These Seven Stunning Towers Memorialize Lost Black Lives With Mirrors, Light and Ethiopian Cross Designs
At the National Museum of African Art, a Washington, D.C. artist’s work illuminates a gallery room and honors 54 people who died this century
Nineteen New and Revamped Smithsonian Shows to See in 2025—Plus One Bonus That Will Make You Go Wild for Nature
This year, the Institution’s museums are bringing to the public everything from the flair of state fairs to the artwork of Grandma Moses
Eleven Fascinating Acquisitions That Joined the Smithsonian’s Vast Collections in 2024
This year, the Institution collected everything from the stunning shell of an extinct cephalopod to a Blue Origin rocket booster
The Best Books of 2024, as Chosen by Smithsonian Scholars
Staff at the Institution pick their favorite reads of the year, including riveting memoirs, fascinating true histories and fun fiction
After Nigerian Independence, One Renowned Artist Made Jesus a West African Savior in His Vibrant Work
Painter and printmaker Bruce Onobrakpeya put forth a new vision of biblical figures for African Christians in the early post-colonial life of his country
Artist John Akomfrah Is Having a Moment
The works of the recently knighted filmmaker address contemporary issues in two different Smithsonian museums
Meet the Inhabitants of the Mythic World of Drexciya
Artist Ayana V. Jackson creates an undersea realm honoring those who jumped or were thrown overboard during the trans-Atlantic slave trade
At Abraham Lincoln’s Cottage, Artist Georges Adéagbo Pays Homage to the Great Emancipator
The award-winning Beninese artist unveils a work dedicated to the president’s “generosity of heart”
Twenty-Three Smithsonian Shows to See in 2023
A rare Bible, George Clinton’s colorful wig, Disney World history and Japanese ghosts debut this year
Smithsonian Scholars Pick Their Favorite Books of 2022
This wide-ranging list offers context for our rapidly changing world
The Smithsonian Returns a Trove of Benin Bronzes to Nigeria
The transfer of ownership of 29 artworks is the first to be carried out under a new policy and practice
Rare Collection of 1940s Art Returns to Zimbabwe After 70 Years
Students at the Cyrene Mission School created the works at a time when the African country was under colonial rule
London’s Horniman Museum Will Return Stolen Benin Bronzes to Nigeria
The 72 objects were looted from Benin City more than a century ago
Albuquerque Museum Returns Long-Forgotten Cache of Sculptures to Mexico
The objects, which date to between 300 and 600 B.C.E., sat in a storage box for 15 years
Why the Smithsonian Adopted a New Policy on Ethical Collecting
For more than a century, museum artifacts were acquired in ways we no longer find acceptable. How can we repair the damage?
The Smithsonian’s Plan to Return the Benin Bronzes Comes After Years of Relationship Building
The ground-breaking move heralds a new path for interactions between African and Western institutions
Smithsonian Tells Museum and Zoo Visitors Masks Are Now Optional
Face coverings mandate is lifted this Friday, as more museums resume daily visiting hours
Photographer Iké Udé Is Retelling Africa’s Narrative With the Power of Portraiture
A new show celebrates the stars of Nigeria’s Nollywood, the country’s vibrant $3 billion film industry
Twenty-Two Smithsonian Shows to See in 2022
Falcon hunting, Watergate, a Kusama mirror room and the new Latino Gallery await
Why the Smithsonian’s Museum of African Art Removed Its Benin Bronzes From View
Displaying the looted artworks does “a huge amount of harm,” says director Ngaire Blankenberg, who has affirmed her commitment to repatriating the objects
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