Past Exhibitions | Smithsonian Institution

Black Gold I

See a large-scale, mixed media piece by artist Yinka Shonibare (b. 1962, England) that demonstrates the technique of painting on fabrics, commonly referred to as Dutch wax cloth.

November 1, 2008 – April 9, 2009

African Art Museum

Black Box: Ori Gersht

Gersht's work encourages viewers to reflect on the power of natural beauty and how it is affected by human intervention.

December 22, 2008 – April 12, 2009

Hirshhorn Museum

Design Models: National Museum of African American History and Culture's Architectural Design Competition

View six architectural design models submitted to the Smithsonian in a design competition for the new National Museum of African American History and Culture to be built on the Mall and completed in 2015.

March 27, 2009 – April 19, 2009

Smithsonian Castle

Orchids through Darwin's Eyes: 15th Annual Orchid Show

To mark Darwin's 200th birthday, the exhibit explores the incredibly diverse world of orchids through his eyes and examines the ways in which he influenced today's naturalists, horticulturists, and scientists who study these intriguing plants.

January 24, 2009 – April 26, 2009

Natural History Museum

George Catlin's Indian Gallery

View 287 portraits, landscapes, and scenes of American Indian life by George Catlin, along with 3 paintings by Thomas Moran.

November 11, 2005 – April 26, 2009

Renwick Gallery

Smithsonian Science in the News: Investigating the "Miracle on the Hudson"

This small exhibition case explains how museum scientists worked with transportation safety experts in this modern aviation mystery.

February 23, 2009 – May 3, 2009

Natural History Museum

2008 Nature's Best Photography: Windland Smith Rice International Awards

On view are 45 winners in 19 categories from the 2008 Nature's Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards.

November 8, 2008 – May 3, 2009

Natural History Museum

Spectacular Saturn: Images from the Cassini-Huygens Mission

Marvel at 60 images of the amazing Saturn system, taken by the Cassini-Huygens mission.

February 2, 2009 – May 15, 2009

Air and Space Museum

Fritz Scholder: Indian/Not Indian

Paintings, bronze sculptures, and lithographs highlight the career of contemporary Native artist Fritz Scholder (Luiseno, 1937-2005).

November 1, 2008 – May 17, 2009

American Indian Museum New York

Louise Bourgeois

This is the first major survey since 1995 of works by the French-born artist Louise Bourgeois (born 1911).

February 26, 2009 – May 17, 2009

Hirshhorn Museum

Winslow Homer: Four Views of Nature

See three technically innovative watercolors and the monumental oil painting Early Evening, painted by American artist Winslow Homer.

November 22, 2008 – May 25, 2009

Asian Art Museum Freer Gallery

Graphic Masters I: Highlights from the Smithsonian American Art Museum

Enjoy watercolors, pastels, and drawings from the early 19th century through the 1930s to celebrate the extraordinary variety and accomplishment of American artists' works on paper.

November 27, 2008 – May 25, 2009

American Art Museum

Claude "Fiddler" Williams and the Kansas City Jazz Scene

The archival materials in these cases introduce Claude "Fiddler" Williams and the Kansas City jazz scene. An American jazz violinist and guitarist, Williams was known for his swinging, bluesy style.

April 1, 2009 – May 29, 2009

American History Museum

Staff Photo Contest Winners: 2008

View 36 winning entries that showcase the talent and diverse work and interests of the Smithsonian community.

March 4, 2009 – May 31, 2009

Ripley Center

Comic Art Indigene

Explore how the new narrative art forms of comics and comic-inspired art incorporate storytelling to express the contemporary Native American experience.

March 6, 2009 – May 31, 2009

American Indian Museum DC

The Art and Craft of Greene & Greene

On view are approximately 130 objects designed by brothers Charles and Henry Greene, including beautifully inlaid furniture crafted from exotic hardwoods, artfully executed stained glass and metalwork, as well as rare architectural drawings and photographs.

March 13, 2009 – June 7, 2009

Renwick Gallery

Tokens of Affection and Regard: Photographic Jewelry and Its Makers

This poignant exhibition features rare and exquisite jewelry containing portraits in the 19th century's four main photographic processes.

October 24, 2008 – June 21, 2009

Portrait Gallery

Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn: Jazz Composers and Their Signature Works

Two of the greatest jazz composers were Duke Ellington (1899-1974) and Billy Strayhorn (1915-1967). This exhibition examines two of their most ubiquitous pieces.

April 4, 2009 – June 28, 2009

American History Museum

Moving Perspectives: Jun Nguyen-Hatsushiba and Fiona Tan

See video works by Jun Nguyen-Hatsushiba and Fiona Tan that provide rich sensory experiences of the many changes taking place in contemporary Asia.

March 14, 2009 – July 5, 2009

Asian Art Museum Sackler Gallery

One Life: The Mask of Lincoln

To commemorate the bicentennial of Lincoln's birth, this exhibition provides many faces of Lincoln from the museum's collection, a collection that charts Lincoln's passage from a fresh-faced Illinois congressman to his grizzled isolation as president.

November 7, 2008 – July 5, 2009

Portrait Gallery

I Do Solemnly Swear: Photographs of the 2009 Inauguration

This exhibition features approximately 50 framed color and black-and-white photographs highlighting the week-long events surrounding the historic Presidential Inauguration of Barack Obama.

April 29, 2009 – July 12, 2009

American History Museum

Artists in Dialogue: Antonio Ole and Aime Mpane

Antonio Ole of Angola and Aime Mpane of the Democratic Republic of Congo bring their subtle and sophisticated manipulation of found and organic materials to create visually rich multimedia installations.

February 4, 2009 – July 21, 2009

African Art Museum

Berlin Airlift—A Legacy of Friendship

Revisit the Berlin Airlift, one of the defining events of the Cold War, in this exhibition of photographs.

June 15, 2009 – July 23, 2009

Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center

Jean Shin: Common Threads

Jean Shin employs a meticulous process of dismantling, altering, and reconstructing discarded and worn materials -- such as old shoes, lost socks, lottery tickets, and broken umbrellas -- to create textural installations that give new form to life's leftovers.

May 1, 2009 – July 26, 2009

American Art Museum

Mami Wata: Arts for Water Spirits in Africa and Its Diasporas

Explore 500 years of the visual culture and history of the water spirit, Mami Wata, that is celebrated throughout much of Africa and the African Atlantic world.

April 1, 2009 – July 26, 2009

African Art Museum