This is a toplist with the best street art in Washington, USA. You can help to make this list better by voting for your favourite places!
1 The Fridge
10+
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The Fridge proves that Washington, D.C. is a creative city beyond politics. It's a small gallery/art space in an old building in a historic alley behind Barracks Row. Between murals and The Betsy, one of Capitol Hill's best brunch spots, it's THE alley to visit.
The Fridge often rotates its art, but you can be assured whatever is there is unique. The most recent installation I visited is a large graffiti art exhibit and it's AWESOME!
In addition, you can rent the space out for events. It's one large room with a small bar area in the back. It's perfect!
2 Gallery O on H
10+
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Went here for a wedding reception. What an awesome venue and the staff was top notch. We had a great time.
3 Studio Gallery
10+
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ALWAYS well curated works of experienced modern artists. Gallery Manager knows how to market artists. Three art spaces: (1) 3- grand, first floor townhouse rooms; (2) 3-surprisingly spacious, lower level rooms - back room faces sculpture garden; and (3) small, tasteful sculpture garden with secret gate to Hillyer Art Space Gallery. Go to artist-talk show on Saturdays 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM to avoid First Friday crowds and to actually meet and converse with the artists. Rarely more than 50 persons at the artist-talk shows, so you get to converse with everyone.
4 D.C. Alley Museum
10+
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Nice tucked away area with murals and a few small restaurants. Lots of people taking photos...Nice art work and hope to see more. It’s worth checking out if you are nearby.
5 Arts Club of Washington
10+
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This "temporary" White House is a very elegant home where exhibits, concerts, lectures, poetry readings, ballets are hosted and fine lunches and dinners are served.
Every room is elegantly decorated and in the spirit of Monroe.
The garden is a nice additio..
The Club offers membership to Artists and drawing/painting classes are taught.
A very pleasant place to visit or become a member.
6 Zenith Gallery
10+
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The DMV's longest running art gallery earns that honor because they are one of the top places for art in the nation! Well worth the visit and sign up for their art openings!
7 Long View Gallery
10+
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An incredible venue for weddings and events. The textures alone and different large spaces are breath taking. The layout for last nights Washingtonian event allowed for a great flow of 350+ people. Wine tasting and cotton candy! A lovely evening, fun had by all. Highly recommend paying for parking two doors down ahead of time. Worth reserving
8 De Novo Gallery
8+
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Awesome gallery loved the art and the space. Seriously a fun place to go to and take pictures. It definitely needs to have a bigger setup next time because we want more of this! Love the neon colors and the vibes. I would totally love to have any of those cool pieces in my place.
Artsy fartsy approved!
9 National Gallery of Art – Sculpture Garden
10+
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The park itself is designed well and the staff were friendly to me. The fountain area was lovely. There's a thought provoking sculpture arrangement set in the woods behind it called "The Girls" by a Polish artist which was probably my favorite installation. I've put some pictures below of some more of the best in my opinion. The only complaint I could make is the low standard of quality for a piece to make it on display here. But that speaks more to the state of modern art than the gallery.
10 Smithsonian American Art Museum
10+
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Giant collection of great American art in downtown DC. Admission is free
Amazing barely suffices to describe what lays within
11 Hirshhorn Museum
10+
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The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is an art museum beside the National Mall, in Washington, D.C., the United States. The museum was initially endowed during the 1960s with the permanent art collection of Joseph H. Hirshhorn. It was designed by architect Gordon Bunshaft and is part of the Smithsonian Institution. It was conceived as the United States' museum of contemporary and modern art and currently focuses its collection-building and exhibition-planning mainly on the post–World War II period, with particular emphasis on art made during the last 50 years.
The Hirshhorn is sited halfway between the Washington Monument and the US Capitol, anchoring the southernmost end of the so-called L'Enfant axis (perpendicular to the Mall's green carpet). The National Archives/National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden across the Mall, and the National Portrait Gallery/Smithsonian American Art building several blocks to the north, also mark this pivotal axis, a key element of both the 1791 city plan by Pierre L'Enfant and the 1901 MacMillan Plan.
The building itself is an attraction, an open cylinder elevated on four massive "legs," with a large fountain occupying the central courtyard. Before architect Gordon Bunshaft designed the building, the Smithsonian staff reportedly told him that, if it did not provide a striking contrast to everything else in the city, then it would be unfit for housing a modern art collection.
12 National Gallery of Art - East Building
10+
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Impeccable selection of some of the greatest art in the world. Alexander Calder's mobile sculpture creates an amenable ambiance of inspiration. A MUST SEE when you come to the District of Columbia!
