National Gallery of Art, Washington, June 6–December 6, 2026

Washington, DC— As part of its yearlong commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026, the National Gallery of Art presents American Icon: The US Flag in Art. Exploring myriad ways artists have interpreted the United States flag from the late 1800s to today, the exhibition encompasses over 30 works drawn from the National Gallery’s collection—including paintings, prints, photographs, and a video performance—that illustrate different ways artists have interpreted the American flag.

Artists featured in American Icon include Nancy Andrews, Holly Bass, Mitch Epstein, Jasper Johns, Gordon Parks, and Juan Sánchez, among many others. The works highlight how artists engage with the flag as a visual motif, experimenting with form, materials, and technique to place this powerful emblem in new artistic contexts. Through a range of artistic approaches and perspectives, the exhibition invites us to consider the evolving meanings of the flag and how our relationship with it has transformed over time.

Among the photographs included in the exhibition are Robert Frank’s Parade—Hoboken, New Jersey (1955, printed 1977) and Dorothea Lange’s Children of the Weill public school shown in a flag pledge ceremony, San Francisco, California (April 1942, printed circa 1965). Frank’s photograph shows two women observing Hoboken’s centennial parade from their windows, partially concealed by a billowing flag that both reveals and obscures their presence. Lange’s picture of fifth graders pledging allegiance to an unseen flag conveys a sense of innocence, humanity, and shared civic ritual.

Also in the exhibition is Faith Ringgold’s painting The American People Series #18: The Flag is Bleeding (1967), which was created as part of her series American People (1963–1967) and reflects the social climate of the 1960s. This composition responds in part to Jasper Johns’s flag works, including Flag (1969) and Flag II (1967–1970), which will also be on view. Among other highlights are Childe Hassam’s Allies Day, May 1917 (1917), a painting that commemorates the nation’s entry into World War I in the spring of 1917, and James Rosenquist’s Mirrored Flag (1971), which presents the American flag as a reflective foil banner beneath a full moon, referencing the Apollo lunar missions of the 1960s and 1970s.

Together, these works underscore the breadth of artistic engagement with the American flag and the varied contexts in which the flag has been reimagined.

Exhibition Organization

The exhibition is organized by the National Gallery of Art, Washington.

Exhibition Curator

The exhibition is curated by Kanitra Fletcher, associate curator of African American and Afro-Diasporic art, at the National Gallery of Art.

About the National Gallery of Art

The National Gallery of Art welcomes all people to explore art, creativity, and our shared humanity. Millions of people come through its doors each year—with even more online— making it one of the most visited art museums in the world. The National Gallery’s renowned collection includes over 160,000 works of art, from the ancient world to today. Admission to the West and East Buildings, Sculpture Garden, special exhibitions, and public programs is always free.