Popartist Andy Warhol (1928 – 1987) has two new exhibits that just opened in two of the Smithsonian Institution’s 19 museums – the world’s largest and most prestigious collection of museums – all with free admission – on The Mall in Washington, DC.

The exhibits are called “Warhol: Headlines” at the National Gallery and “Andy Warhol: Shadows” at the Hirshhorn Museum.

The former is about Warhol’s fascination with news and newspapers, especially New York’s tabloid press. It’s a fun show, and I like Warhol’s quote at the entrance:

“I’m confused about who the news belongs to. I always have it in my head that if your name’s in the news, then the news should be paying you. Because it’s your news and they’re taking it and selling it as their product…If people didn’t give the news their news, and if everybody kept their news to themselves, the news wouldn’t have any news.”

“Shadows” is the most interesting of the two exhibits, a collection of 102 silk screens and hand-painted pictures, all in different colors on the same theme, exhibited together for the first time. Warhol made “Shadows” 1978-79, when he was 50 years old. They hang close together, in a long, long line, on the Hirshhorn’s circular showroom wall.  It’s perfect. Take a look!