About this Exhibitions List

This list includes a narrative summary and key facts concerning each of the more than 964 special exhibitions that have been held at the National Gallery of Art from its opening in 1941 through 2009. This list will be updated annually. Long-term reinstallations of the permanent collection are not included.

Each description includes the following information:

• Exhibition title
  
• Dates
  
• Overview
  Summary of works of art on view, important lenders, and exhibition theme or focus; unusual design features; noteworthy special events; curators or coordinators at the National Gallery and other cooperating institutions; supporters or sponsors
  
• Attendance
  Visitor count; number of days the exhibition was open
  
• Location
  West Building or East Building gallery number or location
  
• Catalogue, brochure, or other publication
  
• Web Site
  
• Other venues
  Institution, city, and dates
  

This information has been drawn from many different archival sources: exhibition loan and installation records, catalogues and brochures, press releases, calendars of events, published annual reports, and newspaper clippings.

Despite thorough research, some entries for early exhibitions are incomplete, as detailed information was not recorded or has been lost over time. Certain types of information was not recorded regularly in the Gallery's early years. For example, attendance figures were first recorded regularly in 1958, although earlier counts were made on some important occasions.

The availability of information for more recent exhibitions and the extent of programming has made it necessary to limit mention to events or features of particular importance or special interest.

This descriptive list represents the effort of many individuals over the course of more than a decade. Elise V.H. Ferber gathered information on the early exhibitions. Deborah Mieko King, Katherine Moore, and other Gallery Archives staff members expanded and supplemented her work under the direction of Maygene Daniels, Chief of Gallery Archives. In 1998, Anne Ritchie coordinated the revision of the list. Ulrike Mills was the editor. Ric Foster and Phyllis Hecht adapted the list for this Web site.

Further Information
Further information concerning exhibitions or the history of the National Gallery of Art is available from Gallery Archives.

Gallery Archives
National Gallery of Art
Washington, DC 20565
Telephone: (202) 842-6614
Fax: (202) 842-6948
E-mail: gallery-archives@nga.gov