Museums | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/museums/RSS feed for MuseumsenFri, 29 May 2026 18:16:59 +0000Using Colorful Dog Kibble, Artists Turn 'Mona Lisa,' 'The Scream' and 'The Kiss' Into Museum Masterpieces That Man's Best Friend Can Appreciatehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/using-colorful-kibble-artists-turn-mona-lisa-the-scream-and-the-kiss-into-museum-masterpieces-that-mans-best-friend-can-appreciate-180988860/Sisters from New Jersey spent two months recreating famous artworks while also making sure their dog didn’t get into the edible art suppliesFri, 29 May 2026 18:16:59 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/using-colorful-kibble-artists-turn-mona-lisa-the-scream-and-the-kiss-into-museum-masterpieces-that-mans-best-friend-can-appreciate-180988860/No Mere Muse, This Influential Surrealist Artist and Feminist Gets Her Due in a New Biopic and Art Exhibitionshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/leonora-carrington-is-no-mere-muse-this-influential-surrealist-artist-and-feminist-gets-her-due-in-a-new-biopic-and-art-exhibitions-180988844/Leonora Carrington's life and work are celebrated with the new film "Leonora in the Morning Light." Meanwhile, an exhibition at the Freud Museum showcases for the first time artwork she created inside a psychiatric hospitalThu, 28 May 2026 19:26:51 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/leonora-carrington-is-no-mere-muse-this-influential-surrealist-artist-and-feminist-gets-her-due-in-a-new-biopic-and-art-exhibitions-180988844/An Illuminating New Museum Hidden Beneath the Lincoln Memorial Is Set to Open to the Public. Here's What You Can Expecthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-illuminating-new-museum-hidden-beneath-the-lincoln-memorial-is-set-to-open-to-the-public-heres-what-you-can-expect-180988831/Tickets for the Lincoln Memorial undercroft museum are now available to reserve. When the attraction opens on June 25, visitors will get to see the D.C. landmark from a whole new perspectiveWed, 27 May 2026 17:21:44 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-illuminating-new-museum-hidden-beneath-the-lincoln-memorial-is-set-to-open-to-the-public-heres-what-you-can-expect-180988831/Whistler Didn't Mean to Make His Mourning Mother an Art World Star. Today, She's a Highlight at a Major Exhibition in Londonhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/whistler-didnt-mean-to-make-his-mourning-mother-an-art-world-star-today-she-is-a-highlight-at-a-major-exhibition-in-london-180988808/Officially titled 'Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1,' James McNeill Whistler’s stoic portrait of his mother has come to define the artist’s style and legacy. The artwork is currently on display in the same city where it was painted more than 150 years agoTue, 26 May 2026 17:56:08 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/whistler-didnt-mean-to-make-his-mourning-mother-an-art-world-star-today-she-is-a-highlight-at-a-major-exhibition-in-london-180988808/Brazil Lost 80 Percent of Its National Museum Collection in One Night. Here's How It's Fighting to Rebuildhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/brazil-lost-80-percent-of-its-national-museum-collection-in-one-night-heres-how-its-fighting-to-rebuild-180988796/Ever since a 2018 blaze destroyed priceless artifacts and scientifically important specimens, museum staff have devoted themselves to reopening its doors to the publicTue, 26 May 2026 11:00:49 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/brazil-lost-80-percent-of-its-national-museum-collection-in-one-night-heres-how-its-fighting-to-rebuild-180988796/This Jewish Community in the Caribbean Smuggled Gunpowder to the Patriots During the Revolution. A British Admiral Condemned the Island as a 'Nest of Vipers'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this-jewish-community-in-the-caribbean-smuggled-gunpowder-to-the-patriots-during-the-revolution-a-british-admiral-condemned-the-island-as-a-nest-of-vipers-180988740/A new exhibition at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, in Philadelphia, spotlights the little-known wartime contributions of the Jews of St. EustatiusFri, 22 May 2026 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this-jewish-community-in-the-caribbean-smuggled-gunpowder-to-the-patriots-during-the-revolution-a-british-admiral-condemned-the-island-as-a-nest-of-vipers-180988740/Who Are the Owners of These Nazi-Looted Masterpieces—and Could Displaying Them at One of France's Most Popular Museums Help Track Them Down?