Eye Level

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

SAAM’s Best Friends: Animals in Art and at Home

Because at SAAM everything eventually comes back to American art, some of us have been inspired to model our sweet, sassy, bored, annoyed, sleepy, amusing pets after favorite artworks in our collection. We offer them as amusement and inspiration, and as evidence of the creativity and sense of humor we appreciate in each other.

Amy on April 6, 2020

We’ve Got Your Back...Pack

How SAAM is helping students stay creative when they can’t visit the museum

Education

The Art of the Teleconference

Transform your Zoom virtual background or computer desktop into a work of art

Behind-the-Scenes

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Museum from Home: Crafting Edition

Instructions for an easy cherry blossom craft to make at home

Craft and Decorative Arts

The Writing on the Wall

Why Hearts of Our People exhibition labels have been translated into dozens of Native languages

Exhibitions

Blog Casa Ulanga conservation Puerto Rico

Shelter from the Storm: the Aftermath of Hurricane Maria

SAAM conservators help to preserve cultural heritage when natural disaster strikes.

Conservation

Blog Womens Film Festival Born in Flames

Creating Sparks: Five Questions with Lizzie Borden

The groundbreaking director of "Born in Flames" discusses about her work in advance of her talk at SAAM.

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Balance and Harmony: Radiant by Felrath Hines

Applying countless layers of color gives the artist's work depth and luminosity

Women's Films, All of Our Futures

Join us at SAAM for the second Women Filmmakers Festival March 6 and 7

Behind-the-Scenes

How Native Women Artists Guided the Creation of Hearts of Our People

The groundbreaking exhibition at the Renwick features more than 80 works from antiquity to the present

Luce Unplugged: Five Questions for Des Demonas

Learn more about Des Demonas in advance of their appearance at Luce Unplugged on February 13, 2020.

Luce Foundation Center

Five Question Interviews

Beyond the Studio with Katherine Akey

Get to know local artist, Katherine Akey, in advance of her Beyond the Studio Workshop on February 9, 2020.

Luce Foundation Center

Exhibitions - Humboldt, Friedrich Georg Weitsch, Portrait of Alexander von Humboldt (1769–1859), 1806, oil on canvas, 49 5/8 x 36 3/8 in., Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Nationalgalerie, Photo: bpk Bildagentur / Nationalgalerie, Staatliche Museen, Berlin, G

Before There Was Beyoncé, There Was Humboldt

Meet Alexander von Humboldt, the singular superstar of the 1800s

Exhibitions

Nam June Paik and New Media at SAAM

The "Father of Video Art" takes center stage in a new installation and book.

Exhibitions

Luce Unplugged: Five Questions for Pree

The Luce Foundation Center's interview with May Tabol of dark-pop band, Pree, in advance of her performance at the Luce Unplugged Community Showcase on January 31, 2020.

Luce Foundation Center