Exhibitions

Newsroom of the Smithsonian

View news releases below or see all of our publicly released upcoming exhibitions.

Textile in warm colors with floral designs, a cows face and lettering. — Liz Schreiber, "State Fairs: Growing American Craft," 2024–2025, various seeds and flower petals, courtesy of Liz Schreiber.

“State Fairs: Growing American Craft” at the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery Explores the Stories of Craft Artists at the Fairgrounds

Groundbreaking Exhibition Featuring Showstopping Spectacles, From a Life-size Butter Cow to Big Tex’s Size 96 Boots, Opens Aug. 22

06.09.2025

American Art Museum Exhibitions

Antique black and white image of a man from the waist up wearing a suit, standing in front of a window.

NPG - Shadow to Substance, Daniel Webster

Daniel Webster by Southworth & Hawes, whole-plate daguerreotype, c. 1846. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; conservation made possible by a grant from the Smithsonian's Collections Care and Preservation Fund.

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Aged black and white image of a man in a suit standing in front of a window. — Daniel Webster by Southworth & Hawes, whole-plate daguerreotype, c. 1846. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; conservation made possible by a grant from the Smithsonian's Collections Care and Preservation Fund.

National Portrait Gallery Presents “From Shadow to Substance: Grand-Scale Portraits During Photography’s Formative Years”

On View June 20–June 7, 2026

05.20.2025

Portrait Gallery Exhibitions

NPG - Shadow to Substance, Unidentified woman

Unidentified woman by unidentified artist, whole-plate tintype, c. 1865. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution.

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Computer rendering of a museum gallery with a large screen and chairs in front — Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum

NASM - July 2025 Gallery Opening, Futures in Space

Rendering of the "Futures in Space" exhibition, opening July 28, 2025 at the Museum in Washington, DC.

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Digital rendering of a museum exhibition with colorful text panels and large stationary and hanging objects — Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum

NASM - July 2025 Gallery Opening, Allan and Shelley Holt Innovations Gallery

Rendering of the "Aerospace and Our Changing Environment" exhibition, opening July 28, 2025 at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.

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Exterior of light-colored blocky buildings with a designed glass entry and metal sculpture in front. — Ad Astra fully reinstalled on the National Mall entrance. Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.

National Air and Space Museum Announces Five New Galleries Will Open July 28

Remaining Galleries and Renovation Completion Scheduled for July 1, 2026

05.14.2025

Air and Space Museum Exhibitions

Digital rendering of a large museum gallery with space equipment objects. — Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum

NASM - July 2025 Gallery Opening, Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall

The new gallery will display more than 20 signature artifacts, including the Apollo Lunar Module LM-2.

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Digital rendering of a museum gallery with wall text panels and a suspended airplane — Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum

NASM - July 2025 Gallery Opening, Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight

Central to the transformation of the forthcoming new Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight gallery is the display of the Spirit of St. Louis (foreground).

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Digital rendering of a museum gallery with multiple interactive panels and planes suspended above. — Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum

NASM - July 2025 Gallery Opening, World War I: The Birth of Military Aviation

Rendering of the "World War I: The Birth of Aviation" exhibition, opening July 28, 2025 at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.

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Vintage color photograph of two women kneeling down in a field holding a bouquet of flowers.

Photography Exhibition From the National Museum of the American Indian’s Archives Center Reveals Community Stories

04.21.2025

American Indian Museum Exhibitions

Vintage photo of women kneeling in a field holding flowers.

Eva Curtis (Iñupiaq) and Sadie Vestal (Iñupiaq) picking wildflowers  

Kotzebue, Alaska, June 23, 1951 

Lindell and Ethel Bagley Alaska collection, 379_001

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Vintage photo of a man playing a guitar on a porch — Photograph by William Stiles (1912–1980)

Thommy Mestokosho (Innu, 1937–2016) playing guitar

Québec, Canada, 1959

William F. Stiles collection of photographs and films, S02178 

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Exterior of light, natural stone building with undulating sides and curved windows.

Treaty With the Pawnee, 1857 Is On View at the National Museum of the American Indian

04.18.2025

American Indian Museum Exhibitions

Man with dark skin and grayish t-shirt stands with hands clasped. — Portrait of the artist Adam Pendleton. © Adam Pendleton. Photo: Matthew Septimus.

Hirshhorn Announces Landmark Exhibition “Adam Pendleton: Love, Queen” in Honor of Museum’s 50th Anniversary

Artist’s First Solo Exhibition in Washington, D.C., On View April 4, 2025–Jan. 3, 2027

03.31.2025

Hirshhorn Museum Exhibitions

Sculpture in pointed oval shape made out of light wood and white feathers. — Truman Lowe (Ho-Chunk, 1944–2019), Feather Canoe, ca. 1993. Peeled willow saplings, feathers, copper wire, 22 x 74 x 12 in. National Museum of the American Indian 41/6541

National Museum of the American Indian Announces Truman Lowe Exhibition

03.19.2025

American Indian Museum Exhibitions

Woman in a floor-length black dress poses for cameras on the red carpet. — Gladstone changed into this glittering black dress for the Vanity Fair Oscars party. Quilled rosettes and blue mountain motifs accent the quillwork neckline. Courtesy of Gucci, Joe Big Mountain of Ironhorse Quillwork, and Lily Gladstone. Photo credit Doug Peters/PA Images via Getty Images.

Lily Gladstone’s Oscar Gowns To Be Displayed at the National Museum of the American Indian

02.20.2025

American Indian Museum Exhibitions

Close-up of blue velvet gown with beaded x shapes.

NMAI Gladstone Gowns - Close-up of Gown

Detailed image by Smithsonian Imaging Services, DPO/ODT

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Woman walking the red carpet in a dark blue velvet gown. — Mike Coppola/Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

NMAI Gladstone Gowns - Academy Awards Ceremony

Gladstone wore this show-stopping gown during the 96th Academy Awards ceremony. The cape features 216 hand-quilled and beaded petals. Of the design, Gladstone lauded, “I can literally feel the love poured into each quill and bead—the dress is alive with it.”

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