American Craft

Picture This: Behind-the-Scenes with Thomas Day, Master Craftsman and Free Man of Color

April 12, 2013

Exhibition specialist Jim Baxter, along with Work Study student Paige Johnson, install final touches to our latest exhibition: Thomas Day: Master Craftsman and Free Man of Color up now through July 28, 2013. To see more of the installation, take...

Serendipity in the Museum

April 3, 2013

Susie Krasnican discusses her work Dress for Success Serendipity has always been an important role in the art making experience. Sometimes an artist's muse seems to talk to us in ways we could never predict. Actually, it's something we often...

Last Chance: The Final Hours of 40 under 40

February 1, 2013

The E-waste Project was inspired by discarded electronic equipment at an e-waste recycling center. Although this piece was assembled by hand, it was designed in a computer-aided drafting program and all the pieces were laser cut. The concept is to...

Through a Glass, Clearly: Art Glass @50

October 9, 2012

Matthew Szösz, Untitled (inflatable) No. 43, 2010, fused and inflated window glass, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Elmerina and Paul Parkman in honor of the 50th anniversary of American studio glass "I'll be talking about the entire history of...

40 under 40: The Craft of Assisting a Curator

October 5, 2012

Curatorial Assistant Debrah Dunner We sat down with Debrah Dunner, curatorial assistant at the museum's Renwick Gallery, to ask her about the experience of helping curator Nicholas Bell put together 40 under 40: Craft Futures. Dunner worked for two years...