Past Exhibitions | Smithsonian Institution

The Art of Turned Wood Bowls: The Edward Jacobson Collection

See 90 examples of lathe-turned wood bowls in many styles and in a variety of woods, created by 21 American master turners in the past decade.

April 17, 1986 – September 28, 1986

Renwick Gallery

Featured Object

View The Unveiling of the Statue of Liberty, a wall hanging by Katherine Westphal.

July 1, 1986 – September 14, 1986

Renwick Gallery

Frank Lloyd Wright and the Johnson Wax Buildings: Building a Corporate Cathedral

Admire two masterpieces of 20th-century architecture, the Johnson Wax Co.'s administration building (1936) and research tower (1943) in Racine, Wisconsin, documented by 22 original drawings and sketches from Wright's unpublished archives as well as photographs, correspondence, models, furniture, and a videotape of Wright discussing the buildings.

April 26, 1986 – September 1, 1986

Renwick Gallery

Crafts from Vermont

Admire and purchase the work of 24 artisans ranging from pewter to pottery, from collapsible wooden baskets to tapestry scarves and jackets.

April 10, 1986 – July 7, 1986

Renwick Gallery

Masterpieces of Time: Clocks by Wendell Castle

View 13 floor-standing clocks of exotic woods with inlays of sterling silver and mother-of-pearl. All are sculptural and decorative; several recall French art deco furniture of the 1920s and 30s, while others are more whimsical.

December 24, 1985 – May 4, 1986

Renwick Gallery

Soup to Nuts

Admire and purchase unique but functional table-top service pieces, including bowls, casseroles, platters, tureens, pitchers, goblets, and placemats, created in a variety of materials by some 25 craftspeople from all over the country.

February 10, 1986 – April 6, 1986

Renwick Gallery

Treasures from the Land: 12 New Zealand Craftsmen and Their Native Materials

See 70 works by New Zealand craftsmen including woven hangings of natural wool, carved and painted gourds, sculptural ceramic vessels, Maori feather capes, a carved ceremonial doorway, and delicate jewelry of inlaid woods, precious metals, and minerals.

November 15, 1985 – March 9, 1986

Renwick Gallery

Contemporary Crafts from the Empire State

Admire and purchase desks and serving accessories, perfume bottles, jewelry, and textiles created by 24 members of the Empire State Crafts Alliance, New York.

October 24, 1985 – January 31, 1986

Renwick Gallery

The Woven and Graphic Art of Anni Albers

Celebrate the creativity of this German-born emigre with 106 works divided almost equally between her textiles and works on paper.

June 12, 1985 – January 5, 1986

Renwick Gallery

Our Cup of Tea: Contemporary Crafted Teapots, Cups and Spoons

Admire and purchase works by 30 potters from across the country -- some decorative rather than functional, and in styles ranging from traditional to funky.

August 29, 1985 – October 20, 1985

Renwick Gallery

Material Evidence: New Color Techniques in Handmade Furniture

View 23 pieces of handcrafted furniture created by 19 contemporary woodworkers who were invited to explore the design possibilities of Formica Corporation's new solid color laminate, Colorcore.

April 26, 1985 – September 22, 1985

Renwick Gallery

Architects Design for the Tabletop

Admire and purchase dinnerware, serving pieces, fabrics, and decorative accessories designed by such architects as Charles Gwathmey, Richard Meier, Robert Siegel, and Robert Venturi.

May 2, 1985 – August 25, 1985

Renwick Gallery

Flexible Medium: Art Fabric from the Museum Collection

See some 30 works that demonstrate diverse approaches by American artists to the structure and surface embellishment of textiles.

January 20, 1984 – August 18, 1985

Renwick Gallery

Architecture in Silver

Admire silver coffee and tea services designed by 11 internationally known architects, executed by Italian silversmiths.

May 3, 1985 – July 29, 1985

Renwick Gallery

Fanfare, Part III (19th- and 20th-Century Fans)

View 30 19th- and 20th-century fans from the NMAA collection, including examples of Chinese Export, hand screens, lace, and painted styles. This is the final segment of a 3-part exhibition.

January 25, 1985 – July 21, 1985

Renwick Gallery

Affordable Frills

Admire and purchase jewelry created by 20 contemporary American craftsmen -- necklaces, pins, and earrings made of silk, plastic, glass, titanium, ceramic, and silver.

January 10, 1985 – April 28, 1985

Renwick Gallery

Chicago Furniture: Art, Craft, and Industry, 1833-1983

See 165 pieces of furniture and smaller decorative objects that document the contributions made by Chicago furniture designers and manufacturers to the artistic and cultural development of the U.S.

October 12, 1984 – April 7, 1985

Renwick Gallery

Newcomb Pottery: An Enterprise for Southern Women

View 210 ceramic pieces produced at Newcomb Pottery, the only major art pottery in the South and one of the major centers of the Arts and Crafts Movement in America.

November 2, 1984 – February 24, 1985

Renwick Gallery

Fanfare, Part II

See 29 fans in the second segment of a 3-part exhibition that are examples of neoclassic, brise, Empire, and Gothic Revival fans as well as lithographed fans, popular in the mid-19th century.

July 27, 1984 – January 6, 1985

Renwick Gallery

Contemporary Crafts from Colorado

Admire and purchase objects created by 27 members of the Colorado Artists and Craftsmen, including quilts, jewelry, ceramic and glass pieces, beading on canvas, needlework, batik, and woodwork.

November 8, 1984 – January 6, 1985

Renwick Gallery

American Politics and the Presidency

Admire and purchase mostly one-of-a-kind objects, conveying some 20 artists' conceptions of past, present, and future politics, as well as presidents both real and imagined.

September 7, 1984 – November 4, 1984

Renwick Gallery

The Tibetan Yak in Art and Craft

See 29 objects associated with the yak, a long-haired bovine that occupies an important position in Tibetan life. Included are items used in the preparation of yak-butter tea, a Tibetan staple, as well as an 18th-century painting of a yak by British artist George Stubbs.

June 23, 1984 – November 4, 1984

Renwick Gallery

Harvey K. Littleton: Glass Sculptures and Ceramics

Trace Littleton's evolution from studio potter to an internationally respected glass artist, recognized as the "father" of the modern studio glass movement, with these 108 objects.

March 30, 1984 – September 3, 1984

Renwick Gallery

The Baltimore Clay Works

Admire and purchase functional pottery created by 12 artists whose individual approaches produce works in a range of styles.

August 1, 1984 – September 3, 1984

Renwick Gallery

Special Installation: Glass

See 6 pieces of contemporary glass from the permanent collection

April 6, 1984 – September 3, 1984

Renwick Gallery