers to their users in this exhibition of approximately 200 diverse and visually striking ceramic vessels from Southeast Asia.

April 1, 2007 – November 27, 2011

Asian Art Museum, East Building

For All the World to See: Visual Culture and the Struggle for Civil Rights

This exhibition is the first to reveal the historic role of visual images in shaping, influencing, and transforming the fight for civil rights in the United States.

June 10, 2011 – November 27, 2011

American History Museum

Brave New World

View artist Theo Eshetu's Brave New World II, a compelling video installation that examines the theme of travel.

August 9, 2010 – November 27, 2011

African Art Museum