Exhibitions

This exhibition brings together selected images from photography surveys that document life in the United States, with a focus on the years before and after the Bicentennial in 1976.

Artist Nick Cave invites visitors to walk among the fantastical remains of these ancient creatures.

Shahzia Sikander’s video artwork The Last Post (2010) critically considers the legacy of British colonialism in Asia using her signature approach of infusing Indo-Persian miniature paintings with a contemporary perspective. 

Glenn Kaino’s powerful aerial sculpture Bridge, suspended from the ceiling of SAAM’s Luce Foundation Center, evokes the ways that even small acts can ripple through time and alter the course of history. 

The Smithsonian American Art Museum's galleries for modern and contemporary art display selections from the permanent collection from the 1940s to the present.

SAAM’s collection of folk and self-taught art represents the powerful vision of America’s untrained and vernacular artists.

The Smithsonian American Art Museum's galleries for 18th to early 20th century art display selections from the permanent collection that offer insights into the rich artistic and cultural history of the United States.

Look into America in the 1930s, a heady time when the country’s artists captured the beauty of the landscape, the industry of America’s working people, and a sense of community shared in towns large and small despite the Great Depression.