Exhibitions

Current Exhibitions

Past Exhibitions

Oct 12, 2023 - Mar 3, 2024
Theodore Roosevelt’s Sporting Universe

Opening on October 12, the Library’s Forrest E. Mars, Sr. Exhibit Hall will spotlight Theodore Roosevelt—one of the greatest sportsmen and naturalists of his day—and several of his…

Sep 8, 2023 - Jan 14, 2024
Survival of the Fittest: Envisioning Wildlife and Wilderness with the Big Four, Masterworks from the Rijksmuseum Twenthe and the National Museum of Wildlife Art

Survival of the Fittest: Envisioning Wildlife and Wilderness with the Big Four, Masterworks from the Rijksmuseum Twenthe and the National Museum of Wildlife Art is curated by Adam Duncan Harris,…

Jun 3, 2023 - Sep 17, 2023
Women and Horses Revisited: Charles Rumph Photography

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UPDATE: The exhibition…

Apr 14, 2023 - Aug 20, 2023
Romantic Bronzes from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

Romantic Bronzes showcases more than 30 extraordinary works by the 19th-century French sculptor Antoine-Louis Barye that Mrs. Nelson L. St. Clair Jr. generously donated to Virginia Museum of…

Jan 26, 2023 - May 14, 2023
Endurance: Secretariat’s Triple Crown at 50

2023 marks the 50th anniversary of Virginia’s most famous racehorse, Secretariat, winning the Triple Crown (1973). This feat had not been achieved since Citation in 1948. Secretariat's triumph…

Oct 7, 2022 - Mar 26, 2023
Identity & Restraint: Art of the Dog Collar

Since before the dawn of history, we have forged a strong bond with dogs—from hunting companions to sporting breeds as well as faithful pets. The dog collar is a symbol of the evolving relationship…

Apr 30, 2022 - Dec 30, 2022
Storied Friends: Marguerite Henry and Wesley Dennis

Storied Friends: Marguerite Henry and Wesley Dennis explores the literary partnership that brought Misty, Sham, and many other equine friends into the hearts of youths everywhere.…

Jun 3, 2022 - Sep 18, 2022
A Decade Afield: Celebrating 10 Years of the NSLM’s Museum

The NSLM is celebrating a milestone anniversary with a retrospective exhibition opening June 3, 2022. A Decade Afield: Celebrating 10 Years of the NSLM’s Museum, will feature highlights…

Nov 20, 2021 - Apr 24, 2022
In Focus: Eve Prime Fout

In Focus: Eve Prime Fout explores Eve Prime Fout's (American, 1929–2007) life and artwork, celebrating her contributions to sporting art. Fout, along with Edith “Else”…

Nov 12, 2021 - Mar 20, 2022
2020 Hindsight: 40 Years of the American Academy of Equine Art

Begun in Middleburg, VA, in 1980 and now based in Lexington, KY, the American Academy of Equine Art’s (AAEA) founding members were some of the top sporting painters and sculptors of the day:…

Jun 18, 2021 - Jan 9, 2022
Field Notes | Walter Matia

The National Sporting Library & Museum is excited to announce an indoor/outdoor bronze sculpture exhibition, Field Notes | Walter Matia, by contemporary artist Walter Matia. His…

May 14, 2021 - Sep 19, 2021
Recent Acquisitions: Bronzes by Diana Reuter-Twining

Visit the National Sporting Library & Museum and see two new acquisitions by contemporary artist Diana Reuter-Twining (American, b. 1951). On display in the Intro galleries of the permanent collection…

Apr 9, 2021 - Aug 22, 2021
Tucker Smith: A Celebration of Nature

Tucker Smith: A Celebration of Nature and accompanying catalogue present a retrospective of the work of American artist Tucker Smith. Featuring more than 75 original oils, this exhibition…

Jul 17, 2020 - May 1, 2021
Recent Acquisitions: Benson and Pleissner
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In the spring of 2020, the National Sporting Library & Museum (NSLM) received five important works of art by two well-known…

Oct 7, 2020 - Mar 28, 2021
A Horse of Course: The Equine Image in Art

A Horse of Course: The Equine Image in Art is a traveling educational exhibition organized by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts as part of the Virginia Statewide Partnership Program. It features…

Sep 9, 2020 - Mar 21, 2021
Thrill of the ‘Chace: Steeplechase in Art
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First run from church steeple to church steeple in Ireland in the 1750s, steeplechasing, its early alternate…

Feb 8, 2020 - Mar 13, 2021
Phyllis Mills Wyeth: A Celebration
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A memorial exhibition celebrating the life of Phyllis Mills Wyeth (November 13, 1940–January 14, 2019) features a selection…

Jul 17, 2020 - Aug 23, 2020
In Bronze: Herbert Haseltine
TO ENTER FULLSCREEN VIEW, CLICK RECTANGLE AT TOP RIGHT OF GALLERY.