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/who-are-the-owners-of-these-nazi-looted-masterpiecesand-could-displaying-them-at-one-of-frances-most-popular-museums-help-track-them-down-180988779/A new permanent display at the Musée d’Orsay showcases artworks that may have been stolen or sold under suspicious circumstances during World War II. Officials are still hoping to find the families of their rightful ownersThu, 21 May 2026 15:02:39 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/who-are-the-owners-of-these-nazi-looted-masterpiecesand-could-displaying-them-at-one-of-frances-most-popular-museums-help-track-them-down-180988779/The Bayeux Tapestry Takes a Journey for a Fresh Perspective as the British Museum Prepares to Lay the Masterpiece Out Flathttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-bayeux-tapestry-takes-a-journey-for-a-fresh-perspective-as-the-british-museum-prepares-to-lay-the-masterpiece-out-flat-180988764/After spending centuries in France, the 1,000-year-old tapestry depicting the Norman Conquest of England is traveling to its home countryTue, 19 May 2026 20:09:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-bayeux-tapestry-takes-a-journey-for-a-fresh-perspective-as-the-british-museum-prepares-to-lay-the-masterpiece-out-flat-180988764/Why Was This Ancient Roman Soldier's Gravestone Hidden in a Louisiana Backyard? Archaeologists Solved the Mystery—and Helped Return the Artifact to Italyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-was-this-ancient-roman-soldiers-gravestone-hidden-in-a-louisiana-backyard-archaeologists-solved-the-mystery-and-helped-return-the-artifact-to-italy-180988761/The funerary marker, which surfaced on a New Orleans property last year, once belonged to a Roman soldier who died nearly 2,000 years ago. Officials repatriated the stone in a recent ceremony in RomeTue, 19 May 2026 18:30:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-was-this-ancient-roman-soldiers-gravestone-hidden-in-a-louisiana-backyard-archaeologists-solved-the-mystery-and-helped-return-the-artifact-to-italy-180988761/'Mona Lisa' Is Moving to a New Home. The Louvre Just Announced the Architects Who Will Design Her Private Suitehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mona-lisa-is-moving-to-a-new-home-the-louvre-just-announced-the-architects-who-will-design-her-private-suite-180988763/Visitors will be able to view Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece without touring the rest of the Louvre, and visitor traffic at the museum will be able to grow by three million people annuallyTue, 19 May 2026 18:27:11 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mona-lisa-is-moving-to-a-new-home-the-louvre-just-announced-the-architects-who-will-design-her-private-suite-180988763/A 'Magical' Mirror the Powerful Queen of a British Tribe May Have Used Was Discovered in an Enormous Iron Age Hoard, Now on Displayhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-magical-mirror-the-powerful-queen-of-a-british-tribe-may-have-used-goes-on-display-as-part-of-britains-largest-iron-age-hoard-180988751/Visitors to the Yorkshire Museum can see artifacts from the Melsonby Hoard, dating to the first century C.E., that rewrite the story of wealth and power in Britain around the time of the Roman invasionFri, 15 May 2026 20:44:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-magical-mirror-the-powerful-queen-of-a-british-tribe-may-have-used-goes-on-display-as-part-of-britains-largest-iron-age-hoard-180988751/Does the Experience of Beauty Show Up in the Brain? With Electrodes and a Museum Collection of Artifacts, These Neuroscientists Aim to Find Outhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/does-the-experience-of-beauty-show-up-in-the-brain-with-electrodes-and-a-museum-collection-of-artifacts-these-neuroscientists-aim-to-find-out-180988737/Researchers are tracing the brain and body’s response to aesthetic expression in search of a scientific value to artFri, 15 May 2026 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/does-the-experience-of-beauty-show-up-in-the-brain-with-electrodes-and-a-museum-collection-of-artifacts-these-neuroscientists-aim-to-find-out-180988737/No Joke, Ahead of His 100th Birthday, Mel Brooks Donates His Hilarious Archive to the National Comedy Centerhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/no-joke-ahead-of-his-100th-birthday-mel-brooks-donates-his-hilarious-archive-to-the-national-comedy-center-180988741/Thousands