Past Exhibitions | Smithsonian Institution

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

MathAlive

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

March 10, 2012 – June 3, 2012

Ripley Center

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

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

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

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

Mementos: Painted and Photographic Miniatures, 1750-1920

Portrait miniatures from the museum’s collection are on view.

June 17, 2011 – May 13, 2012

Portrait Gallery

Black Box: Ali Kazma

See clerks stamping documents at breakneck speed in O.K., Ali Kazma's U.S. museum debut.

December 19, 2011 – May 13, 2012

Hirshhorn Museum

Vochol: Huichol Art on Wheels

Marvel at a one-of-a-kind VW Beetle decorated by Huichol artisans using 2 million glass beads and handmade textiles.

March 20, 2012 – May 10, 2012

American Indian Museum DC

Behind the Scenes: The Real Story of Quileute Wolves

See rare artworks and objects from the Quileute Nation that create a public forum for clarifying misconceptions and offering authentic interpretations of wolf mythology.

January 13, 2012 – May 9, 2012

American Indian Museum DC

Something of Splendor: Decorative Arts from the White House

This exhibition traces the history of the decorative arts in the nation's foremost home through approximately 100 objects made by celebrated artists of the day.

October 1, 2011 – May 6, 2012

Renwick Gallery

Ancient Near Eastern Art

See an extraordinary selection of silver-gilt ceremonial vessels, created in Iran during the Sasanian Empire (ca. 224-651).

February 3, 2010 – April 30, 2012

Asian Art Museum Freer Gallery

Stamps of Approval

See eight objects featured in the U.S. Postal Service's Pioneers of American Industrial Design series of Forever stamps.

November 15, 2011 – April 29, 2012

Smithsonian Castle

Artuaré and Conversations in the Contemporary

See installations created by artist Steven Cumming and multimedia production studio CreativeJunkfood that are influenced by cultural expression found in schools, churches, community organizations, and other venues in the public sphere.

December 12, 2011 – April 29, 2012

Anacostia Community Museum

The Black List: Photographs by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders

Photographs of 50 prominent African Americans from various professions, disciplines, and backgrounds redefine the word "blacklist."

October 28, 2011 – April 22, 2012

Portrait Gallery

Perspectives: Minouk Lim

South Korean performance artist Minouk Lim used a thermal imaging camera to produce the video The Weight of Hands, which was in response to issues raised by one of the largest construction projects in South Korea's history.

November 19, 2011 – April 22, 2012

Asian Art Museum Sackler Gallery

Carl Beam

See many of Carl Beam's Ojibwe, 1943-2005) epic works in this retrospective.

October 29, 2011 – April 15, 2012

American Indian Museum New York

Frank Kameny

See three posters used by gay-rights activist Frank Kameny (1925-2011).

October 21, 2011 – April 8, 2012

American History Museum

Directions: Empire³

Three time-based media responses to the Empire State Building in New York City by Andy Warhol, Douglas Gordon, and Wolfgang Staehle are presented.

November 10, 2011 – March 25, 2012

Hirshhorn Museum

150th Commemoration of the Civil War: The Death of Ellsworth

The National Portrait Gallery marks the 150th anniversary of the Civil War through a series of four alcove exhibitions. The first of these exhibitions recounts the death of Colonel Elmer E. Ellsworth, a friend of President Lincoln, in Alexandria, Virginia.

April 29, 2011 – March 18, 2012

Portrait Gallery

National Treasures of Popular Culture

This exhibition displays iconic and well-loved artifacts from popular culture from more than a century of collecting.

November 21, 2008 – March 16, 2012

American History Museum