Past Exhibitions

Learn about past exhibitions going back as far as 1941 when the National Gallery of Art first opened to the public.

Filter Results

1221 results found

Results

In the Library: Mary Cassatt’s American Legacy
Closed May 15, 2026

The National Gallery of Art Library presents an installation of archival photographs, rare catalogs, and documentation—including Cassatt’s correspondence—that explore the artist’s American ties. 

Dario Robleto
Small Crafts on Sisyphean Seas

Marvel at this large glass case contains objects of wonder.

In the Library
Paper as Inspiration in Artists’ Books
Closed February 6, 2026

Explore dozens of artists’ books from the Library’s special collections that expand what a book can be.

The Stars We Do Not See
Australian Indigenous Art
Closed March 1, 2026

Mark your calendar for this once-in-a-lifetime exhibition of modern and contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and design.

Photography and the Black Arts Movement, 1955–1985
Closed January 11, 2026

The first exhibition to consider photography’s impact on a cultural and aesthetic movement that celebrated Black history, identity, and beauty.

The image shows a young woman leaning against the rear of a classic car on a street. She rests her elbow on the car's trunk, supporting her chin with her hand. The woman's face is turned towards the camera, showing her dark eyes and short, voluminous black hair. She wears a long-sleeved dress with swirling green and pink colors, a white bracelet on her right wrist, and a circular pendant necklace. The background includes a tree-lined street with parked cars and blurred traffic.
American Landscapes in Watercolor from the Corcoran Collection
Closed February 1, 2026

Two centuries of watercolors capture the nation’s beauty from sea to shining sea.

Two men on logs surrounded by the rapids of the Hudson River with green trees on both sides and a blue sky with white puffy clouds.
With Passion and Purpose
Gifts from the Collection of Larry D. and Brenda A. Thompson
Closed October 5, 2025

See standout works by Black artists from the past century, newly gifted to the Nation.

This appears to be a collage or a blue-toned photograph that has been painted over. In the center is the blue-toned photograph, which depicts a blurry crowd of people who face away from us, looking towards the windows of a train on the left. People seem to lean out of the windows of the train, looking towards the crowd below them. Surrounding this central photograph are the painted designs of abstract leaves and branches, along with brightly-colored squares and rectangles in orange, green, blue, and purple hues.
In the Library: Animal Illustration in Europe, 1550–1750
Closed October 31, 2025

Explore the world of animal illustrations at the dawn of European natural history, when scientific discovery and imagination combined. Peek into nearly 40 works from the Library’s rare book collection.  

Little Beasts: Art, Wonder, and the Natural World
Closed November 2, 2025

Experience the wonder of nature through the eyes of artists. Look closely at art depicting insects and other animals alongside real specimens.

Several insects such as a bees, butterflies, moths, ladybugs, beetles, and more, crawling on and around a fig branch.
Elizabeth Catlett: A Black Revolutionary Artist
Closed July 6, 2025

Trace the career of this cultural force—from her roots in Washington, DC, Chicago, and New York to the remarkable body of work she made during some 60 years in Mexico. In striving to make art for the people, Catlett put social justice at the very center of her work.  

Three women's faces standing side-by-side. The two on either side are face each other and the middle one is facing straight ahead.
In the Library: Recent Acquisitions, 2023–2024
Closed May 9, 2025

See a selection of new acquisitions for the Library’s rare book collection.

A pink flower with a yellow caterpillar crawling on it.
The ’70s Lens: Reimagining Documentary Photography
Closed April 6, 2025

See how documentary photography transformed during the 1970s.

Loading Results