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.
GEORGETOWN GLOW – through Jan. 6
Experience the sparkle of the season at Georgetown GLOW, the region’s only curated exhibition of outdoor public light art installations. Set against the historic backdrop of DC’s oldest neighborhood, it’s a whole new way to shine.
The 2018 Georgetown GLOW invites visitors to re-imagine the season of light through outdoor public art. This 5th edition of GLOW runs from Saturday, December 1 through Sunday, January 6, with works lit from 5 – 10 p.m. nightly.
THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
8th & F Streets NW, Washington, DC 20001
‘Eye to I: Self-Portraits from 1900 to Today’ – through Aug. 18, 2019
The self-portrait has taken on entirely new life in recent years, with the rise of “selfies” and the constantly evolving notion of identity. The National Portrait Gallery will draw mostly from its large collection to showcase how artists have portrayed themselves since the beginning of the 20th century, showing the importance of self-portraiture in American history and culture. More than 75 works will be displayed, including portraits by Diego Rivera, Edward Hopper, Elaine de Kooning, Josef Albers and many more.
Daguerreotypes: Five Decades of Collecting – through June 2, 2019
Henry David Thoreau by Benjamin D. Maxham – 1856
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. Included will be portraits of such iconic figures as activist and reformer Dorothea Dix, entrepreneur and showman P. T. Barnum with Tom Thumb, Seneca Chief Governor Blacksnake, U.S. Navy Commodore Matthew C. Perry, and artist Alfred Waud.
One Year: 1968, An American Odyssey – through May 19, 2019
A one-room exhibition that looks back at an extraordinarily important and memorable time in American history. The show relies on some 30 portraits to tell the story of 1968, the year when the Vietnam War reached a turning point, the Civil Rights Act was signed into law, and television sets displayed everything from the Olympic Games to the first manned orbit of the moon. Representations of Martin Luther King Jr., Robert F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard M. Nixon will share the walls with portraits of cultural figures such as Peggy Fleming, Arthur Ashe, Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. Depictions of other significant personalities, notably the Apollo 8 astronauts, will round out the exhibit. The major artists who will be represented include Roy Lichtenstein, Irving Penn, George Tames, David Levine, Robert Vickrey, and Louis Glanzman.
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WOMEN IN THE ARTS
1250 New York Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005
‘New York Avenue Sculpture Project’: Betsabeé Romero – through Sept. 20, 2020
This dynamic project is the only public art space to feature rotating installations of modern works by female artists in the District. You can see four sculptures by Betsabeé Romero, a Mexico City-based artist who uses carved and painted tires to address issues such as the environment and migration. Romero’s sculptures will also be the first in the project’s history to use interior lighting, creating an ethereal glow.
NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM
401 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
‘Flickering Treasures’ – through Oct 14, 2019
The work of photographer Amy Davis colors this fascinating review of the place of movie theaters in the history of American culture, particularly their significance in the nearby city of Baltimore, Md. The Charm City was at the epicenter of the cinema scene during the 20th century, featuring more than 240 theaters since its first Nickelodeon opened in 1905. Flickering Treasures will explore how movie theaters serve as experiences, marvels of architecture, material culture and so much more.
HIRSHHORN MUSEUM AND SCULPTURE GARDEN
Independence Ave SW & 7th St SW – Washington, DC
‘Rafael Lozano-Hemmer: Pulse’ – through 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. 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.
SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN ART MUSEUM
Eighth and F Streets NW, Washington D.C.
Diane Arbus: A box of ten photographs – through January 27
Diane Arbus, A woman with her baby monkey, N.J. 1971, 1971, gelatin silver print, 14 7/8 x 15 in. Smithsonian American Art Museum; Museum purchase. © The Estate of Diane Arbus
In late 1969, Diane Arbus began to work on a portfolio. At the time of her death in 1971, she had completed the printing for eight known sets of A box of ten photographs, of a planned edition of fifty, only four of which she sold during her lifetime.
This exhibition traces the history of A box of ten photographs between 1969 and 1973. The story is a crucial one because it was the portfolio that established the foundation for Arbus’s posthumous career, ushering in photography’s acceptance to the realm of “serious” art.
