Programs at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and Renwick Gallery

Virtual and In-Person Programs at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and Renwick Gallery in Washington DC

Join us for upcoming virtual and in-person programs. Enjoy American art no matter where you are. Please see each program listing for details; registration is required via Eventbrite.

Programs are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. 

November 2022 Programs

Beyond the Studio Virtual Workshop: Screen Printing with Beth Hansen
Sunday, Nov. 6, 1-2 p.m. EST 
Multimedia artist Beth Hansen of The Arcade leads a collaborative screen-printing workshop. Beth’s work focuses on experimenting and manipulating the surface of the print to create varied editions, Nathan that executing a replicable design. In this workshop, participants screen multiple prints from an original print by Beth, then use different materials and colors to make the print their own on paper and textiles.

Tickets include the cost of materials needed for the activity, instructions, and postage. Materials kits will be shipped to participants in advance of the program. Please note that space is limited for this program and registration is required. Participants must register by 7 p.m. ET on October 23.
Location: Online
Tickets: $15 | Registration required via Eventbrite
Event Link

Double Take Virtual Art Talk: Preserving Portraits of War 
Wednesday, Nov. 9, 1-2 p.m. EST 
The Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Double Take series brings Smithsonian specialists-from anthropologists and geologists to aeronautical engineers and historians-together to discuss artworks from SAAM’s collection. This special, virtual edition of Double Take highlights SAAM’s partnership with the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC).

In honor of Veterans Day, join Catherine Maynor, paper conservator at SAAM, and Ben Brands, historian at ABMC, in an exploration of art, service, and sacrifice. American art is an integral component of commemorating military service, and this session examines artist Claggett Wilson‘s watercolor paintings depicting his experiences as a combat marine in World War I.
Location: Online
Tickets: Free | Registration required via Eventbrite
Event Link

Virtual Program: America InSight Online: Verbal Description Tours
Thursday, Nov. 10, 5:30-6 p.m. EST 
Join the Smithsonian American Art Museum for a docent-led, virtual tour designed for participants who are blind or have low vision. Discover highlights from the museum’s collection through rich visual descriptions that invoke a multisensory experience.
Location: Online
Tickets: Free | Registration required via Eventbrite
Event Link

Virtual Teacher Workshop: Build SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) Skills 
Wednesday, Nov. 16, 4:15-5:45 EST 
How can artwork help us exercise our interpersonal skills?

People are all different. Our bodies, families, beliefs, abilities, and experiences vary, sometimes making communication difficult. Artwork can often communicate what we do not have the words for across cultures and differences. In this virtual workshop, practice multiple approaches and gain new differences. In this virtual workshop, practice multiple approaches and gain new resources for building mutual understanding and connecting with others.

A Zoom link and a list of suggested materials will be sent to registered participants 24-48 hours in advance of the workshop.
Location: Online
Tickets: Free | Registration required via Eventbrite
Event Link

In-Person and Virtual Program: Clarice Smith Distinguished Lectures in American Art: Julia Bryan-Wilson: Embellished Legacies
Wednesday, Nov. 16, 6:30 p.m. EST 
Scholar Julia Bryan-Wilson considers how women of color artists like Pacita Abad and Rosie Lee Tompkins have used embellishment as a strategy to blur the lines between function and decor. Her talk examines how these artists’ practice of intricately adorning domestic objects can expand our understanding of women’s work. Bryan-Wilson’s 2017 book Fray: Art and Textile Politics won prestigious works such as the ASAP Book Prize, the Frank Jewett Mather Award, and the Robert Motherwell Book Award. Her show “Louise Nevelson: Persistence” is an official collateral events of the 2022 Venice Biennale, and her monograph on Nevelson is forthcoming in 2023.
Location: In-Person and Online; SAAM’s McAvoy Auditorium and YouTube
Tickets: Free | Registration opened on September 1; registration required via Eventbrite
Event Link

In-Person Program: Art Bites Gallery Talk
Friday, Nov. 18, 12:15-1 p.m. EST 
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 America’s ever-changing culture. Fellow Amy E. Crum discusses Margarita Cabrera‘s White Coffee Maker (2011).
Location: In-Person; Meet in Renwick Gallery Lobby
Tickets: Free

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For more information on this museum, visit our Smithsonian American Art Museum page.

Event listings are provided by the Smithsonian American Art Museum and Renwick Gallery