Much Here Is Beautiful: Photography Surveys of the U.S. Bicentennial

Much Here Is Beautiful: Photography Surveys of the U.S. Bicentennial brings together 225 photographs from regional photography projects funded by the National Endowment for the Arts around the 1976 Bicentennial, alongside earlier federal survey photographs dating back to the 19th century. The exhibition is the first to place these Bicentennial images within the broader legacy of government-sponsored survey photography, drawing on the museum's holdings and new discoveries from collections nationwide. The title comes from a line in Robert Hayden's poem "American Journal," written during his tenure as Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress. The surveys span four geographic sections of the country—Northeast, South, Midwest, and West—and were inspired by the Farm Security Administration's Depression-era documentary work. More than 70 surveys were funded over six years, yielding thousands of pictures by over 200 photographers, and in 1983 a thousand prints from thirteen projects were transferred to the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

When: September 18, 2026 through April 18, 2027.

Visiting hours: Open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Admission: Free.

Catalogue: A fully illustrated catalogue published by Radius Books in partnership with the Smithsonian American Art Museum is available for $65 in the museum store and online.

Curators: Organized by John Jacob, the McEvoy Family Senior Curator for Photography, and Krystle Stricklin, assistant curator of photography.

Venue: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.

Note: Major support is provided by the Elizabeth Broun Curatorial Endowment, Ronald Costell, Nion McEvoy and Leslie Berriman, the Charles Robertson Exhibitions Endowment, the Bernie Stadiem Endowment Fund, and the Trellis Charitable Fund, with additional generous support from multiple foundations and individuals.