November 2022 Programs at Smithsonian American Art Museum and Renwick Gallery

Beyond the Studio Virtual Workshop: Screen Printing with Beth Hansen
Sunday, Nov. 6, 1-2 p.m. EST

Multimedia artist Beth Hansen of The Arcade leads a collaborative screen-printing workshop. Beth’s work focuses on experimenting and manipulating the surface of the print to create varied editions, Nathan that executing a replicable design. In this workshop, participants screen multiple prints from an original print by Beth, then use different materials and colors to make the print their own on paper and textiles.

Tickets include the cost of materials needed for the activity, instructions, and postage. Materials kits will be shipped to participants in advance of the program. Please note that space is limited for this program and registration is required. Participants must register by 7 p.m. ET on October 23.

Location: Online
Tickets: $15 | Registration required via Eventbrite
Event Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/beyond-the-studio-virtual-workshop-screen-printing-with-beth-hansen-tickets-399656231547?aff=1122trumba

Double Take Virtual Art Talk: Preserving Portraits of War
Wednesday, Nov. 9, 1-2 p.m. EST

The Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Double Take series brings Smithsonian specialists-from anthropologists and geologists to aeronautical engineers and historians-together to discuss artworks from SAAM’s collection. This special, virtual edition of Double Take highlights SAAM’s partnership with the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC).

In honor of Veterans Day, join Catherine Maynor, paper conservator at SAAM, and Ben Brands, historian at ABMC, in an exploration of art, service, and sacrifice. American art is an integral component of commemorating military service, and this session examines artist Claggett Wilson’s watercolor paintings depicting his experiences as a combat marine in World War I.

Location: Online

Tickets: Free | Registration required via Eventbrite
Event Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/double-take-virtual-art-talk-preserving-portraits-of-war-tickets-400296055277

Virtual Program: America InSight Online: Verbal Description Tours
Thursday, Nov. 10, 5:30-6 p.m. EST

Join the Smithsonian American Art Museum for a docent-led, virtual tour designed for participants who are blind or have low vision. Discover highlights from the museum’s collection through rich visual descriptions that invoke a multisensory experience.

Location: Online
Tickets: Free | Registration required via Eventbrite
Event Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/america-insight-online-verbal-description-tours-tickets-399686050737

Virtual Teacher Workshop: Build SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) Skills
Wednesday, Nov. 16, 4:15-5:45 EST

How can artwork help us exercise our interpersonal skills?

People are all different. Our bodies, families, beliefs, abilities, and experiences vary, sometimes making communication difficult. Artwork can often communicate what we do not have the words for across cultures and differences. In this virtual workshop, practice multiple approaches and gain new differences. In this virtual workshop, practice multiple approaches and gain new resources for building mutual understanding and connecting with others.

A Zoom link and a list of suggested materials will be sent to registered participants 24-48 hours in advance of the workshop.

Location: Online
Tickets: Free | Registration required via Eventbrite
Event Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-teacher-workshop-build-sel-social-and-emotional-learning-skills-tickets-396585727587

In-Person and Virtual Program: Clarice Smith Distinguished Lectures in American Art: Julia Bryan-Wilson: Embellished Legacies
Wednesday, Nov. 16, 6:30 p.m. EST

Scholar Julia Bryan-Wilson considers how women of color artists like Pacita Abad and Rosie Lee Tompkins have used embellishment as a strategy to blur the lines between function and decor. Her talk examines how these artists’ practice of intricately adorning domestic objects can expand our understanding of women’s work. Bryan-Wilson’s 2017 book Fray: Art and Textile Politics won prestigious works such as the ASAP Book Prize, the Frank Jewett Mather Award, and the Robert Motherwell Book Award. Her show “Louise Nevelson: Persistence” is an official collateral events of the 2022 Venice Biennale, and her monograph on Nevelson is forthcoming in 2023.

Location: In-Person and Online; SAAM’s McAvoy Auditorium and YouTube
Tickets: Free | Registration opened on September 1; registration required via Eventbrite
Event Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/julia-bryan-wilson-embellished-legacies-tickets-377891382297?aff=BryanWilsonTrumba

In-Person Program: Art Bites Gallery Talk
Friday, Nov. 18, 12:15-1 p.m. EST

Join SAAM’s research fellows for this lunchtime series of gallery talks as they share new discoveries about artworks on view. Learn the stories behind these objects and how each one tells us about America’s ever-changing culture. Fellow Amy E. Crum discusses Margarita Cabrera’s White Coffee Maker (2011).

Location: In-Person; Meet in Renwick Gallery Lobby
Tickets: Free

Please Note COVID-19 Guidelines for In-Person Events:

The Smithsonian no longer requires visitors to wear a mask to visit its museums and the National Zoo. Visitors may choose to wear a mask during their visit or while participating in a program or event. Social distancing continues to be encouraged and we ask people who do not feel well to stay home. Updated information about COVID-19 guidelines and safety measures is online at si.edu/visit.

The Smithsonian reserves the right to modify its hours of operation, capacity, and visitor guidelines as circumstances require. The museum may deny entry or access to any person who fails to follow these guidelines or whose conduct puts Smithsonian staff, visitors, or property at risk.

About the Smithsonian American Art Museum
The Smithsonian American Art Museum is home to one of the most significant and inclusive collections of American art in the world. Its artworks reveal America’s rich artistic and cultural history from the colonial period to today. The museum’s main building is located at Eighth and G streets N.W., above the Gallery Place/Chinatown Metrorail station. Its Renwick Gallery, a branch museum dedicated to contemporary craft and decorative arts, is located on Pennsylvania Avenue at 17th Street N.W. Admission is free. Follow the museum on Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. Museum information (recorded): (202) 633-7970. Smithsonian information: (202) 633-1000. Website: americanart.si.edu.