Past Exhibitions | Smithsonian Institution

Selections from the Index of American Design

See selections from the Index of American Design.

January 28, 1972 – January 31, 1972

Renwick Gallery

Pueblo Pottery: Zuni and Acoma Designs from the Smithsonian Collection

See Zuni and Acoma pueblo-designed pottery from the Smithsonian collections.

January 28, 1972 – December 31, 1972

Renwick Gallery

American Pieced Quilts

See 45 pieced quilts, most from the 18th century, showing the artistry and beauty of this again-popular folk craft.

January 28, 1972 – January 7, 1973

Renwick Gallery

Brazilian Baroque: Decorative and Religious Objects from the 17th and 18th Centuries

See some 100 objects from the Museo de Arte Sacra, Sao Paulo, including silver and gold candlesticks, goblets, crowns and inlaid furniture from Brazil's colonial period.

December 22, 1972 – February 25, 1973

Renwick Gallery

Contemporary Paintings from India

See 54 oils by 18 artists, surveying the modern scene in India.

March 16, 1973 – April 15, 1973

Renwick Gallery

Objects for Preparing Food

See more than 500 historic and contemporary objects ranging from a crocodile-shaped grater from Egypt to the most modern industrially designed utensils.

February 9, 1973 – April 29, 1973

Renwick Gallery

The Design Necessity

See photographic panels, texts and a film that document case histories of good design in Federal projects, including restoration of the Renwick and the Fine Arts and Portrait Galleries.

April 5, 1973 – June 30, 1973

Renwick Gallery

The Arts and Crafts Movement in America, 1876-1916

See the first major exhibition to feature the American Arts and Crafts Movement, which developed as a protest against the general decline in craftsmanship that resulted from the machine age.

June 1, 1973 – September 9, 1973

Renwick Gallery

American Coverlets

Enjoy the beautiful, utilitarian art form shown by 15 woven American coverlets, and 13 color reproductions and text panels.

May 11, 1973 – September 16, 1973

Renwick Gallery

Form and Fire: Natzler Ceramics 1939-1972

See the Museum's first major exhibition of 20th century ceramics in a retrospective showing of 174 objects created in collaboration by Gertrude and Otto Natzler.

July 26, 1973 – October 21, 1973

Renwick Gallery

American Glass Now

View a nationwide invitational selection of 100 contemporary glass sculptures from more than 60 top glass craftsmen.

October 12, 1973 – December 3, 1973

Renwick Gallery

James Renwick in Washington

See photos and architectural renderings that detail the architect's buildings in Washington.

January 28, 1972 – January 31, 1974

Renwick Gallery

See a selection of some 30 paintings made by a panel of artists and art critics invited by the Pakistan Ministry of Information to choose significant and interesting works of contemporary Pakistani artists.

January 17, 1974 – March 3, 1974

Renwick Gallery

Shaker: Furniture and Objects from the Faith and Edward Deming Andrews Collections Commemorating the Bicentenary of the American Shakers*

Celebrate the 200th anniversary of the arrival of the Shakers in the U.S. as well as the 50th anniversary of Shaker connoisseurship by teacher and historian Dr. Edward Deming Andrews and his wife Faith.

November 2, 1973 – April 7, 1974

Renwick Gallery

Santos: Popular Forms of Faith in Latin America

See some 50 folk representations of religious personages from New Mexico, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Ecuador, Bolivia and Brazil, ranging in date from the late 18th century to the present.

March 16, 1974 – April 15, 1974

Renwick Gallery

The Glass of Frederick Carder

See a retrospective exhibition of glass craftmanship by Steuben Glass Works' founder.

January 28, 1972 – May 12, 1974

Renwick Gallery

200 Years of Royal Copenhagen Porcelain

See a selection of 137 porcelain, stoneware, and faience works from the historical and contemporary collections of the Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Manufactory, Ltd., the oldest Danish enterprise in the field of applied art.

April 12, 1974 – June 30, 1974

Renwick Gallery

The Goldsmith: Jewelry and Other Objects by Contemporary Artist-Craftsmen of North America

See jewelry, hollow ware, flatware and architectural and decorative accessories of 145 artists, selected from a recent competition.

May 17, 1974 – August 18, 1974

Renwick Gallery

Contemporary Nigerian Art: Craftsmen from Oshogbo

See some 70 pieces of textiles and metal works, with about half being the sculptured figures and jewelry of Jinadu Oladepo. Tapestries, embroideries, appliques and batiks are included in the textiles.

July 26, 1974 – October 28, 1974

Renwick Gallery

Hollow Ware Renderings

Delight in 30 watercolor renderings of American teapots, mugs, ladles, and bowls from colonial times through the 19th century.

August 1, 1974 – December 31, 1974

Renwick Gallery

Design is...

Diverse objects from a heart pacemaker to a sleek modern fireplug show elements of design, both old and new, in the objects and systems we encounter in daily life.

January 28, 1972 – February 2, 1975

Renwick Gallery

Figure and Fantasy

Visit an exhibition presenting 48 works by 6 East Coast artists who have found expression for fantasy in modern materials and techniques, each in quite a different way.

October 5, 1974 – February 9, 1975

Renwick Gallery

Contemporary Textile Art from Austria

Enjoy 33 new tapestries in the form of wall hangings, appliques, fabric sculptures, sewn objects and unique embroideries.

November 22, 1974 – March 9, 1975

Renwick Gallery

A Modern Consciousness: D. J. DePree and Florence Knoll

Honor two designers of 20th century American furniture who contributed greatly to the success of two major companies, Herman Miller Incorporated and Knoll International. Some 50 pieces of furniture are on display.

April 11, 1975 – November 9, 1975

Renwick Gallery

The Designs of Raymond Loewy

Tour the career of Raymond Loewy, a pioneer of the industrial design profession, through photographs, drawings, models and objects that showcase his work.

August 1, 1975 – November 16, 1975

Renwick Gallery