In the Library: Reimagining America by Design
In the Library: Reimagining America by Design presents the Great Depression-era Index of American Design through the research and creative work of students from George Washington University’s Corcoran School of the Arts & Design. The exhibition changes focus during its run: the first section reveals how students investigated the Index and developed their exhibition ideas, while the later section pairs student projects with historical objects made for children.
The Index of American Design contains 18,257 watercolors by approximately 1,000 artists. Created as part of the Federal Art Project during the Great Depression, it documented American folk and decorative arts from the colonial era through 1900 in an effort to preserve a distinctly national visual heritage.
When: August 31–December 31, 2026
Showtimes: Open weekdays from 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except federal holidays.
Schedule: “Research & Process” is on view August 31 through October 30. “Work & Play” runs November 2 through December 31.
Venue: National Gallery of Art, East Building, Ground Level, Library Atrium
Tickets: Free
Featured work: “Research & Process” presents Corcoran students’ assignments, research, and discoveries as they worked with the Index of American Design, the Gallery’s collections, archival materials, and library resources. “Work & Play” features student works alongside National Gallery materials concerning toys, games, dolls, and figurines, with a selection of Index objects originally made for children.
Participants: The student exhibition was developed by students from George Washington University’s Corcoran School of the Arts & Design after a semester-long course hosted by the National Gallery of Art in spring 2026.
Curators: Jet Inglis, Gabi Maldonado, Gigi Pilla, Abby Turner, Sophia Wegmann-Gatarz, and Polyxeni Ziazia curated the exhibition with Kara Braciale, professorial lecturer at the Corcoran School of the Arts & Design, and Matthew Westerby, digital research officer at the National Gallery’s Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts.
Organization: Organized by the National Gallery of Art, Washington.
Accessibility: The page provides no event-specific accessibility information.