Past Exhibitions

Eye to I: Self-Portraits from 1900 to Today

November 2, 2018 - August 18, 2019

Drawing primarily from the National Portrait Gallery’s vast collection of self-portraits, this exhibition will explore how American artists have chosen to portray themselves since the beginning of the last century.
In Memoriam: Lee Iacocca, 1924-2019

July 3, 2019 - July 29, 2019

Automobile executive Lee Iacocca introduced the iconic Mustang to Ford Motor Company’s lineup in 1964. An experienced salesman, Iacocca became the president of Ford in 1970.
In Memoriam: Leah Chase

June 5, 2019 - June 30, 2019

Leah Chase (1923–2019), dubbed the “Queen of Creole Cuisine,” was a restauranteur and world renowned chef, who championed civil rights.
In Memoriam: I.M. Pei

May 17, 2019 - June 5, 2019

The National Portrait Gallery recognizes the life and legacy of acclaimed architect I.M. Pei with a photograph by Armenian Canadian photographer Yousuf Karsh. The portrait will be installed in the museum’s In Memoriam space on the first floor.
Daguerreotypes: Five Decades of Collecting

June 15, 2018 - June 2, 2019

The 2018 installation of the Daguerreian Gallery celebrates the National Portrait Gallery’s golden anniversary by highlighting fifty years of daguerreotype collecting by the museum.
IDENTIFY: Performance Art as Portraiture

May 22, 2019

Jeffrey Gibson: To Name an Other
May 22, 5:00 p.m. | Kogod Courtyard
One Year: 1968, An American Odyssey

June 29, 2018 - May 19, 2019

As part of a series of installations celebrating its golden anniversary, the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery will present “One Year: 1968, An American Odyssey,” a one-room exhibition that looks back at an extraordinarily important and memorable time in American history.