One of the things I love about looking at art in the nation's capital is that most of it is free! When I think about what I value most, and what it is that motivates me to do what I do, it’s always about access. And free art is probably the most useful thing in terms of improving access to art. So for an art filled day in DC I suggest the following:
Start with the permanent Barbara Kruger installation at the Hirschhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden: her graphic black-and-white texts remind us to take stock of what we value.
Next go to the Smithsonian American Art Museum to see Shahzia Sikander: The Last Post. Her work bridges contemporary art with histories of miniature painting and is exquisite.
Then go to the National Museum of Women in the Arts to see Making Their Mark: Works from the Shah Garg Collection on view through July 26, 2026. The show explores abstraction across generations and includes some of my favorite artists such as Joan Mitchell, Cecily Brown, Julie Mehretu, and Lorna Simpson. Plus both, Komal Shah (the collector) and Cecilia Alemani (the curator) have both been guests on our About Art podcast. (Note: admission is $16.)
Lastly, I always enjoy my visits to the Phillips Collection and have been a fan of Peter Campus’s works since I wrote my masters thesis on the nude body of the artist in video. peter campus: there somewhere is on view through May 3, 2026. (Note: admission is $16.)
Bonus: Eat dinner at Kazima Modern Indian (611 I St NW, Washington, DC 20001) and order the Nirvana 37, a large salad with dozens of ingredients such as mango, radish, lotus root, fennel, and chickpea-rice noodles. I’ve never tasted anything like it! It was truly extraordinary.
