About
Located above the Metrorail station, the Smithsonian Art Museum is a treat for all the art lovers in Washington DC.
This museum has its history dated back to 1829 when a modest collection was established here. The museum along with Renwick Gallery holds one of the world’s largest collection of art dating back to the colonial period. The museum features art from early American era, contemporary art, art by African Americans, Contemporary craft and decorative art, folk art, latino art, photography, sculpture and many more. It also has plenty of art works by female painters. You can also check other female painters to look out for in DC.
Architecture
The Smithsonian Museum of Art is built stunningly with a blend of modern and ancient architectural styles. The museum consists of following buildings in its premises:
- Kogod Courtyard: A significant part of the renovated National Historic Landmark Building
- Luce Foundation Center: First art storage and study center in Washington DC
- Lunder Conservation Center: Has five different laboratories and studios
Exhibitions
Current Exhibitions In The Museum Are:
- Between Worlds: The art of Bill Taylor (September 28, 2018- March 17, 2019). Regarded as one of the most important American artists today, Bill Taylor through his work offers a unique perspective of a larger America. His previous works include imageries of black and white, new and old, and rural and urban.
- Trevor Paglen: Sites Unseen (June 2, 20181-January 6, 2019). Trevor Pagle through his art shows us unsettling and unfamiliar ways to experience the world through the blend of art, science and investigative journalism.
- Diane Arbus: A box of ten Photographs (April 6, 2018- January 27, 2019). This series of photographs tells the story of Arbus’s career.
- No Spectators: The art of burning man (March 30, 2018- January 21, 2019).This feature large scale work brought from the annual desert gatherings.
Upcoming Exhibitions
Some Of The Upcoming Exhibitions In The Museum Are:
- Disrupting Craft (November 9, 2018- May 5, 2019). The collection features craft by four artists who redefine craft by putting activism and emotions in it.
- Artists Respond: American art and the Vietnam war (March 15, 2018- August 18, 2019). The collection explores the cultural reactions to the Vietnam War. This horrifying event in history had long-lasting cultural impacts.
- Tiffany Chung: Vietnam, Past is Prologue (March 15, 2018- August 18, 2019). Tiffany Chung is an internationally renowned artist who is famous for her multimedia work based on the conflicts and migrations caused by political and natural disturbances.
Tours
Tours At The Smithsonian Art Museum Are:
- Collection Highlights Tours: It includes special-themed activities and tours to selected exhibitions
- Lunder Conservation Center Tours: The Lunder Conservation Center Tour is conducted on every Wednesday at 03:00 pm.
- Luce Foundation Center Tours: This is an online audio tour that offers over 200 stops that explore the vastness of the Smithsonian Art Museum.
- Luce Foundation Center Scavenger Hunts: Themed scavenger hunts are available daily on the information desk. This is one of the most popular and exciting tour of the museum.
- Self-Guided Civil War Audio Tour: This self-guided tour takes you on a journey back to the times of civil war when the museum was just a barrack.