Fill your soul with art at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Experience the powerful art on view in our current exhibitions, then relax in the beautifully decorated Kogod Courtyard. It’s the perfect place to meet a friend for coffee, explore with family, or just take a break for yourself.

Pictures of Belonging: Miki Hayakawa, Hisako Hibi, and Miné Okubo
On view through August 17, 2025

Pictures of Belonging is an unprecedented exploration of three trailblazing Japanese American women artists of the mid-20th century who, until now, have been excluded from the story of modernism in the United States. The acclaimed careers of Miki Hayakawa (1899-1953), Hisako Hibi (1907-1991), and Miné Okubo (1912-2001) spanned eight decades and four U.S. states. By tracing their artistic development before, during, and after World War II, the exhibition offers a nuanced view of how these women continued to explore and experiment with new artistic expression throughout their lives. Learn about Pictures of Belonging: Miki Hayakawa, Hisako Hibi, and Miné Okubo.

The Shape of Power: Stories of Race and American Sculpture
On view through September 14, 2025

SAAM’s groundbreaking exhibition, featuring 82 artworks created between 1792 and 2023, examines for the first time the ways in which sculpture has shaped and reflected attitudes and understandings about race in the United States. Learn about The Shape of Power: Stories of Race and American Sculpture.

Tuan Andrew Nguyen: The Island
On view through June 8, 2025

Artist Tuan Andrew Nguyen creates multimedia installations that blend fact, memory, myth, and mysticism and use lush imagery to draw out these entanglements. While this history is ever present in Nguyen’s video, he sets The Island in an imagined future. By digging deep into archives and collaborating with communities, Nguyen’s projects weave together many voices to reveal other truths about — and strategies of repair from — colonial violence. Learn about Tuan Andrew Nguyen: The Island.

Glenn Kaino: Bridge
Ongoing

Glenn Kaino’s powerful aerial sculpture Bridge, suspended from the ceiling of SAAM’s Luce Foundation Center, evokes the ways that even small acts can ripple through time and alter the course of history. Learn about Glenn Kaino: Bridge.

Closing Soon!

Subversive, Skilled, Sublime: Fiber Art by Women
On view through January 5, 2025

The artists in Subversive, Skilled, Sublime: Fiber Art by Women mastered and subverted the everyday materials of cotton, felt, and wool to create deeply personal artworks. This exhibition presents an alternative history of twentieth-century American art by showcasing the work of artists such as Emma Amos, Sheila Hicks, and Faith Ringgold, who, stitch by stitch, utilized fiber materials to express their personal stories and create resonant and intricate artworks. An audio program highlights ten compelling backstories that are woven into the exhibition.  Learn about Subversive, Skilled, Sublime: Fiber Art by Women.

Contemporary Craft at the Renwick Gallery
On view through June 8, 2025

SAAM’s branch location for contemporary craft, the Renwick Gallery, showcases the dynamic landscape of American craft today. Currently on view are more than 100 works in a range of mediums from fiber and ceramics to glass, metal, wood, and mixed media. These objects deepen the history of the studio craft movement while also introducing contemporary artworks that push the boundaries of what we interpret the handmade to be in the twenty-first century. Learn about Contemporary Craft at the Renwick Gallery.

The Smithsonian American Art Museum is able to create and share experiences like these thanks to funding from generous supporters like you.

Thank you for ensuring that American art is available to all. Donate to support SAAM.