Media Advisory — Press Preview for Two Exhibitions That Examine How the Vietnam War Changed America and American Art
WHAT:
Press preview for exhibitions “Artists Respond: American Art and the Vietnam War, 1965-1975" and "Tiffany Chung: Vietnam, Past is Prologue”
WHEN:
Thursday, March 14
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sign-in: 10 a.m.
Remarks: 11 a.m.
WHERE:
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Enter at Eighth and G streets N.W.
WHO:
Stephanie Stebich, The Margaret and Terry Stent Director, Smithsonian American Art Museum
Melissa Ho, curator of 20th-century art, Smithsonian American Art Museum
Sarah Newman, The James Dicke Curator of Contemporary Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum
Tiffany Chung, artist
This spring, the Smithsonian American Art Museum presents two exhibitions that probe how American art and America today were shaped by Vietnam. “Artists Respond: American Art and the Vietnam War, 1965–1975” examines how the Vietnam War changed American Art. The exhibition brings together nearly 100 works by 58 of the most visionary and provocative artists of the period to make vivid an era in which artists endeavored to respond to the turbulent times and openly questioned issues central to American civic life. It is organized by Melissa Ho, curator of 20th-century art.
“Tiffany Chung: Vietnam, Past Is Prologue” probes the legacies of the Vietnam War and its aftermath through maps, videos and paintings that highlight the voices and stories of former Vietnamese refugees. The exhibition includes new work commissioned by the museum. It is organized by Sarah Newman, the James Dicke Curator of Contemporary Art.
“Artists Respond: American Art and the Vietnam War, 1965–1975” will be open to press from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; “Tiffany Chung: Vietnam, Past Is Prologue” will be open to press from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Information about the exhibitions is available in online press kits at americanart.si.edu/press/kits.
Interested media should RSVP to americanartpressoffice@si.edu. Photographers and film crews are welcome; contact the office in advance to make arrangements. Requests for one-on-one interviews may be made in advance with Laura Baptiste by email at baptistel@si.edu.
About the Smithsonian American Art Museum and its Renwick Gallery
The Smithsonian American Art Museum is the flagship museum in the United States for American art and craft. It is home to one of the most significant and inclusive collections of American art in the world. The museum’s main building, located at Eighth and G streets N.W., is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. The museum’s Renwick Gallery, a branch museum dedicated to contemporary craft, is located on Pennsylvania Avenue at 17th Street N.W. and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Check online for current hours and admission information. Admission is free. Follow the museum on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. Smithsonian information: (202) 633-1000. Museum information (recorded): (202) 633-7970. Website: americanart.si.edu.
