Past Exhibitions

Cooper Hewitt Design Museum

American Porcelain: New Expressions in an Ancient Art

View 108 objects selected from work submitted by craftsmen in 40 states, including figurative and abstract sculpture, place settings of dinnerware, and vessels designed as an art form.

November 7, 1980 – August 16, 1981

Renwick Gallery

The Moving Image

See 100 examples of artwork created for use in the production of animated films, from virtually every major studio.

June 16, 1981 – August 16, 1981

High School Graphics VII

Enjoy the creativity of Washington area public, private and parochial school students who have created 156 prints for NMAA's "Discover Graphics" program.

May 3, 1981 – August 9, 1981

American Art Museum

Kenneth Snelson

The exhibition is a 20-year retrospective of the American sculptor's work and includes some 45 sculptures, drawings, maquettes, and panoramic photographs.

June 4, 1981 – August 9, 1981

Cooper Hewitt Design Museum

The Cooper-Hewitt Collection: Pottery

Take in a survey of the Cooper-Hewitt's collection of earthenware and stoneware--about 120 examples, dating from classical Greece to the present.

May 26, 1981 – August 9, 1981

Galapagos: Born of the Sea

Feodor Pitcairn shares his fascination with the Galapagos Islands in an exhibition of approximately 40 of his photographs.

June 6, 1981 – August 2, 1981

The Red Cross Honored on Postage Stamps

In celebration of the centennial of the American Red Cross, see commemorative first-issue Red Cross stamps from more than 200 countries. The exhibition includes all U.S. Red Cross stamps as well as plate proofs.

May 15, 1981 – July 31, 1981

Strictly Hand-made

See tools, equipment, and creations of Albert Steigerwalt, an Andreas, Pennsylvania, craftsman,who persisted in stitching all-leather articles by hand until his death in 1944.

May 21, 1981 – July 31, 1981

Scenes of Contemporary Egypt

Ancient monuments as well as contemporary Egyptians and their activities are the subjects of approximately 50 color photographs by Donald and Betty Wiechec.

March 13, 1981 – July 30, 1981

Pre-Columbian Art

View 7 examples from the permanent collection and fragments from two Mayan Stalae (monoliths) on loan from the National Institute of Anthropology and History, Mexico.

August 1, 1980 – July 30, 1981

Renaissance of Islam: Art of the Mamluks

See approximately 130 objects in the first major exhibition of Mamluk art to be shown in the U.S. The Mamluks, bodyguards of the 13th-century rulers of Egypt and Syria, rose to become one of the major dynasties of the Middle Ages, ruling the area for some 150 years.

May 15, 1981 – July 19, 1981

Barbara Hepworth: The Hirshhorn Museum Collection

Take in a special installation of 13 sculptures and one drawing by the British artist (1903-1975), a contemporary and colleague of Henry Moore.

May 1, 1981 – July 19, 1981

Diplomats in Buckskins: Indian Delegations to Washington, D.C., 1863-1976

See 12 large black-and-white photographs of Indians who visited Washington for political and treaty activities during the latter half of the 19th century and early 20th century.

January 20, 1981 – July 15, 1981

Beyond the Ocean, Beneath a Leaf

Kjell Sandved's photographs celebrate Nature's grandeur as well as her intricacies, such as the irridescent scales of a butterfly's wings.

June 1, 1981 – July 14, 1981

A Feast of Color: Corpus Christi Dance Costumes from Ecuador

Delight in 4 complete fiesta costumes of cotton decorated with beads, ribbon, and foil, as well as individual pieces used during Corpus Christi festivities.

January 9, 1981 – July 12, 1981

Renwick Gallery

Bret Harte

Visit portraits of Harte, the humorous chronicler of California's goldmining camps, and of his literary contemporaries, as well as poems, drawings, and first-edition books.

January 22, 1981 – July 12, 1981

Portrait Gallery

Jefferson and Science

View materials relating to Jefferson's scientific research, inventions, and samples from his study collections such as fossils and Indian artifacts.

April 13, 1981 – July 5, 1981

Geometric Abstraction

View approximately 12 works sharing the characteristic of geometric abstraction. Among the artists represented are Glarner, Bolotowsky, and Diller.

February 26, 1981 – July 5, 1981

The Development of Modern Physical Therapy

See equipment and photographs plus many objects on loan from the Armed Forces Medical Museum and the American Physical Therapists' Association.

June 28, 1981 – July 3, 1981

Simon Lake: Submarine Advocate and Inventor

Simon Lake (1866-1945) was one of the outstanding submarine designers of this century. The half models and literature on display illustrate his achievements in both commercial and military submarine engineering.

May 8, 1981 – July 1, 1981

Paul Gauguin's Cylinder Decorated With Figure of Hina & 2 Attendants

This prized wooden sculpture by the modern French master was recently purchased by the museum. Measuring just over one foot in height, the carved cylindrical log of tamanu wood depicts Hina, the Polynesian moon goddess, and two worshipers.

May 7, 1981 – June 30, 1981

American Porcelain Artists

Admire and purchase place settings, bowls, vases, and vessels as well as ornamental and structural sculptures created by 11 of the artists whose work is included in the current Renwick exhibition, American Porcelain: New Expressions in an Ancient Art.

April 3, 1981 – June 14, 1981

Renwick Gallery

Robert Natkin: Prints and Painted Prints

See 26 color lithographs that reflect the American artist's previous explorations in non-representational painting.

March 19, 1981 – June 14, 1981