Past Exhibitions

FUTURES

Part exhibition, part festival, FUTURES presents nearly 32,000 square feet of new immersive site-specific art installations, interactives, working experiments, inventions, speculative designs, and “artifacts of the future,” as well as historic objects and discoveries from the Smithsonian.

November 20, 2021 – July 6, 2022

Arts and Industries Building
Posy Holders

Visit two showcases contain approximately 80 one-of-a-kind posy holders made of precious metals and semi-precious stones, donated by Frances Jones Poetker.

January 3, 1995 – January 11, 2004

Arts and Industries Building
Camelot at Dawn: Jacqueline & John Kennedy in Georgetown, May 1954

See more than 40 black-and-white photographs of Jack and Jacqueline Kennedy in the first year of their marriage.

September 19, 2003 – January 4, 2004

Arts and Industries Building
Juke Joint

See North Carolina artist Willie Little's recollections of the patrons of his father's illegal liquor house "Little's Grocery" that provides a slice of rural life during the 1960s and 1970s.

September 24, 2003 – December 28, 2003

Arts and Industries Building
Not Just Gingerbread

Marvel at the decorative, edible vignettes Jan Curry creates using such materials as gingerbread, sugar paste, herbs, and grains.

November 22, 2003 – December 26, 2003

Arts and Industries Building
Celebrating Scotland's Crafts

View objects produced by traditional methods that highlight the continuation of specialized skills and crafts passed down from generation to generation in Scotland.

June 20, 2003 – September 12, 2003

Arts and Industries Building
Tobacco to Tourism: Celebrating Alexandria's Scottish Heritage

Trace the Scottish heritage of the city of Alexandria, Virginia, from its founding in the 18th century -- by a group that included several Scottish tobacco traders -- to today.

June 20, 2003 – September 12, 2003

Arts and Industries Building
Ancestral Scotland Genealogy Interactive

Visit your Scottish roots and find out how you can walk in the footsteps of your ancestors with a trip to Scotland via computer.

June 25, 2003 – September 9, 2003

Arts and Industries Building
Changing the Face of Power: Women in the U.S. Senate

See more than 30 black-and-white photographs of women senators featured in this photo essay by photojournalist Melina Mara.

May 22, 2003 – September 7, 2003

Arts and Industries Building
The Healer Within

Through 34 interactive workstations, learn how to become actively engaged in improving your own health.

May 28, 2003 – September 2, 2003

Arts and Industries Building
Happy Birthday St. Petersburg!

See 4 icons and 4 photographs selected from the Castle Collection to honor the 300th anniversary of the founding of St. Petersburg, Russia.

May 19, 2003 – June 30, 2003

Arts and Industries Building
Nature's Jewels: A Living Exhibit of Orchids and Butterflies

Explore biodiversity in this 8th annual orchid exhibition co-sponsored by the Smithsonian Horticulture Services Division and the U.S. Botanic Garden.

January 18, 2003 – May 26, 2003

Arts and Industries Building
Genome Preview

See a preview of the upcoming Genome exhibition (June 7, 2003-Jan. 5, 2004) offering a lively introduction to our body's genetic inner workings and featuring an 8-by-12-foot lighted sculpture of a double helix.

April 1, 2003 – May 15, 2003

Arts and Industries Building
The Invisible Industry: Journey Down the Upper Mississippi: Photos by Richard and Elizabeth Walker

View 12 photographic panels that explore the barge industry along the Mississippi River, including the river, the towboat, the crew, and the locks.

April 1, 2003 – May 12, 2003

Arts and Industries Building
My Story...Gordon Snidow Retrospective Exhibition

View Gordon Snidow's art, which portrays the contemporary cowboy, including pencil sketches, watercolors, oil paintings, and gouache.

February 7, 2003 – May 11, 2003

Arts and Industries Building
El Rio: Culture and Environment in the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo Basin

Examine the relationship between local culture, traditional knowledge, and sustainable environment in the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo basin.

February 14, 2003 – April 30, 2003

Arts and Industries Building
Kites!

CelebrateThe Smithsonian Associates' annual Kite Festival (March 22) with kites for all to enjoy.

March 1, 2003 – March 31, 2003

Arts and Industries Building
Chihuly Glass

View 4 pieces of art glass by Dale Chihuly: Citron Basket, Ocean Macchia, Philodendron Ikebana, and Tiger Lily Seaform Pair.

October 24, 2002 – March 19, 2003

Arts and Industries Building
Journeys of the Spirits

See 21 photographs of ancient Native American petroglyphs and sacred ceremonial sites by photographer Joe Triscari.

January 15, 2003 – March 15, 2003

Arts and Industries Building
Latin Jazz: La combinacion perfecta

Explore the history, cultural context, musicians, places, instruments, and dance aesthetics behind the development of this musical genre.

October 19, 2002 – January 20, 2003

Arts and Industries Building
Chicano Now: American Expressions

See the range of Chicano cultural styles expressed through walk-in environments, video art and performances, images, and interactives.

September 27, 2002 – January 5, 2003

Arts and Industries Building
Photo du Jour: David Hume Kennerly's Picture-a-Day Journey Through the First Year of New Millennium

View 150 black-and-white photographs -- taken in locations from Saginaw to Saigon -- by Pulitzer Prize winner David Hume Kennerly.

October 1, 2002 – December 29, 2002

Arts and Industries Building
Gingerbread Creations by Jan Curry

See 5 gingerbread creations by Jan Curry, a food columnist and theatrical set designer from Raleigh, North Carolina.

December 7, 2002 – December 24, 2002

Arts and Industries Building
American Lifestyle Display

See 4 groupings of garden furniture that reflect changes in Americans' outdoor lifestyles -- from the sedentary pleasures of parlor gardening to more active pastimes.

July 17, 2002 – September 25, 2002

Arts and Industries Building
History Through Deaf Eyes

See an exhibition that places the social history of deaf Americans within the broader context of American history.

May 9, 2002 – September 22, 2002

Arts and Industries Building

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