D.C.’s Hirshhorn Museum Announces Acquisition of 95 Works Including paintings by Rachel Jones and Ali Banisadr

By Shanti Escalante-De Mattei

During the intense peak of the pandemic in 2020, there wasn’t much for museums to do but put on some online programming and hope for the best. The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C., however, used the tumultuous period to expand their permanent collection.

Since late 2019, the institution has acquired 95 works from 60 artists, including pieces by Huma Bhabha, the Guerilla Girls, Yayoi Kusama, Zanele Muholi, Christina Quarles, Tschabalala Self, Lee Ufan, Dana Awartani, Amoako Boafo, Paul Chan, Jeffrey Gibson, Chuck Close, and Rachel Jones.

A goal of the new acquisitions was to “broaden and diversify” the museum’s collection.

“The bulk of our collection comes from a single collector, Joseph Hirshhorn, and it’s our job to continue to expand upon and add more inclusivity to his collection, giving it a more global perspective and also highlighting voices that have long argued for greater visibility,” said Evelyn Hankins, Senior Curator at the Hirshhorn.