Featured Events in Washington D.C. in September, 2024(December Updated)

Artificial lights have become such a common nighttime fixture that we take them for granted. But what do brighter nights mean for people and wildlife? The effects of light pollution extend beyond our reduced view of the stars, but solutions can have an immediate impact. Through more than 100 photographs, nearly 250 objects, interactive experiences, tactile models, and a theater program, discover why the dark night matters, rekindle your connection to the night sky, and consider how much light at night is enough—for whom, for what purpose, and who gets to decide?

Enjoy powerful portraits by one of the greatest photographers of the 20th century. Gordon Parks: Camera Portraits looks at a renowned American photographer and how he forged a new mode of portraiture after World War II. Parks merged the documentary photographer's desire to place his subjects where they lived and worked with the studio photographer's attention to clothing, persona, and expression. In doing so, he believed he could create portraits of individuals who embodied their cultural significance. He applied this approach to American icons like boxer Muhammad Ali and conductor Leonard Bernstein, as well as Harlem gang leaders and Detroit couples, revealing the humanity and cultural dignity of each individual. Drawing primarily from the Corcoran Collection, this exhibition features approximately 25 portraits created by Parks between 1941 and 1970. Explore Parks' innovations in portraiture through some of his most famous photographs. Learn how his portraits tell larger stories about the Civil Rights Movement, the African American experience, and American culture.

Paris at the end of the 19th century witnessed profound social, cultural and physical changes. Political and military conflicts led to widespread destruction of the city. At the same time, industrialization and new technologies such as the railway transformed residents' experience of urban space. Women were increasingly present in public life and tourism was expanding. The city in which the Impressionists lived and worked was changing. Artists responded to this moment in many ways: some sought refuge in tradition, while others embraced new ways of seeing. This selection of around 40 photographs and prints from the National Gallery Library shows us the world of the artists and artworks on display in Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment. These archival objects offer a glimpse into a city and art market at the cusp of modernity.

Learn about some of the most celebrated Haitian artists of the 20th century. In the mid-1900s, art flourished in Haiti, the world's first black republic. Painters such as Hector Hypolite, Rigaud Benoit, and Philome Aubin became internationally renowned for their depictions of Haitian daily life, religious traditions, and history. Their work influenced generations of African American artists. Several members, including Lois Mailou Jones and Eldzier Cortor, traveled to and worked in Haiti. Spirit & Strength is the first opportunity to see 21 works by Haitian artists recently donated by the National Gallery of Art. Learn about modern Haitian art and experience extraordinary creations by some of the most prominent artists in Haitian history, as well as works by artists building on the present day. Learn about Haiti's significant but underappreciated importance in African diaspora culture through its art.