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.
June 2021 Programs
Viewfinder Virtual Film Series: Chitra Ganesh on Dreaming and Refusal
Thursday, June 3, 5:30 p.m. ET
Join the Smithsonian American Art Museum for a virtual film screening featuring the work of artistic duo Girl. Made up of the Brooklyn-based artists Chitra Ganesh and Simone Leigh, Girl created the collaborative video My Dreams, My Works Must Wait Till After Hell (7:14 mins., 2011). Set to a haunting score of Japanese flutes and drums, viewers observe the unclothed back of a Black woman. Turned away, the woman’s body represents both vulnerability and a declaration of strength and refusal to be available to desiring or oppressive eyes. After this mesmerizing screening, Ganesh is joined by Saisha Grayson time-based media curator at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, to discuss how this work asserts and protects the right to the complex, concealed inner lives for women of color and constitutes a queer, feminist response to centuries of the female nude depicted in Western art history.
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 upcoming events in this screening series.
Location: Online
Tickets: Free | Registration Required via Zoom
Event Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_aOyKnrzZSk-eQA498Dpb9Q
Virtual Drag Queen Story Time with Ruth Allen Ginsburg
Saturday, June 5, 10 a.m. ET
Join the Smithsonian American Art Museum online for our annual Pride festivities and celebrate inclusivity and love for all. Enjoy a lively storytime performance with beloved DC drag queen Ruth Allen Ginsburg. Ruth brings fun for the whole family as she reads classic nursery rhymes and tales for children. Then, continue the party by checking out craft activities, coloring pages, video performances, and more on our Pride Family Zone.
Media sponsorship provided by the Washington Blade.
Location: Online
Tickets: Free | Registration Required via Eventbrite
Event Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-drag-queen-story-time-with-ruth-allen-ginsburg-tickets-149719652511?aff=DragQueenStoryThirdParty
Art Signs Online: Artful Conversations in ASL
Thursday, June 10, 5:30 p.m. ET
Curious about American art? Join us for a 30-minute gallery conversation about selected works from the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s collection. This program is presented in American Sign Language (ASL) with voice interpretation for participants who are deaf or hard of hearing. Zoom link provided via email upon registration.
Location: Online
Tickets: Free | Registration Required via Eventbrite
Event Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/art-signs-online-an-artful-conversation-in-asl-tickets-148374418881?aff=ArtSignsThirdPartyJune10
New Writings in American Art: Virtual Conversation with Mary Anne Goley
Wednesday, June 16, 7 p.m. ET
Join the Smithsonian American Art Museum for a virtual conversation featuring author and art historian Mary Anne Goley. Learn more about Goley’s most recent publication Democracy’s Medici: The Federal Reserve and the Art of Collecting (2020). This program is part of SAAM’s ongoing series New Writings in American Art, highlighting new scholarship and publications in the field of American art. Goley was the founding director of the Fine Arts Program of the Federal Reserve Board (1975–2006). She led a fifteen-member advisory panel and liaised with Federal Reserve board members and the thirty-six system-wide bank presidents and their directors advising on art policy. She has authored John White Alexander: An American Artist in the Gilded Age (2018) and Style & Grace: Masterworks of American Art from the Collection of Michael A. and Marilyn L. Mennello (2012) and contributes to numerous publications, including Apollo: The International Art Magazine, among others.
Location: Online
Tickets: Free | Registration Required via Eventbrite
Event Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-writings-in-american-art-virtual-conversation-with-mary-anne-goley-tickets-149956330421?aff=ConversationMAGoleyThirdParty
Virtual Drag Queen Art Bingo Night
Friday, June 18, 7 p.m. ET
Celebrate Pride with the Smithsonian American Art Museum and DC drag diva KC B. Yoncé. Grab your favorite festive beverage and join us for a lively evening of drag bingo, American art, and more. Register now and request 1 to 4 printable bingo cards featuring artworks by American artists who are part of the LGBTQ+ community. We will host two rounds of bingo during this program. Tickets available starting June 1. Space is limited.
DC-area registrants are eligible to get 10% off Red Bear Brewing’s official 2021 Pride Helles lager, Smash Me With A House. This offer is available for pick up only while supplies last. Must be 21+ with proper ID and show SAAM coupon to Red Bear Brewing staff to apply the discount. Offer void after 6/18/2021.
Location: Online
Tickets: Free | Registration Required via Eventbrite
Event Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-drag-queen-art-bingo-night-tickets-156240971953?aff=BingoThirdParty
Podcast Release: Luce Listening Party with Hometown Sounds and Wes Felton
Friday, June 25
Luce Unplugged has gone digital! SAAM’s Luce Foundation Center has teamed up with Paul Vodra and Anthony Porecco of local music podcast Hometown Sounds to feature music and conversations from DC artists. Tune in for an episode featuring?legendary DC singer, actor, and emcee Wes Felton. Felton’s many talents and varied career have earned him national acclaim and a special place in the history of his hometown.
Listen to this episode and subscribe to the Hometown Sounds podcast now!
Event Link: https://americanart.si.edu/events/podcast-release-luce-listening-party-hometown-sounds-and-wes-felton-june-25-2021
Beyond the Studio Virtual Workshop: Macramé with Sterling Rhyne
Sunday, June 27, 1–2 p.m. ET
Venture beyond the studio with fiber artist Sterling Rhyne, of Cactus Lady Creation, in a virtual crafting workshop. During this engaging Zoom, learn about fiber art and try your hand at learning the basics of macramé, a form of textile produced using intricate knotting techniques. Please note that space is limited for this program. Tickets include the cost of materials needed for the activity, instructions, and postage. Participants must register by 7p.m. ET on June 6.
Materials kit includes:
- 10–12” dowel
- 5mm macramé cord
- S hooks
- Small accent features: beads and yarn
- Soft measuring tape
- Fiber comb
- Blunt tapestry needle
- Basic macramé instructions
Note: Participants will need to provide their own scissors and masking tape.
Location: Online
Tickets: $15 Materials fee | Registration required via Eventbrite
Event Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/beyond-the-studio-virtual-workshop-with-sterling-rhyne-registration-149792849445
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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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