SAAM Stories

Gallery view of sculpture
Contemporary Craft Exhibitions
05/13/2022
This Present Moment is Here and Now
New exhibition celebrates the 50th anniversary of SAAM’s Renwick Gallery
SAAM
Gallery view of quilt and ceramic sculptures
Contemporary Craft
05/12/2022
Crafting a Better World
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
Contemporary Craft From the Collection
05/02/2022
Contemporary Craft in Focus: Harlem Hellfighters
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.
Luce Foundation Center
04/28/2022
Podcast Release: Music and Conversation with Broke Royals
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
From the Collection
04/21/2022
Why I Am Not a Painter: on Michael Goldberg's Sardines
What happens when poet Frank O'Hara walks into Mike Goldberg's studio while he's working on a painting?
A photograph of Howard Kaplan on a plane.
Howard Kaplan
Writer
Conservator pulling a print from the sink of water
Exhibitions Conservation
04/14/2022
Refreshing a View of Venice: How Paper Conservators Clean a Print
SAAM conservator Kate Maynor explains the delicate process of washing paper
Kate Maynor
Black and white photograph of a woman holding a monkey that is swaddled like a baby
From the Collection
04/07/2022
Depicting Love in Diane Arbus’s A woman with her baby monkey, 1971
An unexpected email reveals more about the subject of one of Diane Arbus’s celebrated portraits
Photography of John Jacob by Friedrich Nill.
John Jacob
McEvoy Family Curator for Photography
Roman glass bowl
Exhibitions Conservation
04/01/2022
A Fragile Roman Mosaic Glass Bowl Reveals Its Secrets
Go behind-the-scenes with conservators who make a fascinating discovery about a rarely seen Roman glass bowl
Katya Zinsli
A holographic figure in a dark room behind a velvet rope and drapes.
From the Collection New Acquisitions
03/29/2022
Exploring the American Psyche with Carrie Mae Weems
On the multimedia installation, Lincoln, Lonnie, and Me, recently acquired by SAAM
This is a photograph of curator Saisha Grayson
Saisha Grayson
Curator of Time-Based Media
Bubble graph with interconnected data points.
One Smithsonian Technology
03/25/2022
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
The two members of Astra Via sit on a couch wering matching black turtleneck sweaters.
Luce Foundation Center Five Question Interviews
03/24/2022
Podcast Release: Music and Conversation with Astra Via
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
Three women sitting side-by-side preparing food
Exhibitions From the Collection
03/22/2022
Through the Lens of Photographer Linda Rich
A look into the daily lives of women living in one close-knit Baltimore neighborhood
Headshot of a woman with brown hair wearing a gray jacket
Krystle Stricklin
NEA Curatorial Fellow
Artist Augusta Savage with her sculpture
Women Artists
03/18/2022
Presenting Ten More Visionaries and Rule Breakers in SAAM's Collection
The Drawn to Art comic series continues to share the lives of women artists you should know
A photograph of Howard Kaplan on a plane.
Howard Kaplan
Writer
Gabrielle Ching
An illustration of an artist weaving at a loom with a vivid blue background with winding orange lines.
Women Artists
03/10/2022
Drawn to Anni Albers
Celebrating the renowned artist with a comic about her life and work
A photograph of Howard Kaplan on a plane.
Howard Kaplan
Writer
A pink neon sign that reads "This Present Moment Used to be the Unimaginable Future."
Contemporary Craft Exhibitions
03/08/2022
Contemporary Craft in Focus: This Present Moment
Discover the inspiration and call to action behind this monumental neon artwork
SAAM
Landscape of mountains with Native motifs overlayed.
From the Collection Women Artists
03/03/2022
A Closer Look at Kay WalkingStick's Distinguished Career
Our video series American Art Moments takes a closer look at the artist's career through three paintings new to SAAM’s collection
A photograph of Howard Kaplan on a plane.
Howard Kaplan
Writer
Maddi Mae stands in front of a field of grass wearing a red dress and holding a guitar.
Luce Foundation Center Five Question Interviews
02/25/2022
Podcast Release: Music and Conversation with Maddi Mae
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
A woman stands in front of a black sculpture
From the Director
02/24/2022
Grace, Grit, and Joy
Stephanie Stebich, the Margaret and Terry Stent Director, talks about opportunities and challenges in the coming year.
 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