RESOURCES: INDIAN AND CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUMS AND FAIRS IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

Home to the Smithsonian Institution, which is the largest group of museums, education and research centers in the world, Washington, D.C. has no shortage of contemporary and Asian art. From world-class museums and collections to local street and mural art, D.C. offers exciting things to do for every art enthusiast.

National Gallery of Art – 6th Street and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC: https://www.nga.gov

The National Gallery of Art hosts free exhibitions and public programs year-round. One of the pillars of visual art in the United States, the National Gallery collection spans more than 150,000 paintings, sculptures, photographs, drawings, prints and more that cover the entire history of Western art.

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden – Independence Avenue and 7th Street SW, Washington, DC: https://hirshhorn.si.edu

Located in the heart of D.C., the Hirshhorn is a leading institution of contemporary art and culture as well as one of the most visited modern art museums in the country. Championing ground-breaking artists of the 21st century, the Hirshhorn contains one of the most important collections of postwar art in the world. A recent exhibition celebrated Indian art of the past 50 years, including work from Nobel Prize winning poet and painter Rabindranath Tagore.

National Museum of Asian Art – 1050 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC: https://asia.si.edu

Part of the Smithsonian Institution, the National Museum of Asian Art is a world leader in Asian art conservation and stewards a comprehensive collection of works from China, Japan, Korea, South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. New acquisitions are constantly added, spanning the premodern, modern and contemporary eras, and the current collection includes more than 1,200 objects of South Asian art. Recent highlights of Indian art include the contemporary exhibitions Subodh Gupta: Terminal and Unstill Waters: Contemporary Photography from India, as well as the historic survey A Splendid Land: Paintings from Royal Udaipur.

The Phillips Collection – 1600 21st Street NW, Washington, DC: https://www.phillipscollection.org

Founded by art collector and philanthropist Duncan Phillips in 1921, The Phillips Collection transforms his former home into a museum, a unique setting for the growing collection of modern and contemporary artworks. The art galleries are frequently rearranged to facilitate new experiences for visitors, and the museum holds several special exhibitions and community engagement programs throughout the year.