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Luce Foundation Center for American Art The Smithsonian American Art Museum's Luce Foundation Center for American Art is the first visible art storage and study center in Washington, D.C. This innovative public space provides new ways to experience American art. The Luce Foundation Center's imaginative design allows visitors to select an area to explore at a glance with more than 3,300 works from the permanent collection in 64 secure glass cases. The Luce Foundation Center, which occupies 20,400 square feet on the third and fourth floors of the museum's historic building, features paintings densely hung on screens; sculptures, contemporary craft and folk art objects arranged on shelves; and portrait miniatures, bronze medals and jewelry in drawers that slide open with the touch of a button. Large-scale 19th- and 20th-century sculptures are displayed on the main floor. The center also exhibits highlights from John Gellatly's European collection of decorative arts. Ten award-winning interactive computer kiosks provide the public with information about every object on display and include discussions of each artwork, artist biographies, audio interviews, still images and nearly 70 videos created exclusively for the center. Museum staff members are available at the Luce Foundation Center information desk seven days a week to answer visitor questions and conduct tours. Free public wireless Internet access (Wi-Fi) is available in the Luce Foundation Center. Support In 2001, the Henry Luce Foundation gave $10 million to establish the Luce Foundation Center for American Art at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The center opened July 1, 2006, following an extensive renovation of the museum's historic building. Other centers supported by the Henry Luce Foundation include the Henry R. Luce Center for the Study of American Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Henry Luce III Center at the New-York Historical Society, and the Luce Center for American Art at the Brooklyn Museum. The Henry Luce Foundation has funded these study centers out of a profound desire to acquaint more museum visitors with the diversity and excellence of American art. Ongoing Public Programs The Luce Foundation Center runs a variety of programs that are free and open to the public. See our online calendar for more information. Audio Tours All day, every day Enjoy intriguing and sometimes humorous content on over 150 artworks. You can access the tour using your own cell phone or by borrowing a free MP3 player from the museum. The tour is available every day until 6 p.m. Ask at the Luce Foundation Center information desk Art + Coffee Wednesdays through Sundays 1:30 p.m. -- 3:30 p.m. Join us for a tour or talk at 1:30 pm; then enjoy a complimentary coffee or tea in this elegant space. Beverages served until 3:30pm, except during special events. Meet in the F Street Lobby Sketching: Draw and Discover Tuesdays 3 p.m. Join us for a lively sketching workshop. Draw inspiration from sketchbooks from the thousands of objects on display in the Luce Foundation Center. Some materials provided; please bring a small sketchbook and pencils. Meet at the Luce Foundation Center information desk Scavenger Hunts All day, every day Test your skills in our latest scavenger hunt and win a prize! Follow the clues to find specific artworks among the more than 3,300 objects on display. Ask at the Luce Foundation Center information desk Special Projects Ghosts of a Chance In 2008, the Smithsonian American Art Museum was the first museum in the world to develop and host an alternate reality game, which offered a new way of engaging with the collection in its Luce Foundation Center. Staff worked with game designers at City Mystery to create "Ghosts of a Chance," which ran for six weeks and attracted more than 6,000 online participants. The museum offers a spin-off version that can be played in the galleries once a month or by appointment for groups of 10 or more. Detailed information is available online here Fill the Gap In 2009, the Smithsonian American Art Museum implemented a citizen curator project in which museum staff invites the public to help them select the newest addition to the Luce Foundation Center. Fill the Gap is available in the gallery space and on our flickr set. Contact Keep up to date with the Luce Foundation Center by becoming a fan on Facebook. Luce Foundation Center Staff Georgina Bath Goodlander Interpretive Programs Manager GoodlanderG@si.edu Bridget Callahan Assistant, Luce Foundation Center for American Art CallahanB@si.edu Tierney Sneeringer Assistant, Luce Foundation Center for American Art SneeringerT@si.edu Mary Tait Assistant, Luce Foundation Center for American Art TaitM@si.edu If you have a question or would like to schedule a tour, please contact the Luce Foundation Center information desk during Museum hours (11.30am - 7.00pm) at the following numbers: (202) 633-5435 (202) 633-5436 or E-mail: AmericanArtLuce@si.edu Smithsonian American Art Museum 8th and F Streets, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20004 Hours 11:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. daily Closed December 25 Admission Free |
 Visitor enjoys the Luce Foundation Center  Over 400 portrait miniatures are displayed in pneumatic drawers  Visitor participates in Sketching: Draw and Discover  Visitor explores the Interactive Computer Kiosks  Player participates in Ghosts of a Chance |
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