Inner Worlds at Wrightwood 659: What to Know
Wrightwood 659 presents “Inner Worlds: Visions from the Hirshhorn Collection,” featuring the work of Mary Bauermeister (1934-2023), Yayoi Kusama (1929-2026) and Niki de Saint Phalle (1930-2002), three artists who produced work with distinctive visual languages characterized by expansive proliferations of pattern, repetition and an ordering of chaos. The exhibition is on view through December 19, 2026.
Born in Germany, Japan and France respectively, all three women independently made their way to New York by the early 1960s, where they contributed to the postwar avant-garde through an amalgamation of Abstract Expressionist, Minimalist, Pop, Neo-Dada and Fluxus influences. Seen together, their artwork attests to the strength of a generation of female artists who achieved international acclaim against great odds, altering the trajectory of twentieth-century art.
The works are drawn from the permanent collection of the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the national museum of modern and contemporary art in Washington, DC, founded by an act of Congress and opened to the public in 1974. The exhibition is curated by Betsy Johnson, assistant curator at the Hirshhorn, and presented by Halsted A&A Foundation. The presentation includes Infinity Rooms; accessibility information for them is available on the venue’s website, and motorized devices cannot be accommodated inside them.
Wrightwood 659 is at 659 West Wrightwood Avenue in Lincoln Park, open Wednesday and Thursday 1 to 8 PM, Friday 12 to 7 PM and Saturday 10 AM to 5 PM. Tickets cost $20 and must be booked in advance; the last entry is 90 minutes before closing.
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Sources
- Wrightwood 659, exhibition page: dates, artists, curator, presenting foundation, address (659 W Wrightwood Ave), hours, ticket price ($20, advance booking) and Infinity Rooms accessibility note.
- Wrightwood 659, visit page: planning information for visitors.
