34 upcoming art events
Callas at La Scala: Opera Costumes Exhibit
Sat, 21 Mar 2026 at 13:00
Flagg Building
Six iconic opera costumes worn by Maria Callas from La Scala are on display at the Brady Art Gallery, with sketches by Nicola Benois and Piero Tosi and photos of Callas. The show, a collaboration of the Italian Cultural Institute of Washington and the Embassy of Greece, brings fashion-history to the GWU Flagg Building in DC.
Dead Sea Scrolls
Sun, 22 Mar 2026
Explore the Dead Sea Scrolls in this indoor exhibition presenting rare parchment fragments, translations, and historical context. A scholarly, immersive experience at a Washington venue, pairing artifacts with multimedia displays to illuminate ancient Jewish history.
District of Streetwear Menswear Fashion Showcase
Sat, 21 Mar 2026 at 19:00
AutoShop
March 21, 2026, 7 PM: a streetwear menswear runway at AutoShop near Union Market DC. The District of Streetwear Fashion Showcase spotlights bold urban designs from emerging designers in a sleek industrial venue, blending fashion with design-forward street culture.
American Apparitions: A Psychogeographies Project
Sun, 22 Mar 2026
A contemporary art exhibition exploring urban psychogeography across American landscapes, tracing memory and place through maps, narratives, and visual artifacts in Washington.
Friendship in Bloom
Mon, 23 Mar 2026 at 09:00
Japan Information & Culture Center
An indoor exhibition of 250 drawings and haiku by elementary students from Japan and Washington, D.C., celebrating sakura and the 250th anniversary of the Declaration. Hosted at the Japan Information & Culture Center, this family-friendly showcase blends art and poetry for classrooms, families, and culture buffs.
Kelp! I Am Stuck in a Forest!
Mon, 23 Mar 2026 at 15:00
National Museum of American History
Explore a kelp forest inside the National Museum of Natural History's Sant Ocean Hall. This engaging exhibition invites visitors of all ages to discover marine life, kelp ecosystems, and the creativity of ocean science through interactive displays.
Hanging Art with Alec MacKaye
Fri, 27 Mar 2026 at 18:00
The Phillips Collection
Join Alec MacKaye for a hands-on art-hanging workshop in The Phillips Collection's Living Room series. Explore framing, spacing, and display strategies as you collaborate with fellow participants in a refined museum setting, guided by an artist known for bold, thoughtful installations.
Reframing Care
Mon, 23 Mar 2026 at 18:00
The Phillips Collection
A provocative art exhibition at The Phillips Collection that reframes the idea of care through contemporary works and dialogue. The event blends curatorial insight with artist voices to explore vulnerability, community, and social responsibility within modern art.
Art in Your Hands: Artists’ Books
Tue, 24 Mar 2026 at 13:00
Georgetown University
Join a hands-on exploration of artists’ books at Georgetown University’s Booth Family Center for Special Collections. Discover rare, artist-made volumes, bindings, and the history of book arts in a university library setting.
Writing Women Back Into History Photo Exhibit
Wed, 25 Mar 2026 at 16:30
Elliott School of International Affairs
A photo exhibit celebrating women's history month, highlighting figures whose contributions have been overlooked. Organized by the Athena Initiative at George Washington University, the show invites discussion and reflection, with GW students presenting their research and Dean Ayres delivering remarks to launch the event.
Spotlight on Design: Olson Kundig
Thu, 26 Mar 2026 at 18:30
National Building Museum
Architect Jim Olson, founding principal of Olson Kundig, speaks at Spotlight on Design at the National Building Museum. Explore his influential, site-responsive architecture that blends craft, landscape, and bold ideas in an engaging indoor museum setting.
Enter Cloudfall: A Fluffy Cloud Experience
Tue, 31 Mar 2026 at 10:00
BERHTA
Step into Enter Cloudfall, a monumental iridescent orb immersive installation that you can physically feel in a dark room. Born at Burning Man and featured at Art Basel, this nationally touring artwork arrives in Washington, D.C. at BERHTA, running March 30–April 12. A stunning, sensory experience that defies illusion.
Source Material: Lessons in Responsible Fashion
Sat, 21 Mar 2026
The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum
An insightful museum exhibition at The George Washington Museum and the Textile Museum pairing historical garments with contemporary designers pursuing responsible materials and sustainable fashion. Discover how textile traditions inform modern solutions to overproduction and consumption in the global fashion industry.
Handi-hour
Wed, 8 Apr 2026 at 10:00
Renwick Gallery
Join Handi-hour, a hands-on art workshop at the Renwick Gallery. Explore craft techniques inspired by American art and create a small handiwork to take home in a relaxed museum setting.
Spring Flash Tattoos at District Tattoo Co.
Sat, 28 Mar 2026 at 11:00
District Tattoo Company
Spring Flash Tattoos at District Tattoo Co. offers live flash tattoo designs from the DC studio in Union Market. Watch artists create bold ink on site, with walk-ins and appointments available throughout the day in a casual, artsy environment.
Spinning a Yarn
Wed, 8 Apr 2026 at 20:30
The Phillips Collection
Join a hands-on crochet circle at The Phillips Collection, spinning yarn into textile art in a relaxed gallery setting. This casual workshop invites crafters of all levels to share techniques, chat about fibers, and explore the museum's intimate spaces between artworks.
