SAAM Stories

This is the second in a series of guest blog posts by the Archives of American Art's Mary Savig and Jason Stieber focused on the life of the artist Yasuo Kuniyoshi.

Local singer/songwriter Tomás Pagán Motta, who released his debut solo album earlier this year, will at our Luce Unplugged on June 11th. His cozy, mellow vocals are certainly a perfect fit for the acoustics in our space. Tomás is busy preparing for a tour this fall, but took some time to answer a few questions for us.

In today's design-focused and hand-crafted world, we are always excited to learn more about the people who make the items we use. The Luce Foundation Center's summer series, Luce Design, does just that by bringing in local designers who share about their work and the creativity behind it.

Media-based artworks, like those presented in our Watch This! Revelations in Media Art exhibition (on view until September 7, 2015), are a relatively new aspect of museum collections. Like all of our artworks, they are cared for and preserved by our team of conservators. Find out more....

This is the first in a series of guest blog posts by the Archives of American Art's Mary Savig and Jason Stieber focused on the life of the artist Yasuo Kuniyoshi. The exhibition Artist Teacher Organizer: Yasuo Kuniyoshi in the Archives of American Art is on view in the Lawrence A. Fleischman Gallery, and is organized in conjunction with The Artistic Journey of Yasuo Kuniyoshi on view at at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Kick off Memorial Day and summer with music, art and drinks at the free Luce Unplugged Community Showcase next Friday, May 22 from 6–8 p.m. The show, presented with Washington City Paper, will feature sets by two well-loved D.C. bands: Pleasure Curses and Young Rapids.

In honor of the video games on view in American Art's new exhibition "Watch This!" Revelations in Media Art, this Saturday, May 9th, the University of Maryland's Gamer Symphony Orchestra (GSO) will perform in the museum's Kogod Courtyard.

This month's Luce Artist Talk dives into the connection between the written word and visual art. D.C.-based artist Molly Springfield will talk about the work in her current show at Flashpoint Gallery, The Marginalia Archive, and how her pieces connect to works on view in the Luce Foundation Center.

Last week our latest exhibition opened, "Watch This! Revelations in Media Art." It highlights our media and film collection and will remain open until September 7, 2015. But our media and film initiative has been developing for quite some time. Read on...

"Watch This! Revelations in Media Art" presents contemporary artworks that trace the evolution of a continuously emerging medium. The exhibition explores the pervasive interdependence between technology and contemporary culture. The exhibition, on view at American Art beginning tomorrow and running through September 7, 2015.

On Monday, April 20, at 6pm in American Art's McEvoy Auditorium, artist Mark Bradford will be discussing his Amendment series in the third annual James Dicke Contemporary Artist Lecture.

This month's Luce Artist Talk is on Saturday, April 18th at 1:30 p.m. and will feature four multidisciplinary artists who are participating in the Source Theater Festival's Artistic Blind Date project, organized by CulturalDC. These artists, Bruce McKaig, photography, Alison Waldman, dance, Carmen Wong, theater, and Ashi Day, music, are collaborating on full-length plays for the Artistic Blind Date project.

The Domingo Cafritz Young Artists Program at Washington National Opera will be performing their annual semi-staged excerpts from operas on Thursday, April 9 at 7 p.m., at American Art in a free performance at the McEvoy Auditorium.

Opening today, the exhibition, The Artistic Journey of Yasuo Kuniyoshi, looks at the evolution of the artist's work, and is the first comprehensive exhibition about the artist in the U.S. since 1948. It remains on view through August 30, 2015.

Come at 5:30 p.m. next Thursday, April 9th to American Art's Luce Foundation Center to grab a drink from the bar (cash only!), explore the artworks of the Luce Center, and hear an art talk on a work chosen by the band; catch Gully Waters' set at 6 p.m.

Beloved punk rockers Baby Bry Bry & The Apologists (BBB) will kick off our first Thursday Luce Unplugged on March 26th. The Apologists split the difference between cutesy boy band and serious punk outfit and are known for putting on a great show.

Join us on Wednesday, March 25, in the Luce Foundation Center from 5:30 to 9 p.m. in the Smithsonian American Art Museum as we celebrate craft and innovation with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office with our latest Handi-hour.

This blog post is adapted from an essay written by Michael Mansfield, associate curator of film and media arts, to accompany the exhibition, Watch This! Revelations in Media Art, opening April 24 and running through September 7.