of notes, storyboards, early scripts and photographs belonging to the “2,000-year-old man” and EGOT winner will join material from Lucille Ball, Joan Rivers and George CarlinThu, 14 May 2026 19:21:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/no-joke-ahead-of-his-100th-birthday-mel-brooks-donates-his-hilarious-archive-to-the-national-comedy-center-180988741/In 1969, the Beatles Played One Final Show. Their Makeshift Rooftop Stage in London Will Soon Become a Museumhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-1969-the-beatles-played-one-final-show-their-makeshift-rooftop-stage-in-london-will-soon-become-a-museum-180988714/Visitors to 3 Savile Row will be able to see a re-creation of the basement recording studio where the Beatles worked on their final album "Let It Be" and stand on the roof where the band thrilled Londoners with a surprise concertMon, 11 May 2026 18:40:37 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-1969-the-beatles-played-one-final-show-their-makeshift-rooftop-stage-in-london-will-soon-become-a-museum-180988714/Ahead of the 2026 Met Gala, the Metropolitan Museum of Art Introduced New Mannequins With Diverse Body Types Inspired by Real Peoplehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ahead-of-the-2026-met-gala-the-metropolitan-museum-of-art-introduced-new-mannequins-with-diverse-body-types-inspired-by-real-people-180988670/The new "Costume Art" exhibition pairs artworks with garments, some of them displayed on custom mannequins constructed through 3D printingMon, 04 May 2026 22:16:16 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ahead-of-the-2026-met-gala-the-metropolitan-museum-of-art-introduced-new-mannequins-with-diverse-body-types-inspired-by-real-people-180988670/The Creator of 'Star Wars' Loves Art That Tells a Story. Peek at the Collection of George Lucas’ New Museum Before It Opens This Fallhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-creator-of-star-wars-loves-art-that-tells-a-story-peek-at-george-lucas-collection-before-his-new-museum-opens-this-fall-in-los-angeles-180988668/Adventure, comics, childhood, love and everyday life are among the dozens of themes that will guide the curation of the new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los AngelesMon, 04 May 2026 20:11:24 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-creator-of-star-wars-loves-art-that-tells-a-story-peek-at-george-lucas-collection-before-his-new-museum-opens-this-fall-in-los-angeles-180988668/How the Classic American Game of Twister Went From Risqué to Record-Breakinghttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/how-the-classic-american-game-of-twister-went-from-risque-to-record-breaking-180988656/Sixty years ago, Johnny Carson and Eva Gabor played Twister on the “Tonight Show,” and the public took it as permission to buy the controversial gameFri, 01 May 2026 16:00:30 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/how-the-classic-american-game-of-twister-went-from-risque-to-record-breaking-180988656/Known for Her Amusing Surreal Sculptures, This French Artist's Sinuous Set of Mirrors Just Shattered Auction Recordshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/known-for-her-amusing-surreal-sculptures-this-french-artists-sinuous-set-of-mirrors-just-shattered-auction-records-180988632/Claude Lalanne created the reflective ensemble for designer Yves Saint Laurent. Experts say it's second in importance only to the famous mirrors at the Palace of VersaillesTue, 28 Apr 2026 21:16:47 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/known-for-her-amusing-surreal-sculptures-this-french-artists-sinuous-set-of-mirrors-just-shattered-auction-records-180988632/Stained by Nicotine and Cocoa Powder, These Edvard Munch Paintings Hung in a Chocolate Factory Cafeteria for a Century. Now, They're Going on Public Display for the First Timehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/edvard-munchs-lesser-known-chocolate-factory-friezes-head-to-exhibition-in-norway-180988634/Three decades after "The Scream," the Norwegian artist painted scenes of daily life for the Freia chocolate factory. The artworks will be on display in his namesake museum in Oslo this springTue, 28 Apr 2026 18:23:44 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/edvard-munchs-lesser-known-chocolate-factory-friezes-head-to-exhibition-in-norway-180988634/Fires in Berlin Destroyed Hundreds of Paintings During World War II. Now, a Museum Will Publish