The Year Ahead in Culture: 2019 DC Exhibits to Look Forward To

Washington, DC is blessed with a collection of cultural institutions revered across the world. From the numerous national galleries and museums, to the incomparable Smithsonian Institution, there are a number of intriguing and original exhibits to look forward to this year.

VOTES FOR WOMEN: AN AMERICAN AWAKENING, 1840-1920

National Portrait Gallery; March 1, 2019 – January 5, 2020

We are coming up on the centennial anniversary of the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, which is both a celebration, and a reminder of our society’s troubled history. Continue to support women and equality by learning more about it at this in depth exhibit which will feature portraits, biographies, and artifacts from the period leading up to ratification.

National Portrait Gallery. 8th & F Streets NW

TIFFANY CHUNG: VIETNAM, PAST IS PROLOGUE

American Art Museum; March 15, 2019 – August 25, 2019

Internationally celebrated and accomplished artist Tiffany Chung brings multimedia art to topics like migration, political geographies, and historical conflicts. An immigrant from South Vietnam, Chung offers her perspective to examine American narratives pertaining to the Vietnam War and its aftermath.

American Art Museum. F St. NW & 8th St. NW

ENRICO DAVID: GRADATIONS OF SLOW RELEASE

Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden; April 18, 2019 – September 2, 2019

This sharp and imaginative collection of sculptures spans over two decades of work from Enrico David. It’s the largest museum survey of his work yet, and comes here courtesy of the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. The theme of the sculptures looks at how imagery and characters can develop and change over time.

Hirshhorn Museum. Independence Ave SW & 7th St.

REFORESTATION OF THE IMAGINATION

Renwick Gallery; June 28, 2019 – January 5, 2020

Another unique sculpture exhibit heading to Washington, DC this year, Reforestation of the Imagination comes from Ginny Ruffner in a highly original blend of glass sculpture and Augmented Reality, or AR. The installation features five islands with glass depictions of nature, each of which can change drastically through the AR lens.

Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum. F St. NW & 8th St. NW

PAT STEIR

Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden; October 24, 2019 – May 10, 2020

Another highly anticipated exhibit coming to the Hirshhorn Museum in 2019, this will be the largest site-specific exhibition by Pat Steir in history. For those less familiar, Steir is a widely celebrated abstract painter. This exhibition will look at a new collection of her famous Waterfall paintings.

Hirshhorn Museum.  Independence Ave SW & 7th St.