Check out women-powered festivals, events, exhibits, shows and much more.
In Washington, DC, we celebrate the contributions of women all year long, including food and drink spots and women-inspired museums, exhibits and attractions. In honor of March's designation as Women's History Month, we’ve gathered up a list of events, exhibits, plays and other programming that highlight the accomplishments, art and stories of women.
Find more content celebrating inspiring women in DC, including women-owned businesses and ways to honor influential Black women.
Check out the reopened National Museum of Women in the Arts
The only museum solely dedicated to championing women through the arts has reopened its doors with improved interior and exterior spaces, new mechanical systems, enhanced amenities and accessibility, enlarged gallery space and additional research and education space.
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National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005
Picturing Women Inventors – Ongoing
The National Museum of American History celebrates women inventors who have been overlooked or undervalued in U.S. society. The exhibit highlights the accomplishments, challenges and motivations of some of the most important inventors of the 20th- and 21st-century. Visitors can marvel at wall murals (with text in English and Spanish) and the creativity and inspiration of women inventors.
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Free admission
National Museum of American History, 1300 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20560
Dorothea Lange: Seeing People – Through March 31
The National Gallery of Art showcases roughly 100 images from one of the greatest photographers ever live in a new exhibit on Dorothea Lange. Seeing People will examine Lange’s prolific and trailblazing career through the lens of portraiture and her exceptional ability to capture the character, resilience, heartbreak, joy, wonder and beauty of her human subjects.
10 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Free admission
National Gallery of Art, 6th Street & Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC
Trish Spoon
First Ladies and Iconic Global Women in Fashion - Through March 31
FASHIONPHILE, the leader in pre-owned ultra-luxury, and Hotel Washington, a historic hotel situated steps from the White House lawn and National Mall, have curated a special exhibit to be on display in the hotel’s stunning lobby. Visitors can observe a history of style while exploring the handbags and accessories of the world's leading ladies, from Jackie O to Princess Diana. The interactive exhibit will feature QR codes to shop for similar items on FASHIONPHILE.
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Hotel Washington, 515 15th St. NW, Washington, DC 20004
The Future of Orchids: Conservation and Collaboration – Through April 28
The Smithsonian American Art Museum features 200 varieties of orchids in the Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard during a special exhibition. Organized by Smithsonian Gardens in collaboration with the U.S. Botanic Garden, visitors can admire living collections and a series of newly commissioned and loaned paintings and sculptures by multimedia artist Phaan Howng. The exhibit also highlights the challenges facing wild orchids today and examines the work done by conservationists to protect the flower.
11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Free Admission
Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th and G Streets NW, Washington, DC 20004
Jessica Diamond: Wheel of Life – Through June 2
One of America’s greatest conceptual artists presents her largest museum installation to date at the Hirshhorn. Wheel of Life fills the museum’s second-floor, inner-circle galleries with 15 text-and-image-based works that highlight Diamond’s inventiveness. Much of the work on display reflects on Diamond’s stunning 40-year career as an artist.
10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. | Free admission
Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden, Independence Avenue & 7th Street NW, Washington, DC 20560
Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas – Through June 2
Alma Thomas, who lived in DC and worked at Howard University for many years, developed a style all her own as a painter. She took to abstract painting late in her own life and at a crucial period in the country’s history, as political turmoil dramatically impacted the mid-1960s. The Smithsonian American Art Museum, which possesses the largest public collection of Thomas’ art, will offer an intimate look at her creative evolution from 1959 to 1978 through her signature color-driven pieces.
11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Free Admission
Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th and G Streets NW, Washington, DC 20004
Jennifer Bartlett: In and Out of the Garden – Feb. 10 – April 30
One of the most ambitious projects of Jennifer Bartlett’s career is the centerpiece of the latest exhibit at The Phillips Collection. During a 1979-80 winter stay at a friend’s rented house in Nice, France, Bartlett embarked on what would turn into a years-long quest to depict a small, rundown garden on the property from literally hundreds of perspectives. Known for her rigorous combination of mathematical elements, abstract expressionism and minimalism, Bartlett’s artistic interpretations of the garden evolved from freehand drawings to paintings on steel plates, canvas and glass, many of which are featured in the exhibition.
Hours & Admission
The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
Where We Belong – Feb. 15 – March 10
Debuted virtually to DC audiences in 2021, this one-woman piece comes home after a successful national tour. In association with the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, the Folger Theatre hosts Mohegan theatre-maker Madeline Sayet’s riveting tale. Set in 2015, Where We Belong follows Sayet on a voyage to England to pursue a PhD in Shakespeare. She finds a country that will not acknowledge its own role in colonialism just as the Brexit vote is set to occur. Madeline’s story echoes the journey taken by her ancestors in the 1700s following treatise betrayals in the U.S. and in turn, presents what it means to live and belong in a world increasingly globalized.
Tickets
Folger Theatre, 201 East Capitol Street SE, Washington DC 20003
Tempestuous Elements – Feb. 16 – March 17
Arena Stage's February marquee reveals the struggle of Anna Julia Cooper, a Black teacher who fought for her students’ rights to an advanced curriculum. In a scandal concocted by the government, her time as principal of DC's historic M Street School was sabotaged by her colleagues and neighbors. Witness the journey of this formidable Black feminist’s fight for educational equity and legitimacy at the turn of the 20th century.
Tickets
Arena Stage, 1101 6th Street SW, Washington, DC 20024
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