Skip to main content
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum and Renwick Gallery
Visit
Art + Artists
Research
Education
About
Donate
Menu
Visit Planning
Plan Your Visit
Event Calendar
Current Exhibitions
Tours
Family Activities
Guidelines and Policies
Access Programs
Accessibility
ASL Tours
Dementia Programs
Verbal Description Tours
Museums
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Open Daily, 11:30 a.m.–7:00 p.m
Renwick Gallery
Open Daily, 10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m
Skip to the next menu
Explore Art and Artists
Collection Highlights
Search Artworks
New Acquisitions
Search Artists
Search Women Artists
Something Fun
Which Artist Shares Your Birthday?
Comics
Exhibitions
Current Exhibitions
Upcoming Exhibitions
Traveling Exhibitions
Past Exhibitions
Art Conservation
Lunder Conservation Center
Collection Highlights
20th Century
Asian American Art
Photography
Latinx Art
Sculpture
Contemporary Art
Skip to the next menu
Research Resources
Research and Scholars Center
Nam June Paik Archive Collection
Photograph Study Collection
National Art Inventories Databases
Save Outdoor Sculpture!
Researching Your Art
Library
Publications
American Art Journal
Catalogs and Books
Scholarly Symposia
Publication Prizes
Fellows and Interns
Fellowship Programs
List of Fellows and Scholars
Internship Programs
Featured Resource
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.
Read more
Skip to the next menu
For K-12 Teachers
Teachers Guides and Resources
Field Trips and School Tours
Professional Development
Classroom Videoconferences
Summer Institutes for Teachers
Student Artwork Showcase
For Lifelong Learners
Adult Learners
Group Tour Request
Learn from Home
Resources for Learning at Home
Family Activities
Featured Resource
Educational Resources Search
Find lesson plans, hands-on activities, and more for learners of all ages.
Search educational resources
Skip to the next menu
Latest News
SAAM Stories
Press Room
Videos
About the Museums
About Us
Museum History
Host an Event
Event Venues and Space Rental
Connect with Us
Careers
Volunteer
Contact Us
Sign up for our Newsletter
Shop Online
Museum Store Online
Featured Story
A Meditation on the Legacy of Frederick Douglass by Artist and Filmmaker Isaac Julien
Sir Isaac Julien’s moving image installation "Lessons of the Hour" interweaves period reenactments across five screens to create a vivid picture of nineteenth-century activist, writer, orator, and philosopher Frederick Douglass.
Read more
Skip to the next menu
Donate
Support the Museum
Corporate Patrons
Gift Planning
Donating Artworks
Join
Join the Director's Circle
Join SAAM Creatives
Become a member
Director’s Circle
A national membership group of museum friends who share a love of American art and craft.
SAAM Creatives
A membership group for young professionals interested in the American art experience.
Close menu
Art + Artists
/
Artists
Artist
John Sommers
born Cassopolis, MI 1927
Also known as
John Franklin Sommers
Born
Cassopolis,
Michigan
, United States
Active in
Los Angeles, California, United States
Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
Works by this artist
(1 item)
Mattress, North Philadelphia, PA
Artist
Lewis Downey
Date
1989
gelatin silver print
Close
Visit
Visit Planning
Plan Your Visit
Event Calendar
Current Exhibitions
Tours
Family Activities
Guidelines and Policies
Access Programs
Accessibility
ASL Tours
Dementia Programs
Verbal Description Tours
Museums
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Open Daily, 11:30 a.m.–7:00 p.m
Renwick Gallery
Open Daily, 10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m
Skip to the next menu
Art + Artists
Explore Art and Artists
Collection Highlights
Search Artworks
New Acquisitions
Search Artists
Search Women Artists
Something Fun
Which Artist Shares Your Birthday?
Comics
Exhibitions
Current Exhibitions
Upcoming Exhibitions
Traveling Exhibitions
Past Exhibitions
Art Conservation
Lunder Conservation Center
Collection Highlights
20th Century
Asian American Art
Photography
Latinx Art
Sculpture
Contemporary Art
Skip to the next menu
Research
Research Resources
Research and Scholars Center
Nam June Paik Archive Collection
Photograph Study Collection
National Art Inventories Databases
Save Outdoor Sculpture!
Researching Your Art
Library
Publications
American Art Journal
Catalogs and Books
Scholarly Symposia
Publication Prizes
Fellows and Interns
Fellowship Programs
List of Fellows and Scholars
Internship Programs
Featured Resource
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.
Read more
Skip to the next menu
Education
For K-12 Teachers
Teachers Guides and Resources
Field Trips and School Tours
Professional Development
Classroom Videoconferences
Summer Institutes for Teachers
Student Artwork Showcase
For Lifelong Learners
Adult Learners
Group Tour Request
Learn from Home
Resources for Learning at Home
Family Activities
Featured Resource
Educational Resources Search
Find lesson plans, hands-on activities, and more for learners of all ages.
Search educational resources
Skip to the next menu
About
Latest News
SAAM Stories
Press Room
Videos
About the Museums
About Us
Museum History
Host an Event
Event Venues and Space Rental
Connect with Us
Careers
Volunteer
Contact Us
Sign up for our Newsletter
Shop Online
Museum Store Online
Featured Story
A Meditation on the Legacy of Frederick Douglass by Artist and Filmmaker Isaac Julien
Sir Isaac Julien’s moving image installation "Lessons of the Hour" interweaves period reenactments across five screens to create a vivid picture of nineteenth-century activist, writer, orator, and philosopher Frederick Douglass.
Read more
Skip to the next menu
Donate
Donate
Support the Museum
Corporate Patrons
Gift Planning
Donating Artworks
Join
Join the Director's Circle
Join SAAM Creatives
Become a member
Director’s Circle
A national membership group of museum friends who share a love of American art and craft.
SAAM Creatives
A membership group for young professionals interested in the American art experience.
Close menu
Close
Search
Recent searches
Suggested search phrases
Suggestions for
