The American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center in Washington, D.C., will host the first career retrospective of artist Joan Danziger, titled "The Magical World of Joan Danziger," opening February 7, 2026. The exhibition spans six decades of her work, from abstract paintings to mixed-media sculptures, featuring over 100 pieces including 40 sculptures and 25 works on paper and canvas. A concurrent exhibition, "Ravens: Spirits of the Sky," showcases 24 large glass and metal raven sculptures, many never before exhibited. Danziger, who continues to work daily at age 91, traces her evolution from an abstract painter to a multimedia sculptor, with influences ranging from surrealists to Hieronymus Bosch.
This retrospective matters because it honors a living artist who has maintained a prolific career for over 60 years, demonstrating the vitality and ongoing evolution of an artist in her tenth decade. The exhibition highlights Danziger's unique ability to blend painting, sculpture, and glasswork into a cohesive visual language that explores myth, religion, and the natural world. By presenting both her early works and recent raven sculptures, the show offers a rare opportunity to trace the creative arc of an artist who continues to push boundaries, reinforcing the importance of supporting older, active artists in museum contexts.