Join us in welcoming two new acquisitions by Herbert Haseltine: Percheron Stallion: Rhum and Percheron Mare: Messaline…

Oct 4, 2019 - Jun 30, 2020
Leading the Field: Ellen Emmet Rand

In 1936, on the heels of painting an official presidential portrait of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Ellen Emmet Rand held a solo exhibition. Though she had been a professional portrait artist for over…

Sep 25, 2019 - Feb 2, 2020
Pencil, Pen, and Brush Paul Brown: An Illustrated Life

Enjoy NSLM's new exhibition Pencil, Pen, and Brush Paul Brown: An Illustrated Life, curated by Visitor Services Associate and NSLM intern, Grace Pierce, in the Library's Forrest…

Oct 9, 2019 - Jan 26, 2020
Traveling Exhibition: A Brief History of Black Horsemen in Racing

A Brief History of Black Horsemen in Racing is a traveling poster exhibition organized by James Madison’s Montpelier and provides a succinct account of African Americans in horse…

May 17, 2019 - Jan 5, 2020
Canter & Crawl: The Glass Sculpture of Joan Danziger

Canter & Crawl: The Glass Sculpture of Joan Danziger, presents a solo show of the DC-based, contemporary artist’s latest work. Stimulating the imagination, Danziger’s vibrant…

Apr 12, 2019 - Sep 15, 2019
Deconstructed: The NSLM Sporting Screen

Deconstructed: The NSLM Sporting Screen centers on a unique decorative object from the NSLM’s permanent collection. Recently conserved, the four-panel screen is comprised of paintings…

Apr 12, 2019 - Sep 15, 2019
NSLMology: The Science of Sporting Art

This Spring, NSLM melds art with science to create NSLMology: The Science of Sporting Art, an exhibition for explorers of all ages! Visitors are invited to experience scientific principles…

Sep 8, 2018 - Mar 24, 2019
Sidesaddle, 1690-1935

In art and sport, the poised equestrian riding aside embodies the essence of elegance, power, and grace. Hidden beneath the flowing skirts of the rider is the sidesaddle, the design of which has evolved…

Oct 12, 2018 - Mar 3, 2019
On Fly in the Salt

On Fly in the Salt: American Saltwater Fly Fishing from the Surf to the Flats is a curated journey through time, filled with the people, places, and innovations that have made saltwater fly…

Aug 15, 2018 - Sep 30, 2018
Highlights from the Collection: Sporting Dogs by Reuben Ward Binks

Over 40 original watercolors by English artist Reuben Ward Binks (1880-1950) were donated to the National Sporting Library & Museum in 2017 as part of a generous bequest from the late Mrs. Elizabeth…

Aug 8, 2018 - Aug 26, 2018
Recent Acquisition: Ralla

The National Sporting Library & Museum is pleased to announce its newest addition to the permanent collection, Ralla: Harry Payne Whitney’s Champion Polo Pony, No. 2 by American sculptor Herbert…

Apr 13, 2018 - Jul 22, 2018
A Sporting Vision: The Paul Mellon Collection of British Sporting Art from the VMFA

The National Sporting Library & Museum is the opening venue for the major traveling exhibition of eighty-four paintings organized by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) with representative masterpieces…

Aug 11, 2017 - Mar 18, 2018
The Horse and the Camera: From the Judith & Jo Tartt, Jr. Photography Collection

Capturing the horse at rest and in motion has been an obsession for many since the advent of the camera. From the first frames of a horse at full gallop from Edweard Muybridge's Animal Locomotion and…

Sep 9, 2017 - Jan 14, 2018
The Horse in Ancient Greek Art

The Horse in Ancient Greek Art from NSLM on Vimeo.

