Eye Level

Eye Level is the blog of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and Renwick Gallery. Publishing behind-the-scenes museum stories since 2005.

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  Sites Unseen: Trevor Paglen’s Retrospective at SAAM

  "Trevor Paglen: Sites Unseen," is as sanguine as it is surreptitious, inviting viewers to question the very essence of surveillance and to ask themselves whether a surreal sky or landscape can ever be just that.

Movies at SAAM: Designing a Film

Summer movies at SAAM include Barry Lyndon; 2001: A Space Odyssey; and Taxi Driver.

Truth Is Beauty

“What would the world be like if women were truly safe?” This is the question Marco Cochrane challenges both male and female audiences to consider when viewing his sculpture "Truth is Beauty."

Craft and Decorative Arts

SAAM’s Docents Celebrate 50 Years of Artful Conversations

The Smithsonian American Art Museum’s own corps of volunteer docents has an illustrious history of creating eye-opening experiences for visitors, and this year marks their 50th anniversary.

Education

Paint the Town Red

The exterior of the Reynolds Center, home to SAAM and NPG, is being lit red in honor of the Washington Capitals, and the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Behind the Scenes

Vinnie Ream's Sappho

On the artist Vinnie Ream, one of a handful of successful female sculptors in the 19th century, and her sculpture, Sappho, on view at SAAM.

Sculpture

Movies at SAAM: When Film Imitates Art

The Terrence Malick film, Days of Heaven, relies heavily on images inspired by artist Andrew Wyeth.

Flipping for the Art-O-Mat!

Do you remember the thrill of putting a quarter in a slot and getting a gumball? Now imagine pulling a lever and getting a piece of art! That’s what you can do in the Luce Foundation Center, at a vending machine called the Art-o-mat.

Luce Foundation Center

On Lava Thomas's Requiem for Charleston

The other day, my colleague, Libby, and I walked through the museum in search of an artwork we could talk about. And though each artwork has a story to tell, Lava Thomas's "Requiem for Charleston," the artist's response to the church massacre at Mother Emanuel in 2015, spoke the most to us, in a quietly powerful way (if such a thing is possible).

Seeing Things

Luce Unplugged: Five Questions for Bat Fangs

On Thursday, April 26th, the Luce Foundation Center hosts another installment of Luce Unplugged from 6-8 p.m. Thursday shows, presented with D.C. Music Download, are a tribute to a Luce Center artwork selected by the performer. This installment of Luce Unplugged features DC rock duo, Bat Fangs, whose music recalls the rock icons of the 80s with their catchy lyrics and raucous guitar riffs. 

Luce Foundation Center

Five Question Interviews

Dancing at SAAM: Vote for Us!

SAAM has created a dance for Museum Dance Off 5: The Last Dance.

Behind the Scenes

The Renwick's (David) Best Temple

David Best creates temples for Burning Man that are made of recycled wood that are ritually burned at the end of the annual festival. In this video Best discusses the Temple he created for the Renwick Gallery’s Bettie Rubenstein Grand Salon, as a sacred space for people to reflect on loss.

Craft and Decorative Arts

A Suitcase Home: Sarah Newman on Do Ho Suh

Anne Showalter, Digital Interpretation Specialist at SAAM, sat down with Sarah Newman, the James Dicke Curator of Contemporary Art at SAAM, to talk about the recently opened exhibition Do Ho Suh: Almost Home.

Five Question Interviews

Diane Arbus: a box of ten photographs Opens April 6

In 1972, Diane Arbus became the first photographer to have her work exhibited at the Venice Biennale. These pivotal works will be featured in the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s exhibition, Diane Arbus: a box of ten photographs, opening at SAAM on Friday, April 6, and remaining on view through January 21, 2019

Discover the Art of Burning Man at the Renwick

"No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man" brings the large-scale, participatory work from this desert gathering to the nation’s capital for the first time.

Behind the Scenes

Craft and Decorative Arts

Sneak Peek: Burning Man's Temple at the Renwick

No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man, opens on Friday, March 30, and features large-scale installations--the artistic hallmark of Burning Man--at the core of the exhibition. These include a temple designed for the Renwick's Grand Salon by David Best.

Behind the Scenes

Craft and Decorative Arts

Luce Unplugged: Five Questions for Antonia

The Luce Foundation Center's interview with experimental pop artist, Adriana-Lucia Cotes, as Antonia. She performs as part of the Luce Unplugged series on March 23, 2018.

Luce Foundation Center

Who Wore it Better? Burning Man Dresses up the Renwick

In addition to the large-scale artworks currently being installed at No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man, opening at the Renwick Gallery of Art on March 30, the exhibition features hand-made jewelry and clothing such as Iranian-born designer, Gelareh Alam's "warrior chic."

Behind the Scenes

Craft and Decorative Arts

Luce Unplugged: Five Questions for Governess

The Luce Foundation Center interviews the band Governess in advance of their performance on March 23, 2018.

Luce Foundation Center

Five Question Interviews

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