Past Exhibitions

  • three women in a darkened room

    Bill Viola: The Moving Portrait

    November 18, 2016 - May 7, 2017

    This exhibition revealed Viola’s constant, yet previously unrecognized, thematic interest in portraiture. “Bill Viola and the Moving Portrait” offered a selection of Viola’s works that focused on the face and the body, using his signature metaphors of water, light and spirituality.

    Image:  Three Women / Bill Viola / 2008, Color High-Definition video on plasma display mounted vertically on wall / 9:06 minutes / Bill Viola Studio / Performers: Anika, Cornelia, Helena Ballent / © Bill Viola

     

  • Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz in purple headress and gown

    IDENTIFY: Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz

    May 6, 2017
    Third Floor, The Great Hall

    Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz's REINAS (Queens) series considers female archetypes who have shaped her identity and worldview.

  • image of three African American men in colorful jackets all playing guitars

    In Memoriam: Chuck Berry

    March 21, 2017 - April 9, 2017

    The life of rock ’n’ roll legend Chuck Berry is recognized with a collage by Red Grooms (1978), installed in the museum’s In Memoriam space on the first floor.

  • Photograph portrait of Donald Trump in a suit and tossing an apple in the air. The background is blue sky with clouds.

    Inauguration 2017: Donald J. Trump

    January 13, 2017 - February 26, 2017
    First floor

    On November 8, 2016, real estate magnate, businessman, and reality television star Donald J. Trump completed a stunning rise to the presidency by defeating Hillary Rodham Clinton after one of the most volatile and divisive campaigns in recent memory.

  • Black and white photo of Charlie Parker playing the saxophone

    In the Groove: Jazz Portraits by Herman Leonard

    August 5, 2016 - February 20, 2017
    First floor

    This exhibition featured Herman Leonard’s iconic images of jazz legends such as Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Holiday, Thelonious Monk and Sarah Vaughan.

    This exhibition is available for booking.

  • Astronaut in a flightsuit

    In Memoriam: John Glenn

    December 9, 2016 - January 8, 2017

    The National Portrait Gallery celebrates the accomplishments of astronaut and Senator John Glenn with a watercolor and graphite portrait by Henry C. Caselli Jr.

  • Photograph named "Margaret and Marquetta Tisdell, Original Providence Baptist Church" by Paul Damato

    The Outwin 2016: American Portraiture Today

    March 12, 2016 - January 8, 2017
    Second floor

    This exhibition celebrates the finalists of the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition.  Every three years artists from across the country are invited to investigate the art of portrayal.  The resulting juried exhibition showcases excellence and innovation in contemporary portraiture through a variety of media used by artists today.

    This exhibition will travel and is available for booking.

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