“Now more than ever, Tommie’s gesture deserves to be memorialized, and presented, and brought back to the public.”—Glenn Kaino, artist

One of the most memorable images from the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City is the symbolic act of protest by Tommie Smith, winner of the men’s 200-meter race. During the medal ceremony, Smith bowed his head and raised his fist as an assertion of Black solidarity in the fight for human rights. Decades later, artist Glenn Kaino collaborated with Smith to create the monumental sculpture Bridge (2013-2014). Thanks in part to the generosity of supporters like you, the Smithsonian American Art Museum was able to acquire Bridge in 2022. It opened to the public this summer in SAAM’s Luce Foundation Center.

Your gift to SAAM supports the acquisition of transformative artworks like Bridge and helps make important American art available for generations to come.

Kaino’s powerful aerial artwork is comprised of 200 golden arms, each a casting of the outstretched right arm of Tommie Smith. He created the work as part of an ongoing collaboration with Smith and as a reflection on the power of the athlete’s gesture about 50 years after it occurred. Nearly 100 feet long, the sculpture reaches both backward and forward, acting as bridge through time and space into the present. It serves as a monument to one person’s action and its aftermath, evoking the ways that even small acts can ripple through time and alter the course of history. 

As a non-profit, we rely on donations from generous supporters like you. Make your donation online by December 31 to be sure your gift counts for 2024. If you would like information on making a Donor Advised Fund or IRA gift, a corporate matching gift, or other ways to support SAAM before the end of the year, contact us at AmericanArtDevelopment@si.edu or 202-633-8420.