Organized by the National…

Apr 21, 2017 - Aug 13, 2017
Andre Pater: In a Sporting Light

The bold and vibrant compositions of contemporary sporting artist Andre Pater (Polish-American, b. 1953) are often compared to those of the great 20th-century British sporting artist Sir Alfred Munnings.…

Mar 8, 2017 - Jul 30, 2017
Recent Acquisitions: Orme’s Collection of British Field Sports

A complete set of Orme’s Collection of British Field Sports: Illustrated in Twenty Beautifully Coloured Engravings from Designs by S. Howitt was recently donated by George and Susan…

Aug 26, 2016 - Mar 19, 2017
The Chronicle of the Horse in Art

The Chronicle of the Horse in Art and accompanying catalogue present the rich variety and depth of the classic, iconic, and contemporary sporting art that graced the covers of The Chronicle…

Jul 29, 2016 - Nov 27, 2016
To the Finish: The Art & Process of Greg Montgomery

To the Finish: The Art & Process of Greg Montgomery delves into the artist’s creative process. The show  of thirty-five fine art prints and preparatory materials features Montgomery's…

May 6, 2016 - Jul 31, 2016
The French Horse from Géricault to Picasso: Works from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

"Omnipresent in 19th-century France, the horse was portrayed in every manner and style by all types of artists,” note organizers of The French Horse From Géricault to Picasso: Works…

Jan 30, 2016 - Jul 3, 2016
Line Dance - The Art of Fly Fishing by Peter Corbin

“How do you start a painting? Go fishing. Experience the awe. See the fish, the land, and the seascape. Take notes with your mind, camera, or sketch book. Gather all the information you can…

Sep 25, 2015 - Mar 20, 2016
Side-by-Side with Gun & Dog

Side-by-Side with Gun & Dog explores the quintessential relationship between gunning enthusiasts and gun dogs in eighteenth- through twentieth-century British, European, and American portraits…

Aug 29, 2015 - Jan 17, 2016
Paul Brown from the Permanent Collection

A special exhibition of works by American illustrator Paul Desmond Brown (1893 - 1958) from the NSLM permanent collection will be on view August 29, 2015 to January 17, 2016. Approximately 25 works,…

Jun 19, 2015 - Jan 10, 2016
Part of the Pack: The Hunt at Petworth, Colin Barker Photography

Fifteen foxhunting, kennel, and puppy show scenes have been selected from the Part of the Pack: The Hunt at Petworth series to be exhibited at the NSLM. The entire series, comprised of sixty…

Jul 10, 2015 - Dec 13, 2015
Beverley Sanford McConnell: Portraits in Poetry

Beverley Sanford McConnell: Portraits in Poetry pays tribute to the champion equitation rider, horse trainer, riding instructor, and Middleburg-area resident Beverley Sanford McConnell (1919…

Apr 17, 2015 - Aug 30, 2015
Art & The Animal, 2014/2015 Society of Animal Artists Traveling Exhibition

The National Sporting Library & Museum is pleased to be the final venue to host Art and the Animal, the 54th annual Society of Animal Artists’ (SAA) exhibition.  Art…

Jan 6, 2014 - May 31, 2015
Sporting Accoutrements: Still Lifes of Henry Koehler

Twenty-four intimate and contemplative paintings of fox and stag hunting, racing, polo, fishing, and shooting paraphernalia by the recognized sporting painter Henry Koehler have been brought together…

Oct 26, 2014 - Mar 29, 2015
Faithfulness to Nature: Paintings by Edward Troye

Faithfulness to Nature: Paintings by Edward Troye, on view from October 26, 2014 to March 29, 2015 explores the artist’s place within American art history, and his important role in creating…

Apr 11, 2014 - Sep 28, 2014
Clarice Smith: Power & Grace

Clarice Smith: Power and Grace on view from April 11 to September 28, 2014 at the National Sporting Library & Museum, in Middleburg, Virginia, offers a comprehensive range of the artist’s…

Apr 24, 2013 - Sep 15, 2013
Munnings: Out in the Open

The Open-Air Works of Alfred Munnings (English, 1878 – 1959) Sixty-eight masterworks by the renowned English artist, Sir Alfred James Munnings, (1878 – 1959), offer a cross-section…

Oct 11, 2011 - May 10, 2012
Afield in America: 400 Years of Animal and Sporting Art

Afield in America: 400 Years of Animal and Sporting Art, the inaugural exhibition in the new Museum is designed to raise awareness of the importance of animal and sporting art as a reflection of…

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