Smithsonian American Art Museum

Smithsonian American Art Museum and Renwick Gallery

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Smithsonian American Art Museum

Open Daily, 11:30 a.m.–7:00 p.m

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How Do I Research My Art?

Want to learn more about the painting you found while clearing out the attic? For answers, be prepared for a little detective work.

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Image of an oil painting titled Booker T. Washington Legend

Picturing Fighters for Freedom Across History

Decode imagery and discover hidden stories in artist William H. Johnson's Fighters for Freedom series.

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Featured Story

New Perspectives: Welcome to American Voices and Visions

Your favorite pieces from SAAM’s collection are now on display alongside new works in the redesigned modern and contemporary galleries

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Artist

James Leonard

born Orange, NJ 1949

Born: Orange, New Jersey, United States
Active in: New York, New York, United States
Nationalities: American

Biography: James Leonard made his first "wind machine" when he was twenty-one and working as an appliance repairman. Childhood memories, celebrities, or the streets around his home in Brooklyn inspire his pieces, which often incorporate many moving parts. ("One Man's Windy City," House and Garden, 1991)