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Find behind-the-scenes museum stories about artworks, artists, and more.

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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
Detail of an artwork with quotes from the Book of Revelations.
From the CollectionOne Smithsonian12/02/2023
Howard Finster: Art Meets Music
Take a look into the visual art and musical legacy of Howard Finster
SAAM
A group of women standing outside under a slatted-canopy. The shadows of the slats cross the image.
ExhibitionsOne Smithsonian03/24/2023
Beyond Afrofuturism with Artist Cauleen Smith
Curator Saisha Grayson examines the utopian realities presented in Smith's video artwork, Sojourner
SAAM
Detail of brown ceramic jar with writing and the signature "Dave" inscribed around the top.
From the CollectionOne Smithsonian02/01/2023
David “Dave” Drake: Potter and Poet
Craftsman David “Dave” Drake, enslaved for most of his life, produced uncommonly large ceramic jars in 19th-century South Carolina adorned by his poetic verses
A woman in a black blazer smiles in front of a dusky landscape
Jill Vaum Rothschild
Luce Curatorial Fellow
A photograph of a woman standing in front of artwork.
Leslie Umberger
Curator (Folk and Self-Taught Art)
A black and white photo of a man sitting looking away from the camera, his artwork in front of him
From the CollectionOne Smithsonian12/20/2022
Exploring the Joseph Cornell Study Center at SAAM
An archivist looks at the important art and objects in the Joseph Cornell Study Center
Anna Rimel
A view of the tree-lined Kogod courtyard
One SmithsonianBehind-the-Scenes11/16/2022
Shake It Off: Trees Gonna Sway, Sway, Sway
For centuries humans have been bringing the outside in, brightening up interior spaces by incorporating plants into homes and offices. Twice a year, horticulturists at the Smithsonian mimic rain and wind to help keep the trees in the Kogod Courtyard happy and thriving.
Virginia Thaxton
Detail of a mixed media artwork using a flag and military blanket
Contemporary CraftFrom the Collection11/01/2022
Native American Arts in Focus: Edson’s Flag
Marie Watt honors veterans and Indigenous communities through simple objects that hold powerful stories
SAAM
Marian Anderson and symbols that surround her life
ExhibitionsOne Smithsonian10/19/2022
Discovering William H. Johnson’s Hidden Stories
SAAM educator Phoebe Hillemann reflects on creating resources to spark curiosity for learners of all ages who view William H. Johnson’s Fighters for Freedom series
A photograph of Phoebe Hillemann
Phoebe Hillemann
Teacher Institutes Educator
Detail of a mural showing an indigenous woman at the forefront of a scene of farmworkers
From the CollectionOne Smithsonian10/04/2022
Judy Baca On Her Mural Uprising of the Mujeres
SAAM talks with the artist about her inspirations and the process of creating a portable mural
Wendy Rose
A photograph of Claudia Zapata
Claudia Zapata
Former Curatorial Assistant of Latinx Art
Detail of sculpture of a little girl
One SmithsonianWomen Artists06/03/2022
Closing the Gender Gap: Seeing American Women Sculptors in Wikipedia
Online volunteers learn the basics of how to edit Wikipedia by creating or updating articles related to the history of fifty women sculptors in the United States
Kelly Doyle
Sonoe Nakasone
Bubble graph with interconnected data points.
One SmithsonianTechnology03/25/2022
Building a Web of Knowledge Through Wikidata
This Women's History Month, learn how SAAM is using open data platforms to increase the visibility of artists represented in the collection
Sonoe Nakasone
Black and white Image of boy and girl with back to camera blurred
From the CollectionOne Smithsonian08/03/2021
Leslie Thornton and the Art of Surviving
Leslie Thornton’s feminist punk reset of experimental filmmaking’s aims and inclusions tackles issues we still grapple with today.
This is a photograph of curator Saisha Grayson
Saisha Grayson
Curator of Time-Based Media