SAAM Stories

Detail of Renwick 50th Anniversary poster with the banner "This Present Moment"
The Little Friends of Printmaking have created posters for the Renwick Gallery including for the current exhibition, This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World
Amy Hutchins
SAAM Marketing Manager
A visitor stands in the gallery, reading a binder of large print labels
Creating visual descriptions to help blind or low vision visitors experience and appreciate works of art
Hannah Owh
Painting of a bouquet of multicolored flowers on the left and outline of bouquet of flowers in black contour line over white on the right.
Coloring books can offer space for creativity or release for children and adults. Inspired by artwork in SAAM’s collection, while away a quiet afternoon with some art supplies and our coloring sheets.
Amy Fox
Social Media and Digital Content Specialist
An orange graphic with multi-colored artwork that says Luce Listening Party with Hometown Sounds
The Luce Listening Party with Hometown Sounds comes to an end! In this final episode, listen to some outtakes that didn’t make the final podcasts.
Bridget Callahan
Luce Program Coordinator
Two women and a girl playing a game
07/14/2022
Celebrate the ways these essential art elements show up in video games.
This is an image of Lauren Kolodkin.
Lauren Kolodkin
External Affairs and Digital Strategies Assistant
Close up of mixed media portrait quilt
Multimedia artist Sharon Kerry-Harlan pieces together portraits of contemporary Black American life using materials and symbols from the past and present
SAAM
Two wooden sculptures, an elephant and a dog
06/29/2022
Discover how the creativity and bold self-definition of untrained artists became major forces in American art.
SAAM
A man in a Mao suit standing in front of the Golden Gate Bridge
In his all too short career, the photographer rejected conventional codes of identity and insisted on new, ambiguous conditions of being.
A photograph of Melissa Ho by Jeff Elkins
Melissa Ho
Curator (20th-Century Art)
Close up of knitted textile installation
Artist L.J. Roberts integrates queer theory with traditional “domestic crafts” such as knitting and embroidery.
SAAM
A painting of a soldier looking at a strolling woman.
Celebrating Pride with paintings by two artists whose lives intersected and whose artworks explore similar themes
Detail of sculpture of a little girl
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
An illustration of a person wearing a black coat and top hat.
06/01/2022
Celebrating the renowned artist with a comic about her life and work
Close of up of clay statue with painted face
Sculptor Wanxin Zhang explores history, politics, and culture through clay
SAAM
Gallery view of sculpture
New exhibition celebrates the 50th anniversary of SAAM’s Renwick Gallery
SAAM
Gallery view of quilt and ceramic sculptures
05/12/2022
SAAM’s director on the exhibition This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World
 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
Detail of quilted portrait showing three African American soldiers
Learn more about artist Bisa Butler's vivid portraits of African American heroes from World War I
SAAM
The four members of Broke Royals stand in front of a leafy green background.
SAAM's Luce Foundation Center is teaming up with DC local music podcast Hometown Sounds to bring you music and conversations from your favorite artists.
Anne Wilsey
Program Specialist for the Luce Foundation Center
Detail of abstract painting
04/21/2022
What happens when poet Frank O'Hara walks into Mike Goldberg's studio while he's working on a painting?