Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
This site for the Smithsonian Institution’s collection of modern and contemporary art provides access to the museum’s programs, exhibitions, events, visitor information, and its extensive collection.
Conceived as the nation’s museum of modern and contemporary art, the mission of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is to collect and educate the public about the art of our time. Founded with the generous donation of Joseph H. Hirshhorn’s personal collection, the museum collects and exhibits artwork primarily from the post–World War II period. Key artists of the twentieth century—from Picasso and Giacometti to de Kooning and Warhol—are represented. Visitors can learn about museum programs and events, search more than 2,000 artworks in an online Collection Search, and experience making their own art in a Create a Sculpture interactive. The Web site is designed to mirror the museum’s approach to displaying contemporary art: the setting is clean and modern, while it is also accessible and intuitive. Color is used as an accent and a navigational cue to compliment—not overwhelm—the viewing of art. Built to be intuitive to visitors and easily maintained by the Hirshhorn staff, the site includes several database-driven sections, including a Calendar and Current Exhibition features, which are updated via custom, Web-based administration tools. In addition to database-driven features, the site includes two special interactive pieces. The Hirshhorn Story is a cinematic slide show that documents the history of the institution, the building, and its founder. Create a Sculpture is an educational interactive that teaches visitors of all ages about the process of making art by enabling users to create their own art online using a palette of shapes, colors, and effects.