Photo Archives of the Lost Artworks Onlinehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/fires-in-berlin-destroyed-hundreds-of-paintings-during-world-war-ii-now-a-museum-will-publish-photo-archives-of-the-lost-artworks-online-180988621/A proactive effort to document the collection of the Gemäldegalerie will pay off a century later as negatives of lost paintings by Rubens and Caravaggio are digitized and published onlineMon, 27 Apr 2026 20:25:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/fires-in-berlin-destroyed-hundreds-of-paintings-during-world-war-ii-now-a-museum-will-publish-photo-archives-of-the-lost-artworks-online-180988621/The World's First Museum of A.I. Art Will Open in Los Angeles as the Art World Ponders Questions of Ethics and Sustainabilityhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-worlds-first-museum-of-ai-art-will-open-in-los-angeles-as-the-art-world-ponders-questions-of-ethics-and-sustainability-180988613/Dataland's immersive exhibitions, generated with artificial intelligence, will debut to the public on June 20, with an inaugural show about rainforests trained on millions of images of natureFri, 24 Apr 2026 20:28:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-worlds-first-museum-of-ai-art-will-open-in-los-angeles-as-the-art-world-ponders-questions-of-ethics-and-sustainability-180988613/The National Gallery of Art Embraces New Role as Lending Library, Thanks to a Big Gift That Sends Artwork to Other Museumshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-national-gallery-of-art-embraces-new-role-as-lending-library-thanks-to-a-big-gift-that-sends-artwork-to-other-museums-180988597/A $116 million donation from the family foundation of longtime trustee Mitchell P. Rales will help share the museum's collection in honor of the 250th birthday of the U.S.Wed, 22 Apr 2026 21:03:15 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-national-gallery-of-art-embraces-new-role-as-lending-library-thanks-to-a-big-gift-that-sends-artwork-to-other-museums-180988597/The Spice Girls Changed Pop Forever in 1996. Thirty Years Later, Their Iconic Outfits Are on Display in a New Exhibition in Londonhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/spice-girls-changed-pop-forever-in-1996-thirty-years-later-their-iconic-outfits-are-on-display-in-a-new-exhibition-in-london-180988569/The Barbican Music Library is celebrating British pop culture with a show that features Mel B's leopard catsuit, Emma Bunton's blue dress and Geri Halliwell's Union Jack bootsMon, 20 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/spice-girls-changed-pop-forever-in-1996-thirty-years-later-their-iconic-outfits-are-on-display-in-a-new-exhibition-in-london-180988569/A Sudden Squall Doomed This Stone-Hauling Vessel in Lake Erie. More Than 150 Years Later, Divers Just Found the Shipwreckhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-sudden-squall-doomed-this-stone-hauling-vessel-in-lake-erie-divers-just-found-the-shipwreck-more-than-150-years-later-180988557/The "Clough," a 125-foot-long bark, sank in September 1868 near Cleveland, with just one crew member surviving to explain what had happenedThu, 16 Apr 2026 13:35:37 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-sudden-squall-doomed-this-stone-hauling-vessel-in-lake-erie-divers-just-found-the-shipwreck-more-than-150-years-later-180988557/Long Misidentified, This Seal Tooth Pendant Was Carefully Crafted by a Prehistoric Human Roughly 15,000 Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/long-misidentified-this-seal-tooth-pendant-was-carefully-crafted-by-a-prehistoric-human-roughly-15000-years-ago-180988543/Discovered in 1867, the artifact raises new theories about the Magdalenian people who inhabited southwest England during the Late Upper Paleolithic periodTue, 14 Apr 2026 18:23:25 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/long-misidentified-this-seal-tooth-pendant-was-carefully-crafted-by-a-prehistoric-human-roughly-15000-years-ago-180988543/From Sparkling Tiaras to Pastel Hats, New Buckingham Palace Exhibition Celebrates the Fashion of Elizabeth IIhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/from-sparkling-tiaras-pastel-hats-new-buckingham-palace-exhibition-celebrates-fashion-elizabeth-ii-180988526/In addition to being a world leader, the British queen was a fashion icon. A new show at Elizabeth’s former residence highlights some of the most memorable looks and the history behind themTue, 14 Apr 2026 