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  5. Exhibitions

Current Exhibitions

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  • Art and Design (11) Filter by term plus Exclude term minus
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Displaying 12 of 12 exhibitions.


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    Portrait of a Nation: 2025 Honorees Added

    Portrait of a Nation: 2025 Honorees Removed

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    Portrait of a Nation: 2025 Honorees

    See the most recent recipients of the Portrait of a Nation Awards, which honors extraordinary individuals who have made transformative contributions to the United States and its people.

    December 12, 2025 – November 15, 2026

    Portrait Gallery

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    American Winners: Athletes and Entertainers Who Shaped the Nation Added

    American Winners: Athletes and Entertainers Who Shaped the Nation Removed

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    American Winners: Athletes and Entertainers Who Shaped the Nation

    This exhibition salutes a diverse array of athletes and entertainers by presenting more than fifty works from the permanent collection.

    September 26, 2025 – September 7, 2026

    Portrait Gallery

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    From Shadow to Substance: Grand-Scale Portraits During Photography’s Formative Years Added

    From Shadow to Substance: Grand-Scale Portraits During Photography’s Formative Years Removed

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    From Shadow to Substance: Grand-Scale Portraits During Photography’s Formative Years

    This exhibition traces the evolution of the grand-scale, whole-plate photograph format from the high-end daguerreotype to the more affordable tintype.

    June 20, 2025 – June 14, 2026

    Portrait Gallery

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    Meserve Collection Highlights: Modern Prints from Mathew Brady’s Portrait Negatives Added

    Meserve Collection Highlights: Modern Prints from Mathew Brady’s Portrait Negatives Removed

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    Meserve Collection Highlights: Modern Prints from Mathew Brady’s Portrait Negatives

    The exhibition includes nine modern prints from Photographer Mathew Brady's original photographic negatives.

    May 23, 2025 – May 14, 2028

    Portrait Gallery

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    Star Power: Photographs from Hollywood’s Golden Age by George Hurrell Added

    Star Power: Photographs from Hollywood’s Golden Age by George Hurrell Removed

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    Star Power: Photographs from Hollywood’s Golden Age by George Hurrell

    George Hurrell created definitive, timeless images of many of the most glamorous figures of filmdom’s golden era.

    March 1, 2024 – January 25, 2026

    Portrait Gallery

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    Isaac Julien: Lessons of the Hour—Frederick Douglass Added

    Isaac Julien: Lessons of the Hour—Frederick Douglass Removed

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    Isaac Julien: Lessons of the Hour—Frederick Douglass

    Sir Isaac Julien’s moving image installation interweaves period reenactments across five screens to create a vivid picture of Frederick Douglass.

    December 8, 2023 – August 9, 2026

    Portrait Gallery

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    Abraham Lincoln by W.F.K. Travers Added

    Abraham Lincoln by W.F.K. Travers Removed

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    Abraham Lincoln by W.F.K. Travers

    The life size portrait of Abraham Lincoln by W.F.K. Travers joins the America's Presidents exhibition. 

    February 10, 2023 – December 31, 2027

    Portrait Gallery

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    America's Presidents Added

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    America's Presidents

    The nation’s only complete collection of presidential portraits outside the White House tells the American story through the individuals who have shaped it.

    September 22, 2017 – Permanent

    Portrait Gallery

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    Explore! with the National Portrait Gallery Added

    Explore! with the National Portrait Gallery Removed

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    Explore! with the National Portrait Gallery

    Explore! is a space where kids (ages 18 months to 8 years old accompanied by an adult) can experiment with portraiture hands-on. Hours are subject to change.

    January 28, 2017 – Indefinitely

    Portrait Gallery

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    The Struggle for Justice Added

    The Struggle for Justice Removed

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    The Struggle for Justice

    This exhibition showcases major cultural and political figures who struggled to achieve civil rights for disenfranchised or marginalized groups.

    February 12, 2010 – Permanent

    Portrait Gallery

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    Twentieth-Century Americans Added

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    Twentieth-Century Americans

    Four galleries showcase the major cultural, scientific, and political figures of the 20th century.

    July 1, 2006 – Permanent

    Portrait Gallery

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    Out of Many: Portraits from 1600 to 1900 Added

    Out of Many: Portraits from 1600 to 1900 Removed

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    Out of Many: Portraits from 1600 to 1900

    Portraits of Indigenous Americans, European colonists, clergymen, soldiers, writers, performers, scientists, and others who helped shape the country. 

    July 1, 2006 – Permanent

    Portrait Gallery

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