Smithsonian American Art Museum

This museum holds much art from the United States.

It has works from over 7,000 artists. You can see paintings and crafts here. One part of the museum is the Renwick Gallery. It shows special craft art.

You can even see how people fix art. This happens at the Lunder Center.

It has glass walls so you can watch. It is a very big place for art.

The Smithsonian American Art Museum is a grand place for art.

It is in Washington, D.C. The museum has art from over 7,000 artists. This collection shows the American experience. You can see many kinds of art. This includes paintings, jewelry, and photography. The museum even has the world's largest collection of New Deal art.

One special area is the Luce Foundation Center. It is a place where you can study art. It holds more than 3,300 objects in glass cases. You can see paintings and sculptures on shelves. Another part is the Renwick Gallery.

This building is near the White House. It focuses on design and crafts. You can also visit the Lunder Conservation Center.

It has glass walls. These walls let you watch experts fix art. They use special tools to keep the art safe. The museum also sends art on big tours. These tours help many people see the works. In 2022, over one million people visited the museum.

The Smithsonian American Art Museum is a huge home for creativity.

It is located in Washington, D.C. The museum holds a very large collection of art made in the United States. This collection includes works from the colonial period all the way to today. More than 7,000 different artists are represented in these halls. The museum wants to celebrate the American experience through art. It helps people understand and enjoy the skill of many creators.

Visiting the museum is a special way to see how art is kept safe. You can visit the Luce Foundation Center for American Art.

This center uses glass cases to show more than 3,300 objects. You might see paintings on screens or sculptures on shelves. There is also the Lunder Conservation Center. This place has glass walls so you can watch experts at work. These workers use special tools to fix and preserve art. They keep the temperature just right to protect the pieces.

The museum has a long and busy history. It began with the Smithsonian Institution in 1846. At first, leaders focused more on science than on art. A fire in 1865 destroyed much of the early collection. Later, the museum moved to the Old Patent Office Building. This building was shared with the National Portrait Gallery. In 1972, the museum opened the Renwick Gallery near the White House. This branch focuses on design and crafts.

Many interesting facts make this museum unique. The museum has the world's largest collection of New Deal art. It also holds works by famous artists like Georgia O'Keeffe and Edward Hopper. In 2022, the museum had 1,100,000 visitors. This made it the seventh most-visited museum in the United States. The museum also has seven online databases. These databases hold more than 500,000 records about art.

You can think of the museum as a bridge to the past. It connects us to how people lived and thought long ago. Even when the main building was closed for a big renovation, the art did not stay hidden. The museum sent works on a huge tour called "Treasures to Go." This helped people see the art even while the building was being fixed. The renovation cost $283 million and took six years. Now, the museum is a bright place for everyone to learn. It brings the stories of many artists to life for us all.

The Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) is a major institution located in Washington, D.C.

It is a part of the Smithsonian Institution. The museum holds one of the largest and most inclusive collections of American art in the world. This collection spans from the colonial period to the present day. SAAM represents more than 7,000 different artists. The museum aims to collect, understand, and enjoy American art. It celebrates the creativity of artists who reflect the American experience and global connections.

The museum operates through two distinct locations. The main building is the Old Patent Office Building. This historic structure is shared with the National Portrait Gallery. Together, they form the Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture.

The second location is the Renwick Gallery. This is a branch museum located on Pennsylvania Avenue near the White House.

While the main building hosts most exhibitions, the Renwick Gallery focuses specifically on design and contemporary craft. It even features paintings hung in a "salon style," which means they are placed side-by-side and one atop another.

Visitors can experience art through unique, specialized centers within the main building. The Luce Foundation Center for American Art is a visible art storage and study center. It occupies 20,400 square feet on the third and fourth floors. This center uses 64 secure glass cases to display more than 3,300 objects. This method quadruples the number of artworks from the permanent collection that the public can see. You might find paintings hung on screens, sculptures, or crafts by self-taught artists on shelves.

Another important feature is the Lunder Conservation Center. This is the first art conservation facility that allows the public to see preservation work behind the scenes. The center uses floor-to-ceiling glass walls so visitors can watch experts at work. There are five conservation laboratories and studios available for treating various items. These include paintings, prints, drawings, photographs, and sculptures. Staff members use specialized tools like hygrothermographs to maintain the exact temperature and humidity needed for preservation.

The history of the museum is tied to the founding of the Smithsonian Institution in 1846. An act of Congress originally called for the institution to include a "gallery of art." However, early leaders like Secretary Joseph Henry focused more on scientific research. A fire in 1865 destroyed much of the early art collection. The surviving pieces were loaned to other institutions for many years. In 1896, Congress provided money to build a fireproof room to bring the art back. The museum underwent many name changes, such as the National Gallery of Art and the National Collection of Fine Arts. In 1980, it became the National Museum of American Art to emphasize its focus on American creators.

A massive renovation took place to restore the museum's original elegance. The project began in January 2000 and lasted for six years. It cost a total of $283 million. During this time, the museum kept its collection accessible through a traveling series called "Treasures to Go." This was described as the largest museum tour in history. The renovation restored architectural features like porticos modeled after the Parthenon in Athens. It also added new spaces like the Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard. The museum and the National Portrait Gallery reopened on July 1, 2006.

The collection is incredibly diverse and significant. SAAM holds the world's largest collection of New Deal art. It also features American impressionist paintings and masterpieces from the Gilded Age. The museum includes works by famous artists such as Georgia O'Keeffe, Edward Hopper, and Winslow Homer. The collection covers many different subjects, including photography, jewelry, and modern folk art. It also highlights the work of African American and Latino artists. In 2022, the museum received 1,100,000 visitors, making it the seventh most-visited museum in the United States.

Beyond physical exhibits, the museum connects to broader research and education. It provides electronic resources to schools and the public through a national education program. The museum maintains seven online research databases. These databases contain more than 500,000 records. This includes the Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, which documents over 400,000 artworks worldwide. By combining historical preservation with modern digital tools, the museum ensures that American art remains a vital part of global culture.