What role do textiles play in our lives, and in the history of modern art? In conjunction with Woven Histories: Textiles and Modern Abstraction, join us for a conversation with exhibition artists Harmony Hammond and Ulrike Müller, moderated by exhibition curator Lynne Cooke. Woven Histories explores the intersections between textile and abstract art, from the […]

Explore the colorful vision of the painter Alma Thomas with Melissa Ho, curator of twentieth-century art at SAAM. Ho examines the artist’s favored themes of “Space”, “Earth” and “Music” featured in the exhibition. Participants will learn about Thomas’s vital role in the history of modern art in Washington DC, her relationship with the Smithsonian American […]

We are honored and grateful to welcome the Washington Bach Consort back to our stage after over thirty years with a graceful mix of vocal and instrumental music of the Baroque period. Led by Artistic Director Dana Marsh and featuring their star soprano Amy Broadbent, the Consort brings a program centered around solo cantatas by […]

Coolest Place in DC -Booking.com Top 5 historic venues to explore - in the world! -Smithsonian.com Available for Girl Scouts ONLY: Join fellow Girl Scout associations, service units, troops, families, and alumni for a Hidden Gems & Secret Door Hunt for Girl Scout Day! Find your way through secret doors and covert passages to a […]

Join us for a post-screening discussion with filmmaker Isabelle Carbonell, in person. A Mirror of the Cosmos explores how the Mar Menor lagoon, a beachside paradise located in southeastern Spain, is being pushed to the brink of extinction by the climate crisis. Opening with a conversation between the moon and the sea, the documentary explores […]

Join SAAM’s research fellows for this lunchtime series of gallery talks as they share new discoveries about artworks on view. Learn the stories behind these objects and how each one tells us about an ever-changing culture in the United States. Sonja Gandert, Smithsonian Institution Predoctoral Fellow, discusses Melesio Casas’ Humanscape 62. Free Smithsonian American Art […]

Gallerist, curator, and art advisor Myrtis Bedolla brings her popular "Tea with Myrtis" event to SAAM. The series is inspired by a deep appreciation for the transformative power of art and a desire to create a space where meaningful conversations about contemporary art can thrive. A passionate leader and champion of promoting and collecting African […]

This documentary essay by Dyanna Taylor, granddaughter of Dorothea Lange, blends journals, letters, private discussions, home movies, and – of course – photographs, to create a compelling account of the famous American photographer’s complicated history. Constructed over a period of eight years, Grab a Hunk of Lightning is a personal celebration of one of America’s […]