Miró and the United States
Miró and the United States, co-organized with the Fundació Joan Miró in Barcelona, explores the vibrant exchanges between Catalan artist Joan Miró and the burgeoning American art scene during a pivotal moment in 20th‑century art. The exhibition features 75 works by more than 30 artists, revealing how Miró’s dream-like pictures evolved through artistic dialogue and experimentation with his American counterparts—including Alexander Calder, Louise Bourgeois, Lee Krasner, Norman Lewis, Jackson Pollock, Helen Frankenthaler, and Adolph Gottlieb. For Miró, the United States represented new audiences and creative freedom; he had retrospectives at MoMA in 1941 and 1959 and traveled to the US seven times between 1947 and 1968, meeting artists in their studios and closely following exhibitions. This exhibition reframes Miró’s legacy, showing the decisive period of connection that influenced post‑war art on both sides of the Atlantic.
When: March 21 through July 5, 2026.
Venue: The Phillips Collection, Washington, DC.
Tickets: Free admission.
Featured Artists: William Baziotes, Louise Bourgeois, Alexander Calder, Elaine de Kooning, Willem de Kooning, Perle Fine, Sam Francis, Herbert Ferber, Helen Frankenthaler, Arshile Gorky, Adolph Gottlieb, Grace Hartigan, Franz Kline, Lee Krasner, Norman Lewis, Len Lye, Alice Trumbull Mason, Peter Miller, Joan Mitchell, Joan Miró, Robert Motherwell, Louise Nevelson, Barnett Newman, Isamu Noguchi, Alfonso Ossorio, Jackson Pollock, Jeanne Reynal, Mark Rothko, Rufino Tamayo, Sonja Sekula, Theodoros Stamos, Janet Sobel, and Michael Corrine West.
Exhibition Highlights: Key works on view include Miró’s "Ciphers and Constellations in Love with a Woman from the Constellations Series" (1959), Jackson Pollock’s "Eyes in the Heat" (1946), Alexander Calder’s "Portrait of Joan Miró" (1930), Louise Nevelson’s "Archaic Figure with a Star on Her Head" (1949‑50), Helen Frankenthaler’s "Canyon" (1965), and Miró’s "Woman and Birds at Sunrise" (1946). A special section focuses on the relationship between Miró and Calder.
Audio Tour: Access the audio tour via Bloomberg Connects.
TV Time Capsule: A television station installed in the galleries offers a time‑capsule experience related to the exhibition.
Exhibition Catalogue: A 296‑page catalogue featuring 260 vivid illustrations and fresh insights from leading Miró scholars is available for purchase at the Museum Shop.
Exhibition Support: This exhibition is organized for The Phillips Collection by Elsa Smithgall, in collaboration with Marko Daniel, Matthew Gale, and Dolors Rodríguez Roig at the Fundació Joan Miró, Barcelona. Presenting Sponsor: Northern Trust. Lead support from the Estate of Toni A. Ritzenberg. Essential support from Martha R. Johnston, Dina and George Perry, and the Ednah Root Foundation; additional support from The Kristina and William Catto Foundation, John and Gina Despres, Robert and Debra Drumheller, The Marion F. Goldin Charitable Fund, Paul W. Killian and Carole Goodson, Susan Lee and Stephen Saltzburg, and Reid Walker; further support from Susan Larimer and Dr. Heather McPherson.