Director's Circle

Director’s Circle is a national philanthropic community committed to celebrating the creativity of our nations’ artists, and supporting SAAM’s mission to advance American art and craft. In gratitude for our patrons’ support, Director’s Circle receives premier access to museum scholars and collections year-round.

Full Director’s Circle Brochure

Calendar of events for Director’s Circle

Core benefits

Private tours of museum exhibitions and insider access to special projects
Invitations to VIP exhibition openings
Reserved seating for public lectures and symposia
Reciprocal admission at more than 30 national museums
20% discount in the Museum Stores and the Courtyard Cafe
Invitation to annual state-of-the-museum event with SAAM’s Director

Enjoy our Annual Director’s Circle Dinner

Every year we gather to celebrate the contributions of our Director’s Circle and honor a great American artist. Past artist speakers include Nick Cave, Miguel Luciano, Kay WalkingStick. The 2022 Director’s Circle Dinner featured fiber artist Consuelo Jiménez Underwood.

Join and enjoy complementary access to this dinner next September.

Membership

$1,500 - Contributor Level ($1,100 tax deductible)

Benefits include:

Complimentary invitation for two to the Director’s Circle Dinner
Invitations to exhibition opening receptions
Exclusive tours of exhibitions
Exhibition catalogue
Reciprocal membership benefits at museums across the country

$2,500 - Executive Level ($1,900 tax deductible)

Contributor benefits plus:

Additional invitation for two to the Director’s Circle Dinner
Acknowledgement on the Director’s Circle Dinner program
Recognition in Smithsonian Annual Report

$5,000 - Connoisseur Level ($4,200 tax deductible)

Executive benefits plus:

Private curator-led tour of the museum for you and your guests
Additional invitation for two to the Director’s Circle Dinner and exhibition openings

$10,000 - Patron Level ($9,300 tax deductible)

Connoisseur benefits plus:

Lunch with a Curator

$25,000 - Leadership Level ($24,000 tax deductible)

Patron benefits plus:

Director or Curator led tour of one art fair per year