The Hirshhorn Museum is one of the most unique museums under the Smithsonian Institute’s umbrella; it hosts some of the boldest and most thought-provoking art pieces in the District.
Though that statement may have some personal bias towards my affinity for contemporary art, what is an objective fact is that the Museum’s sculpture garden closing for a ‘revitalization project’ in 2022 left a void that the other museums around the National Mall couldn’t quite fill.
Fortunately for Hirshhorn fans like myself, the long-awaited return of the museum’s iconic sculpture garden is finally in sight.
And to push the excitement even higher, the museum just announced a bold new addition to its collection that’s sure to draw a new wave of contemporary art lovers: a 14-foot bronze sculpture by the instantly recognizable artist KAWS!
When is the Hirshhorn’s sculpture garden going to reopen?
An exact date for the sculpture garden’s reopening has not been posted, but in the museum’s own press releases, they have specified it will reopen in “late October”.
So while that means it sadly won’t be open for an outdoor stroll this summer, it will be accessible later this fall.
What is the revitalized sculpture garden going to feature?
The newly revitalized sculpture garden is considered a major overhaul and reimagination of the previous iteration of the Hirshhorn Museum’s sculpture garden:
- The addition of several new iconic pieces
- ‘SHELTER’ sculpture by KAWS
- Additional acquired pieces for the garden include works from other notable artists, including: Mark Grotjahn, Raven Halfmoon, Lauren Halsey, Izumi Kato, Liz Larner, Woody De Othello, Chatchai Puipia, and Pedro Reyes.
- A complete $73 million redesign led by Japanese artist / architect Hiroshi Sugimoto.
- Restoration of deteriorating infrastructure
- Major improvements for accessibility throughout the garden
- Reopening of the underground passage connecting the museum plaza and the sculpture garden (which has been closed since the 1980s)
- A reimagined central water feature / reflecting pool + a performance space
