Exhibitions
Exhibitions
CURRENT EXHIBITIONS
Cracks & Reforms
The 1920s Through the GW Collection
August 26 - December 12, 2026
The 1920s emerged as a decade suspended between collapse and reconstruction, an era marked by “cracks and reforms” that ushered in a profound reconfiguration of the visual world. During this period marked by civil transformation and political upheaval, artists, journalists, and makers had opportunities to reconstruct both individual and collective identities. A century later, Cracks & Reforms presents a distinct cross-section of this period, revealing global currents of migration, modernization, and cultural redefinition through the lens of the GW Collection. Students led by Associate Professor Bibiana Obler selected works to study and exhibit, their research eventually leading to unified themes and a catalog designed by Corcoran graphic design students led by professors Sharmila Karamchandani and Aasawari Kulkarni.
Unfossilizing African Art
August 26 - December 12, 2026
Presented after extensive research, this exhibition recontextualizes African material culture objects held in the GW Collection for nearly 50 years. Led by Assistant Professor Clement Akpang, 59 students from four seminar courses offered between Fall 2024 and Spring 2026, conducted original research to deepen understanding of the university’s holdings and update how we interpret and exhibit these objects. The exhibition features 37 tangible heritage objects, ranging from an Egúngún Paaka from Yorubaland to a Kii [brass pipe], attributed to the Baumum people of Cameroon, accompanied by images and video that illuminate their rich histories. Research on the entire collection is presented in an accompanying illustrated publication.
VIRTUAL EXHIBITIONS
Piranesi's Rome: Views of the Eternal City
Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778) was a Venetian artist renowned for his works depicting ancient Rome’s architectural marvels. As the son of a stonemason and master builder, Piranesi was destined to capture the grandeur and inevitable decay of Rome, and indeed, no one was better suited for this endeavor. Though Piranesi was born in Mogliano near Mestre, a borough of the commune of Venice, it was in Venice where he spent the first twenty years of his life studying architecture and stage design. He considered himself an architect, consistently signing his work “architetto.” He initially apprenticed under his uncle, receiving practical training in structural and hydraulic engineering. This very background in architecture set Piranesi’s work apart.
Andy Warhol's Polaroids
Andy Warhol's photographs reflect his daily life including his travels, romantic partners, social outings, inanimate objects and preparations for commissioned portraits. This exhibition focuses on the concept of the Polaroid and black and white photographs by Warhol in the GW Collection. If read as mirrors to Warhol’s internal struggles they give insight into his feelings about being a famous and profitable artist, struggles with his sexuality and his friendships.
Concurring Experiences: Together, Apart
An exhibition commemorating the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 national lockdown, showcasing 27 works from the Corcoran Study Collection curated and researched by MA Exhibition Design class of 2022, Dr. Lisa Lipinski's "History of Exhibitions". Through the lens of finding and uplifting community in times of isolation, the show follows eight themes, each linked to calls-to-actions, social justice organizations, and mutual aid funds, hoping to uplift these missions with larger audiences and community.
HOME: Selections from the Corcoran Study Collection
This exhibition seeks to show many facets of home through photographic works recently returned to the Corcoran Flagg Building from works exploring Washington, D.C., the city many of us call home, to more intangible feelings of where we find comfort, to the idea of the Corcoran Flagg Building as a dedicated home for art.