Welcome to the Smithsonian American Art Museum and its Renwick Gallery
Explore the sweep of the American imagination across four centuries at the nation's flagship museum for American art and craft. Inspiring artworks and special exhibitions online and in person at our two locations. National educational offerings. Innovative research. Video interviews with artists and virtual studio tours, lectures and more. Admission is always free.
Featured Exhibitions
June 23, 2023–January 29, 2024
Musical Thinking explores the powerful resonances between recent video art and popular music.
May 26, 2023–March 31, 2024
Sharing Honors and Burdens: Renwick Invitational 2023 features artists Joe Feddersen (Arrow Lakes/Okanagan), Lily Hope (Tlingit), Ursala Hudson (Tlingit), Erica Lord (Athabaskan/Iñupiat), Geo Neptune (Passamaquoddy), and Maggie Thompson (Fond du
Ongoing
SAAM’s branch location for contemporary craft, the Renwick Gallery, showcases the dynamic landscape of American craft today. Currently on view are more than 100 works in a range of mediums from fiber and ceramics to glass, metal, wood, and mixed media.
October 1, 2021–May 18, 2025
Artist to Artist features paired artworks, each representing two figures whose trajectories intersected at a creatively crucial moment, whether as student and teacher, professional allies, or friends.
Upcoming Featured Events
Featured Stories
07/20/2023
An in-depth look at Lily Hope and Ursala Hudson’s work and the traditions behind Chilkat weavings.
SAAM
07/19/2023
How do video game developers use "musical thinking" to create fun ways to play?
07/07/2023
SAAM's director on current exhibitions, acquisitions, and the newly reimagined and reinstalled modern and contemporary galleries.
06/29/2023
Celebrating the renowned artist with a comic about her life and work
06/20/2023
SAAM's REACH program allows educators to reach out to remote learners....no matter where they are
05/19/2023
Exhibition invites viewers to discover the intersections and influences of video and sound, through works by some of today’s leading contemporary artists
Artist
Date2018-2020
Performance. Unique objects worn by artist/performer (glass, neoprene, rusted metal fragments of U.S./Mexico border fence, leather, cotton twine, flashlight) and photodocumentation of the performance (digital files)
Featured Video
Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of SAAM's Renwick Gallery
How do you mark the 50th anniversary of the nation's premier museum dedicated to American craft?
"We Are Made of Stories: Self-Taught Artists in the Robson Family Collection" Introduction
Explore the rise of untrained artists in the 20th century and discover their powerful personal journeys.
Bisa Butler’s "The Harlem Hellfighters" - American Art Moments
Get to know the historic figures behind Bisa Butler’s monumental quilt and discover the artistry Butler uses to pay homage to the soldiers.