Visitors will experience a new collection presentation inspired by America’s semiquincentennial, iconic works by Jasper Johns, and an exhibition of Andrea Bowers’ dynamic practice.

POTOMAC, MD, January 5, 2026 – Glenstone Museum is pleased to announce three new exhibitions that celebrate the innovative spirit of American artists. Each presentation explores how contemporary artists have contributed to and changed the course of post-war American art. 

Opening on February 12, 2026 in the Gallery, Ties of our common kindred will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The presentation will celebrate some of the most significant achievements of American artists over the last century, with iconic artworks from Glenstone’s collection, including key examples by Ruth Asawa, Willem de Kooning, Kerry James Marshall, Jackson Pollock, Cindy Sherman, and Andy Warhol. Together, these works represent styles and voices that have influenced generations of artists working today. 

“Artistic expression is deeply connected to America’s identity,” said Emily Wei Rales, director and co-founder of Glenstone. “We are inspired to contribute to a national arts dialogue on the fearlessness and indelible impact of American artists during the country’s 250th anniversary. Ties of our common kindred celebrates the significant contributions of these artists through highlights from our collection.” 

Three masterworks by Jasper Johns will also be on view beginning February 12 in Room 9 of the Pavilions. In the late 1950s, Johns challenged the dominance of Abstract Expressionism by introducing recognizable symbols like targets, numbers, and maps into his paintings. His approach blurred the line between representation and abstraction, prompting viewers to reconsider what constitutes an image and what constitutes an object. One such painting included in Room 9, Flag on an Orange Field II (1958), transforms one of the most familiar emblems—the American Flag—into a subject of profound inquiry. Johns reimagines the flag with painterly complexity and collapses the boundary between representation and reality, inviting viewers to see it not as a fixed symbol but as an image open to interpretation. Johns’ work compels viewers to look beyond the surface and question how symbols shape (and are shaped by) the cultural and political narratives people carry.  

On March 19, an exhibition by Andrea Bowers will open in Room 2. The exhibition, which includes more than 40 works, including a broad selection from Glenstone’s collection alongside important loans from the artist, peer institutions, and private collectors, is one of the largest presentations of Bowers’ work to date. Tracing a history of activism that interweaves ecological concerns with the fight for bodily autonomy, the exhibition includes works that reference several generations of intersectional activists.

Bowers’ multidisciplinary practice bridges fine art with direct action. Over nearly three decades she has produced work including video, sculpture, neon, and drawings on paper and cardboard that amplify and archive the work of activists. Bowers embeds herself in allyship with front-line activists, earning trust through collaboration and long-running engagement. 

A highlight of the Glenstone collection of Bowers’ work, the immersive artwork Army of Three Selected Letters & Archives (2023) will be on view in its entirety for the first time. Highlighting the deeply personal archive of three Bay Area activists—Patricia Maginnis, Rowena Gurner, and Lana Phelan, later dubbed the Army of Three—who advocated tirelessly for those seeking access to safe and reliable abortions in the 1960s and 1970s. The installation consists of facsimiles of letters received by the Army of Three alongside decorative wrapping papers arranged in a grid of more than 600 sheets, and archival material given to Bowers by Maginnis and Phelan. The accompanying video work, Letters to an Army of Three (2005), in which personal stories are read aloud, creates a powerful echo between the past and present. 

A selection of Bowers’ intimately rendered photorealist drawings are featured prominently throughout the exhibition. Each drawing is made from Bowers’ archive of photographs she has taken of individual protestors at marches and demonstrations around the country. Bowers' labor and skill memorialize everyday peoples’ urgent acts of resistance and their handmade signs and slogans, celebrating their effort and commitment to making change with her own.

“Andrea Bowers reminds us that beauty and justice are not separate pursuits,” said Nora Severson Cafritz, senior director of collections. “With extraordinary precision and care, her work elevates the stories of communities leading social change, honoring their courage and offering a hopeful vision of what we can build together.” 

About Glenstone 

Glenstone, a museum of modern and contemporary art, is integrated into more than 360 acres of gently rolling pasture and unspoiled woodland in Montgomery County, Maryland, less than 15 miles from the heart of Washington, DC. Established by the not-for-profit Glenstone Foundation, the museum opened in 2006 and provides a contemplative, intimate setting for experiencing iconic works of art and architecture within a natural environment. 2026 marks Glenstone’s 20th anniversary as a public institution and the opening of the Charles Gwathmey-designed Gallery building. 

Glenstone is open Thursdays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to Glenstone is always free and visits can be scheduled online at: www.glenstone.org. The museum includes its original building, the Gallery, as well as additional structures opened in its 2018 expansion: the Arrival Hall (LEED platinum), the Pavilions, and the Café (both LEED gold). 

Media Contact: press@glenstone.org or sarabeth.joren@finnpartners.com 

###