The Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum has secured eight outdoor sculptures from leading contemporary artists for its newly redesigned Sculpture Garden, which is scheduled to reopen on October 31 after a four-year transformation. According to the museum, the acquisitions by Mark Grotjahn, Raven Halfmoon, Lauren Halsey, Izumi Kato, Liz Larner, Woody De Othello, Chatchai Puipia and Pedro Reyes will be positioned throughout the 1.3-acre site on the National Mall in Washington. The additions reflect an expansion of the institution’s holdings of modern and contemporary works, with the garden now set to display 60 sculptures in total.
A museum announcement detailed several of the new pieces, beginning with Raven Halfmoon’s “Dancing at Dusk” from 2024, a carved stone sculpture featuring stacked figures and a headpiece inspired by regalia of female Caddo dancers. Lauren Halsey’s “keepers of the krown (antoinette grace halsey)” created in 2024 consists of a large column inscribed with signs and advertisements from South Central Los Angeles, topped by a portrait of the artist’s grandmother. The Hirshhorn noted that the work challenges traditional notions of who is commemorated in public monuments.
Woody De Othello’s “Cool Composition” completed this year takes the shape of an oversized, drooping box fan coated in green automotive paint and will be placed in an east overlook to provide both artistic interest and literal shade for visitors. Chatchai Puipia’s “Wish You Were Here” bronze from 2008 presents the lower half of a reclining figure at monumental scale. Mark Grotjahn contributed an untitled bronze cast of one of his mask-like works originally formed from cardboard, which he gifted to mark the Hirshhorn’s 50th anniversary, the museum said.
The redesign by Japanese artist and architect Hiroshi Sugimoto has reorganized the garden to better integrate historical modernist bronzes in the east section with these contemporary pieces in the west, a Smithsonian Institution release from August confirmed. Nearly 30,000 new plants and trees have been added to the landscape, which now includes expanded access points, overlooks and flexible spaces for performances. The project repairs aging infrastructure while aiming to make the garden one of the most visited art spaces in the nation, according to Hirshhorn director Melissa Chiu.
The original Sculpture Garden opened in 1974 with 52 works selected from Joseph H. Hirshhorn’s gift of more than 2,000 sculptures to the United States. Smithsonian figures show the renewed garden will feature 39 pieces from that foundational collection, including 21 that were part of the initial installation. This increase of approximately 50 percent in displayed artworks aligns with the museum’s broader 50th-anniversary acquisitions drive that has brought in more than 300 new works overall.
The new installations will encourage visitors to draw connections between the museum’s historical holdings and current artistic practices, with the West Lawn hosting special presentations such as an upcoming exhibition by Yoshitomo Nara. Museum officials have indicated that the revamped layout promotes longer visitor dwell times through added seating and shade. Additional commissions and time-based works are planned for the flexible areas created in the redesign.
