Welcome to the Smithsonian American Art Museum and its Renwick Gallery
Explore the sweep of four centuries of the the American imagination at the nation's flagship museum for American art and craft. Dive into inspiring artworks, special exhibitions, and the reimagined collection — American Voices and Visions: Modern and Contemporary Art. Experience our offerings both online and in person at our two locations, including national educational programs, innovative research, video interviews with artists, virtual artist studio tours, lectures, and more. Admission is always free.
Featured Exhibitions
September 22, 2023 — July 7, 2024
This focused exhibition pairs two projects by Carrie Mae Weems—a major multimedia installation and a series of photographs—that revisit moments from history.
September 15, 2023–June 2, 2024
The exhibition Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas provides an intimate view of Alma Thomas’ evolving artistic practices during her most prolific period from 1959 to her death in 1978.
September 15, 2023–March 24, 2024
This focused exhibition pairs artwork by two Black artists working in the mid-nineteenth century—photographer J. P. Ball and painter Robert S. Duncanson.
July 28, 2023–January 14, 2024
Ideas about the American West, both in popular culture and in commonly accepted historical narratives, are often based on a past that never was, and fail to take into account important events that actually occurred.
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
Artists Joe Feddersen (Arrow Lakes/Okanagan), Lily Hope (Tlingit), Ursala Hudson (Tlingit), Erica Lord (Athabaskan/Iñupiat), Geo Neptune (Passamaquoddy), and Maggie Thompson (Fond du Lac Ojibwe) present a fresh and nuanced vision of Native American art.
Audio Guides
Experience the Museum Your Way
Smartify's free personalized tours are tailored to your interests and the time you have available. Simply answer a couple of quick questions and we'll hand pick a collection of unmissable objects and captivating stories just for you.
Upcoming Featured Events
Featured Stories
12/04/2023
A look at landscapes in SAAM's collection and the wildlife that lives beyond the paintings
Brynn Garner
12/02/2023
Take a look into the visual art and musical legacy of Howard Finster
SAAM
11/20/2023
Drawing inspiration from traditional methods of collecting natural resources, artist Joe Feddersen serves as a voice for the Plateau peoples
SAAM
11/15/2023
Celebrating the renowned artist whose work questions misconceptions around Native identity
10/31/2023
Students at DC public schools create stories based on artworks in SAAM's collection
09/22/2023
SAAM's renovated and reimagined modern and contemporary galleries transform the museum’s third floor into spaces for wonder and reflection
Featured Video
"Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas" Introduction
Pattern and vibrant color come to life in the work of groundbreaking artist and educator Alma Thomas. SAAM holds the largest public collection of Thomas's works in the world and the exhibition features many of the pieces from her most prolific period.
Welcome to "American Voices and Visions"
Leading contemporary artists featured in American Voices and Visions: Modern and Contemporary Art speak on the incredible power of art, and its important role in our lives and communities.
Meet the Artist: Kay WalkingStick
Go into the studio of celebrated artist Kay WalkingStick (Cherokee).