Fall/winter exhibitions

This fall/winter, the Henry at the University of Washington presents a dynamic series of exhibitions featuring contemporary artists who explore themes of migration, generational trauma, political and social violence, and Black critical thought. Rodney McMillian: Neighbors explores the social and political histories of the United States and how they shape our daily lives. Kameelah Janan Rasheed: we leak, we exceed investigates the poetics-pleasures-politics of Black knowledge production, information technologies, [un]learning, and belief formation. Spirit House asks the question, what does it mean to speak to ghosts, inhabit haunted spaces, be reincarnated, or enter different dimensions? Additionally, two focused exhibitions from the collection highlight both locally and globally recognized figures.

Rodney McMillian: Neighbors
Through May 24, 2026

Rodney McMilian uses existing texts and domestic materials—such as house paint on thrifted fabrics and bedsheets, or “post-consumer objects” as he calls them—he traces both the visible and invisible forces that shape civic life, particularly for the lives of African Americans. Bringing together sculpture, video, and painting that present an outdoor landscape overgrown with the lingering effects of physical, political, and social violence.

Kameelah Janan Rasheed: we leak, we exceed
Through April 26, 2026

Kameelah Janan Rasheed questions the way compression comes at the cost of nuance and creates unrecoverable losses. She draws parallels between the compression of information and the containment of people, both physically and through the structuring and defining of identities. Through a network of video, sound, and architectural mark-making, Rasheed proposes alternatively what she calls “an embrace of Black excess and expansion” as a liberatory practice.

Spirit House
Through January 11, 2026

Spirit House is a thematic exploration of the work of thirty-four Asian American and Asian diasporic artists. This exhibition investigates how contemporary artists of Asian descent challenge the boundary between life and death through art. Inspired by spirit houses, small devotional structures found throughout Thailand that provide shelter for the supernatural, this exhibition considers how art can bridge the gap between this world and the next.

Charlene Liu: Scallion (Sculpture Court Mural)
Through July 2026

Through this work, Charlene Liu builds on her ongoing engagement with food as a means to locate culture and heritage amidst diaspora. Rendered in a fluid, multi-layered, visual language, this fantastical landscape offers a portal to reflect on how culinary traditions build belonging in place and playfully celebrates the importance of shared food experiences.

Collections Exhibitions 
Through January 2026

Two focused exhibitions highlight works from the Henry Collection. Cultured Commodities: Photographs from the Henry Collection explores the significance of branded products, examining how their ubiquity shapes perception, influences identity, and reflects broader cultural values. Shifting Ground: Recent Acquisitions in the Henry Collection features paintings, sculptures, and drawings that explore ideas of space, time, and perception. Referencing spaces and geographies both real and imagined, these works invite us to consider how our surroundings shape the way we see and experience life.

About the Henry Art Gallery
Now offering free admission to everyone!

The Henry is a museum for contemporary art and ideas, grounded in the belief that art has the power to challenge norms, inspire change, and create a more equitable world. As Washington State’s first art museum, the Henry is internationally recognized for groundbreaking exhibitions, dynamic programs, and a long-standing commitment to championing artists at every stage of their careers. With a collection of nearly 30,000 objects and a deep partnership with the University of Washington, the Henry serves as a welcoming cultural hub, amplifying a diverse range of artistic voices and offering transformative, first-hand experiences that spark curiosity and new perspectives.