SAAM Stories

an artwork of a bar with people inside
08/13/2020
Living History, Changing History
Inspired by the late politician and Civil Rights Activist, John Lewis, and his call for "good trouble."
 Stephanie Stebich, Former Margaret and Terry Stent Direction in the museum's Lincoln Gallery. Photo by Gene Young. 
Stephanie Stebich
Former Director, Smithsonian American Art Museum
An artwork of a figure with small figures climbing on it.
Luce Foundation Center 08/04/2020
Fire, Cloud, Earth: Native Women Artists at SAAM
A closer look at three Native women artists in SAAM's collection
A photograph of a woman with blonde hair and glasses.
Karen Canova
Luce Foundation Center Volunteer
A black and white photograph of a woman with long hair.
SAAM Arcade 07/31/2020
SAAM Arcade: Focus on Women in the Video Games Industry
Five Questions with Renee Bates, visual development artist and professor at Ringling College of Art & Design
This is an image of Lauren Kolodkin.
Lauren Kolodkin
External Affairs and Digital Strategies Assistant
A photograph of three women playing video games
SAAM Arcade 07/28/2020
SAAM Arcade: Game Changers
Celebrating the ratification of the 19th Amendment by highlighting women’s narratives and contributions to the video games industry
This is an image of Lauren Kolodkin.
Lauren Kolodkin
External Affairs and Digital Strategies Assistant
A photograph of a purple hanging mobile.
Craft Making Activities 07/22/2020
Getting Crafty: Make an Alexander Calder-inspired Mobile
An Alexander Calder mobile in time for the artist's 122nd birthday.
An image of Gloria Kenyon.
Gloria Kenyon
Public Programs Coordinator
A still photo of a video screen.
Programs 07/09/2020
Additional Reflections on Arthur Jafa’s Love is the Message, The Message is Death
Highlighting the voices of Black people and people of color within our local arts and creative community.
A photograph of a woman with a green blazer and brown hair.
Kayleigh Bryant-Greenwell
Community Engagement Specialist
A photograph of a video screen.
07/07/2020
Reflections on Arthur Jafa’s Love is the Message, The Message is Death
Highlighting the voices of Black people and people of color within our local arts and creative community.
A photograph of a woman with a green blazer and brown hair.
Kayleigh Bryant-Greenwell
Community Engagement Specialist
A still from the video shows a woman reclining with her head covered in stones
06/30/2020
Identity and Visibility
How a recent acquisition addresses themes of race and LGBTQ+ identity
This is a photograph of curator Saisha Grayson
Saisha Grayson
Curator of Time-Based Media
A painting with a bunch of people around a table
Pride 06/20/2020
Seeing the Rainbow in SAAM’s Collection
Taking a deeper look at how we talk about gay artists at SAAM
This is a photograph of curator Saisha Grayson
Saisha Grayson
Curator of Time-Based Media
A photograph of a handmade card with a baseball
Craft Making Activities 06/19/2020
Father's Day Crafts for Dad
Celebrate Dad with an artful, home-crafted card
An image of Gloria Kenyon.
Gloria Kenyon
Public Programs Coordinator
A headshot of a man
06/02/2020
Statement from Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch
On inequality and racial division in the United States
Lonnie G. Bunch
A watercolor of a town with a dust storm
Exhibitions 05/27/2020
Standing Together
A Conversation about American Art and Anti-Asian Sentiment in the Age of COVID-19
A photograph of a woman with a green blazer and brown hair.
Kayleigh Bryant-Greenwell
Community Engagement Specialist
A painting of two figures.
05/08/2020
Hey Mom, I Made You This Card
Still looking for the right card? SAAM celebrates all mother figures with artworks from our collection.
Amy Fox
Social Media and Digital Content Specialist
An artwork with a pink flower.
Craft Making Activities 05/08/2020
Mother’s Day Crafting
Mom always thought you were a little crafty. Surprise her with a hand-made flower...or two.
An image of Gloria Kenyon.
Gloria Kenyon
Public Programs Coordinator
A painting of clouds
Exhibitions 05/04/2020
Take Me to Church: A Road Trip In Honor of Painter Frederic Edwin Church
Looking back at a remembered road trip to Frederic Church's house, Olana, in celebration of the artist's 194th birthday and the exhibition, Alexander von Humboldt and the United States: Art, Nature, and Culture
A photograph of a woman.
Katie Hondorf
Public Affairs Specialist
A painting of a tiger
05/01/2020
A Sonnet for the Tiger King
Think of this as a mash up between the eloquent Patrick Stewart who is reading Shakespeare sonnet's online and the over-the-top Tiger King, the Netflix documentary that has become the talk of Zoom happy hours everywhere. Cheers!
A photograph of Sara Snyder
Sara Snyder
Former Head of External Affairs & Digital Strategies
A photograph of a mastodon fossil inside a building.
Conservation 04/29/2020
Mysteries of the First Mastodon
Conservator Ariel O'Connor unearths the mysteries behind Charles Willson Peale’s mastodon.
A photograph of a woman standing in an art gallery with busts behind her.
Ariel O'Connor
Objects Conservator
A watercolor image of a lake with mountains in the background.
Exhibitions 04/27/2020
Chiura Obata: Artist Interrupted
In our time of social distancing, Obata's handwritten notes have us thinking about how we communicate with one another, and how important a simple note can be.
A photograph of a woman.
Katie Hondorf
Public Affairs Specialist