Hirshhorn Museum Acquires Over 300 Works for 50th Anniversary

In 2025, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, which is part of the Smithsonian, celebrated its 50th anniversary by adding over 300 modern and contemporary artworks, boosting its collection to over 13,000. Established by Congress in 1966 and opened in 1974, the museum saw a million visitors in its first six months. New highlights include Mickalene Thomas's impressive 11-foot painting, Interior: Zebra with Two Chairs and Funky Fur (2012), and Vista (2025). The exhibition "Adam Pendleton: Love, Queen," featuring his "Black Dada" works, is on display until early January 2027. Other notable acquisitions include Mark Bradford's Shattered Lightbulb (2014) and 16 heliogravures by Graciela Iturbide. The outdoor sculpture garden will reopen in October with new pieces from eight artists, and outgoing director Melissa Chiu stressed the importance of expanding photography and mixed media collections.