SAAM Stories

WPA painting of people on a New York City subway
05/21/2021
Our video series American Art Moments takes a closer look at an important New Deal painting in SAAM’s collection
A screenprint portrait of a man from the nineteenth century
Chicanx artists elevate national and global historic figures to inspire activism
Headshot of woman with black hair
Rebekah Mejorado
Public Relations Specialist
A bridge over water.
05/18/2021
A critical look at artistic production and the unequal distribution of benefits during the New Deal period
Grace Yasumura
A collage of illustrated portraits on brightly colored backgrounds
Artists honor victims of social injustice and create a space for communal grieving
A photograph of Carmen Ramos by Ross Whitaker
E. Carmen Ramos
Former Curator of Latinx Art
A woman in a blue mask standing in front of plants.
05/14/2021
Stephanie Stebich, the Margaret and Terry Stent Director, welcomes visitors back to the museum and looks at artworks on view by Asian American artists in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
 Stephanie Stebich, SAAM's Margaret and Terry Stent Direction in the museum's Lincoln Gallery. Photo by Gene Young. 
Stephanie Stebich
The Margaret and Terry Stent Director, Smithsonian American Art Museum and Renwick Gallery
Sketch by Paul Manship featuring four Angels
05/11/2021
Discover how a partnership between SAAM and the American Battle Monuments Commission revealed an unexpected connection between Paul Manship sketches and a U.S. military cemetery located outside of Rome.
Portrait in blue ink on a hankerchief
Shizu Saldamando explores identity and representation through portraiture
Headshot of woman with black hair
Rebekah Mejorado
Public Relations Specialist
Cover of codex in red white and blue comic book style
Chicano artists use graphics to reframe history with new perspectives
A photograph of Claudia Zapata
Claudia Zapata
Former Curatorial Assistant of Latinx Art
Painting of the grand canyon of the Yellowstone
04/30/2021
What do an epic nineteenth-century landscape that inspired the designation of a national park and a twenty-first-century post-apocalyptic scene hinting at a hopeful future have in common?
SAAM
a woman with a tattoo that says "power" leaning against a wall
Singer-songwriter, Jenna Camille, discusses how her creative motivations have evolved over the past year.
Anne Wilsey
Program Specialist for the Luce Foundation Center
Blue upcycled planter with a plant
Enjoy an easy and fun craft using recycled materials and plant the seed for a greener future
An image of Gloria Kenyon.
Gloria Kenyon
Public Programs Coordinator
Photograph of trees and a waterfall
04/22/2021
We take a look at the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on nature as well as an excerpt from Eleanor Jones Harvey’s exhibition catalogue focusing on Carleton E. Watkins.
Katie Hondorf
A print of 2 women, one holding a baby, surrounded by text and symbols
Yreina D. Cervántez uses text, imagery, and symbolism to pay tribute to bold female leaders of different eras
Headshot of woman with black hair
Rebekah Mejorado
Public Relations Specialist
Rashin Kheiriyeh on her bike next to her cherry blossom sculpture
04/16/2021
Part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival’s inaugural “Art in Bloom” event, the cherry blossom sculpture Cherry Garden by artist Rashin Kheiriyeh is one of 25 that double as chairs sprinkled throughout DC and the neighboring areas.
SAAM
A black and white photograph of a woman sitting behind two ceramic pots
Remembering the Navajo artist whose clay works pushed against conventions over her fifty-year career
A photograph of a woman holding a large basket in museum collection storage.
Anya Montiel
Curator of American and Native American Women’s Art and Craft
This is a photo of Emily Paluska
No green thumb? No problem. Hear from local botanical artist and educator, Emily Paluska of Revery Paper Flora, as SAAM's Luce Foundation Center connects with local artists.
This is a photo of Jessica McFadden
Jessica McFadden
Program Specialist
Close up detail of figure in red standing against a yellow background with text
Luis González’s Hasta La Victoria Siempre combines bold graphics and text in a powerful political poster designed to support the Chicano movement
Headshot of woman with black hair
Rebekah Mejorado
Public Relations Specialist
An abstract painting in red and green
The author’s new book, Fierce Poise, chronicles the artist coming into her own in the 1950s