Galleries for Modern and Contemporary Art

The selected works on view highlight established strengths of SAAM’s collection, such as its leading collections of work by Black and self-taught artists, while featuring new areas of collection growth, including post-World War II and contemporary art, time-based media, and Latinx art. The installation acknowledges the multifaceted narratives, identities, and artistic practices that exist in the United States by including the often-overlooked histories and contributions by Asian American, Black, Indigenous, Latinx, women, and LGBTQ+ artists, part of a museum-wide effort to provide a more expansive view of American art. 

The third-floor galleries have been redesigned in collaboration with Selldorf Architects under the leadership of Annabelle Selldorf to create a unified space that highlights the historical architectural elements of the building while offering improved conditions for displaying artworks. The new spaces double the available wall area for installing art and allow for dynamic circulation patterns that reinforce the fluidity between artistic disciplines and historical narratives.

This initial phase of American Voices and Visions, a comprehensive, multi-year reinstallation of SAAM's permanent collection, brings together nearly 100 artworks. The installation integrates a range of media and practices—including photography, video, craft, and work by self-taught artists—which together reflect a more nuanced and representative survey of American art since 1945. The reinstalled galleries feature 42 artworks recently added to the museum’s collection, including works by Firelei Báez, Tiffany Chung, Audrey Flack, Jeffrey Gibson (Mississippi Choctaw/Cherokee), Tseng Kwong Chi, Miguel Luciano, Martha Rosler, Alison Saar, Hank Willis Thomas, Carlos Villa, Kay WalkingStick (Cherokee Nation), and Carrie Mae Weems among others—many of which are being shown for the first time—alongside iconic works from the collection by Alexander Calder, Jenny Holzer, Morris Louis, Kerry James Marshall, Nam June Paik, Martin Puryear, Sean Scully, Alma Thomas, and Mickalene Thomas.