Events &amp; Exhibits

Ancient Art at Dumbarton Oaks

In this online exhibit, explore a selection of ancient Mediterranean art in the collection, which offer an opportunity to consider the continuities and changes in artistic production from the classical to the medieval period.

Margaret Mee: Portraits of Plants

Centered on the paintings of botanical artist Margaret Mee, this exhibit explores the traditions of women botanical artists and illustrators primarily using materials from the Rare Book Collection.

Enjoy Dumbarton Oaks Safely

Learn more about Dumbarton Oaks’ response to COVID-19, virtual opportunities, and plans to reopen the museum and gardens to visitors.

Upcoming Events

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Jun 16, 2021 - Jul 28, 2021

Hidden Landscapes of the Past: Uncovering the Ancient World through LiDAR

In this interdisciplinary summer lecture series, speakers look at how different applications of LiDAR have changed our understanding of ancient landscapes.

May 06, 2022 - May 07, 2022

Call for Papers—Landscapes in the Making

Garden and Landscape Studies Symposium, in partnership with the Mellon Initiative in Urban Landscape Studies

Recorded Events

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Apr 01, 2021

The Concept and Experience of Holy Wisdom in Hagia Sophia

Bissera Pentcheva explores phenomena of light and sound in Hagia Sophia as manifestations of Holy Wisdom.

Mar 04, 2021

Where Was Jim Crow? Living in Frank Lloyd Wright’s America

Dianne Harris illuminates architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s role in the history of the divided and segregated American city. Mabel Wilson, Professor of Architecture and Director of the Institute for Research in African American Studies at Columbia University will join Dr. Harris in a discussion following the lecture.

Dec 11, 2020

Heritage and Its Missions

Speakers at this annual day-long colloquium explore the relationship between heritage meanings and pre-Republican Catholic missions.

Music at Dumbarton Oaks

Mildred and Robert Woods Bliss designed Dumbarton Oaks to be beautiful without and within, filling the gardens with flowers, the library with rare volumes, and the house itself with fine art and music. Music at Dumbarton Oaks, founded in 1946 as the Friends of Music, continues this tradition with classical concerts from established and rising musicians.

The 2020–2021 Music at Dumbarton Oaks concert series has been postponed to 2021–2022. Please read this message for more information.

Learn More Early-Career Musician Residency

Online Exhibits

Explore curated selections from across our collections in a series of online exhibits. Select recent exhibits below, or view them all.

Margaret Mee: Portraits of Plants

Centered on the paintings of botanical artist Margaret Mee, this exhibit explores the traditions of women botanical artists and illustrators primarily using materials from the Rare Book Collection.

Ancient Art at Dumbarton Oaks

Art from the ancient Mediterranean represents a small but significant part of Dumbarton Oaks’ collections. When viewed alongside Byzantine art, these works offer an opportunity to consider the continuities and changes in artistic production from the classical to the medieval period.

Written in Knots: Undeciphered Accounts of Andean Life

Long before the arrival of the Spaniards, the people of South America had a system of recorded information that was portable, precise, and so complex that it remains undeciphered today.