Past Exhibitions | Smithsonian Institution

1990 Discover Graphics

See etchings and lithographs created by local high school students selected to participate in the Smithsonian Resident Associate Program during 1989-1990 school year.

May 20, 1990 – July 19, 1990

Ripley Center

1991 Discover Graphics

See 60 winning graphics from the eighth annual juried exhibition by Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia high-school artists.

May 18, 1991 – August 18, 1991

Ripley Center

1992 Discover Graphics

View a display of 60 graphics selected from artwork created by 150 students in the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area.

May 16, 1992 – July 19, 1992

Ripley Center

1993 Discover Graphics

View 60 selected graphics by students from 24 area high schools.

May 21, 1993 – July 19, 1993

Ripley Center

1995 Discover Graphics

View 41 graphics created by students of Discover Graphics, a project of The Smithsonian Associates. The works were selected by a panel of Smithsonian Institution graphic arts curators.

May 20, 1995 – July 17, 1995

Ripley Center

2nd Annual Exhibition of Visual Arts and Crafts by Smithsonian Women

Reflect on and celebrate the creative lives of women artists within the Smithsonian Institution community, in conjunction with Women's History Month. See 64 works including photography, painting, ceramics, textiles, jewelry, and mixed media.

March 4, 1996 – March 29, 1996

Ripley Center

A Brush with History: Paintings from the National Portrait Gallery

View 66 portraits that reflect the range of the National Portrait Gallery's collection, from Joseph Siffred Duplessis' 1785 classic depiction of Benjamin Franklin to Andy Warhol's 1984 pop portrait of singer Michael Jackson.

November 14, 2003 – February 8, 2004

Ripley Center

A Unique Lens: Photographs from the Smithsonian Family

This exhibition showcases the photographic talent and diverse work and interests of Smithsonian staff.

February 18, 2016 – January 1, 2019

Ripley Center

Accelerate: A National Juried Exhibition for Emerging Artists with Disabilities, Ages 16-25

View works by 15 award-winning emerging artists with disabilities, ages 16 to 25.

September 10, 2009 – January 6, 2010

Ripley Center

After 1968: Contemporary Artists and the Civil Rights Legacy

Examine the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement while exploring the continuing relevance of progressive social change through the art of the After 1968 artists, a group of young emerging artists born since 1968.

November 8, 2008 – March 9, 2009

Ripley Center

Amazon Voyage: Vicious Fishes and Other Riches

Follow a boat journey along the Amazon River with 9 ports of call and see live fish, objects, interactives, and multimedia presentations to explore biodiversity and the relationships between the environment, the animals and people who live there.

April 3, 2006 – August 6, 2006

Ripley Center

America's Smithsonian

An abbreviated version of the traveling exhibition America's Smithsonian returns home to Washington, D.C., ending its 2-year, 9-city tour with some 80 of the Smithsonian's most popular artifacts.

March 1, 1998 – April 12, 1998

Ripley Center

American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music

Experience the true flavor, or "sabor," of Latin music in the United States and the influence Latin music genres have had on American popular music.

July 11, 2011 – October 9, 2011

Ripley Center

American Voices: Latino Photographers in the United States

See 210 photos from the 1930s to 1994 by 39 Latino artists that explore Mexican American, Puerto Rican, and Cuban American cultures in the U.S.

May 16, 1997 – September 28, 1997

Ripley Center

American Women: A Selection from the National Portrait Gallery

See 65 images of women who have made significant contributions to the history, development, and culture of the United States.

June 7, 2002 – December 1, 2002

Ripley Center

Art As Activist: Revolutionary Posters from Eastern and Central Europe

View a collection of 82 revolutionary posters created during 1989-1990 by prominent as well as unknown artists.

June 8, 1992 – July 12, 1992

Ripley Center

Artists at Work

This juried exhibition underscores the often-hidden talents within the Smithsonian community with 57 pieces on display.

March 20, 2024 – March 21, 2025

Ripley Center

Artists at Work

See paintings, drawings, prints, quilts, jewelry, photographs, sculpture, ceramics, and more that reveal the talents and interests of members of the Smithsonian community.

June 23, 2011 – October 2, 2011

Ripley Center

Artists at Work

See over 70 artworks by Smithsonian staff, fellows, interns, and volunteers in a variety of media.

March 27, 2008 – July 27, 2008

Ripley Center

Artists at Work

This juried exhibition, the Smithsonian Community Committee’s staff art show, underscores the often hidden talents within the Smithsonian community.

October 7, 2019 – March 13, 2020

Ripley Center

Artists at Work

This juried show, the Smithsonian Community Committees’s fourth, pan-Institutional art exhibition, underscores the often hidden talents within the Smithsonian community. A panel of three outside jurors selected 56 artists, from 23 different units, from more than 170 entries.

February 4, 2015 – May 1, 2015

Ripley Center

Artists at Work: A Smithsonian Celebration of Staff Creativity

See an exhibition that showcases the creative talents of Smithsonian staff and complements the 1996 Folklife Festival theme Working at the Smithsonian.

June 18, 1996 – August 11, 1996

Ripley Center