SMITHSONIAN FREER GALLERY OF ART and the ARTHUR M. SACKLER GALLERY
1050 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC
‘Japan Modern: Photography from the Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck Collection’ – through Jan. 21, 2019
A recent acquisition of major Japanese photography by the Freer|Sackler led to this exciting new exhibition that will highlight influential photographers of the 20th century in all their glory. Expect to see jaw-dropping landscapes and hard-hitting portraits of postwar Japan. The photographs are both rural and urban, serving as social commentary in some cases and deeply personal meditations in others. Photobooks and films will also be included.
Through Jan. 21, 2019. Free.
GLENSTONE MUSEUM
12100 Glen Road – Potomac, Md.
Located just outside of DC in Potomac, Md., the Glenstone Museum combines art, architecture and landscape to create a seamless, open museum-going experience that you would be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. Post-World War II art fills marvelously designed indoor and outdoor spaces on a 100-plus acre plot that also features paths, trails, streams and meadows.
Admission to the museum is always free. While photography is not allowed inside the museum, guests can take photos of the outdoor artworks for their personal use. Glenstone does not allow the use auxiliary lighting, selfie sticks, drones, tripods or commercial photography of any kind. dc-guide-to-Glenstone
Glenstone is open from Thursday – Sunday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., with visits scheduled on the hour. Make sure to book yours before you go.
RENWICK GALLERY
1661 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW – Washington, DC
FoldHaus, Shrumen Lumen, 2016. Photo by Rene Smith
No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man – through January 21, 2019
Each year in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, a city of 70,000 people rises out of the dust for a single week. The thriving temporary metropolis known as Burning Man is a hotbed of artistic ingenuity. Both a cultural movement and an annual event, Burning Man remains one of the most influential phenomenons in contemporary American art and culture.
The exhibition takes over the entire Renwick Gallery building and surrounding Golden Triangle neighborhood, bringing alive the maker culture and creative spirit of this cultural movement. Immersive room-sized installations, costumes, jewelry, and ephemera transport visitors to the gathering’s famed “Playa,” while selected photographs and archival materials from the Nevada Museum of Art’s show City of Dust: The Evolution of Burning Man trace Burning Man’s growth and its bohemian roots.
NEWSEUM
555 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, DC
75 Years of the World’s Best Photography – through January 20, 2019
A groundbreaking photography show featuring 70 years of award-winning images from the archives of Pictures of the Year International (POYi), one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious photojournalism competitions. These images depict the people and events that have defined our times, capturing war and peace, disaster and triumph, and the social and cultural shifts that have shaped the past 75 years. The pictures were selected from POYi’s archive of more than 40,000 photos, tracing the evolution of photojournalism from World War II to today.
Pulitzer Prize Photographs Gallery – Permanent display
The following museums are usually a good source of photography exhibits. These can be good locations for your own photographs too:
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MUSEUM
1145 17th Street, NW – Washington, DC
National Geographic: Exploration Starts Here – Permanent exhibition
The National Geographic frequently has events and exhibitions related to photography. Check these out here: Events Exhibitions
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:
Explore the following links for terrific photos when the weather outside is frightful.
DRONESTAGRAM
Amazing overhead and skimming photos and videos submitted by viewers. A whole new field for exploration.
TOP 100 PICTURES FROM 2018 – SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
Camp Fire, Paradise CA – Gabrielle Lurie, The Chronicle
THE WILDLIFE COMEDY PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS 2018
Check the Gallery page for past years’ winners and finalists. Some hilarious animal pictures!
NIKON INTERNATIONAL SMALL WORLD COMPETITION, 2018
Fourth place — Taenia solium (tapeworm) everted scolex, Rochester, N.Y. (Teresa Zgoda)
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.
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.
BRITISH WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS
The British Wildlife Photography Awards proudly announce the winners for 2018. The awards celebrate both the work of amateur and professional photographers and the beauty and diversity of British wildlife.
It was early morning when I saw the wildebeests crossing Tanzania’s Mara River. The layering of dust, shade, and sun over the chaos of wildebeests kicking up water gives this picture a sense of mystique and allure. It’s almost like an old painting—I’m still compelled to search the detail of the image to absorb the unreal scene.
Browse our editors’ favorite submissions to the photo contest.