The DC Public Library celebrates art and exhibits as a source of learning, discovery, growth, and connection. The Art and Exhibits Program at DC Public Library is a portal to the library’s resources and a laboratory for engagement with Washington, D.C.’s past, present and future. The Art and Exhibits program is guided by the criteria outlined in the Library’s Art and Exhibits Policy, in support of the Library’s goal of making arts and culture inclusive for all residents of the District of Columbia.
Download an excerpt of the Library's Art and Exhibits Plan to learn more about the Library's priorities throughout the system.
Public Art
Public art installations can be found at libraries throughout the system, including permanent works and rotating displays of artwork from District government and private collections.
Download a self-guided tour of works on loan from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Art Bank collection at the MLK Library.
Exhibits
Exhibits at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library are key to expanding visitors' knowledge of the District’s rich past and are a portal to engagement in the District’s present and future. Exhibits may also be featured at neighborhood libraries.
Exhibits may be curated by the DC Public Library, co-sponsored by a partner organization, or selected through an annual open application process. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and reviewed each year in the fall.
Visit the "Apply Now" section of this website, below, for more information. Read on for more information about current, upcoming, and past exhibits.
The DC Public Library Art and Exhibits Program highlights the history and culture of the District of Columbia through arts and humanities exhibits displayed in the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. The MLK Library hosts temporary exhibits throughout the building, and limited slots are available. Proposals will be considered through an application process each fall. The next deadline will be November 1, 2024, 11:59 p.m.
Exhibit Proposal applications can be submitted anytime via the online form linked below. Applications will be reviewed once a year by the library’s Exhibits Committee.
Exhibitions that will be considered include: art exhibitions featuring multiple artists as well as themed exhibitions exploring a topic in local history and culture. This season, we are giving special consideration to exhibition proposals that reflect in some fashion on America's 250th Anniversary, to be presented in DC Public Library exhibit spaces between January and December, 2026.
We will be offering a virtual infosession on Thursday, October 10th, at 12:00 p.m. and sharing more about the special theme for 2026.
Visit this link to sign up for the infosession and learn more about this exciting opportunity.
Important notes:
- It is highly recommended that applicants review the Guide for Exhibit Applicants and visit the MLK Library before preparing an application.
- Please note that we are not accepting solo art exhibitions at this time.
- View a recorded infosession about this opportunity, or sign up for this year's infosession.
- Questions about the exhibit application process may be sent to MLKexhibits@dc.gov.
Apply here: Application form
Current Exhibits
Planning Washington: Capital and Community
West End Neighborhood Library
September 4 - 29, 2024
Creating Space and Opportunities Portrait Exhibit
MLK Library, Floor 4 (East)
August 28, 2024– March 30, 2025
Capital Connections
MLK Library, Floor 5
June 26, 2024 - January 9, 2025
We Who Believe in Freedom: Black Feminist D.C.
MLK Library, Floor 1 (West)
Through September 2024
Up From the People
MLK Library, Floor 4
Ongoing
Alma Thomas: Life is Color
MLK Library, Floor 2
Ongoing
Upcoming Exhibits
Past Exhibits
Planning Washington: Capital and Community
MLK Library, Floor 1 (East)
June 6 – September 1, 2024
Gratitude Powers DC
August 1 – 30: Lamond-Riggs (Lillian J. Huff) Library
Undesign the Red Line
Cleveland Park Library
April 12–July 11, 2024
DC & Me
Mount Pleasant Neighborhood Library
April 24-May 30, 2024
Anacostia Neighborhood Library
June 1–August 25, 2024
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
July 26–September 10, 2024
Gratitude Powers DC
May 1–May 30, 2024: MLK Library, Floor 1 (East)
June 1 – 30: West End Neighborhood Library
In a Moment of Tenderness
MLK Library, Floor 5
April 13 - June 9, 2024
DC & Me
Mt. Pleasant Neighborhood Library
April 24–May 30, 2024
Let This World Be Beautiful: Celebrating the Life and Art of Alma W. Thomas
MLK Library, Floor 1 (Great Hall)
February 17, —April 14, 2024
Literary Arts and Urban Journalism Program
MLK Library, Floor 5
November 1, 2024 – April 2024
Freedom is Not Guaranteed by Xaviera Simmons
MLK Library, 9th and G Corner (Exterior)
Presented as part of Banned Books Week
Through October 2023
Alpha Sorority, Inc.®, Xi Omega Chapter: Centennial Exhibit
MLK Library, Floor 1
Through September 15, 2024
Todas Las Manos: Commemorating 50 Years Since the Military Coup in Chile
MLK Library, Floor 1 (Great Hall, East)
Through October 22, 2023
Imagining the future. Leonardo da Vinci - in the mind of an Italian Genius
MLK Library, The Labs, A Level
Through August 20
Leonardo's Lab
MLK Library, Floor 2 (Children's Area)
Through August 30
Checkin' Out Mingering Mike: Washington D.C.'s Imaginary Soul Superstar
MLK Library, Floor 1 (Great Hall, West)
Through August 28, 2024
Doo-Wop in D.C.: From the Street Corner to the Stage
MLK Library, Floor 1 (Great Hall, East)
Through July 23, 2024
Pass the Story On: Shakespeare's First Folio at 400
MLK Library, Floors 4 & 5
April 1-30, 2023
Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley: Let the World See
MLK Library, Great Hall
Jan. 26 – March 12, 2023
Library News
Leonardo da Vinci's Codex Atlanticus to be Displayed in the U.S.
-The DC Public Library is proud to announce that the exhibit "Imagining the Future - Leonardo da Vinci: In the Mind of an Italian Genius" featuring 12 original Leonardo da Vinci drawings from the Codex Atlanticus, will be on display at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. Presented by Confindustria, in partnership with Biblioteca Ambrosiana , the exhibit marks the first time the Codex Atlanticus has been displayed in the United States.
The Phillips Collection News Release
The Phillips Collection, DC Public Library, and The Nicholson Project launch new
fellowship for DC artists
