A Bold Finnish Artist Brought These Precious Little Hippopotamus-Like Trolls to the World 80 Years Ago
Tove Jansson was a trailblazing illustrator and author—and the inventor of the beloved Moomins, the central characters of her whimsical children’s books
Take a Look at the ‘Extraordinary’ 19th-Century Portraits Made With Some of the Earliest Methods of Photography
A new exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery traces three different 1800s forms of photo-making: daguerreotypes, ambrotypes and tintypes
See the Stunning Archival Photographs That Tell the Stories of Everyday Native Life and Communities
The Archive Center at the National Museum of the American Indian presents a new exhibition that can help “interrupt the romanticized, stereotypical images often shared of Native peoples throughout history”
This Artist’s Powerful Abstract Pieces Reimagine What a Painting Is
Adam Pendleton brings his geometric artworks to the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
See These Newly Restored Massive Paintings Devoted to a Hindu God
The artworks, part of a new exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, help shed light on a traditional religious practice
Over the Last 200 Years, a Small Library Became One of New York City’s Biggest Museums. A New Showcase Tells the Story of Its Unique Legacy
To mark its bicentennial, the Brooklyn Museum highlights the pieces that have shaped its collection—and the foundational art made in the borough
From the Antebellum South to the Civil Rights Movement, Black American Women Have Long Told Their Stories Through Quilts
In a new exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery, over 30 works showcase the significance of this quilting tradition
These Seven Stunning Towers Memorialize Lost Black Lives With Mirrors, Light and Ethiopian Cross Designs
At the National Museum of African Art, a Washington, D.C. artist’s work illuminates a gallery room and honors 54 people who died this century
The Vast Geographic Scope of Slavery Is Hard to Fathom. One Groundbreaking Exhibition Shows Its True Scale Around the Globe
At the National Museum of African American History and Culture, “In Slavery’s Wake” tells the international history of slavery and Black freedom
Nineteen New and Revamped Smithsonian Shows to See in 2025—Plus One Bonus That Will Make You Go Wild for Nature
This year, the Institution’s museums are bringing to the public everything from the flair of state fairs to the artwork of Grandma Moses
The Head of the Smithsonian Talks About America’s 250th, Why Experts Still Matter and What to Expect From the Institution in 2025
In an extensive interview, Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III spoke on the current political climate, the process of returning human remains from the Institution’s collections, the awe-inspiring scope of Smithsonian science and much more
Eleven Fascinating Acquisitions That Joined the Smithsonian’s Vast Collections in 2024
This year, the Institution collected everything from the stunning shell of an extinct cephalopod to a Blue Origin rocket booster
See the Groundbreaking Work of 20th-Century Printmakers Who Formed an Innovative Arts Society in Japan
The sosaku hanga movement, now explored in an exhibition at the National Museum of Asian Art, was a showcase for new techniques in creative prints
A Federal Agent’s Laptop Held the Keys to Seize $3.6 Billion in Stolen Bitcoin. Here’s How It Ended Up at the Smithsonian
Soon to be on display at the National Museum of American History, the laptop is the centerpiece of a criminal case that shows an evolving understanding of cryptocurrency
Discover the Remarkable Paintings of Three Japanese Americans Whose Life Stories Are Told Through Their Work
A new exhibition spotlights a trio who pushed the boundaries of American art and illustrated the experiences of World War II incarceration
See a Film That Reimagines History on the Malaysian Island That Served as a Refugee Site After the Vietnam War
The work, now on view at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, tells the story of two characters on the island—the last people alive in the world
See What Happened When One Museum Asked Artists to Define ‘Home’
The Smithsonian Design Triennial presents 25 commissions that explore the physical and conceptual ideas of shelter and refuge
From Candy to Lightbulbs, Felix Gonzalez-Torres Showed Life and Loss Through Everyday Objects
A new exhibition co-presented by the National Portrait Gallery and the Archives of American Art explores the seminal artist’s work
How an Indigenous Weaver’s Mastery of Color Infuses Her Tapestries With a Life Force
The work of Diné artist DY Begay, now on view at the National Museum of the American Indian, blends tradition and modernity
What the Long History of Mail-In Voting in the U.S. Reveals About the Election Process
A recent exhibition shows how soldiers sent in votes during the Civil War and World War II, as many Americans would in 2020 following the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic
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