In addition to its permanent collection, NOMA regularly hosts temporary exhibitions featuring works by contemporary artists, as well as exhibitions focused on specific themes or periods in art history.

But visitors to the museum will also see plenty of religious symbolism, much of it depicting Christianity, throughout the four-story building.

For example, take the work of William H. Johnson. He began painting religious scenes in the 1940s, after his wife, Holcha, died from cancer. In his painting “Lamentation,” three women — wearing brightly printed outfits — raise their hands in stylized gestures that evoke African mourning rites.

The ladders, which appear in European scenes of the Crucifixion, also bring to mind African American spirituals like “Jacob’s Ladder.” The painting is currently on loan to NOMA. It belongs to the Smithsonian American Art Museum. It’s just another fine example of the NOMA’s ability to showcase Christian art.

For more information regarding NOMA, ticket prices and hours, visit NOMA.org.