Past Exhibitions
Browse the museum's past exhibitions, inlcuding those held at The Textile Museum's original location in Washington, D.C.'s Kalorama neighborhood. Designed to both present textiles as art, and to place them in their cultural context, Textile Museum exhibitions have primarily showcased its permanent collections, but also featured works from other textile arts drawn from a variety of public and private holdings.
Enduring Ideals: Rockwell, Roosevelt & the Four Freedoms
In this exhibition, Norman Rockwell’s iconic Four Freedoms paintings and works by other artists captured expressions of freedom from World War II to today.
Eye of the Bird: Visions and Views of D.C.'s Past
This exhibition examined the evolution of Washington, D.C., through two new panoramic landscape paintings by local artist Peter Waddell and related works.
Faig Ahmed: Nonvisual Language
This intimate exhibition introduced new works and installations by acclaimed Azerbaijani artist Faig Ahmed.
A Nomad's Art: Kilims of Anatolia
Woven by women to adorn tents and camel caravans, kilims are enduring records of life in Turkey’s nomadic communities, as well as stunning examples of abstract art.
Breaking News: Alexander Hamilton
Drawing on historical newspapers from the collection of Antonia M. Chambers, this exhibition highlighted important life events and accomplishments of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton.
Greetings from Washington
This exhibition examined postcards relating to D.C., from their golden age at the turn of the twentieth century through the vintage glamour of mid-century graphics and beyond.
Binding the Clouds: The Art of Central Asian Ikat
Through the museum’s exceptional ikat collection assembled by Dr. Guido Goldman, this exhibition focused on the art of dyeing known in this region as abrband (binding the clouds).
Vanishing Traditions: Textiles and Treasures from Southwest China
This exhibition showcased dozens of festival costumes from minority cultures in southwest China that were gifted to the museum’s collections in 2015.
For the Record: Picturing D.C.
Compelling images selected through the Historical Society of Washington, D.C.’s annual juried competition documented the city’s evolving urban landscape through the eyes of local artists.
The Box Project: Uncommon Threads
For "The Box Project," thirty-six leading fiber artists worldwide were challenged to create a three-dimensional work to fit inside a standard box.
Scraps: Fashion, Textiles, and Creative Reuse
"Scraps" presented the work of three designers who have pioneered creative approaches to recycling textiles: Luisa Cevese in Milan; Christina Kim in Los Angeles; and Reiko Sudo in Tokyo.
Foundations for a Nation: Architectural Images from the Albert H. Small Washingtoniana Collection
Historical images demonstrated how competitions, presidents, and events shaped the U.S. Capitol and White House.
Inspiring Beauty: 50 Years of Ebony Fashion Fair
Stunning ensembles by leading designers told the story of the Ebony Fashion Fair and its creator Eunice W. Johnson, who broke the color barrier to bring global fashion to African-American audiences.
Bingata! Only in Okinawa
This special showing of textile treasures from Okinawan museum collections featured brightly colored bingata—traditional resist-dyed fabrics—and contemporary works by Okinawan artists and fashion designers.
Your Next President . . . ! The Campaign Art of Mark and Rosalind Shenkman
Patriotic textiles from the Collection of Mark and Rosalind Shenkman illustrated how presidential campaigning developed in the 19th century.
On View
Best Laid Plans: Designs for a Capital City
This exhibition examines unrealized designs for the Washington Monument, Memorial Bridge, and other structures around the city, through historical prints and paintings from the collection.
Songs of the Civil War
This exhibition showcases historical sheet music that provided the soundtrack to a nation divided by war.
Selections from The Textile Museum Collection
You can always find a rotating selection of objects from The Textile Museum Collection on view in the museum's lower-level galleries, including many objects that have rarely or never before been displayed.
Treasures from the Albert H. Small Collection
A selection of maps, letters, prints, and artifacts on display from the museum’s Albert H. Small Washingtoniana Collection includes recent acquisitions and rare treasures.
Textiles 101
Interactive displays allow you to enter the mind of an artist to explore fiber, structure, color, and the creative choices that influence textile design.
701 21st Street, NW
Washington, DC 20052
Phone: 202-994-5200
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