Smithsonian American Art Museum
The Smithsonian American Art Museum (commonly known as SAAM, and formerly the National Museum of American Art) is a museum in Washington, D.C.. It is part of the Smithsonian Institution.
![]() The Lincoln Gallery at the Smithsonian American Art Museum | |
Established | 1829[1] |
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Location | 8th and F Streets NW, Washington, D.C.[2] |
Type | Art museum |
Visitors | 1.1 million (2022) [3] |
Website | americanart |

Smithsonian American Art Museum exterior
The collection began in 1846. Congress declared that there should be "a gallery of art" as part of the Smithsonian Institution.[4] By 1968 the collection was moved to the current location.[5] It is in the building that was built in the early 1800s. It is called the Old Patent Office Building. SAAM is located in the same building as the National Portrait Gallery.[6]
In 1972, the Renwick Gallery opened. It is a branch of SAAM that exhibits to design and crafts. It is in a historic building near the White House.[7]
References
- "Museum History". Smithsonian Institution. Archived from the original on 20 August 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
- Calos, Katherine. "Heads will turn". Times-Dispatch.
- Smithsonian Institution News Desk, consulted July 22, 2023
- William H. Holmes (1922). Catalogue of Collections. Smithsonian Institution National Gallery of Art. p. 3.
- Mark Stuart (May 6, 1968). "National art gets a new home". The Morning Call. Paterson, NJ – via Newspapers.com.
- "National Historic Landmarks Program: Old Patent Office". National Park Service. 2010-01-24. Archived from the original on 2012-09-14. Retrieved 2023-08-26.
- "Renwick Gallery joins Smithsonian". Asbury Park Press. January 31, 1972 – via Newspapers.com.
Other websites
Media related to Smithsonian American Art Museum at Wikimedia Commons
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