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.
September 2023 Programs
Virtual Artist Conversation with Erica Lord and Maggie Thompson
September 7, 5:30 p.m. ET
Join Sharing Honors and Burdens: Renwick Invitational 2023 artists Erica Lord (Athabaskan/ Iñupiat) and Maggie Thompson (Fond du Lac Ojibwe) in conversation with guest curator, Lara Evans (Cherokee Nation). Thompson, a fiber artist and designer who derives inspiration from her Ojibwe heritage, explores family history and broader themes relating to her Native American experience in her work. Lord is a multimedia artist who crafts beaded burden straps and sled-dog blankets with abstracted representations of the diseases that disproportionately impact Native and other marginalized communities. They will discuss the importance of cultural identity and how it informs their creative practice.
Tickets: Free | Registration required
Location: Online
Event Link
Virtual and In-Person Lecture with Artist Cauleen Smith
Wednesday, September 13, 6:30 p.m. ET
Interdisciplinary artist Cauleen Smith kicks off the annual Clarice Smith Distinguished Lecture Series. Smith explores African American identity through her work, particularly in films such as Sojourner, featured in SAAM’s current exhibition Musical Thinking: New Video Art and Sonic Strategies. She describes her work as a reflection on “the everyday possibilities of the imagination,” drawing on poetry, Afrofuturism, science fiction, and tactics of experimental film to conjure alternative narratives and what the artist has called “a cornucopia of future histories.”
Tickets: Free | Registration required
Location: McEvoy Auditorium and YouTube
Event Link
Virtual Artist Conversation with Carrie Mae Weems
Wednesday, September 20, 6:30 p.m. ET
Don’t miss this amazing opportunity to hear from legendary artist Carrie Mae Weems, Described as an icon, national treasure, and genius, Weems is a moral compass in the field, entwining art and activism to address racism, sexism, classism, colonialism, and xenophobia. For four decades, Weems has been an inspiring force in American art, using photography, text, textile, video, film, installation, public art, and performance. Weems will be joined in conversation by Saisha Grayson, SAAM’s curator of time-based media, to explore her new exhibition Carrie Mae Weems: Looking Forward, Looking Back. She will discuss her career, key artworks, what inspires her to create, and SAAM’s new installation of her work Lincoln, Lonnie, and Me – A Story in 5 Parts.
Tickets: Free | Registration required
Location: Smithsonian American Art Museum, McEvoy Auditorium
Event Link
In-Person American Voices and Visions: Modern and Contemporary Art Open House
Friday, September 22, 12:30 – 5:15 p.m.
Explore the newly reimagined and reinstalled modern and contemporary art galleries, as well as a look at our special exhibitions, Many Wests: Artists Shape an American Idea and Musical Thinking: New Video Art and Sonic Strategies in an afternoon of gallery talks. SAAM’s curatorial and conservation staff will discuss the new artworks and spaces, which highlight many voices—including artists who identify as Asian American, Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and LGBTQ+—presenting a multifaceted view of art in the United States.
Tickets: Free | Registration required
Location: Smithsonian American Art Museum, G Street Lobby, Meet at information desk
Event Link
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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
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