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Exhibits Upcoming Exhibit: The First Noel | ||
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Upcoming Exhibit | ||
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Each year, the Cathedral exhibits a selection of crèches from its collection of over 500 nativity sets. These delightful crèches show the story of Jesus’ birth as interpreted by cultures and customs around the world. The Cathedral’s collection includes miniatures, rare materials, and unusual depictions, as well as typical examples which might be found in anyone’s home. A delight for families. We invite all to look for their favorites. | ||
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Current Exhibits | ||
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Dreamers and Believers:
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Photo at left: Rose Window by Marilyn Foley
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Past Exhibits | ||
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Washington National Cathedral was honored to host this magnificent artwork of the Keiskamma Project, a work of universal appeal that stands as testament of a people commemorating their determination to prevail in the face of AIDS. Created by 130 South Africans—mostly women, along with a few men—from their small village of Hamburg, this monumental artwork speaks eloquently of the power of individuals joining together in sorrow and in hope, to give life to a work that honors those who have suffered. By its vibrancy and power, it inspires and informs all who stand before it.
Pictured above: the outermost layer, second layer, innermost layer. This work has been shown in Toronto, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle. Washington National Cathedral was the only East Coast stop on the tour.
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Wishes and Dreams: Iran’s New Generation Emerges Presented by the Center for Global Justice and Reconciliation at Washington National Cathedral in cooperation with Meridian International Center. This selection of works from Wishes and Dreams, featuring the work of emerging young Iranian artists, captured the rich heritage of Iranian culture and reflected a sense of excitement and anticipation about the future. One of CGJR’s core programs is the U.S.-Iran Initiative, which works to advance reconciliation between Americans and Iranians through inter-religious dialogue, face-to-face encounters, and cross-cultural exchanges. CGJR was proud to partner with Meridian International Center, a non-profit organization which promotes international understanding through the exchange of people, ideas and the arts who organized the Wishes and Dreams and its tour, in presenting this exhibit at the Cathedral. (press release) Photo above: Nature by Farnoosh Ahmadishirazi, 2006.
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Marking 90 years of stewardship of the gardens and grounds by the All Hallows Guild, the volunteer organization founded in 1916 to oversee the beautification and maintenance of the Cathedral gardens and grounds, this exhibit offered a glimpse into the lives of those who shaped landscape design on the Cathedral Close. A painterly archive of the sights and sounds of Mount Alban in the early 1800s by women founders of St. Albans Parish, the exhibit also included never seen botanical paintings and original landscape plans by Florence Brown Bratenahl, founder of All Hallows Guild. Pictured here is the family home of Joseph Nourse, George Washington’s Register of the Treasury, who became the first resident of Mount Alban in 1817.
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Faith and Courage paid tribute to a special group of veterans whose story is rarely told: U.S. military chaplains of all faiths. Their dedicated service to the well-being of others, their humble self-sacrifice, and their common, but little-known bravery exemplify personal values and characteristics that are still inspiring today. Their story was told through dramatic and evocative wartime photos and artifacts such as a chaplain’s letters written to those at home and field worship items including a portable organ, a battlefield communion kit, and hymnal and prayer book chest used in the field. This exhibition was part of “America Celebrates the Greatest Generation,” a 100-day tribute to the heroism, culture, and heritage of the World War II generation that took place following the dedication of the National World War II Memorial in Washington, DC and the Capital Region. From Memorial Day through Labor Day 2004, more than 90 WWII-themed exhibitions, performances and walking tours paid tribute to the men and women who served in World War II and on the home front. americasgreatestgeneration.com
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Mary Armstrong Amory has long been affiliated with the Cathedral and its musicians. Her lyrical mixed media paintings feature hands, performing musicians and orchestras, and abstract music-related subjects. Washington National Cathedral presented two of her series on musical themes, “Music and Musicians,” and “Music Notes & Composing.”
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An exhibition of 39 brush-and-ink drawings by African-American artist Allan Rohan Crite. These original drawings were created for Were You There When They Crucified My Lord, a book published in 1944 by Harvard University Press and the first of two volumes depicting folk spirituals. The drawings are representative of the emerging work of artists who rebelled in the 1920s against the prevalent stereotypical depictions of black Americans. In 1997, Edmund Barry Gaither, director of the Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists in Boston, Massachusetts, described these drawings as a “pivotal set of works.”
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Juried Photography Exhibition: | ||
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The Cathedral as expressed through the work of photographers chosen for this exhibit. These photographers translated the fleeting moments and the atmosphere of the Cathedral gardens, grounds, and building into exciting images. Through their lenses, one discovered new ways to see the Cathedral and capture its beauty. Click here for more photos.
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Remembering Sepharad: Jewish Culture in Medieval Spain Washington National Cathedral hosted portions of a major exhibit on the history of the time the Sephardic Jews lived in Spain from 1000 BCE to the time they were exiled during the Spanish Inquisition in 1492. This period was a time of culture and scholarship, as well as harmony and religious tolerance, among Muslims Christians and Jews. 
Jane Gerber on “Remembering Sepharad, Celebrating the Sephardic Experience” Watch video of the lecture: Modem Connection | DSL | ||
The First Noel:
Marilyn Foley: The Cathedral and Grounds in Watercolor
The Keiskamma Project:
The work, now traveling the world as an alterpiece, is named after its place of origin—the
Keiskamma River Valley in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province, which is
one of the nation’s poorest and most-afflicted by the AIDS epidemic. The
project was spearheaded by Hamburg AIDS hospice and treatment center
founder Dr. Carol Hofmeyr, and the women of Hamburg themselves.
Visually stunning in its multi-layered complexity, its rich
textures of embroidery, appliqué, and beadwork, the work’s images
speak powerfully of loss but also of the hope growing again within the
village. Dr. Hofmeyr says, “Every time I see the altarpiece I am
astounded anew by the forces within a community that can…make something
so apt and beautiful.”
The Flowering of Mount Alban
Faith & Courage:
Mary Armstrong Amory:
Allan Rohan Crite: Were You There