Eye Level

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

Luce Unplugged: OG Lullabies

On Thursday, August 2nd, from 5:30 to 7:00 pm, the Luce Foundation Center hosts another installment of Luce Unplugged. Thursday shows, presented with D.C. Music Download, are a tribute to a Luce Center artwork selected by the performer.

Luce Foundation Center

Conservation in the Digital Age

A review of conservator Dann Finn's talk on Jenny Holzer's, "For SAAM."

Conservation

You Are Invited: "Happy Birthday, Nam June Paik"

Curator of New Media, Saisha Grayson, introduces artist Saya Woolfalk who will speak at the Nam June Paik birthday event, Juky 22, 2018.

Behind-the-Scenes

Games

Revisiting Edward Hopper's "Cape Cod Morning"

A closer look at Edward Hopper's iconic painting, Cape Cod morning, in honor of the artist's birthday on July 22.

Luce Unplugged: ParkSnakes

An interview with ParkSnakes in anticipation of their performance at the Luce Center on July 20, 2018.

Luce Foundation Center

SAAM Arcade: Game Spaces

What does “Game Spaces” mean to me?

Games

4th of July, All Day Long

To celebrate the Fourth of July, here's a parade of artworks.

A Brush with History: Letters to Jonathan Van Ness

We imagine the letters of 19th-century sitters to Jonathan Van Ness, star of the Netflix series, Queer Eye.

Luce Foundation Center

Get Your Game On: SAAM Arcade 2018

Congratulations are in order! We’re so excited to announce that we’ve selected fifteen incredible independent games to showcase at this year’s SAAM Arcade!

Games

Trevor Paglen: Sites Unseen Now Open

Installing Trevor Paglen's Prototype for a Nonfunctional Satellite in the exhibition Trevor Paglen: Sites Unseen.

Behind-the-Scenes

Ten Million Patents...and Counting

SAAM is honoring the Patent Office's issuing of its 10 millionth patent on June 19, 2018, with a look at patents in our own collection.

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.

Technology

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.

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