Art Galleries in Washington, DC: Directory, Map and Art Districts

52 O Street NW, Suite 302, Washington, DC 20001

A gallery and curatorial platform founded by Amy Morton, MFA champions international art attentive to African diasporas and distinctive voices. Visits by appointment encourage in-depth conversations about works, their context and their acquisition.

1932 9th Street NW, Suite C102, Washington, DC 20001

PFA reexamines postwar abstraction through well-documented exhibitions connecting historic figures and contemporary practices. Its space in the U Street corridor stands out for its catalogs, attention to materials and guidance for collectors.

1624 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007

Article 15 dedicates its program to contemporary artists from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Popular painting, collage, urban figurative art and experimentation form a lively body of work, presented with firsthand knowledge of the artists and their studios.

1330 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20045

Located in the National Press Building, 11:Eleven offers four spaces dedicated to contemporary and urban art scenes. Its international program combines portraits, photography, painting and editions, with works clearly offered to collectors.

1234 9th Street NW, Washington, DC 20001

Long View combines a large industrial gallery, exhibitions and art advisory services for individuals, businesses and architects. Its spacious interior lets visitors appreciate works from a distance and consider sizes, framing, commissions and installations within an actual project.

1429 Iris Street NW, Washington, DC 20012

Active since 1978, Zenith represents a broad community of regional artists and organizes exhibitions, public commissions and collection projects. Its showroom, open by appointment, is particularly useful for discovering painting, sculpture and mixed media outside institutional circuits.

1530 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005

A specialist in works on paper, Neptune brings together modern and contemporary prints, photography and artists’ editions. The team also assists with acquisitions, sales, authentication, conservation and framing, an asset for both new buyers and established collections.

901 New York Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001

A leading cooperative gallery in Washington, Touchstone renews its exhibitions of painting, photography, sculpture and mixed media every month. Portfolios and available works can be viewed online, while artists take part directly in welcoming visitors.

2108 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

In a house on R Street, Studio Gallery offers rooms on a domestic scale that make it easier to imagine a work in your own home. Its cooperative model supports emerging and established regional artists, with frequent solo and group exhibitions.

2118 8th Street NW, Washington, DC 20001

Founded more than half a century ago, Foundry presents regional artists in a contemporary ground-floor space at Atlantic Plumbing. Its nonprofit structure encourages individual experimentation, open juried opportunities and direct access to original works.

1675 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007

A regional reference for original prints, photography and artists’ books, WPG combines exhibitions, browsing racks and workshops. Limited editions make it possible to begin a collection with demanding works at often accessible prices.

1643 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007

Calloway brings together contemporary painting, graphic works, photography and sculpture in an approach that is particularly easy to navigate for interior design. The gallery complements its selection with advice, site visits, conservation framing and international shipping.

1670 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007

Established in Georgetown since 1981, Addison/Ripley brings recognized Washington artists into dialogue with photography and contemporary practices from across the country. Its carefully considered exhibitions and advisory experience offer a good overview of the local art market’s recent history.

2552 Virginia Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037

A short walk from the Kennedy Center, Watergate Gallery combines thematic exhibitions, regional artists and a framing workshop. Its variety of sizes, media and prices makes it a practical stop for discovering a work and then arranging its display.

2204 Rhode Island Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20018

Art Enables is a professional studio, gallery and sales platform for artists with disabilities. Its abundant collection of drawings, paintings and assemblages stands out for highly personal worlds, and most of the purchase price goes directly to the artists.

921 Pennsylvania Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20003

Hill Center’s galleries occupy several spaces in a restored former naval hospital near Eastern Market. Regional juried shows, solo exhibitions and group displays allow visitors to compare many practices, with works generally available for purchase.

2438 18th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

The DC Arts Center combines a small gallery and theater in a historic Adams Morgan venue. Its program gives many artists their first exposure, while the annual WallMountables exhibition and fundraiser offers opportunities to acquire works directly in support of the local scene.

1662 33rd Street NW, Washington, DC 20007

This house and studio in Book Hill opens its three levels during exhibitions and art walks. Visitors discover collages, painting, sculpture and installations in the setting where they are created, with opportunities to meet the artists and buy on site.

1140 3rd Street NE, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20002

After more than three hundred exhibitions, HEMPHILL now prioritizes personalized appointments, studio visits, collecting seminars and digital exhibitions. Its expertise in Washington art and the secondary market remains valuable for thoroughly documented acquisitions.

52 O Street NW, Washington, DC 20001

HOMME DC develops a contemporary program focused on artists from Washington and abroad, with several meeting points across the city. Its online catalog displays available works and facilitates private visits tailored to a collector’s project.

6th Street and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20565

The West and East Buildings cover European Renaissance art through the avant-gardes and American art, complemented by a sculpture garden. Free admission makes it possible to organize several focused visits rather than trying to take in this encyclopedic collection all at once.

8th and G Streets NW, Washington, DC 20001

Two museums share the former Patent Office: SAAM presents art from the United States in all its diversity, while the National Portrait Gallery explores representations of power and identity. The Kogod Courtyard offers a light-filled break between galleries.

Independence Avenue and 7th Street SW, Washington, DC 20560

Gordon Bunshaft’s cylindrical building and its garden house an international collection of modern and contemporary art. Immersive installations, video, performance and sculpture interact with the architecture, in a program that is often more experimental than those of the Mall’s other museums.

1661 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20006

Opposite the White House, the Renwick explores American creativity through glass, wood, fiber, ceramics and monumental installations. Its intimate scale and spectacular materials make it an excellent introduction to contemporary craft.

1050 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20560

The Freer and Sackler galleries connect ancient art, painting, calligraphy, ceramics and contemporary creativity from Asia and the Islamic world. Temporary exhibitions offer focused perspectives that complement an exceptionally rich permanent collection.

950 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20560

The only national museum in the United States dedicated to African art, this institution presents historic sculpture, textiles, photography and contemporary creativity. Its underground galleries take time to explore: exhibitions connect aesthetics, history, uses and the circulation of objects.

1250 New York Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005

Following its renovation, NMWA presents a collection devoted exclusively to women artists, from the Renaissance to current practices. Chronological and thematic juxtapositions address many of art history’s blind spots without reducing works to a single interpretation through identity.

1600 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

America’s first museum of modern art, the Phillips retains the atmosphere of a private collection while offering bold juxtapositions across periods. Renoir, Rothko and the Washington Color School appear alongside contemporary commissions and exhibitions.

65 I Street SW, Washington, DC 20024

Located in the former Randall Junior High School, the museum presents displays drawn from the Rubell collection in spacious galleries. Its selection gives an important place to Black artists, new generations and ambitious installations.

2401 Foxhall Road NW, Washington, DC 20007

The house designed by Philip Johnson houses Carmen and David Kreeger’s collection: Impressionism, European modernism, African art and sculpture. The relationship between volumes, light, music and the garden turns a visit into a complete architectural experience.