Shaikh Zain ud-Din’s Brahminy Starling with Two Antheraea Moths, Caterpillar, and Cocoon on an Indian Jujube Tree was originally part of an album commissioned by his British patrons.

The Awe-Inspiring Wildlife Drawings of Shaikh Zain ud-Din

An 18th-century album of India’s flora and fauna showcases the startling work of an overlooked master

In the installation Color Wheel, the color of the gestures on each canvas are complementary to the background color.

Artist Pat Steir Turns the Hirshhorn Into a Massive Color Wheel

A new immersive installation investigates colors and their relations

No structure epitomizes Wright’s “organic” approach like Fallingwater, the 1937 house in Pennsylvania. Unesco designated it a World Historic site this past July.

The Prickly, Brilliant and Deeply Influential Frank Lloyd Wright

Searching for the essence of the iconic American architect

In 1897, British troops looted thousands of pieces of culturally significant art, which came to reside in private and public collections, including this cooper plaque (detail) now held at the Smithsonian Institution.

As African Art Thrives, Museums Grapple With Legacy of Colonialism

Museum leaders met in Washington D.C. to talk about what’s next for the continent’s cultural sector

Heidi Schreck encourages a wider view of American justice in her surprising drama What the Constitution Means to Me.

American Ingenuity Awards

Heidi Schreck’s Riveting Play Deconstructs the U.S. Constitution

Her surprising drama about the founding document encourages a wider view of American justice

Artist Amy Sherald, photographed at the Hauser & Wirth gallery in New York City.

American Ingenuity Awards

How Amy Sherald’s Revelatory Portraits Challenge Expectations

The artist who garnered fame at the Smithsonian and then painted the official portrait of Michelle Obama brings her unique style to ordinary people

To walk within Alicja Kwade's enigmatic installation, WeltenLinie, where large metal rods frame double-sided mirrors, is like passing into some strange new dimension.

Alicja Kwade’s Installation at the Hirshhorn Invites Viewers to Question the World as We Know It

The visually immersive artwork is a recent acquisition now on view in a new exhibition

A Portrait of Berenice Sarmiento Chávez

This Year’s Outwin Winners Challenge the Norms of Portraiture

First prize recipient is Hugo Crosthwaite for his stop-motion animation portraying migrant Berenice Sarmiento Chávez

Maria Oakey Dewing, "Garden in May," 1895,

Smithsonian Voices

Why the Rare Works of Maria Oakey Dewing Are Worthy of a Reconsideration

Smithsonian Provost John Davis takes a closer look at the painter, who described herself as a “garden-thirsty soul.”

Diane Meyer walked the entire 96-mile perimeter of the former wall to take pictures for her hand-sewn photograph series “Berlin.” Above, Brandenburg Gate, 2015.

Where the Berlin Wall Once Stood

Even after a terrible barrier comes down, an artist conjures its haunting presence

Dancers from Spain’s Ballet Teatro Español de Rafael Aguilar perform flamenco during a rehearsal at the National Theater in Taipei, Taiwan, in 2006.

The Complicated History of Flamenco in Spain

The music, born of gypsies in the country’s southern regions, was embraced by foreigners long before it became a national symbol

Detail of the Korean Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (Gwaneum bosal) crafted in the Goryeo period, ca. 1220 to 1285.

Rare, Centuries-Old Korean Buddhist Masterpiece Goes on View

Sealed and hidden within the sculpture were sacred texts and symbolic objects

The Torch of Friendship is a 65-foot, 45-ton steel sculpture near San Antonio's River Walk.

San Antonio Displays More Than 100 Sculptures by Artist Sebastian

The city is celebrating the Mexican artist’s 50-plus year career with a massive exhibition

In an interview before the opening of his show, sculptor Lee Ufan (above: searching for materials on Long Island) says the significance for viewers is the "pure experience."

Lee Ufan’s Transformative Sculptures Are in Dialogue With the Spaces They Inhabit

For the first time in the Hirshhorn Museum’s history, the 4.3-acre outdoor gallery is devoted to a single artist

Expression Mirror (detail) by Zachary Lieberman

Here’s Why A.I. Can’t Be Taken at Face Value

Cooper Hewitt’s new show drills down into the inherent biases lurking within computer intelligence systems

Untitled from the series "Witness 1979" by Hengameh Golestan, March 11 1979

Viewing Iran and Its Complexities Through the Eyes of Visual Artists

Compelling works from six female photographers tell stories of revolution, displacement and longing for home

The Evidence Room represents thousands of pages of testimony that was assembled by Robert Jan van Pelt, an architectural historian and the main expert witness in a British lawsuit brought by a Holocaust denier.

Using Art to Talk About the Holocaust in ‘The Evidence Room’

Museum staff discuss the reception of a difficult work that showed the vivid and painful documentation of a Nazi death camp

The artist says he paints to music, improvising his brushstrokes in the manner of a jazz soloist.

How Peter Wayne Lewis Infuses His Artwork With the Spirit of Jazz

A new exhibit explores bebop and the Buddha

A rooftop view with gargoyles on the left and other statuary, circa 1860.

A Hymn to Notre-Dame

In which the renowned author of thrillers and mysteries praises the Gothic beauty, damaged by fire but destined to inspire again

The process of coloring the test objects took between 15 and 40 minutes.

This New Dye Changes Color When Exposed to UV Light

Color-change shoes, jewelry, cars, furniture and more could be possible with this new MIT technology

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