Past Exhibitions | Smithsonian Institution

Discovery Theater Art & Writing Contest Winners

View more than 30 paintings, drawings, stories, and poems selected from over 4,500 entries submitted by Washington area students in the Discovery Theater Art and Writing Contests.

April 1, 1985 – September 19, 1985

Arts and Industries Building

Discovery Theater: Past and Future

See some 25 photographs portraying past and future productions featured at the Discovery Theater.

September 20, 1985 – June 30, 1986

Arts and Industries Building

A Victorian Horticultural Extravaganza

Recapture the feeling of "Horticultural Hall" at the Centennial in Philadelphia with this exhibition of plants--live, pressed and dried--as well as ladies' crafts and technology of the floral industry.

July 23, 1980 – June 30, 1987

Arts and Industries Building

Christmas Tree Decorated by Associates

See a Christmas tree, decorated by the National Associates Travel Program's Washington Anytime Weekend participants, that features handcrafted ornaments from the U.S. and abroad.

December 6, 1987 – January 8, 1988

Arts and Industries Building

Native American Flora

Visit a wildflower collection commemorating the 75th birthday of Lady Bird Johnson, former First Lady.

May 1, 1988 – August 30, 1988

Arts and Industries Building

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen and the French Constitution of 1791

See two 18th-century copies of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen and the French Constitution of 1791 that are on loan from the French National Archives to celebrate the French bicentennial.

May 3, 1989 – October 31, 1989

Arts and Industries Building

RAP 25th Anniversary Exhibition

View photomontages of Discover Graphics and Discovery Theater.

September 18, 1990 – December 31, 1990

Arts and Industries Building

Project Face to Face

This exhibition includes life masks of people from all walks of life who have been diagnosed as HIV positive.

January 31, 1991 – March 30, 1991

Arts and Industries Building

Principles of Flight

Visit a hands-on interactive exhibit that helps children understand how planes fly.

January 31, 1991 – March 31, 1991

Arts and Industries Building

Casitas: An Urban Cultural Alternative

Learn about the style and use of "casitas," a Caribbean architectural form, and see one built on-site by members of the Puerto Rican community from the Bronx.

February 1, 1991 – June 30, 1991

Arts and Industries Building

Crossroads/Footprints/Dreamkeeper

Engage in a video/audio installation to explore African/Diaspora symbolic language, including religious icons, African drumming, and scenes of everyday life.

June 3, 1991 – July 7, 1991

Arts and Industries Building

Brazil Via New York/Oxygen Share

Learn about the depletion of the Brazilian rain forest in an exhibition dedicated to Chico Mendes, recently murdered activist and popular leader.

April 17, 1991 – July 7, 1991

Arts and Industries Building

World Wall: A Vision of the Future Without Fear

A mural-in-progress by Chicana artist Judith Baca, addresses such contemporary global issues as war and conflict, cooperation, interdependence, and spiritual growth.

July 17, 1991 – September 3, 1991

Arts and Industries Building

The Good, the Bad and the Cuddly

Try a hands-on exhibit targeted toward children and adults who do not ordinarily go to zoos.

September 19, 1991 – November 3, 1991

Arts and Industries Building

Lego Animals

See LEGO animal models produced by master model builders at LEGO Systems, Inc.

September 24, 1991 – November 10, 1991

Arts and Industries Building

Powers of Ten

Gain an increased understanding of astronomy, specifically the sizes of, locations of, and distances between celestial objects in the universe in this exhibition.

November 25, 1991 – January 24, 1992

Arts and Industries Building

Finding Your Way: A Historical and Hands-on Approach to Navigating

Find your way through land, sea, and space in this exhibition from The Exploratorium.

November 11, 1991 – January 31, 1992

Arts and Industries Building

Etiquette of the Undercaste

Visit an installation created by Antenna Theater to provide visitors with an abstract view of poverty in America.

February 14, 1992 – April 15, 1992

Arts and Industries Building

Psychology: Understanding Ourselves, Understanding Each Other

Visit over 30 hands-on exhibits and activities addressing every day psychological processes. These exhibits explore thinking, problem solving, remembering, forgetting, feelings, communication, growing up, and growing older.

May 18, 1992 – September 9, 1992

Arts and Industries Building

Young Visions: A New Look at Our World Beyond Homelessness

See 25 photographs by 3 young, formerly homeless photographers known as "Dion and Friends" that depict both the hardships and the triumphs of their lives.

January 1, 1993 – March 1, 1993

Arts and Industries Building

Children's Banner Project for the 52nd Presidential Inauguration

See the 3 x 6 foot banners for the inauguration of President Clinton made by children from Washington, D.C. schools.

February 19, 1993 – March 1, 1993

Arts and Industries Building

The Kids Bridge

Visit a hands-on interactive exhibition from the Children's Museum of Boston which allows kids to explore issues about identity, ethnicity, race, and racism.

September 30, 1992 – March 1, 1993

Arts and Industries Building

Cartoons, Caricatures and Comics

See 250 works that demonstrate how cartoons, comics, and caricatures have functioned as popular and fine art.

June 28, 1993 – September 30, 1993

Arts and Industries Building

Muttonman Discovers Columbus

Look at cartoons by the Navajo performance artist Vincent Craig to see how he evaluates his culture through incorporating humor and comedy in his works.

June 28, 1993 – September 30, 1993

Arts and Industries Building

Dress Codes: Urban Folk Fashion

See how textiles and clothing are communicators of American values.

November 5, 1993 – March 25, 1994

Arts and Industries Building