Looking Back – Looking Forward: Sources of Artistic Inspiration

Named after one of the nation’s most prominent civil rights leaders, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library is the central location offering a wide range of opportunities and services. The building, a historic landmark, was designed by architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. It is his only public library and his only building constructed in DC. Between 2017 and 2020, the building was renovated. The entire interior was completely redone, including a new auditorium, dance studio, recording studios, tool library, offices, and a rooftop garden. The library hosts temporary exhibits in five spaces throughout the building.

The DC Public Library celebrates art and exhibits as a source of learning, discovery, growth, and connection. Exhibits at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library are key to expanding visitors’ knowledge of the District’s rich past and are a portal to engagement in the D.C. ‘s present and future. The Library’s Art & Exhibit program is guided by its Art & Exhibitions Policy.