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Five screen video installation.
Time-Based MediaExhibitions02/27/2025
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.
This is a photograph of curator Saisha Grayson
Saisha Grayson
Curator of Time-Based Media
Side-by-side black and white photographs of T.C. Cannon (left) and Fritz Scholder (right).
Native and Indigenous ArtExhibitions11/26/2024
Artist to Artist: T.C. Cannon and Fritz Scholder
Two artists coming together as teacher and student as part of the "New Indian Art" movement.
SAAM
Person leaning toward a vase in a plexiglass covered case in a museum gallery, other artworks fill the space in the distance.
Native and Indigenous ArtContemporary Craft11/21/2024
In Focus: Pueblo Revolt 2180
The artist builds futuristic worlds and characters he pairs with his traditionally sourced and formed pots, where knowledge of the past provides guidance for future generations.
SAAM
Sculpture of a person completely covered with multiple colorful, intricate patterns standing against a dark red wall with the exhibition title "The Shape of Power: Stories of Race and American Sculpture."
African American ArtAsian American Art11/08/2024
The Shape of Power in American Art
A new exhibition explores how the history of race in the United States is entwined in the history of American sculpture.
SAAM
A quilt with large, concentric squares hang in a gallery. Quilts are mounted on the wall behind it.
ExhibitionsFrom the Collection08/16/2024
The Artistry of Amish Quilts
Exploring SAAM's collection of stunning Amish quilts
SAAM
Highly decorative wooden bench.
From the CollectionWomen Artists08/09/2024
Have a Seat: A Bench for Resting and Imagining
Explore artist Rachel David's functional artwork created for SAAM's Renwick Gallery.
Elana Hain
Audrey Flack sits in a chair. Her hand is on a skull.
From the CollectionOne Smithsonian07/17/2024
Artist Audrey Flack’s Legacy
A look into the long career of renowned artist Audrey Flack.
SAAM
Print of a hot dog bridge under a rainbow.
From the Collection07/02/2024
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.
Amy Fox
Social Media and Digital Content Specialist
Two visitors look at a timeline on a wall. Behind them is a painting hanging on a blue wall and the words "Fighters for Freedom" with text underneath.
African American ArtExhibitions06/18/2024
Who Are Today's Fighters for Freedom?
SAAM's educators invite students and visitors to reflect on William H. Johnson's portraits and make connections to our world today.
Emily Berg
A photograph of Phoebe Hillemann
Phoebe Hillemann
Teacher Institutes Educator
Two people in 60s mod clothing face each other. They stand in a gray, gauzy space.
From the CollectionPride05/31/2024
In Focus: Clubbing
Martine Gutierrez’s work is an ode to the importance of dance floors as places for self-discovery and community building
SAAM
Sculpture of a woman. Massive antlers on her head cradle a delicate, translucent adult figure in a fetal position, like a creature preparing to emerge from its cocoon. Scattered on the ground below are antlers.
ExhibitionsFrom the Collection05/24/2024
Artist Alison Saar's Self-Awakening
Exploring the personal transformation reflected in her artwork Rouse.
SAAM
An art conservator holds a vacuum nozzle on a piece of artwork.
From the CollectionConservation05/01/2024
Caring for an American Art Treasure
A peek into the world of conservation and the meticulous care of James Hampton’s The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations Millennium General Assembly.
Photo Anna Nielsen
Anna Nielsen
Conservation Program Coordinator
Eliza Macdonald
Katya Zinsli
Marian Anderson and symbols that surround her life
ExhibitionsFrom the Collection04/05/2024
A Portrait of Marian Anderson
William H. Johnson portrayed the singer in multiple paintings, including in his Fighters for Freedom series.
A photograph of Howard Kaplan on a plane.
Howard Kaplan
Writer
A detail of a vibrant painting with a dark navy blue circle on the right surrounded by concentric circles of reds, oranges, and yellow.
ExhibitionsFrom the Collection04/02/2024
Reflecting on the Natural Wonders of an Eclipse
As we gather to celebrate this year’s eclipse, Alma Thomas, whose painting The Eclipse is featured in SAAM's collection, noted the influence of natural phenomena on her work.
A photograph of a woman.
Katie Hondorf
Public Affairs Specialist
A detail of a painting showing five women and the institutions they built.
ExhibitionsFrom the Collection03/22/2024
Honoring the Women Fighters in William H. Johnson’s Paintings
Johnson offers historical insights and fresh perspectives of legendary women alongside less well-known changemakers
SAAM
Detail of an artwork showing children holding an American flag.
From the CollectionNew Acquisitions03/18/2024
In Focus: Pledge
An item that most people carry in their pockets is key to experiencing Hank Willis Thomas's Pledge.
SAAM