Spring Exhibitions at the American University Museum Open Feb. 8
American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center presents five new exhibitions opening Feb. 8. A sixth exhibit mounted last fall remains on view, A Sight to Behold: The Corcoran Legacy Collection of Nineteenth and Early Twentieth-Century American Landscape Paintings. The opening reception, free and open to all, takes place from 6 to 9 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 8.
The exhibition #SerbiaInRealLife showcases the work of 12 Serbian artists and challenges stereotypes, celebrates heritage, and positions Serbia as an innovative force in European contemporary art. Video, installations, paintings, and digital art are employed by the artists to explore Serbia's evolving cultural identity. Belgrade's Art For All gallery organized the exhibit with support from Serbia's Ministry of Culture and Foreign Affairs. Artists featured are Arpad Pulai, Biljana Djurdjevic, Dajana Peric Douglas, Gabriel Glid, Igor Simic, Ivana Milev, Jovanka Mladenovic, Nikola Kolya Bozovic, Nikola Velicki, Nemanja Ladjic, Vladislav Scepanovic, and Zdravko Joksimovic. On view from Feb. 8 through May 18.
LOOKING FOR MUSHROOMS: Bruce and Jean Conner in Mexico, 1961-62 highlights a formative year spent by the two young American artists in Mexico City, showcasing their distinctive responses to an unfamiliar cultural environment. The exhibit features pencil and pen drawings alongside the iconic film LOOKING FOR MUSHROOMS created during their stay. Organized with the Conner Family Trust, this is the first museum exhibition to focus on this lesser-known period of the artists’ careers. The show explores how the Conners adapted their artistic practices amid challenges such as limited materials and cultural differences, offering insight into their creative resilience and the impact of living abroad. On view from Feb. 8 through May 18.
Otho Branson: Paintings is a solo survey of the artist’s work from the 1970s to 2022. Branson, a lifelong resident of Washington, D.C., emerged in the post-Washington Color School era, exploring new directions in conceptual and system-based painting. His mathematically structured compositions use dynamic symmetry and the Munsell color system to create intricate, harmonious works that are uniquely personal and contemporary. This first major museum exhibition for Branson highlights his dedication to his craft and offers insights into the intersection of design principles, color theory, and modernist abstraction. On view from Feb. 8 through March 30.
Biljana Djurdjevic, Last Supper, 2023-24. Oil on canvas. Four panels from left to right: 100.39 x 43.30, 98.42 x 76.77, 100.39 x 43.30, 100.39 x 57.08 inches. Courtesy of Art For All Gallery
A Sight to Behold: The Corcoran Legacy Collection of Nineteenth and Early Twentieth-Century American Landscape Paintings features art from the museum’s permanent collection on the changing styles of American landscape painting. The exhibition traces the development of landscape painting in America from approximately 1825 to the 1930s, with attention to influences and sources on which the American painters drew. Curated by Carolyn Kinder Carr, former Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery Deputy Director and Chief Curator. On view from Feb. 8 through March 30.
Fred Folsom: Women Smoking and Last Call 2025 presents a striking contrast in the work of Washington, D.C.-based artist Fred Folsom. Known for his intense depictions of Go-Go bar scenes in the 1980s, Folsom’s new series, Women Smoking, shifts to introspective nudes in quiet, unsettled spaces. The show features both his early, raucous paintings and his more contemplative recent work, inviting viewers to reflect on the evolution of his artistic voice. Folsom’s paintings—whether depicting rowdy crowds or solitary figures—convey a sense of reverence and mystery, asking viewers to pause and consider the moment at hand. On view from February 8 through May 18.
Noel Kassewitz, O'er the ramparts we watched, waiting, 2024.Polypropylene sandbags, interior wood frame, cast resin, 84 inches x 60 inches x 60 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
Monumental Washington, presented by the Washington Sculptors Group, features outdoor sculptures created by local artists and selected through a blind jurying process. The exhibit highlights the creativity and technical skill of WSG’s nearly 500-member community. Founded in 1984, WSG is a volunteer-run nonprofit that fosters collaboration among sculptors and promotes public engagement with sculpture. This artist-organized exhibition offers a fresh perspective compared to traditional museum-curated shows, providing an accessible and ever-changing visual experience influenced by natural light and weather. Artists featured are Lynda Andrews-Barry; Bobby Donovan; Nicholas Femia; Luc Fiedler; Mary Frank; Kenneth Hilker; Noel Kassewitz; Jean Kim; Barbara Liotta; Dalya Luttwak; Alex Mayer; Kristina Penhoet; Davide Prete; Joshua Prince; Rafael Rodriguez; Jon-Joseph Russo; Craig Schaffer; Foon Sham; Daniel Shay; Tatyana Shramko; and Michael Wolf. On view from Feb. 8 through May 18.