Past Exhibitions | Smithsonian Institution

Calico and Chintz: Antique Quilts from the Patricia Smith Collection

Experience the genteel quilting tradition that predates the folk art quilting tradition in these 26 rare American quilts made before 1850.

September 13, 1996 – January 12, 1997

Renwick Gallery

Conservation by Design

See 36 pieces of functional and sculptural wood by artists from the U.S., England, Australia, and Canada that illustrate the uses of recycled, salvaged, or reconstituted materials and lesser-known woods.

September 13, 1996 – January 12, 1997

Renwick Gallery

Mark Lindquist: Revolutions in Wood

See the first full-scale retrospective of 40 works focusing on vessels from the past 25 years by woodturner Mark Lindquist.

March 6, 1996 – July 7, 1996

Renwick Gallery

Lia Cook: Material Allusions

Focus on the last 10 years of Lia Cook's career with 25 wall hangings that depict the illusions of cloth.

March 12, 1996 – July 7, 1996

Renwick Gallery

Nancy Crow: Improvisational Quilts

View 30 quilts that trace this artist's experimentation with traditional quilting patterns.

August 25, 1995 – January 1, 1996

Renwick Gallery

Rick Dillingham: A Retrospective

Examine ceramic works inspired by Native American archaeological finds and architectural forms of the Southwest.

August 20, 1995 – January 1, 1996

Renwick Gallery

Recent Acquisitions at the Renwick

See 11 craft works recently acquired by the museum., including Michael Taylor's glass sculpture Selenium Ruby (1994) and Eleanor Moty's Folded Brooch (1990).

May 23, 1995 – October 1, 1995

Renwick Gallery

Marriage in Form: Kay Sekimachi and Bob Stocksdale

View 36 baskets and woven hangings by Sekimachi and 42 turned wooden bowls by Stocksdale.

March 31, 1995 – June 18, 1995

Renwick Gallery

Uncommon Beauty in Common Objects: The Legacy of African American Craft Art

See one of the first circulating exhibits of African American crafts featuring works by 85 recognized and emerging artists from across the country.

April 7, 1995 – June 18, 1995

Renwick Gallery

Full Deck Art Quilts

View 54 American quilts, each representing a card in a deck of playing cards. Styles range from photographic realism to abstractions of color and form.

March 6, 1995 – April 30, 1995

Renwick Gallery

Contemporary Crafts and the Saxe Collection

Contemplate 122 objects of glass, ceramics, fiber, metal, and wood from The Saxe Collection of California that survey contemporary crafts of the past decade.

October 28, 1994 – February 5, 1995

Renwick Gallery

Allan West Meets East: Four Folding Screens

See 4 Japanese-style screens that interpret the visible and invisible forces of nature. West's works combine traditional Japanese landscapes, American Color Field Painting, and the style of Sam Gilliam.

November 10, 1994 – February 5, 1995

Renwick Gallery

James Renwick in Washington

See 6 19th-century photographs and 4 craft objects that portray Washington buildings designed by Renwick.

June 28, 1994 – September 18, 1994

Renwick Gallery

Contemporary Navajo Weavings: The Gloria F. Ross Collection of the Denver Art Museum

This exhibition showcases both the artistry of modern weaving and individual weavers and their unique style.

June 3, 1994 – August 21, 1994

Renwick Gallery

A Glass Act

See sections of Dale Chihuly's glasswork sets used in the opera Palleas & Melisande, created for the Seattle Opera in 1993.

April 16, 1994 – May 15, 1994

Renwick Gallery

William Daley: Ceramic Works and Drawings

Enjoy this traveling exhibition of 40 works in clay and bronze and on paper that provides the first critical analysis of the career of this prominent Philadelphia artist.

February 18, 1994 – April 17, 1994

Renwick Gallery

KPMG Peat Marwick Collection of American Craft: A Gift to the Renwick Gallery

Admire 22 objects made from clay, fiber, wood, paper, and metal by 18 modern artists, on view for the first time.

February 25, 1994 – April 17, 1994

Renwick Gallery

Recent Acquisitions

See 7 objects in various media, including wood, metal, fiber, and ceramic.

August 13, 1993 – January 9, 1994

Renwick Gallery

The Arts and Crafts Movement in California: Living the Good Life

Celebrate the Arts and Crafts Movement in California with 198 objects of artistic merit and historical significance made between 1895-1930.

October 8, 1993 – January 9, 1994

Renwick Gallery

American Wicker

Trace the history of American woven furniture from the delicate, Japanese-inspired designs of the Aesthetic movement through the High Victorian era to the simplicity of the Arts and Crafts style.

April 2, 1993 – August 1, 1993

Renwick Gallery

Drawings by Craft Artists

View an exhibition of 12 drawings by 6 craft artists known to audiences primarily for their remarkable 3-dimensional works in clay, fiber, and glass.

June 26, 1992 – March 21, 1993

Renwick Gallery

White House Needlepoint Christmas Ornaments

Admire a display of needlepoint Christmas ornaments used in the White House, including a Renwick ornament made by Barbara Bush.

January 15, 1993 – February 28, 1993

Renwick Gallery

American Crafts: The Nation's Collection

In celebration of the 20th anniversary, visit a gallerywide installation of 130 major craft objects showing the scope and prominence of the collection.

September 25, 1992 – January 24, 1993

Renwick Gallery

Albert Paley: Studies for the Renwick Gallery's Portal Gallery

View 8 drawings related to the creation of the gallery's signature Portal Gates, crafted by Albert Paley.

September 25, 1992 – January 10, 1993

Renwick Gallery

John McQueen: The Language of Containment

Enjoy this artist's first solo exhibition of 43 baskets made of unconventional natural materials, with written text often woven into their forms, becoming literally containers of language.

March 20, 1992 – July 26, 1992

Renwick Gallery