Art of the Olmecs at National Gallery

The first comprehensive exhibition of Olmec art, now on display at the National Gallery of Art in Washington through Oct. 20, provides a look at Mexico’s earliest and least-known civilization. The 122 objects in the exhibit were created in Mexico and Central America 3,000 years ago, long before the Mayans or Aztecs.

One of the carvings is a huge andesite sculpture known as Colossal Head 8, the portrait of a ruler of an Olmec capital in the Gulf Coast lowlands of Mexico. At 13 tons, it is the heaviest object ever installed in the National Gallery.

Admission is free. Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Information: (202) 737-4215.