15:00:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/from-sparkling-tiaras-pastel-hats-new-buckingham-palace-exhibition-celebrates-fashion-elizabeth-ii-180988526/Where Does This Anti-War Masterpiece Belong? In Spain, a Request to Borrow Picasso’s ‘Guernica’ Sparks a Bitter Debatehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/where-does-this-anti-war-masterpiece-belong-in-spain-a-request-to-borrow-picassos-guernica-sparks-a-bitter-debate-180988533/The artwork depicts the bombing of a Basque village in 1937. Now, the relocation debate is raising questions about how to balance the painting’s cultural significance with conservation needsMon, 13 Apr 2026 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/where-does-this-anti-war-masterpiece-belong-in-spain-a-request-to-borrow-picassos-guernica-sparks-a-bitter-debate-180988533/This Fashion Designer Collaborated With Salvador Dalí and Jean Cocteau to Imagine Fabulous Surrealist Ensembleshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-surrealism-inspired-fashions-of-elsa-schiaparelli-take-the-spotlight-in-london-180988503/A new exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum lays out the history and legacy of the House of Schiaparelli, focusing on its founder’s unique creative processesFri, 10 Apr 2026 13:33:39 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-surrealism-inspired-fashions-of-elsa-schiaparelli-take-the-spotlight-in-london-180988503/A Mysterious, Monumental Scroll on Public Display for the First Time Paints a Picture of Artistic Fusion in Colonial Indiahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mysterious-monumental-scroll-public-display-first-time-aints-picture-artistic-fusion-colonial-india-180988512/A new exhibition shares the artistic legacy of centuries of British East India Company influence in East and Southeast AsiaThu, 09 Apr 2026 17:45:46 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mysterious-monumental-scroll-public-display-first-time-aints-picture-artistic-fusion-colonial-india-180988512/Thieves Who Allegedly Stole an Ancient Gold Helmet Belonging to a Lost European Culture Just Returned Ithttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thieves-allegedly-stole-gold-helmet-lost-european-culture-returned-it-180988487/More than a year after the Romanian treasure disappeared from a museum in the Netherlands, it’s back in the hands of authorities. The men accused of stealing it will face trial later this monthTue, 07 Apr 2026 16:28:37 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thieves-allegedly-stole-gold-helmet-lost-european-culture-returned-it-180988487/See a Colorful Wall of Vintage iMacs and a Re-creation of Steve Jobs' Garage at a New Apple Museum in the Netherlandshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-a-colorful-wall-of-vintage-imacs-and-a-recreation-of-steve-jobs-garage-at-a-new-apple-museum-in-the-netherlands-180988485/The tech world changed forever when two college dropouts founded Apple on April 1, 1976. Fifty years later, a museum dedicated to the company's history and evolution has opened in the city of UtrechtMon, 06 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-a-colorful-wall-of-vintage-imacs-and-a-recreation-of-steve-jobs-garage-at-a-new-apple-museum-in-the-netherlands-180988485/This Painting Was Thought to Be a Workshop Copy of a Rembrandt. Now, One Scholar Argues It's the Real Dealhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-painting-was-thought-to-be-a-workshop-copy-of-a-rembrandt-now-one-scholar-argues-its-the-real-deal-180988473/"Old Man With a Gold Chain" is on display beside a smaller copy for the first time in centuries. According to scholar Gary Schwartz, the Dutch master painted both himselfThu, 02 Apr 2026 14:16:07 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-painting-was-thought-to-be-a-workshop-copy-of-a-rembrandt-now-one-scholar-argues-its-the-real-deal-180988473/A Truck Driver Spent 20 Years Making This Astonishing Scale Model of Every Single Building in New York Cityhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-truck-drive-spent-20-years-making-this-astonishing-scale-model-of-every-single-building-in-new-york-city-180988443/The 1,350-square-foot model is now on display at the Museum of the City of New York, where visitors can use binoculars to see tiny replicas of all five boroughsWed, 01 Apr 2026 17:45:40 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-truck-drive-spent-20-years-making-this-astonishing-scale-model-of-every-single-building-in-new-york-city-180988443/