Niagara Falls: Mist and Majesty at NGA Washington

The National Gallery of Art in Washington will present 'Niagara Falls: Mist and Majesty' from May 2 to September 20, 2026. The exhibition marks the bicentennial of Frederic Edwin Church's birth and features his 1857 painting 'Niagara' as a centerpiece. Approximately 20 works, including 19th-century prints, drawings, and photographs by Régis François Gignoux, Platt D. Babbitt, and George Barker, explore evolving perspectives on the falls. Barker's 1880 photograph contributed to the preservation movement led by Church and Frederick Law Olmsted. The exhibition also addresses the falls' significance to enslaved people seeking freedom and Indigenous peoples, with works by Shelley Niro (Mohawk) and Kay WalkingStick (Cherokee Nation). Contemporary pieces by Tseng Kwong Chi and Alec Soth examine tourism and national identity. Curated by Sarah Cash and Diane Waggoner.