Past Exhibitions | Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Exhibit on the National Museum of African American History and Culture

Witness the beginning of construction of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which will be completed in 2015. See porcelain and glass shards from the 18th and 19th centuries found on the site, a model of the building, and artistic renderings of the interior spaces.

May 16, 2012 – May 20, 2012

Smithsonian Castle

Doug Aitken: Song 1

View this truly original cutting-edge time-based media installation created by internationally renowned artist Doug Aitken. It is the first of its kind ever in Washington, D.C., and takes public art in the city to a new level of visibility.

March 22, 2012 – May 20, 2012

Hirshhorn Museum

Annie Leibovitz: Pilgrimage

The images in this collection chart a new direction for Annie Leibovitz, one of America's best known living photographers, whose career now spans more than 40 years.

January 20, 2012 – May 20, 2012

American Art Museum

Fifty Years of Lasers

Learn about the invention of early lasers and how they were put to practical use in this case.

March 5, 2010 – May 28, 2012

American History Museum

Goryeo Buddhist Paintings: A Closer Look

Three rare icons from the late Goryeo dynasty that have never been shown together epitomize a golden age in Korean Buddhist art.

February 25, 2012 – May 28, 2012

Asian Art Museum Sackler Gallery

One Life: Ronald Reagan

This one-room exhibition chronicles Ronald Reagan’s early years in Illinois through his acting and political career, to his presidency.

July 1, 2011 – May 28, 2012

Portrait Gallery

Invention Case: Jerome Lemelson: Toying with Invention

On view in this case are notebooks with sketches of toy ideas and examples of some of the toys Jerome Lemelson invented.

November 21, 2008 – May 30, 2012

American History Museum

Jazz Treasures

To celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month in April, this case features Dizzy Gillespie's trumpet,Tony Bennet's oil painting of Ella Fitzgerald, and other jazz artifacts.

April 14, 2011 – May 31, 2012

American History Museum

MathAlive

Learn math concepts in a fun, interactive, hands-on setting.

March 10, 2012 – June 3, 2012

Ripley Center

Memories Arrested in Space

See family photographs, letters, writings, and scrapbooks related to artist Jackson Pollock (1912-1956) to celebrate the centennial of his birth.

January 28, 2012 – June 4, 2012

Archives of American Art

Time Exposures: Picturing a History of Isleta Pueblo in the 19th Century

See how the lives of Native American people of the American Southwest were changed by the arrival of the railroads after 1881.

September 17, 2011 – June 10, 2012

American Indian Museum New York

Hokusai: Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji

Take this rare opportunity to view the acclaimed print series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji by Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849).

March 24, 2012 – June 17, 2012

Asian Art Museum Sackler Gallery

Seasons: Tea

View examples of tea utensils that embody seasonal changes.

February 5, 2011 – June 24, 2012

Asian Art Museum Freer Gallery

Hokusai: Paintings and Drawings

View a selection of important Hokusai paintings and drawings, including three masterworks: Thunder God, Fisherman, and Woodcutter.

February 18, 2012 – June 24, 2012

Asian Art Museum Freer Gallery

2012 US Presidential Scholars

See works by eight young artists chosen as 2012 US Presidential Scholars.

June 16, 2012 – July 4, 2012

Portrait Gallery

The Patents and Trademarks of Steve Jobs: Art and Technology that Changed the World

Examine the far-reaching impact of Steve Jobs’ entrepreneurship and innovation in the global marketplace and in our daily lives.

May 11, 2012 – July 8, 2012

Ripley Center

Masters of Mercy: Buddha's Amazing Disciples

Selections from Kano Kazunobu's 100-painting series depicting Buddhist disciples at work are featured.

March 10, 2012 – July 8, 2012

Asian Art Museum Sackler Gallery

Art of Darkness: Japanese Mezzotints from the Hitch Collection

Some 20 prints and copperplates by Hamaguchi Yozo (1909–2000) and Hamanishi Katsunori (born 1949) demonstrate the innovative use of the mezzotint technique by Japanese artists.

April 7, 2012 – July 8, 2012

Asian Art Museum Sackler Gallery

New Acquisition: The BMI Archives Confederate Music Collection

Sheet music lyrics and imagery published in the Confederacy provide insight into the mindset, values, and beliefs of their creators and consumers.

March 1, 2012 – July 13, 2012

American History Museum

Jefferson's Bible: The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth

Thomas Jefferson's The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth provides insight into his religious and moral beliefs.

November 11, 2011 – July 15, 2012

American History Museum

Small Spirits: Dolls from the National Museum of the American Indian

Dolls from Native cultures throughout the Western Hemisphere are on view.

March 5, 2011 – July 19, 2012

American Indian Museum New York

Hokusai: Japanese Screens

View a selection of important Hokusai painted folding screens.

January 28, 2012 – July 29, 2012

Asian Art Museum Freer Gallery

In Memoriam: Andy Griffith

See a portrait of actor Andy Griffith (1926-2012), star of The Andy Griffith Show and Matlock, by Art Shay.

July 9, 2012 – August 2, 2012

Portrait Gallery

X-Ray Vision: Fish Inside Out

X-rays of some of the fish in the museum's collection reveal delicate and exquisite details and help scientists understand the evolutionary development of fish.

February 4, 2012 – August 5, 2012

Natural History Museum

Art of the Stamp: Owney the Postal Dog

See Bill Bond's original painting used to create the Owney stamp.

July 20, 2011 – August 5, 2012

Postal Museum