SAAM Stories

A close up detail of a knitted artwork
From the Collection Pride 06/02/2023
Celebrating Pride: LGBTQ+ Artists To Know
As June begins and Pride celebrations around the world commence, here is one way to connect with a few LGBTQ+ artists whose work is included in SAAM’s collection.
SAAM
Collage artwork with photographs
From the Collection Women Artists 05/26/2023
Going Rogue in the Archives with Artist Stephanie Syjuco
The contemporary artist creates works that address the Filipinx American experience
Headshot of a woman with brown hair wearing a gray jacket
Krystle Stricklin
NEA Curatorial Fellow
Detail of quilted portrait showing three African American soldiers
Education 05/24/2023
Unpacking the Stories Behind Artist Bisa Butler’s Portrayal of the Harlem Hellfighters
Tips for teaching the layered World War I history of the 369th Infantry Regiment on their return from France
Ben Brands
A photograph of Phoebe Hillemann
Phoebe Hillemann
Teacher Institutes Educator
A procession of women walking through the desert. The woman in front holds a radio on her shoulder.
Exhibitions 05/19/2023
Discovering the Intersection Between Moving Image and Sound in Video Art
Exhibition invites viewers to discover the intersections and influences of video and sound, through works by some of today’s leading contemporary artists
This is a photograph of curator Saisha Grayson
Saisha Grayson
Curator of Time-Based Media
An illustrated portrait of a woman with short brown hair. The background is red with a yellow pattern.
Women Artists 05/10/2023
Drawn to Tiffany Chung
Celebrating the renowned artist with a comic about her life and work
A photograph of Howard Kaplan on a plane.
Howard Kaplan
Writer
Detail of painting showing the roofs of building and clouds floating over them.
From the Collection Women Artists 05/01/2023
Historic New Acquisitions by Two Trailblazing Japanese American Painters
A look at historic new acquisitions of art by two trailblazing Japanese American painters
A photograph of Melissa Ho by Jeff Elkins
Melissa Ho
Curator (20th-Century Art)
An abstract black and white photograph.
Technology 04/27/2023
Alternative Futures: What Does AI Mean for Artists?
We revisit a panel discussion from 2018 with Trevor Paglen, who incorporates questions around AI into his artistic practice
Amy Fox
Social Media and Digital Content Specialist
A person in a black and white checkered sweater stands holding headphones. They are also black and white, woven with an Indigenous motif and have long white fringe.
Contemporary Craft Exhibitions 04/27/2023
Six Artists from Indigenous Nations On Sharing Honors and Burdens
Go in-depth for a look at the themes of Sharing Honors and Burdens at the Renwick Gallery
Lara Evans
A sculpture made of discarded materials.
Contemporary Craft Exhibitions 04/21/2023
Contemporary Craft in Focus: Drag
Artist Susie Ganch gives new life to discarded materials in her large-scale sculptures
SAAM
Detail view of abstract painting.
From the Collection 04/04/2023
Frank O'Hara: Poet Among Painters
Celebrating the esteemed poet and his friendship with painter Grace Hartigan
SAAM
Fabric and beaded tapestry. At the center, a rectangle shows a kitchen scene and reads "Welcome to Our Home."
Women Artists 03/30/2023
Comic Series Presents Ten More Stories about Women Artists Represented in SAAM’s Collection
Announcing the artists included in the 2023 series of Drawn to Art
Emma Hitchcock
A photograph of Howard Kaplan on a plane.
Howard Kaplan
Writer
A group of women standing outside under a slatted-canopy. The shadows of the slats cross the image.
Exhibitions One Smithsonian 03/24/2023
Beyond Afrofuturism with Artist Cauleen Smith
Curator Saisha Grayson examines the utopian realities presented in Smith's video artwork, Sojourner
SAAM
Detail of a yellow tapestry. The word "Caution" is woven into the top and the bottom shows a silhouette of two adults and a child holding hands and running.
Contemporary Craft Exhibitions 03/17/2023
Contemporary Craft in Focus: Run, Jane, Run!
Fiber artist Consuelo Jimenez Underwood draws from her cultural heritage to create weavings that are a reflection of personal border experiences
SAAM
An African American woman is stepping out of a front door. She is smiling and waving. A child mannequin stands to her side.
Women Artists 03/10/2023
Drawn to Nellie Mae Rowe
Celebrating the renowned artist with a comic about her life and work.
A photograph of Howard Kaplan on a plane.
Howard Kaplan
Writer
Artist Tanya Aguiñiga wearing a suit made of glass elements while standing next to the U.S./Mexico border wall
Contemporary Craft Exhibitions 03/01/2023
Exploring Border Stories with Artist Tanya Aguiñiga
Curator Mary Savig details an artist’s journey to create the powerful performance work Metabolizing the Border that explores the physical and psychological experiences migrants face while crossing the borderlands.
A photograph of a woman with brown hair and a dress standing inside a building.
Mary Savig
Lloyd Herman Curator of Craft
A man wearing a beret stands in front of an artwork. He is speaking to an audience.
From the Collection 02/28/2023
Remembering Artist and Veteran Jesse Treviño
A tribute to the photorealist painter and Vietnam War veteran by SAAM Curator Melissa Ho, who recalls the story behind his extraordinary self-portrait Mi Vida
A photograph of Melissa Ho by Jeff Elkins
Melissa Ho
Curator (20th-Century Art)
A close up detail of a coiled, sweet grass basket
Contemporary Craft Exhibitions 02/27/2023
Contemporary Craft in Focus: From Traditional to Contemporary
Gullah basket weaver Corey Alston sustains memory and kinship coil by coil
SAAM
Illustrated comic cover. On the left is a close up of an African American woman wearing a headwrap, large glasses, and earrings. On the right is the title "If You Stitch With Me, I'll Tell You A Story."
Women Artists 02/17/2023
Drawn to Sonya Clark
Celebrating the renowned artist with a comic about her life and work
A photograph of Howard Kaplan on a plane.
Howard Kaplan
Writer