Past Exhibitions | Smithsonian Institution

One Life: Sylvia Plath

The exhibition reveals how Plath shaped her identity visually as she came of age as a writer in the 1950s. Visitors will get a look into Plath’s personal life and her dualistic nature.

June 30, 2017 – May 20, 2018

Portrait Gallery

In Memoriam: Barbara Bush

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery recognizes the life of Barbara Bush with a photograph by Diana Walker taken in 1989.

April 18, 2018 – April 29, 2018

Portrait Gallery

Remembering Martin Luther King Jr.

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery celebrates the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. by displaying his likeness by Jack Lewis Hiller.

April 4, 2018 – April 17, 2018

Portrait Gallery

Marlene Dietrich: Dressed for the Image

The biggest Hollywood star at a time when “talkies” were still new, Dietrich captured men’s hearts and women’s admiration on screen and off.

June 16, 2017 – April 15, 2018

Portrait Gallery

In Memoriam: Reverend Billy Graham

The National Portrait Gallery recognizes the life and accomplishments of Rev. Billy Graham with a photograph by Yousuf Karsh taken in 1972.

February 22, 2018 – March 25, 2018

Portrait Gallery

More Than a Picture: Selections from the Photography Collection

More than 150 photographs and related objects The photography showcases a striking visual account of key historical events, cultural touchstones and private and communal moments to illuminate African American life.

May 5, 2017 – March 8, 2018

African American History and Culture Museum

Tucker automobile #39, 1948

One of the fifty-one nearly identical Tucker automobiles, designed by Preston Tucker, Alex Tremulis, and J. Gordon Lippincott and Company, were built in 1948 before the Tucker Corp. became embroiled in fraud allegations.

December 12, 2015 – February 28, 2018

American History Museum

In Memoriam: Mathilde Krim

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery recognizes the life and accomplishments of AIDS research pioneer Dr. Mathilde Krim with a photograph by Annie Leibovitz.

January 22, 2018 – February 22, 2018

Portrait Gallery

Everyday Beauty: Selections from the Photography and Film Collection

This exhibition examines African American history and culture by presenting 100 images spanning 100 years. These selected works highlight the beauty of everyday occasions and feature photography and films by known and lesser-known artists.

July 7, 2017 – February 4, 2018

African American History and Culture Museum

Posy Holders

Two large cases contain approximately 80 one-of-a-kind posy holders made of precious metals and semi-precious stones, donated by Frances Jones Poetker.

Ripley Center

Murder Is Her Hobby: Frances Glessner Lee and the Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death

Murder is Her Hobby: Frances Glessner Lee and The Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death explores the unexpected intersection between craft and forensic science.

October 20, 2017 – January 28, 2018

Renwick Gallery

The Face of Battle, Americans at War, 9/11 to Now

The Face of Battle documents the first attempts by artists to assess the human costs of modern war through portraiture.

April 7, 2017 – January 28, 2018

Portrait Gallery

Akunnittinni: A Kinngait Family Portrait

Grandmother, mother, and daughter each produced an oeuvre reflective of Arctic village life, rich with celebration and joy, but also sometimes taking a critical eye to the role of modernity and its effects on Inuit culture.

June 10, 2017 – January 8, 2018

American Indian Museum New York

West Wing Exhibition Preview: Second Floor

This sneak peek at the museum's renovations features a World War II billboard, a Godess of Liberty statue, an Apache fiddle, and a menorah with Statue of Liberty candle holders.

September 14, 2013 – January 7, 2018

American History Museum

2 West Preview Case

This preview case introduces the public to the Museum’s 2017 theme: “The Nation We Build Together.” The predominant feature is a nine-foot-tall LEGO Statue of Liberty displayed on a platform alongside images of objects that represent new exhibitions opening June 28.

March 2, 2017 – January 7, 2018

American History Museum

Gateways/Portales

This exhibition explores the experiences of Latino migrants and immigrants in four U.S. metro areas: Washington DC, Baltimore, MD; Charlotte, NC; and Raleigh-Durham, NC. Explora las experiencias de migrantes e inmigrantes latinos en Estados Unidos.

December 5, 2016 – January 7, 2018

Anacostia Community Museum

Dizzy Gillespie

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery honors the life and legacy of jazz trumpeter, composer and band leader Dizzy Gillespie on the centennial of his birth.

October 26, 2017 – November 26, 2017

Portrait Gallery

Recent Acquisitions

This annual exhibition features 29 objects that showcase some of the newest additions to the museum’s collection

November 18, 2016 – October 30, 2017

Portrait Gallery

Through the African American Lens: A Preview of the National Museum of African American History and Culture

These artifacts demonstrate the richness and diversity of the African American experience and provide a preview of the themes and collections to be on view at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

May 8, 2015 – October 1, 2017

American History Museum

Innovations in Defense

The Mayhem Cyber Reasoning System on exhibit is the first artificial intelligence cyber defense system designed specifically to thwart attacks on our increasingly interconnected—and vulnerable—devices.

April 20, 2017 – September 18, 2017

American History Museum

American Visionary: John F. Kennedy's Life and Times

American Visionary: John F. Kennedy’s Life and Times brings together images culled from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, Getty Images, private collections, and the Kennedy family archives that capture the dramatic scope of Kennedy’s life.

May 3, 2017 – September 17, 2017

American Art Museum

Mail Trolleys

Learn about trolley car mail and increased speed in mail delivery. Between trolleys and multiple daily deliveries in large cities, individuals or businesses could send and receive letters as many as three to four times a day!

May 19, 2017 – September 10, 2017

Postal Museum

America's Presidents Temporary Installation

While the regular gallery space is being refurbished and updated, America’s Presidents will be temporarily installed in the west gallery on the second floor.

March 24, 2017 – September 4, 2017

Portrait Gallery

JFK Centennial Celebration

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s birth on May 29, the Museum displays nine photographs of the 35th President and his family.

May 25, 2017 – August 27, 2017

American History Museum

Down These Mean Streets

The exhibition will examine how Latino photographers depicted America’s urban streets when notions of the inner city began to emerge. The title of the exhibition is taken from Piri Thomas’ bestselling memoir Down These Mean Streets (1967), where the author narrates his tough upbringing in New York City’s El Barrio.

May 12, 2017 – August 6, 2017

American Art Museum