Renwick Gallery

The Renwick Gallery, a branch of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, features one of the finest collections of American craft in the United States. Its collections, exhibition program and publications highlight the best craft objects and decorative arts from the 19th century to the present. One-of-a-kind pieces created from clay, fiber, glass, metal, and wood from SAAM's permanent collection of contemporary craft are displayed on a rotating basis in the second-floor galleries. Popular works include Larry Fuente's Game Fish, Wendell Castle's Ghost Clock, and Beth Lipman's Bancketje (Banquet). Temporary exhibitions of American craft and decorative arts are shown on the Renwick Gallery's first floor. There special exhibitions highlighting contemporary artists as well as traditions in American craft open in the spring and fall. Several hundred paintings from the museum's permanent collection-hung salon style: one-atop-another and side-by-side-are featured in special installations in the Grand Salon. An interactive map to the Gallery is available online.

The Renwick Gallery is located steps from the White House in the heart of historic federal Washington. The Second Empire-style building, a National Historic Landmark, was designed by architect James Renwick Jr. in 1859 and completed in 1874. It became the home of SAAM's craft and decorative arts program in 1972.

Featured Articles

Haunted by Authors: Sleepy Hollow Cemetery

by Greg Melville

Famous writers including Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne, and the Alcotts turned Sleepy Hollow Cemetery into our country’s first conservation project.

The Indian World of George Washington

by Colin G. Calloway

Native American peoples and the lands they possessed loomed large for Washington, from his first trips westward as a surveyor to his years as President.

“With Malice Toward None”

by Jon Meacham

In his Second Inaugural Address, Abraham Lincoln embodied leading in a time of polarization, political disagreement, and differing understandings of reality.

“These Are No Ordinary Times”

by Adam Hochschild

A hundred years ago, America was rocked by riots, repression, and racial violence.

Yellow Fever Stalks the Founders

by Stephen Fried

During Pres. Washington’s first term, an epidemic killed one tenth of all the inhabitants of Philadelphia, then the capital of the young United States.

Upon Starved Rock

by Mark Walczynski

Now a popular state park, the unassuming geological feature along the Illinois River has served as the site of centuries of human habitation and discovery.

Revenge of the Nevada

by Ed Offley

The recent discovery of the hull of the battleship Nevada recalls her dramatic action at Pearl Harbor and ultimate revenge on D-Day as the first ship to fire on the Nazis.

Confederates in Congress: Heritage or Hate?

by Edwin S. Grosvenor

Our research reveals that 19 artworks in the U.S. Capitol honor men who were Confederate officers or officials. What many of them said, and did, is truly despicable.

A Special Issue on Presidential Misdeeds

by Edwin S. Grosvenor

Here is probably the most wide-ranging look at Presidential misbehavior ever published in a magazine.

Marshall's Secret Preparations for War

by Paul Dickson

When Germany unleashed its blitzkreig in 1939, the U.S. Army was only the 17th largest in the world. FDR and Marshall had to build a fighting force able to take on the Nazis, against the wishes of many in Congress.

Christmas Dinner at Mount Vernon

by The Editors

Roast pig, boiled rockfish, and apple pie were among the dishes George and Martha enjoyed during the holiday in 1797. Here are some actual recipes.

The Black Woman Who Managed Morgan's Millions

by Bruce Watson

Born during Jim Crow, Belle da Costa Greene perfected the art of "passing" while working for one of the most powerful men in America.

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Renwick Gallery

We hope you enjoy our work.

Featured Articles

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Hours

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38.898729, -77.03889

Renwick Gallery

Featured Sites

We hope you enjoy our work.

Featured Articles

Location

Hours

Contact

Fees

38.898729, -77.03889