THE RENWICK GALLERY: 50 YEARS

FEATURED ONLINE TALK FOR JRA MEMBERS
august 28, 2020 | 1pm - 2pm

Aug 28, 2020 |
Learn more about the 2022 plans the 50th anniversary celebration of the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. From acquisitions to the exhibition, JRA members will get an exclusive look at what is on the horizon.

​Joining us will be Stephanie Stebich, the Margaret and Terry Stent Director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum; Nora Atkinson, Fleur and Charles Bresler Curator-in-Charge at the Renwick Gallery; and Mary Savig, the Lloyd Herman Curator of Craft. 

​In 1972, the Renwick Gallery opened as an incubator of maker expertise and ingenuity. The inaugural program sampled categories of design, craft, and decorative art with eight exhibitions dedicated to Pueblo pottery, glassware from Steuben Glass Works, and studio furniture, among others. Beyond showcasing the inventive artworks, Renwick curator Lloyd Herman organized the exhibits with the building’s historical architecture in mind. His goal was to create a “kind of grand public living room near the White House in downtown Washington.” This notion of a comfortable, social space in proximity to power lays the foundation for the 50th anniversary. In the experimental and welcoming spirit of the Renwick’s origin story, the anniversary program presents two exhibitions around the timely themes of shelter and the imagination. Both exhibitions mindfully center diverse and multi-vocal perspectives. They foster an engaging experience with artwork that heightens our sensitivities to each other and the every day. 

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