Welcome to the Smithsonian American Art Museum and its Renwick Gallery
Explore the sweep of four centuries of the the American imagination at the nation's flagship museum for American art and craft. Dive into inspiring artworks, special exhibitions, and the reimagined collection — American Voices and Visions: Modern and Contemporary Art. Experience our offerings both online and in person at our two locations, including national educational programs, innovative research, video interviews with artists, virtual artist studio tours, lectures, and more. Admission is always free.
Featured Exhibitions
May 31, 2024–January 5, 2025
The artists in Subversive, Skilled, Sublime: Fiber Art by Women mastered and subverted the everyday materials of cotton, felt, and wool to create deeply personal artworks.
March 28, 2024–August 26, 2024
Explore the creative practice of Amish quilters in the United States.
March 8, 2024–September 10, 2024
William H. Johnson's Fighters for Freedom series from the mid-1940s is a tribute to African American activists, scientists, teachers, and performers as well as international leaders working to bring peace to the world.
December 8, 2023 — December 6, 2026
A presentation of Isaac Julien’s tour de force moving image installation that interweaves period reenactments across five screens to create a vivid picture of nineteenth-century activist, writer, orator, and philosopher Frederick Douglass.
September 22, 2023 — July 7, 2024
This focused exhibition pairs two projects by Carrie Mae Weems—a major multimedia installation and a series of photographs—that revisit moments from history.
September 15, 2023–August 4, 2024
The exhibition Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas provides an intimate view of Alma Thomas’ evolving artistic practices during her most prolific period from 1959 to her death in 1978.
Audio Guides
Experience the Museum Your Way
Smartify's free personalized tours are tailored to your interests and the time you have available. Simply answer a couple of quick questions and we'll hand pick a collection of unmissable objects and captivating stories just for you.
Featured Stories
Laura Aguilar challenged accepted standards of beauty and represented the LGBTQ+ community, becoming one of the most influential Chicana photographers of her generation.
Howard Kaplan
Writer
Docent Phoebe Kline began at SAAM in 1974 and she's still going strong.
Howard Kaplan
Writer
From the Director04/08/2024
More visitors and new exhibitions highlight a season of change.
Stephanie Stebich
The Margaret and Terry Stent Director, Smithsonian American Art Museum and Renwick Gallery
Featured Video
"Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas" Introduction
Pattern and vibrant color come to life in the work of groundbreaking artist and educator Alma Thomas. SAAM holds the largest public collection of Thomas's works in the world and the exhibition features many of the pieces from her most prolific period.
“Fighters for Freedom: William H. Johnson Picturing Justice” Introduction
Explore William H. Johnson’s remarkable "Fighters for Freedom" series, which he painted in the mid-1940s as a tribute to African American activists, scientists, teachers, and performers as well as international leaders working to bring peace to the world.
Meet the Artist: Carrie Mae Weems
Artist Carrie Mae Weems contemplates the ideas we carry throughout our lives, how she grapples with injustice, and the resolve and compassion she is bringing to her next phase in life and as an artist.