hirshhorn

Don't count Washington out when it comes to the nation's art centers. Women Rule talks with two leading ladies of D.C.'s art scene: Melissa Chiu, the director of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, and Julie Kent, the artistic director for the Washington Ballet. Chiu discusses the rise of museums in the age of social media, her curation of Kusama's popular "Infinity Rooms" exhibit, and how she turned the Hirshhorn into an Instagram sensation. Kent reflects on her transition away from dancing and weighs what it means for women to lead in the art world.

Summer conservation interns discuss the cleaning and preservation of outdoor sculpture.

Presented in collaboration with the National Museum of African Art, Ethiopian-born American artist Julie Mehretu speaks about her practice as part of the Hirshhorn’s ongoing Meet the Artist series.

Curatorial research assistant and UMD doctoral candidate Michael Vetter discusses Kiepenkerl by Jeff Koons, now on display in the Hirshhorn Museum Lobby.

As part of the Hirshhorn's ongoing 40th anniversary celebration, director Melissa Chiu welcomes former director Jim Demetrion for a discussion of the legacy and future of the museum.

Curator Kelly Gordon leads a tour of Days of Endless Time. Groups meet at the Information Desk in the Hirshhorn Lobby.

Kenjiro Okazaki has been exploring notions of time and region in the work of Ukrainian-born American artists John D. Graham and David Davidovich Burliuk. After examining their drawings in various Smithsonian collections, Okazaki conducts live-action gestural studies and uses digital technology to analyze and reproduce the characteristics unique to each artist.

Curatorial research assistant and UMD doctoral candidate Michael Vetter discusses Lucian Freud’s Nude with Leg Up (Leigh Bowery), 1992, on view in At the Hub of Things: New Views of the Collection.

Associate curator Melissa Ho discusses works by Cai Guo-Qiang, Jan Dibbets, Richard Long, and Brice Marden.

Associate curator Melissa Ho discusses works by Cai Guo-Qiang, Jan Dibbets, Richard Long, and Brice Marden.

Curator Evelyn Hankins discusses Lawrence Weiner’s "A RUBBER BALL THROWN ON THE SEA, Cat. No. 146," 1969 on view in "At the Hub of Things: New Views of the Collection."

Curator Evelyn Hankins discusses Lawrence Weiner’s "A RUBBER BALL THROWN ON THE SEA, Cat. No. 146," 1969 on view in "At the Hub of Things: New Views of the Collection."

Spencer Finch works in a variety of media, including painting, photography, sculpture, and installation. Often recreating the experience of natural phenomena through artificial constructions, Finch’s work raises questions about perception, memory, experience, and time. The artist is known for his light-based installations, including "Cloud (H2O)," 2006, on view in the Hirshhorn’s 40th anniversary exhibition "At the Hub of Things: New Views of the Collection." Mimicking the molecular structure of water through an arrangement of suspended light bulbs, the sculpture is a glowing representation of water vapor that hovers between representation and abstraction. Join us as Finch speaks about his work as part of the Museum’s ongoing Meet the Artist series.

Spencer Finch works in a variety of media, including painting, photography, sculpture, and installation. Often recreating the experience of natural phenomena through artificial constructions, Finch’s work raises questions about perception, memory, experience, and time. The artist is known for his light-based installations, including "Cloud (H2O)," 2006, on view in the Hirshhorn’s 40th anniversary exhibition "At the Hub of Things: New Views of the Collection." Mimicking the molecular structure of water through an arrangement of suspended light bulbs, the sculpture is a glowing representation of water vapor that hovers between representation and abstraction. Join us as Finch speaks about his work as part of the Museum’s ongoing Meet the Artist series.

Over the past forty years, New York–based artist Charles Simonds has been creating an imaginative body of work investigating the relationship between humans and their environment. Combining sculpture, architecture, performance, and community planning, Simonds’s oeuvre centers on an exploration of the way people’s beliefs are reflected in the structures they build. His sculpture "Rock Flower" will be on view in "Speculative Forms." Join us as the artist discusses his inventive practice, from his miniature dwellings to his large-scale installations.

Over the past forty years, New York–based artist Charles Simonds has been creating an imaginative body of work investigating the relationship between humans and their environment. Combining sculpture, architecture, performance, and community planning, Simonds’s oeuvre centers on an exploration of the way people’s beliefs are reflected in the structures they build. His sculpture "Rock Flower" will be on view in "Speculative Forms." Join us as the artist discusses his inventive practice, from his miniature dwellings to his large-scale installations.

The Curators in Conversation series concentrates on creativity—what inspires curiosity, motivates imagination, and produces meaning. The newly inaugurated platform will continue with cultural sociologist and best-selling author Sarah Thornton. She will discuss the issues behind her new book, "33 Artists in 3 Acts," which examines the role of artists around the world today. Thornton interviewed 130 artists before settling on the ones who feature in her narratives, including Maurizio Cattelan, Damien Hirst, Rashid Johnson, Jeff Koons, Laurie Simmons, Martha Rosler, and Andrea Fraser. Sarah Thornton is the author of "Seven Days in the Art World," a witty behind-the-scenes account of the institutions that contribute to an artist’s place in art history. She has been the chief writer on contemporary art for "The Economist" and has contributed to many publications, television programs, and radio broadcasts. Thornton holds a BA in art history and a PhD in sociology.

Artist Jae Ko discusses her abstract sculpture "Untitled (JK 103)," made from rolled paper and sumi ink.

Artist Jae Ko discusses her abstract sculpture "Untitled (JK 103)," made from rolled paper and sumi ink.

Assistant curator Melissa Ho leads a tour of "Salvatore Scarpitta: Traveler," providing an overview of the artist’s career.