Gallery Experience: Gods, Goddesses, and Lotus Eaters: A Hirshhorn Odyssey
Join the Hirshhorn Museum for a guided gallery experience that turns the collection into a living retelling of Homer’s *Odyssey*. This one-hour walking tour, part of the museum’s Gallery Experience series, follows the epic’s themes through artworks that evoke gods, goddesses, monsters, and wandering heroes. Visitors will encounter masterpieces such as Constantin Brancusi’s *Sleeping Muse I*, Lee Krasner’s *Siren*, Jackson Pollock’s *Water Figure*, Annette Lemieux’s *Nomad*, and Lygia Pape’s *Ttéia 1, A*, each presented as a waypoint on an odyssey through the Hirshhorn’s halls. The hour invites participants to confront inner demons, lotus eaters, and divine figures — all drawn from the collection — while the playful promise that “no suitors will be harmed” keeps the tone light. Be advised: the experience includes plenty of spoilers about the *Odyssey* itself.
When: Friday, September 18, 2026, from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm.
Showtimes: This is a single-session program; no additional showtimes are listed.
Registration: Registration is recommended for this program, though the page does not specify a registration link or deadline.
Admission: Ticket price is not available; no ticketing details are provided.
Lineup: The tour features artworks including Brancusi’s *Sleeping Muse I*, Lee Krasner’s *Siren*, Jackson Pollock’s *Water Figure*, Annette Lemieux’s *Nomad*, and Lygia Pape’s *Ttéia 1, A*, along with “and more” works reflecting the *Odyssey*’s themes.
Run time: The experience runs for one hour, from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm.
Ages: No age restrictions or age guidance are mentioned on the page.
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Hirshhorn Museum, Independence Ave SW & 7th St SW, Washington, DC 20560, United States. Phone: 202-633-1000.
Accessibility: For access services or accommodations to make the experience more inclusive, contact hirshhornexperience@si.edu. One to two weeks’ advance notice is recommended but not required.
Organizer: Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Phone: 202-633-1000; email: HirshhornExperience@si.edu.
Note: The tour is explicitly described as containing spoilers for Homer’s *Odyssey* — readers should come prepared. The program is categorized as a Gallery Experience and is tagged with “big things for big rooms” and “Revolutions,” the latter referencing the museum’s ongoing collection presentation *Revolutions: Art from the Hirshhorn Collection, 1860–1960*.