Eye Level

Eye Level is the blog of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and Renwick Gallery. Publishing behind-the-scenes museum stories since 2005.

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  50 Things about OBJECTS: USA at 50

  Public programs coordinator Gloria Kenyon revisits the influential Objects: USA exhibition on its 50th anniversary

SAAM Arcade 2019: Art, Video Games, and Empathy

SAAM Arcade, "Breaking Barriers," features diverse and inclusive video games by independent video game developers.

Programs

Games

Pitch Perfect: On David Levinthal, Roberto Clemente, and Baseball

Anne Showalter, digital interpretation specialist at SAAM, reflects on David Levinthal's photo of Roberto Clemente, from the artist's baseball series.

Exhibitions

Fourth of July Journey Through American Art

Whatever your plans for America's birthday, we have an artwork to fit. Pour yourself a lemonade, find a spot in the shade, and enjoy your holiday with a dash of American art.

SAAM Arcade: Breaking Barriers

An interview with Tanya DePass, the founder of We Need Diverse Games, who will deliver the keynote at this year's SAAM Arcade.

Games

Artist Ginny Ruffner Reimagines Nature

Ginny Ruffner's exhibition conjures up notions of beauty and frailty through her use of glass, drawing, and augmented reality (AR) technology.

Exhibitions

The Art of Hip-Hop

A brief look at Hip-Hop and Contemporary Art in conjunction with America Now

Programs

What Domingo Ulloa's Braceros Means to Me

Local student Amaia Noursi responds to the painting, Braceros, by Domingo Ulloa, as part of SAAM's "Creating American Stories" program.

Education

What Mark Bradford's Amendment #8 means to me

DC public school student Myles Bell, responds to Mark Bradford's painting, Amendment #8

Education

Artist Brendan Fernandes On the Dance Floor as a Space for Resistance and Resilience

Dancer/choreographer Brendan Fernandes talks about his work, including Free Fall 49, making its East Coast debut at SAAM on June 9.

Programs

David Levinthal: Toying with the Past?

Populated with toy cowboys and cavalry, Barbie dolls and baseball players, David Levinthal’s photographs reference iconic images and events that shaped postwar American society.

Exhibitions

SAAM Hears America Singing

Walt Whitman, born in 1819, would be celebrating his two-hundredth birthday today, if such a thing were possible. Let us celebrate the poet with a round of American art from our collection.

From the Director: We Hear America Singing

SAAM's director, Stephanie Stebich, on our touring exhibitions, national programs, and museum initiatives.

From the Director

Wine and Sign at ASL After Five

The second ASL After Five happy hour event for the D.C. area’s Deaf community will take place on May 31, 2019

Education

Popping (Up) With Pride at SAAM

Saisha Grayson, curator of time-based media at SAAM, discusses the pop-up exhibition for the June 9 celebration of Pride.

Programs

Mom's the Word with artist Tyler Fuqua

A blog post in honor of Mother's Day, featuring Burning Man artist Tyler Fuqua and his mother talking about his work in "No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man."

Exhibitions

Craft and Decorative Arts

Artists Respond: Vietnam on Film

SAAM is presenting three films on the Vietnam War in honor of the exhibition, "Artists Respond: American Art and the Vietnam War, 1965-1975."

Programs

Nature is the Boss: Tony Bennett's Central Park

Painter Anthony Benedetto is better known as crooner Tony Bennett. His painting "Central Park" depicts the New York oasis in autumn.

Luce Foundation Center

Luce Unplugged: Five Questions for We Were Pirates

An interview with Mike Boggs of "We Were Pirates," in advance of their Luce Unplugged appearance.

Luce Foundation Center

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