As we enter 2025, it’s out with the old and in with the new. The same applies to the Smithsonian’s rotating museum exhibits. From historical artifacts or groundbreaking works of art, here are the Smithsonian exhibits to add to your calendar in 2025.
Renwick Gallery
We Gather at the Edge: Contemporary Quilts by Black Women Artists
February 21–June 22
After acquiring 35 quilts from Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi’s collection in 2023, the Renwick Gallery will finally showcase these intricate pieces of art to the public. Mazloomi founded the African American Quilt Guild of Los Angeles and Women of Color Quilters Network in the ‘80s to help connect and preserve Black textile traditions. 1661 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC
Asian Art Museum
Delighting Krishna: Paintings of the Child-God
March 15–August 24
For the first time since the 1970s, the 14 pichwais are on view for the public. These large paintings depict the Hindu Pushtimarg community’s relationship with the child-god Krishna. Dating between the 18th and 20th centuries, see the emotions and philosophies behind the traditional artists with insights from community members, curators, conservators, and conservation scientists. 1050 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC
Hirshhorn Museum
Adam Pendleton: Love, Queen
April 4–January 3, 2027
Find new and older paintings in Adam Pendleton’s first solo exhibition in Washington, DC. The artist is known for his visual experiments, which includes drips, sprays, words, fragments of broken letters, and other concepts. The exhibition will feature his Black Dada, Days, WE ARE NOT, Composition, and Movement paintings, along with the debut of a new view work, Resurrection City Revisited (Who Owns Geometry Anyway). Independence Avenue at Seventh Street SW, Washington, DC
Air and Space Museum
Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight
Anticipated to open in 2025
Take a look back at the pioneers of the 1920s and ‘30s that changed the future aviation forever. This new permanent exhibit will feature iconic aircraft, personal stories, and hands-on learning. Sixth Street and Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC
Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall
Anticipated to open in 2025
The most iconic artifacts and aircraft can be found at the museum’s new Flight Hall. Objects suspended from the ceiling and dispersed across the walls will welcome guests in to explore the other historic collections that are home to the museum. The first aircraft to break the sound barrier and John Glenn’s spacecraft, the first to orbit Earth, will be the main attractions. Sixth Street and Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC
Climate Change: Holt Innovations Gallery
Anticipated to open in 2025
Get an in-depth look at how aviation plays a role in understanding climate change. This new gallery will show visitors how climate data is collected, monitored, and analyzed and the new innovations that are being put in place to reduce the use of fossil fuels, showcasing both the present problems and the future of combating it. Sixth Street and Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC
National Portrait Gallery
Amy Sherald: American Sublime
September 19–February 22, 2026
The artist behind the iconic portrait of former First Lady Michelle Obama, is about to have more of her work hanging in the National Portrait Gallery. This will be Sherald’s first major museum survey and will showcase paintings from 2007 to the present. In addition to Obama’s portrait, art lovers will include other new and rarely seen works. Eighth and G Streets NW, Washington, DC
The Outwin 2025: American Portraiture Today
October 18–August 30, 2026
Part of the seventh triennial Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition, see the 35 portraits that were selected for this edition of the exhibit. Taina Caragol, director of the 2025 competition, selected the final portraits from more than 3,300 entries. Eighth and G Streets NW, Washington, DC
National Museum of the American Indian
Water’s Edge: The Art of Truman Lowe
August 24–January 2027
The sculptures and drawings of Truman Lowe will allow you to reflect on the cultural traditions and memories. His minimalist sculptures of willow branches, features, and other organic materials will transport you to the Wisconsin woodlands, where Lowe was raised. This will be the artist’s first retrospective exhibit. Fourth Street and Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC
American Art Museum
Nick Cave: Mammoth
November 2025–January 3, 2027
For this exhibit, you won’t feel like you’re walking into a gallery. Instead, step into Cave’s immersive showcase with crafted hides and bones of mammoths, video projections, and a large-scale beaded curtain depicting his family farm. Eighth and G Streets NW, Washington, DC
Feature image courtesy Amy Sherald and Hauser & Wirth
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