Miró by Night
Thu, 2 Apr 2026 at 20:30
The Phillips Collection
Experience Miró by Night at The Phillips Collection as part of the Phillips After 5 series. An after-hours evening exploring Joan Miró's works, with gallery access and a refined modern-art atmosphere in a premier DC venue.
Miró and the United States
Thu, 9 Apr 2026 at 18:00
The Phillips Collection
Explore the dialogue between Joan Miró's bold imagery and American art at The Phillips Collection. This evening program delves into Miró's influence on U.S. artists, with curator insights and highlights from the museum's collection.
Indigo
Sat, 4 Apr 2026 at 13:00
Rhizome DC
Indigo at Rhizome DC presents a contemporary art exhibition pairing new media with tactile visuals to explore color, memory, and digital perception. The show, opening April 4 at Rhizome DC, brings together artists who fuse technology with intimate, gallery-scale works in a space known for experimental programming.
Field of View: Early Mourning Plant Fight
Thu, 9 Apr 2026 at 18:30
Rhizome DC
An immersive new-media art installation at Rhizome DC titled Field of View: Early Mourning Plant Fight, merging plant imagery with torrents and a lye-bath motif to probe perception, decay, and sensory thresholds in contemporary art.
Pre-K Art Program: First Studio
Sat, 25 Apr 2026 at 10:00
The Kreeger Museum
Pre-K Art Program at The Kreeger Museum invites children ages 3-5 and an accompanying adult to explore paintings, sculpture, and architecture through a story-driven theme and a hands-on art activity. This family-friendly session blends imagination with museum learning in a welcoming, studio-style setting.
Sketchbook Swap
Sat, 18 Apr 2026 at 12:00
Rhizome DC
Join a collaborative art meetup at Rhizome DC for Sketchbook Swap. Bring a sketchbook to trade with fellow artists, flip through pages, and share prompts, tips, and techniques in a welcoming, cozy gallery space.
Art of Pink
Fri, 10 Apr 2026 at 17:00
Metropolitan Park
Art of Pink showcases BLOOM, a cherry-blossom–inspired exhibition featuring 50+ local artists in an indoor/outdoor setting at Metropolitan Park during after-hours, blending park ambience with contemporary art.
Dear America: Artists Explore the American Experience
Sat, 11 Apr 2026
An exhibition exploring the American experience through works by diverse artists, challenging viewers with themes of identity, history, and culture across media in a thoughtfully curated gallery setting.
Third Thursday
Thu, 16 Apr 2026 at 18:00
The Phillips Collection
Join The Phillips Collection for Third Thursday, an after-hours art event on April 16, 2026 at 6 pm. Enjoy extended gallery viewing, curator insights, and a program that spotlights modern and contemporary works in the museum's intimate spaces.
Art in the A.M.
Tue, 14 Apr 2026 at 10:00
Renwick Gallery
Join Art in the A.M., a morning art program at the Renwick Gallery. Start your day with a guided viewing of current contemporary works from the Smithsonian collection, with expert insights that illuminate the pieces and spark conversation.
Landowner Brenda Drawn
Sat, 18 Apr 2026 at 19:00
Rhizome DC
Opening night at Rhizome DC for Landowner Brenda Drawn, a contemporary art exhibition exploring land, ownership, and community through immersive media. Featuring bold new works in Rhizome DC's intimate gallery, the show offers a provocative, time-based perspective on place and memory.
Ember Sperrazzawheelergarabedian
Fri, 17 Apr 2026 at 18:30
Rhizome DC
Ember Sperrazzawheelergarabedian brings a new body of contemporary work to Rhizome DC. The event blends installation and performance in a compact gallery setting, inviting viewers to experience shifting textures and ideas. A thought-provoking evening in Washington, DC's vibrant art scene.
Peni Candra Rini, Weed Tree, Naoko Wowsugi
Wed, 29 Apr 2026 at 19:00
Rhizome DC
Three artists Peni Candra Rini, Weed Tree, and Naoko Wowsugi present a collaborative exhibition at Rhizome DC, exploring memory, landscape, and identity through immersive installations and new media works. The show foregrounds interdisciplinary approaches in a contemporary gallery setting.
State Fairs Artist Demonstrations
Fri, 29 May 2026 at 10:00
Renwick Gallery
Explore live demonstrations by artists inspired by state fairs at the Renwick Gallery. This gallery program invites visitors to watch technique demonstrations, engage with creators, and experience contemporary American art in a historic museum setting.
Robber Robber
Fri, 22 May 2026 at 19:00
Rhizome DC
A contemporary art encounter at Rhizome DC titled Robber Robber, blending installation and performance to explore themes of theft, memory, and urban life in an intimate gallery setting. Expect immersive visuals and open-ended interpretation in a provocative late-evening program.
Michael Fosters Ghost
Tue, 9 Jun 2026 at 18:30
Rhizome DC
An art exhibition at Rhizome DC titled Michael Fosters Ghost. This contemporary show presents new-media works that explore memory, absence, and spectral presence through digital art and installation. The intimate gallery setting promises a provocative, immersive experience in downtown DC.
The Marilyn Lichtman Fund
Sun, 7 Jun 2026 at 19:00
The Kreeger Museum
An elegant fundraising evening at The Kreeger Museum in Washington to support The Marilyn Lichtman Fund. Guests mingle amid a design-forward museum setting, with donor recognition and a program spotlighting contemporary art initiatives and arts education.
Penanggalan Crows Foot Nuclear Tomb Tartarean
Fri, 3 Jul 2026 at 18:30
Rhizome DC