13 Corcoran School of the Arts & Design at GW
10+
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The current exhibit has some very interesting photos, paintings, and sculpture. It would have helped so much to have some information about the pieces.
14 Art Museum of the Americas
10+
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Art Museum of the Americas (AMA), located in Washington, D.C., is the first art museum in the United States primarily devoted to exhibiting works of modern and contemporary art from Latin America and the Caribbean. The museum was formally established in 1976 by the Organization of American States (OAS) as the Museum of Modern Art of Latin America. Artists represented in the AMA's permanent collection include Carlos Cruz-Diez, Candido Portinari, Pedro Figari, Fernando de Szyszlo, Amelia Peláez, and Alejandro Obregón.
The art collection of the OAS was initiated under the organization's Visual Arts Unit, beginning with the first donated artwork by the Brazilian neo-realist artist Portinari, in 1949. In the following decade the Permanent Council of the OAS determined to establish an acquisitions fund, in order to build up a permanent collection of artworks by significant contemporary artists from the member states of the OAS. A number of works were also purchased from or donated directly by artists, after the temporary exhibitions periodically held at the OAS gallery.
The Art Museum of the Americas itself was established in 1976 by OAS Permanent Council resolution, on the occasion of the United States Bicentennial. The museum opened in what was formerly the official residence of the OAS Secretary General, a Spanish Colonial-style structure designed in 1912 by the architect Paul Cret.
Initially the permanent collection held some 250 artworks, expanding over the next quarter-century to over 2000 items of painting, sculpture, installations, photography, and drawing, from the early 20th century and onwards. In addition to its permanent collection of mainly Caribbean and Latin American art, AMA hosts temporary and special exhibitions from across the region, and provides educational seminars and lectures from invited speakers.
The Art Museum of the Americas has also expanded its programs to include evening events, such as Art After Dark, with cutting edge music, video, performance, and installation art.
16 BroCoLoco
10+
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While developing a new residential project callled "CODA on H", BroCoLoco was referred to us as a great group to help us complete a Mural in our Building Lobby. From the beginning their team was great in capturing our vision and highlighting its historic roots. The Mural wrapped a stair shaft, and the mural was painted over a lovely maple wood veneer. We had only two iterations of the mural before we felt it achieved everything we envisioned. They were also willing to work within out budget. After its completion, we asked that they come back and redo a few areas, which was agreed to without issue. We then loved the experience so much, we hired them to help us with an Interactive/collaborative mural in CODA's alley during the H Street festival. They created another mural, but only outlined the design. H Street festival goers were then invited to come to CODA and add their contribution, and at the end of the day the mural was fully colored in. They artists then went back over it, cleaned it up, removed scribble and/or profanity and the end results were great and think everyone who participated felt it was a very special and unique process. Both projects went smoothly and the artists were amazing. We would definitely recommend working with them on large scale murals in either indoors or outdoor spaces. Aaron and Cassie are both great people and take their work seriously, but also were just fun to work with.
17 National Gallery of Art
10+
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The delicately displayed work of the Impressionists is certainly moving. Particularly, Monet's Woman with a Parasol evokes faded memories of lost childhood which may be hard to access without such a medium. That said, the best work of art in America is Brady's spiral, brother. Go Pats.
18 DC Arts Center (DCAC)
10+
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My favorite hole in the wall, and another wall and maybe a floor or two, venue. There is nothing accessible here, and the one toilet isn't going to save you during an eight minute intermission. Bring good knees for the many sets of stairs you'll climb to get to your tiny seat and plan ahead by visiting, and using the facilities at, one of the many bars nearby before the show. By being a tiny black box the average cop can't fit down the stairwells to raid this place has an off the wall eccentricity to its shows you wouldn't want to find elsewhere. The little cash bar has a mediocre selection at best but it'll get you through three acts. The lobby is a feature unto itself, housing an ever changing gallery. Twice the size of the theatre, it's still not big and doesn't take long to inspect. Thankfully though the curator tends to pick out artists that require some time for reflection.
19 International Art Gallery and Custom Framing
10+
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Best framing work in the DMV area. Habib went above and beyond to help me design custom framing. He was patient, provided numerous options and ideas, offered competitive pricing, and completed the items promptly. Exceptional service and the highest quality of craftsmanship. Thank you Habib and team!
20 Zenith Gallery
10+
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Zenith is the real and authentically reliable spot for any serious artist who may not want to mingle frustrations of other so-called gallery owners with his practice .
I do my best to keep this list very up to date. It was last edited in October 2024. If you know of a street art that should be on the list, let me know. Click here to contact me. Thanks!