Virtual Exhibitions

The National Sporting Library & Museum is excited to present on-line 360° virtual tours of current and past exhibitions. Virtual exhibitions are free of charge, overcome the physical barrier to access, and expand our mission to preserve and promote turf and field sports. To support the development of free virtual tours and other mission-driven programming at the NSLM, please consider making a donation for the continuation of meaningful online experiences.

Highlights from the Permanent Collection

A changing display of paintings, sculpture, works on paper, and objects from the National Sporting Library & Museum's Permanent Collection is presented in the Museum opened in 2011. The collection is installed in the historic wing…

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. For over two decades the pair published fifteen…

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: Jean Bowman, June Harrah, Henry Koehler, William…

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 study of biology, early work as a taxidermist, successful…

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 are Equipoise and Maestro.…

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 is a true survey of the painter's life’s…

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 12 photographic reproductions of iconic works…

Thrill of the ‘Chace: Steeplechase in Art

TO ENTER FULLSCREEN VIEW, CLICK RECTANGLE AT TOP RIGHT OF GALLERY.

First run from church steeple to church steeple in Ireland in the 1750s, steeplechasing, its early alternate spelling “steeplechacing,” has…

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 20th-century sporting artists: Frank Weston…

In Bronze: Herbert Haseltine

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Join us in welcoming two new acquisitions by Herbert Haseltine: Percheron Stallion: Rhum and Percheron Mare: Messaline and Foal. These one-third life-size bronze sculptures…

Angling in Special Collections

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The Angling in Special Collections exhibition features books, ephemera, and art focused on angling from the National Sporting Library & Museum's collections.…

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 of portraits created by her husband, contemporary…