KAWS’s 14‑Foot Bronze 'SHELTER' Installed in Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden

The Hirshhorn Museum’s Sculpture Garden in southwest Washington now hosts a newly installed work by Brooklyn artist KAWS. The 14-foot-tall bronze sculpture, titled "SHELTER," was cast for the museum as a commission this year and has been placed on the garden’s northwest corner as crews complete installation ahead of the garden’s scheduled reopening later this year.

The sculpture’s scale and placement are intended for outdoor viewing in the museum’s plaza, where it will be visible from pathways that skirt the National Mall. The piece was produced specifically for the Hirshhorn and transported to the site for final installation on prepared footings. Museum staff and contractors handled the placement, which included a temporary crane and safety staging while the work was set into position.

What the work is and where it sits

"SHELTER" is a figurative bronze that stands roughly 14 feet tall. It occupies the northwest corner of the Hirshhorn’s Sculpture Garden, a significant location given the garden’s role as a public-facing outdoor space on the National Mall. The Hirshhorn is a Smithsonian museum; the garden functions as both an extension of the museum’s program and a public amenity for passersby and planned visitors.

The sculpture was commissioned by the museum this year and made for that site. Installation required coordination between the museum’s curatorial and facilities teams and outside fabricators to ensure the work’s base and anchoring met conservation and safety standards for an outdoor bronze.

How this fits into the Hirshhorn’s plans

The arrival of "SHELTER" comes as the museum prepares to reopen its Sculpture Garden later this year. The garden has been undergoing work to refresh landscaping and site infrastructure, and the placement of a major new commission signals the museum’s intent to refresh its outdoor program as part of the reopening. The commission adds a contemporary, large-scale sculpture to a public setting that draws locals, tourists, and National Mall visitors.

KAWS, an artist from Brooklyn, has become known for large public sculptures and sculptures that reference popular culture; the museum’s commission places his work in the heart of the city’s cultural corridor. The new bronze will be accessible to visitors outdoors without the need for a museum ticket when the garden is open.

Local cultural organizations and tourism groups frequently track changes to major museum grounds along the Mall because they affect pedestrian flows and programming calendars. The sculpture’s presence is likely to become part of curated tours and photo-driven visits to the area.

As installation wraps, the museum will publish the garden’s reopening date and any public programming tied to the new commission. Visitors should expect the sculpture to be visible in the garden once the space reopens to the public.