After a 43-day government shutdown, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., will reopen to the public on Friday, returning to normal business hours. The Smithsonian Institution will also begin reopening several of its museums and the zoo on a rolling basis, starting with the National Museum of American History, the National Air and Space Museum, and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center on the same day. The shutdown, the longest in U.S. history, ended after President Donald Trump signed a spending package following a House vote.
The reopening allows the National Gallery to finally debut its major exhibition "The Stars We Do Not See: Australian Indigenous Art," billed as the largest survey of its kind ever staged outside Australia. Featuring nearly 200 works, the show was originally scheduled for October but was delayed by the closure. National Gallery director Kaywin Feldman emphasized the exhibition's historic significance, highlighting a partnership with the National Gallery of Victoria and the opportunity to present Indigenous Australian masterpieces to U.S. audiences for the first time.