Glenstone: New & Coming Soon — Charles Ray / Barbara Kruger / Kara Walker / Ellsworth Kelly / Jeff Koons …

Since 2018, Glenstone has worked closely with artist Charles Ray (b. 1953) to mount rotating exhibitions of his work in Room 8 of the Pavilions. The fourth installation features three recent sculptures: Return to the One, 2020, Untitled, 2021, and Sarah Williams, 2021.

Image: Charles Ray, Return to the One, 2020. © Charles Ray Photo: Ron Amstutz

In July, Glenstone will present a triptych by artist Barbara Kruger (b. 1945), Untitled (Never Perfect Enough), 2020 in Room 9 of the Pavilions. Since the 1980s, Kruger has harnessed the visual language of advertising to create wry, graphic works that highlight the complexities of gender, power, and media.

The current exhibition of Simone Leigh’s Village Series, 2021 in Room 9 will close on July 23.

Image: Barbara Kruger, Untitled (Never Perfect Enough), 2020. Courtesy the artist and Sprüth Magers.

This November, a selection of works drawn from the museum’s collection will be on view in the Gallery. The exhibition will feature more than 50 artists who made some of the most radical contributions to art in the 20th century. Foundational collection artists—such as Willem de Kooning, Alexander Calder, Ruth Asawa, and Martin Puryear, among many others—will be on view alongside new acquisitions, including Hilma af Klint’s Tree of Knowledge, 1913-1915.

Image: Hilma af Klint, Tree of Knowledge, 1913-1915. Photo: Courtesy David Zwirner

The Katastwóf Karavan, 2017, by Kara Walker (b. 1969), is on view until October 1. The steel exterior of the Karavan features Walker’s signature silhouetted figures, while the interior houses a steam-powered calliope, a musical instrument popular at carnivals and on riverboats in the 19th century. Combining imagery drawn from the nationalist narratives and the technology of the Industrial Revolution, the Karavan memorializes the violent legacy of slavery through sculpture and sound.

The calliope is activated weekly on Saturdays at 2pm.

Image: Kara Walker, The Katastwóf Karavan, 2017. © Kara Walker

We are excited to share programming updates related to Ellsworth Kelly at 100.

Our daily nature walk has expanded its focus to reflect Ellsworth Kelly’s love of the natural world, including plants and birdwatching.

On the second Friday of each month, a member of our curatorial team will lead a discussion on Yellow Curve, 1990 in Room 6 of the Pavilions.

On Saturdays in September, Glenstone will be open from 5-8pm for programming with a special emphasis on Ellsworth Kelly. Stay tuned for more!

More information about our scheduled walks, talks, and forthcoming programming can be found at the link below.

Summer is Split-Rocker season! Every year, our staff plants over 24,000 annuals

in this gigantic sculpture that blooms all summer long.

Watch this video for a short portrait of the iconic Jeff Koons work and its caretaker, Chris Ryan.

Glenstone is proud to serve as a sponsor of the annual Scotland Juneteenth Heritage Festival, to be held June 17 – 19. The festivities will kick off on Friday with an event at the Bethesda Blues and Jazz club, which will be followed by a full weekend of events including a 5K race, interfaith worship service, a film festival, and a children’s carnival. 

Proceeds from the 2023 Scotland Juneteenth Heritage Festival will benefit the 2nd Century Project, a capital campaign launched in 2022 for the purpose of repairing and expanding the historic Scotland AME Zion Church on Seven Locks Road, Potomac, MD. 

View the full festival schedule here.