Virtual American Art Programs at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and Renwick Gallery in Washington DC
We have moved our public programming online! Enjoy American Art programs from the safety of home. Please note all programs are offered exclusively online with no in-person option. Registration is required via Eventbrite.
Programs are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.
December 2021 Programs
Virtual Handi-hour
Wednesday, December 1, 7 p.m. ET
It’s that time of year when thoughts turn to relaxing with a warm beverage and your very own handcrafted lavender eye pillow. Enjoy a guided virtual crafting workshop on how to sew an eye pillow filled with lavender for a spa-like experience at home. Gloria Kenyon, acting head of public programs at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, will guide you step by step. No sewing machine is needed, just a needle, thread, dried lavender, and a soft fabric. A complete supply list will be provided upon registration.
Location: Online
Tickets: Free | Registration Required via Eventbrite
Event Link
Viewfinder Virtual Screening: Ana Mendieta on the Body and Landscape
Thursday, December 2, at 5:30 p.m. ET
Join curators from across the Smithsonian for a virtual screening and engaging conversation about the work of celebrated artist Ana Mendieta. Considered one of the most original and talented artists of the postwar era, Mendieta produced a stunning body of work that draws together the most important innovations of her moment, including land art, film, performance, intersectional feminism, and presciently foregrounding issues of identity, translocations, and ecology. This program presents, for the first time, all of Mendieta’s films that are in Smithsonian collections, including Sweating Blood (1973), Mirage (1974), Untitled (Blood and Feathers #2) (1974), and Corazón de Roca con Sangre (Rock Heart With Blood) (1975).
Following this special screening, Raquel Cecilia, Mendieta’s niece and director of the forthcoming documentary Rebel by Nature: The Life & Art of Ana Mendieta joins Saisha Grayson, curator of time-based media at the Smithsonian American Art Museum; Charlotte Ickes, curator of time-based media and special projects at the National Portrait Gallery; and Marina Isgro, associate curator of media and performance art at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden to discuss how Mendieta’s films engage with natural and social environments.
This program is part of Viewfinder: Women’s Film and Video from the Smithsonian, a monthly virtual film screening and conversation series sponsored by the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative, Because of Her Story. Visit womenshistory.si.edu for more information about this series and to watch archived videos of past Viewfinder conversations.
Location: Online
Tickets: Free | Registration Required via Zoom
Event Link
Virtual Nutcracker Family Celebration
Saturday, December 4, 10 a.m. ET
Celebrate the magical winter wonderland of The Nutcracker with the Smithsonian American Art Museum and The Washington Ballet! This virtual ballet experience is designed for fun at home with the whole family. Join former Radio City Rockette DeMoya Watson Brown for a story time reading of this beloved holiday classic. Follow along with Clara, her Nutcracker Prince, and the Sugar Plum Fairy on their remarkable adventures. Then let’s jeté into an interactive ballet masterclass led by The Washington Ballet School instructor Margaret Williamson. Set to Tchaikovsky’s magical score, learn more about how this classical ballet has become a beloved annual tradition across the nation. This free virtual class is designed for both adults and children and will be sure to get you into the festive spirit.
Location: Online
Tickets: Free | Registration Required via Eventbrite
Event Link
Art & Me Virtual Preservation Family Workshop: Bundle Up
Saturday, December 4, 10–10:45 a.m. ET
As temperatures drop outside, bundle up and join the Smithsonian’s team of art conservators for a virtual workshop to learn about textiles. Grab your favorite blanket?as we explore artworks that keep us warm and see how conservators preserve and protect these textiles.?Then make your own cozy creations and discover how to store them safely all winter long.
This hands-on, art-making preservation workshop is designed for children ages three to eight and their caretakers. The program is cohosted by the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art.
Register now! One registration per family. 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 Zoom
Event Link
Virtual Glassmaking Demonstration with Megan Stelljes
Friday, December 10, 7 p.m. ET
Join Megan Stelljes, one of the featured artists in New Glass Now, on view at SAAM’s Renwick Gallery, for a behind-the-scenes look at how glass and neon artworks are made. This exciting virtual studio visit and artmaking demonstration will take place at the state-of-the-art hot shop at The Corning Museum of Glass. Learn how Stelljes creates edgy and provocative neon and sculpted glasswork. Enjoy this rare up-close-and-personal look at how glasswork is made and participate in an interactive question and answer session with Stelljes, Mary Savig, the Lloyd Herman Curator of Craft at SAAM’s Renwick Gallery, and staff from The Corning Museum of Glass.
Location: Online
Tickets: Free | Registration Required via Eventbrite
Event Link
Virtual America InSight: Verbal Description Tours
Thursday, December 16, 5:30 p.m. ET
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 collection through rich audio verbal descriptions that invoke a multisensory experience.
Location: Online
Tickets: Free | Registration Required via Eventbrite
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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