Smithsonian American Art Museum

Sir Isaac Julien’s moving image installation “Lessons of the Hour” interweaves period reenactments across five screens to create a vivid picture of nineteenth-century activist, writer, orator, and philosopher Frederick Douglass. This is the first artwork to be jointly acquired by the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery, though the two museums have shared a building for decades. Douglass was born into enslavement in Maryland in 1817 and died in 1895 in Washington, DC, making his a local as well as a national and international story and the debut of this powerful work in DC especially meaningful for the artist and audiences alike.

"[‘Portrait of Mnonja’] shows me how powerful we are as Black women and how we need to continue to demand our positions in this world, reclaiming our time not just as women but through our other voices: our nails, hair, clothing, and unapologetic personalities.” - Celeste Hampton, celebrity nail artist, business owner, and interior designer?? ?? Inspired by Mickalene Thomas’s “Portrait of Mnonja,” Celeste was moved by how the work captures the beauty and essence of Black women through bold colors, patterns, sparkling rhinestones, and textures. When creating a nail set based on this piece, she explored the depths of those features that make "Portrait of Mnonja” unique.???? ? ??Citations??? ? Mickalene Thomas, “Portrait of Mnonja,” 2010, rhinestones, acrylic, and enamel on wood panel, Smithsonian American Art Museum?? ? #SmithsonianInspo #NailArtDesign #NailArt? Smithsonian American Art Museum Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture

“There’s something that is healing when you bring Black people together and you see yourself.” - Celeste Hampton, celebrity nail artist, business owner, and interior designer?? ?? While exploring the Smithsonian museums, Celeste was drawn to pieces that reflect her own lived experience. To her, art, especially nail art, is a universal language with individual and unique styles.??? ?? ?Stay tuned to see Celeste's Smithsonian-inspired nail set design.? ? ??Citations??? ? Glenn Kaino, “Bridge,” 2013-2014, fiberglass, steel, wire and gold paint, Smithsonian American Art Museum?? ?? Rachelle Baker, “Kitten Meal,” Rachelle Baker, 2024. National Museum of African American History and Culture.? #SmithsonianInspo #NailArtDesign #NailArt? Smithsonian American Art Museum Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture

Celeste Hampton, a celebrity nail artist, business owner, and interior designer, expresses her identity through color and texture in her designs.???? ?? In this three-part series, follow Celeste as she creates a nail set inspired by her visit to our Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture and Smithsonian American Art Museum.? ? ??Citations??? ? Alfred Jensen, “Honor Pythagoras, Per I--Per VI,” 1964, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum?? Kerry James Marshall, “SOB, SOB,” 2003, acrylic on fiberglass, Smithsonian American Art Museum? ? #SmithsonianInspo #NailArtDesign #NailArt?

“We Gather at the Edge: Contemporary Quilts by Black Women Artists” highlights the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s recent acquisition of quilts from the collection of Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi and celebrates her legacy as the founder of the Women of Color Quilters Network. ? On view February 21, 2025 – June 22, 2025 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/euhbjDeJ

The artists featured in?"We Gather at the Edge"?honor the Black story quilt tradition with work that envisions a?more just and connected world.

“What was once the unimaginable future is now our future.” - Santana Walker, Indigenous entrepreneur and nail artist of the Squamish Nation?? ?? Inspired by Preston Singletary's “Safe Journey,” at Smithsonian American Art Museum's Renwick Gallery, Santana drew influence from the colors and textures of the illuminated glass “Spirit Box” to create her nail art set.??? ?? Thanks for following along on Santana’s journey! Stay tuned to follow Celeste Hampton on her exploration of the Smithsonian. ?? ? ??Citations??? ? Preston Singletary, “Safe Journey,” 2021, cast and sand-carved glass on wooden pedestal, Smithsonian American Art Museum? ? #SmithsonianInspo #NailArtDesign #NailArt National Museum of the American Indian

What does it mean to decolonize your manicure?? Santana Walker, entrepreneur and nail artist of the Squamish Nation, explores the intersection of design and identity by putting Indigenous art on nails.??? ?? ?Stay tuned to see Santana's Smithsonian-inspired nail set design.? ? ??Citations??? ? Preston Singletary (Tlingit), “Potlach Woven Hat,” 2004, handblown glass, ermine skin/fur, National Museum of the American Indian. 26/4382?? ?? Floyd Joseph (Tyee) (Squamish), “Stawamus,” 1982, print, National Museum of the American Indian. 26/5991?? ?? Preston Singletary, “Safe Journey,” 2021, cast and sand-carved glass on wooden pedestal, Smithsonian American Art Museum?? ?? Calvin Hunt and Tony Hunt (Kwakiutl), Totem pole, 1984, carved and painted wood, National Museum of the American Indian. 25/595? #SmithsonianInspo #NailArtDesign #NailArt National Museum of the American Indian Smithsonian American Art Museum

“Part of what I do in my work is using my work as a platform for my beliefs. Can I tell a story? Can I make it a good story? Can I add some humor to it? Can I get your attention? Those are all things that I try to do with my artwork. It's not always successful, but it's important to speak up when you believe in something so strongly, and I passionately believe in the life that I live. I think that my work will probably go on being political in some way.”—Jaune Quick-to-See Smith (1940-2025) Today we remember artist Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and of Flathead Salish, Cree, and Shoshone ancestry, who died this week at the age of 85. In the days since, many have shared her impact both in and out of the art world. Smith centered Indigenous perspectives in her work, confronting issues of identity, history, and representation in a way that was both revolutionary and deeply personal. “To say that Jaune was an important and significant artist is merely scratching the surface of her life, career, contributions, and community work. Her impact and legacy are immeasurable. We met in 2002 when I was a curatorial research assistant at the National of the Museum American Indian for the exhibition “Continuum: 12 Artists,” and our relationship grew from there. She supported my writing and curatorial projects and invited me to write for her projects as well. I received such encouraging messages from her. I am honored that Jaune was my mentor and friend for more than 20 years,” shares curator Anya Montiel (Mestiza/Tohono O'odham descent). Smith described herself as a cultural arts worker and activist. Smith’s art, often layered with images, paint, and text, addresses the complexity of heritage, identity, and history and challenges us with her sharp sense of humor. While a graduate student at the University of New Mexico in the 1970s, she founded the Grey Canyon group of Native American contemporary artists, who exhibited their work locally and internationally. Smith championed young Indigenous artists, including them in significant contemporary Native American art exhibitions in the 1980s and 1990s until as recently as 2024. Smithsonian American Art Museum

"A lot of my work is about making a statement and being an individual.” Multi-disciplinary artist and nail tech Ameya Okamoto finds belonging in works such as Nam June Paik’s “Electronic Superhighway” and expresses her identity in the art she creates. Stay tuned to see Ameya's Smithsonian-inspired nail set design. ?? Citations?? Nam June Paik, “Electronic Superhighway: Continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii,” 1995, fifty-one channel video installation (including one closed-circuit television feed), custom electronics, neon lighting, steel and wood; color, sound, Smithsonian American Art Museum Carlos Villa, “During,” 1982, acrylic on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum #NailInspo #NailsByAmeya #SmithsonianInspo #NailArtDesign #NailArt --- Video Description: Ameya Okamoto discusses identity within her experience as an artist in a sit-down interview. Interspersed are clips of Ameya with Nam June Paik’s “Eletronic Superhighway” in our American Art Museum, exploring our Asian Pacific American Center’s “Sightlines: Chinatown and Beyond” exhibit, discovering object behind the scenes at our American History Museum, as well as in her artist studio. Smithsonian National Museum of American History Smithsonian American Art Museum