Past Exhibitions | Smithsonian Institution

Blast from the Past

This showcase features a 11.5-meter tubular core sample that shows physical and biological effects of Earth's collision with a giant asteroid 65 million years ago, which resulted in the extinction of the dinosaurs.

June 27, 1997 – April 15, 2010

Natural History Museum

World View: Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest

See 50 finalists from over 17,000 entries submitted from the United States and around the world to the Smithsonian magazine for its 6th Annual Photo Contest.

July 1, 2009 – April 11, 2010

Smithsonian Castle

Black Box: Phoebe Greenberg

Curator and arts advocate Phoebe Greenberg worked with Caroline Binet, Denis Villeneuve, Jacques Davidts, and a feature film-style team to bring this part dream, part morality tale scenario to life.

November 30, 2009 – April 11, 2010

Hirshhorn Museum

Josef Albers: Innovation and Inspiration

This exhibition presents more than 60 of Albers' works from the museum's collection, along with key objects on loan from the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation on view for the first time.

February 13, 2010 – April 11, 2010

Hirshhorn Museum

Design USA: Contemporary Innovation

Celebrate the accomplishments of the winners honored during the first 10 years of the prestigious National Design Awards.

October 16, 2009 – April 4, 2010

Cooper Hewitt Design Museum

Moving Perspectives: Yeondoo Jung

Step into the dreams and memories of others through photography and video by Yeondoo Jung (b. 1969, Jinju, Korea).

November 21, 2009 – March 14, 2010

Asian Art Museum, East Building

Quicktake: Rodarte

Find out about Rodarte, founded in 2005 by sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy, widely acclaimed for its daring and conceptural fashion collections.

February 11, 2010 – March 14, 2010

Cooper Hewitt Design Museum

Yinka Shonibare MBE

See the most comprehensive exhibition of works by this internationally renowned Nigerian, London-based artist to date.

November 10, 2009 – March 7, 2010

African Art Museum

Perspectives: S-Curve by Anish Kapoor

Two lengths of polished steel that gently curve to create a continuous convex and concave curve engage the viewer in a powerful physical experience.

November 22, 2008 – February 28, 2010

Asian Art Museum, East Building

The Scurlock Studio and Black Washington: Picturing the Promise

The exhibition features more than 100 images created by one of the premiere African American studios in the country and one of the longest-running black businesses in Washington.

January 30, 2009 – February 28, 2010

American History Museum

Identity by Design: Tradition, Change, and Celebration in Native Women's Dresses

This exhibition highlights Native women's identity through traditional dress and its contemporary evolution.

September 26, 2008 – February 7, 2010

American Indian Museum New York

Vietnamese Ceramics from the Red River Delta

See the first major presentation of 25 works from the Freer's Vietnamese ceramic collection.

July 9, 2005 – January 31, 2010

Asian Art Museum, West Building

Keeping History: Plains Indian Ledger Drawings

This exhibition features ledger drawings developed by Native warriors from the Northern and Southern Plains in the late 19th century.

November 13, 2009 – January 31, 2010

American History Museum

What's in the Mail for You! Customers and Communities

Explore the direct mail industry through this hands-on exhibition featuring interactive displays, videos, computer games, holograms, and graphics.

November 4, 1996 – January 25, 2010

Postal Museum

Falnama: The Book of Omens

Witness the most splendid tool devised to foretell the future, a type of illustrated text known as Falnama (Book of Omens).

October 24, 2009 – January 24, 2010

Asian Art Museum, East Building

Faces of the Frontier: Photographic Portraits from the American West, 1845-1925

Through more than 100 portrait photographs, this exhibition tells the story of the changes that occurred in the American West during the 80 years between the Mexican War and passage of the Indian Citizenship Act in 1924.

September 25, 2009 – January 24, 2010

Portrait Gallery

What's It All Mean: William T. Wiley in Retrospect

Enter the world of artist William T. Wiley (b. 1937), who has created a distinctive body of work during a 50-year career that addresses critical issues of our time.

October 2, 2009 – January 24, 2010

American Art Museum

The Honor of Your Company Is Requested: President Lincoln's Inaugural Ball

On view in this small exhibition to celebrate Abraham Lincoln's second inaugural ball is ephemera from the ball, including the invitation and menu, as well as engravings illustrating the night's events and other artifacts.

March 8, 2008 – January 18, 2010

American Art Museum

Jacksonville Bandstand

See an original 19th-century bandstand, embellished with ornamental fretwork of metal and wood and painted in its original colors -- cream, red, and light green.

July 4, 1984 – January 18, 2010

American History Museum

Bobcat Machines

On view are photographs, product literature, advertisements, and other documents related to the Bobcat Co.

November 30, 2009 – January 17, 2010

American History Museum

Alan Bean: Painting Apollo, First Artist on Another World

View approximately 40 original paintings and drawings of the moon's landscape, fellow Apollo moonwalkers, and views of Earth from space by Apollo 12 astronaut Alan Bean.

July 16, 2009 – January 13, 2010

Air and Space Museum

Graphic Masters II: Highlights from the Smithsonian American Art Museum

Visit watercolors, pastels, and drawings from the 1920s to the 1960s to celebrate the extraordinary variety and accomplishment of American artists' works on paper.

June 19, 2009 – January 10, 2010

American Art Museum

Season's Greetings: Holiday Cards from the Archives of American Art

Kindle your holiday spirit with this exhibition of artist's hand-made holiday cards from the collections of the Archives of American Art.

November 20, 2009 – January 10, 2010

Archives of American Art

Dig It! The Secrets of Soil

This exhibition introduces the study of soil science and demonstrates the vital role soil plays in sustaining human welfare, assuring future agricultural productivity, and environmental sustainability.

July 19, 2008 – January 10, 2010

Natural History Museum

Sant Ocean Hall Focus Gallery: Going to Sea

This first rotating exhibit in The Sant Ocean Hall Focus Gallery highlights the many reasons people have gone to sea throughout history.

September 27, 2008 – January 10, 2010

Natural History Museum