by Bruce Schaefer

Following are a number of photography-related exhibits and events occurring now, or soon, in the extended Washington D.C. area. These include gallery and museum exhibits, college exhibits, special events, and sometimes exhibits or events to photograph yourself.

 

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY

14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW – Washington, DC

Superheroes

1st Floor, East

This showcase presents artifacts from the museum’s collections that relate to Superheroes, including comic books, original comic art, movie and television costumes and props, and memorabilia. The display includes George Reeves’s Superman costume from the Adventures of Superman TV program, which ran from 1951-1958, as well as Halle Berry’s Storm costume from the 2014 film X-Men: Days of Future Past.

Snapshots of African American Communities

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lower Level Corridor

To celebrate the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Museum of American History presents a special display of 25 photographs that reflect the diversity of the African American experience. The photos come from two collections in the Museum’s Archives Center that depict special occasions and everyday life in African American communities: the Scurlock Studio Collection and the Fournet Drug Store.

Art in Industry

3rd Floor, Center

Art in Industry looks back at a time when Americans embraced artistic skills as a way to build a consumer-oriented industrial economy. This display features artistic industries as varied as publishing and pottery from the 1830s to the 1930s through three lenses: learning, working, and selling. Examining movements including the Arts and Crafts Movement and industrial design, the display showcases objects such as an 1894 ornate cash register, electric toasters, pocket watches, cameras, and ceramics, including vases and tableware. Also on view are a copy of the first American drawing manual and other educational materials, engraving tools, and drawing instruments.

 

 

NATIONAL ZOO

3001 Connecticut Ave., NW – Washington, DC

Giant Pandas Love the Cold!

 

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE 

15th St. and Constitution Ave., NW – Washington, DC

Represent: Hip-Hop Photography

2nd Floor, Center for African American Media Arts gallery

Inspired by the four elements of hip-hop—DJ’s, MCs, breakdancers and graffiti—Represent showcases photographs from the Eyejammie Hip Hop Photography Collection that illustrate the early days of hip-hop and its rapid expansion to a cultural phenomenon in the mid-to-late 1990s. Photos showing some of hip-hop’s iconic figures and moments are paired alongside other images from the museum’s photography collection to explore how different social movements, historic figures, art, culture and dance have influenced the musical genre.

 

HIRSHHORN MUSEUM & SCULPTURE GARDEN

7th Street & Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20560

‘Rafael Lozano-Hemmer: Pulse’ – Nov. 1 – April 28, 2019

Innovative Mexican-Canadian artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer will bring the largest interactive technology exhibition to the Hirshhorn in the museum’s history starting Nov. 1. Pulse will take up the entire Second Level, with three major installations using heart-rate sensors to create audiovisual experiences from visitors’ biometric data. Together, the biometric signatures will create spellbinding sequences of soundscapes, lights and animations.

 

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

10th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW – Washington, DC

23rd Annual Nature’s Best Photography: Windland Smith Rice International Awards

2nd Floor

See the world’s natural wonders through a whole new lens. Named for nature photographer and conservationist Windland Smith Rice, Nature’s Best presents breathtaking fine art prints and short videos that highlight the best of nature photography—and our spectacular planet.

From more than 26,000 entries submitted to the 2018 Nature’s Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards, 60 stunning images were selected to showcase the extraordinary work of photographers from around the world. United by their creativity and technical skill with a camera, these artists of all ages and experience levels share their visions of nature to inspire future photographers and conservationists alike.

 

FREER GALLERY OF ART

Jefferson Drive and 12th Street, SW – Washington, DC

Peacock Room, Gallery 12

For a limited time, enjoy the Peacock Room as Whistler saw it—as a work of art in itself. The shelves of the Peacock Room are empty prior to an installation of Chinese blue-and-white porcelain of the type that filled the room in the late nineteenth century. Here is a rare chance to examine the peacock patterns and color harmonies Whistler created in this icon of American art.

 

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

8th and F Streets NW, Washington, DC

 

Eye to I: Self-Portraits from 1900 to Today

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. As people are confronted each day with “selfies” via social media and as they continue to examine the fluidity of contemporary identity, this is an opportune time to reassess the significance of self-portraiture in relation to the country’s history and culture. The exhibition will feature more than 75 works.

 

Orchids: Amazing Adaptations 

 

Escape the winter cold and step into a floral oasis in the Kogod Courtyard with Orchids: Amazing Adaptations. A joint collaboration with Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Gardens, and the U.S. Botanic Garden, this installation fills the museums’ courtyard with hundreds of orchids of stunning variety. The gorgeous presentation showcases how orchids have adapted to their many different environments.

 

WASHINGTON POST

Here is a link to the online Washington Post’s lists of D.C., Maryland, and Virginia photography-related exhibits and museums.  I have found that the various photography-related exhibits appear in different parts of the online paper, making a simple search or link unreliable. You can search within

Photography section:  Photography

Going Out Guide:  Going Out Guide

Art Section: Art

 

Online Photo Sites:

Following are some websites that offer terrific images for the armchair adventurer.

 

Sony World Photography Awards Announced

Running across 62 countries, the National Awards program seeks to recognize and reward the best local photographic talent from all corners of the world. Celebrating global photography at its best, enjoy the range of imagery.  

sony-world-photography-awards

 

Nat Geo annual photo contest:

Browse our editors’ favorite submissions to the photo contest.

nationalgeographic.com/photography/contests/photo-contest-2018

 

New Atlas selects top photographs of 2018.

52 images:

https://newatlas.com/gallery-best-photographs-2018-year

 

The Pano Awards – Top 50 for 2018

2018 Open (Nature)

2018 Open (Built)

 

NIKON INTERNATIONAL SMALL WORLD COMPETITION, 2018

images-that-won-nikon-small-worlds-microscope-photography-contest

 We know science is cool, but it can also be stunningly beautiful. Every year, Nikon Instruments celebrates the beauty seen under the microscope with the Nikon International Small World Competition, now in its 37th year. It is open to anyone with an interest in microscopy and photography. Experts judge the images based on originality, informational content, technical proficiency and visual impact. The winners were announced on Instagram (@NikonInstruments) this year.

 

SIENA PHOTO AWARDS:

the-stunning-winners-siena-international-photo-awards

Siena International Photo Award is one of the photo contests with the highest international participation ever. 2018 edition has received nearly 48.000 images from amateur and professional photographers from 156 countries worldwide.