Behind the Scenes

Fabricating for an Exhibition: Jim Baxter and Thomas Day: Master Craftsman and Free Man of Color

May 14, 2013

The exhibition Thomas Day: Master Craftsman and Free Man of Color opened last month at the Renwick Gallery. Georgina Goodlander chatted with Jim Baxter, an exhibits specialist at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, who created architectural components inspired by Day's...

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...

Does a Sculpture Need Shoes?

February 5, 2013

Left: Members of American Art's conservation team make preparations to install Alexander Calder's sculpture Tableau Noir (The Blackboard). Right: Final installation of the sculpture. This one does because it's going outside! In order to protect against the outdoor elements, Hugh...

Revealing Homer in A Visit from the Old Mistress

November 8, 2012

Top: Winslow Homer's A Visit from the Old Mistress (white rectangle marks area of newly discovered signature). Bottom: Signature closeup. Click on image to enlarge. In this post, program coordinator Christopher Wayner talks about a recent discovery made by conservators...

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...