In the Library: Reimagining America by Design

In the Library: Reimagining America by Design examines the Great Depression–era Index of American Design through the research and exhibition-making of students from George Washington University’s Corcoran School of the Arts & Design. During a semester-long project, the students investigated National Gallery of Art collections, archives, and library resources before creating exhibitions of their own.

The exhibition unfolds in two parts. “Research & Process,” on view from August 31 through October 30, 2026, reveals the students’ assignments, research, and discoveries as they worked with the Index. “Work & Play,” on view from November 2 through December 31, 2026, brings together student projects and National Gallery materials concerning objects made for children, including toys, games, dolls, and figurines.

The Index of American Design comprises 18,257 watercolors by approximately 1,000 artists. Created as part of the Federal Art Project during the Great Depression, it aimed to identify and preserve a distinctive American artistic heritage. Its watercolors document folk and decorative-art objects from the colonial era through 1900.

When: August 31–December 31, 2026. “Research & Process” runs August 31–October 30; “Work & Play” runs November 2–December 31.

Hours: Open weekdays from 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except federal holidays.

Tickets: Free.

Venue: National Gallery of Art, East Building, Ground Level, Library Atrium.

Organization: Organized by the National Gallery of Art, Washington.

Curators: Jet Inglis, Gabi Maldonado, Gigi Pilla, Abby Turner, Sophia Wegmann-Gatarz, and Polyxeni Ziazia, in collaboration with Kara Braciale, professorial lecturer at the Corcoran School of the Arts & Design at George Washington University, and Matthew Westerby, digital research officer for the National Gallery’s Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts.