Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery

Name: Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery
Address: 800 G Street NW, Washington D.C., DC, 20004, US
Telephone: +12026331000
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Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery

SAAM and its branch museum, the Renwick Gallery, celebrate the extraordinary creativity of artists whose works reflect the American experience.
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The Smithsonian American Art Museum, the nation's first collection of American art, is an unparalleled record of the American experience from the colonial period to today. The Renwick Gallery, a branch of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, features one of the finest collections of American craft in the United States. Welcome to our page! Please feel free to share thoughts about our post

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08/08/2026

Send this to someone who needs to be judged by a cat. 🐈

International Cat Day falling on a Saturday is a recipe for the most iconic Caturday ever.

Paul Wayland Bartlett created many sculptures of animals during his early career in France. He studied the menagerie of wild creatures at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris and modeled sculptures of domestic animals such as cats, dogs, and goats. He often focused on facial expressions to capture the animal’s emotion.

Images:
Paul Wayland Bartlett, “Head of a Cat,” modeled ca. 1877-1880, bronze, 5 x 4 1⁄8 x 4 1⁄2 in. (12.7 x 10.4 x 11.4 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum

08/07/2026

Looking at these baskets in SAAM’s collection with fresh eyes. 🧺 😍

Whether made of willow, oak, pine needles, palmetto fronds or other natural materials, find the basket of your dreams at the link in our bio.

Images:
1 - Marian John, “Wastebasket,” ca. 1975, longleaf pine needles and raffia, Smithsonian American Art Museum
2 - Owen Rein, “Round Bottom Basket with Lid and Handle,” 2010, white oak, Smithsonian American Art Museum
3 - Elizabeth F. Kinlaw, “In and Out Basket,” 1991, bulrush, sweetgrass, palmetto fronds, and pine needles, Smithsonian American Art Museum
4 - Irene Ames, “Feather Basket,” 2008, brown ash, Smithsonian American Art Museum
5 - Katherine Lewis, “Irish Potato Basket,” 2011, willow, Smithsonian American Art Museum
6 - Jennifer Heller Zurick, “Basket #619,” 2005, black willow bark, Smithsonian American Art Museum
7 - Jo Campbell-Amsler, “Sharing Basket,” 2011, willow, Smithsonian American Art Museum
8 - Mark Kolinski, “Ribbed Banana Basket,” 2005, white oak, Smithsonian American Art Museum
9 - Estel Youngblood, “Tennessee Egg Basket,” 1985, white oak, Smithsonian American Art Museum
10 - Rose Cree, “Lidded Carrying Basket,” 1992, ash, willow, and leather, Smithsonian American Art Museum

08/05/2026

Every quilt and textile has its own personality—which one best represents yours?

From vibrant patchwork grids and classic checkerboard patterns to bold geometric designs and detailed embroidery, each of these textiles featured in “State Fairs: Growing American Craft” showcases a different approach to color, craft, and creativity.
Are you structured and serious? Colorful and eclectic? Traditional and comforting? Share your number in the comments!

With more than 240 artworks on view, “State Fairs: Growing American Craft” is the first exhibition dedicated to artists’ contributions to the great U.S. tradition of state fairs. Now on view at the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery through September 7. Plan your visit at the link in our bio.

Credits:
1 - Debra Wykert, “Temperature Quilt—Wonky Weather,” 2023, Cotton. Courtesy of Debra Wykert.
2 - Bertha Neiden, “Medallion Quilt,” 1909–14, Machine-pieced wool suiting, serge, and gabardine. Courtesy of International Quilt Museum.
3 - Ernest Haight, ”Large Cross,” ca. 1970, Broadcloth and muslin. Courtesy of International Quilt Museum, Gift of Darlene and Elmer Haight.
4 - Ruth Ellen Klug, “Blue-Ribbon Afghan,” 2001, Acrylic yarn. Courtesy of the Klug family.
5 - Great Lakes African American Quilters' Network, “A Tribute to the Red, White, and Blue,” 2024, Machine-stitched cotton. Courtesy of the Great Lakes African American Quilters' Network.
6 - Susie Brandt, 4-H clubs, “4-H Interaction of Color Log Cabin Quilt,” 2025. Cotton Courtesy of Susie Brandt.
7 - Elda Strahm, “Broken Star Quilt,” 1931, Flour and feed sacks. Courtesy of Wisconsin Historical Society.
8 - Susie Brandt, 4-H clubs, “4-H Interaction of Color String Quilt,” 2025 Cotton Courtesy of Susie Brandt.
9 - Carol St. Clair Johnson, “O Fair New Mexico—41 Fair Years,” 2023, Satin ribbons. Courtesy of Carol St. Clair Johnson.

08/04/2026

Fill in the blank: Seeking a solitary summer _____.

a) sojourn
b) serenade
c) siesta
d) snack
e) sunset

Images:
a) Childe Hassam, “The South Ledges, Appledore,” 1913, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum
b) Kate Clifton Osgood Holmes, “Summer,” 1903, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum
c) Winslow Homer, “The Robin’s Note, from Every Saturday, An Illustrated Journal of Choice Reading, August 20, 1870,” 1870, wood engraving on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum
d) Howard Cook, “Summer Vegetables,” 1930, aquatint and etching on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum
e) Edward Mitchell Bannister, “Sunset,” 1883, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum

07/30/2026

Luis Jiménez was born on this day in 1940. “Vaquero,” a familiar sight to SAAM visitors, is one of his most celebrated works.

In “Vaquero,” he wanted to update the traditional equestrian statue. In the composition, horse and rider are inseparable. The sculpture is constructed of fiberglass, a material that Jiménez used frequently, as he recalled, “I had been working with fiberglass on cars, and at one point, I thought, I could adapt this material to making sculpture.” The bright colors and glossy finish recall movie marquees, a reminder of how much movies have influenced what we know about the cowboy figure.

Images:
Luis Jiménez, “Vaquero,” modeled 1980/cast 1990, acrylic urethane, fiberglass, steel armature, 199 x 114 x 67 in., Smithsonian American Art Museum

07/28/2026

Today we remember artist Betye Saar, who died on Saturday at the age of 99.

Inspired in part by childhood visits to Los Angeles, where she watched the Watts Towers take shape from broken glass, bottle tops, and other discarded materials, Saar came to art later in life after studying printmaking and graphic design. Beginning with color etchings, she later turned to assemblage, drawing on African and Oceanic myths, mysticism, and the occult. The death of Martin Luther King, Jr. marked a shift in her work, while later assemblages incorporated photographs, lace, and other memorabilia to reflect on memory, identity, and personal symbolism.

In speaking of her own work, Saar had said, “I am intrigued with combining the remnant of memories, fragments of relics and ordinary objects, with the components of technology. It’s a way of delving into the past and reaching into the future simultaneously.”

Betye Saar, who was born in Los Angeles in 1926, created this artwork, “Wishing for Winter,” in 1989. It is a mixed-media assemblage: a window with its hinges is divided into five sections, four small forming a quadrant, and one large of equal size. It is filled with summer detritus: feathers and bird wings, one glove, a belt buckle, a small book, and a few keys. There’s an old photo, too, faded beyond recognition. It may evoke to the viewer a trip to the family summer house, of wandering through the attic when you come upon an old trunk, filled with keepsakes, mementoes, and hopefully a treasure or two.

In 1970, Saar participated in a group show at Gallery 32, “Sapphire Show: You’ve Come a Long Way Baby,” which may be the first survey exhibition of Black women artists in the United States. Saar’s work is in the Smithsonian collections including National Portrait Gallery USA, SAAM, Smithsonian's Archives of American Art, and Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, a reflection of her influence.

Image credits:
Michele Mattei, “Betye Saar, 2012 (printed 2018). Inkjet print. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution. © 2003 Michele Mattei.

Betye Saar, “Wishing for Winter,” 1989, mixed media: pine, glass, fabric, iron, chicken wire, staples, keys, belt buckle, hinge, window catch, pin, change purse, glove, book, wallpaper, vegetable fibers, feathers, and butterfly wing fragments, etc., 40 3⁄4 x 19 1⁄4 x 2 1⁄4 in., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1994.40, © 1989, Betye Saar

Betye Saar, “It's Only a Matter of Time,” 1974, plastic, paper, wood, metal, decal, photomechanical reproduction, watermelon seeds, paint, and plywood, 15 5/8 × 12 1/8 × 1 1/4 in., The Joseph H. Hirshhorn Bequest, 1981, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, 86.4105

Betye Saar, “The Birds and the Beasts Were There,” 1976, velvet, silk, cord, feathers, cameo, paper, metal, coral, wood, plastic, and glass, 14 5/8 × 10 5/8 × 1 1/2 in. (37.2 × 27 × 3.8 cm), The Joseph H. Hirshhorn Bequest, 1981, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, 86.4103

Gallery 32 (Los Angeles, Ca.), Exhibition announcement for “Sapphire Show, you've come a long way baby,” 1970. Ankrum Gallery records. Archives of American Art.

07/24/2026

Leo season is here, and we’re ready to roar. ♌ 🦁

Associated with the sun, Leos are known for their confidence, creativity, warmth, and flair for the spotlight. From a small bronze sculpture that may have been a study for the iconic lions that flank the entrance of the Art Institute of Chicago to Paul Manship’s Leo zodiac medal, these stars from SAAM’s collection are radiating courage, charisma, and main-character energy. Which lion are you channeling this season?

Credits:
1 - Edward Kemeys, “Lion,” ca. 1893, bronze, 8 3⁄4 x 12 x 3 in., Smithsonian American Art Museum
2 - Paul Manship, “Leo, from the Zodiac Series,” 1946, bronze, 6 in. (15.3 cm) diam., Smithsonian American Art Museum
3 - Unidentified, “Lion Head,” ca. 1868, cast iron, Smithsonian American Art Museum
4 - Unidentified (American), “Hooked Rug with Lion,” ca. 1860, wool yarn on burlap, 26 x 48 1⁄2 in. irregular, Smithsonian American Art Museum
5 - Unidentified, “Bottlecap Lion,” completed after 1966, carved and painted assemblage, bottlecaps, flashcube, fiberboard, and plastic, 29 1⁄4 x 49 1⁄2 x 15 in., Smithsonian American Art Museum

07/19/2026

Just a few favorite SAAM things that we think are worth it...

1: Enjoying a peaceful lunch alone, catching up with friends, or just watching the busy weekend scene in Kogod Courtyard at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery USA

2: Chilling with this butter beauty. (Do we need to explain why a moo-ment with the butter cow sculpture at the Renwick Gallery is worth it?)

3: Introducing someone to Nam June Paik’s “Electronic Superhighway: Continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii” (1995) for the first time

4: Exploring SAAM’s visible storage, especially climbing to the top level to admire the architecture and looking at Glenn Kaino’s ”Bridge” (2013-2014) from a different perspective

5: Experiencing the creative world of gaming at SAAM Arcade, a day-long celebration of video games as an artistic medium that expands the way we tell and experience stories.

Do you agree? Anything we missed?

07/17/2026

Spoiler Alert: The Odyssey 🐖 🐖 🐖 🐖 🐖

It’s hard to spoil a 3000-year-old story, but yes, Circe turned Odysseus’ soldiers into pigs. (Don’t worry, he saves them. He is a hero, after all.)

Paul Manship created many sculptures of mythical characters and often chose to illustrate a particular moment in a legend rather than a general theme or symbol. This sculpture shows a scene from The Odyssey. When Odysseus (Ulysses is the Roman name for the mythical hero) and his men stopped at an island in search of food, the sorceress Circe captured the crew and turned them into pigs. Odysseus saved his sailors with the help of a special herb that countered Circe’s magic. Manship chose not to show the hero Odysseus and instead depicted Circe surrounded by the sailors-turned-pigs.

Images:
Paul Manship, “Circe Enchants Ulysses’ Sailors,” 1957, bronze on wood base, 5 1⁄2 x 6 1⁄2 in. diam., Smithsonian American Art Museum

07/13/2026

Step right up to the first major exhibition to survey American state fairs’ extraordinary and unconventional crafts from the nineteenth century to the present! “State Fairs: Growing American Craft” includes exceptional examples of American craft, highlighting personal stories and regional and cultural traditions. Each gallery considers personal stories of craft found in different areas of the fairgrounds, from the art exhibits and heritage villages to the parades, dairy barns, and rodeos.

“State Fairs: Growing American Craft” is the first major exhibition dedicated to artists’ contributions to the great U.S. tradition of state fairs. On view at SAAM’s Renwick Gallery through September 7, 2026.

Video description:
A camera slowly pans over museum galleries showcasing objects including a dress made of butter cartons, quilts, jars of preserves, a larger-than-life cowboy boot, carved wooden birds and fish, a room adorned with large corn cobs made of green and yellow mylar, and more. Text at the end reads: State Fairs Growing American Craft on view through Sept. 7, 2026 at the Renwick Gallery

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Telephone

+12026331000

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