The Renwick Gallery is about to sparkle with handmade brilliance. On November 13, the Smithsonian American Art Museum opens Handwork: Contemporary Craft at the Renwick Gallery, a joyful new installation of 53 works that celebrates the meaning and relevance of craft in American life.
The installation brings together beloved favorites from the museum’s collection — including Wendell Castle’s famous Ghost Clock — alongside several brand-new acquisitions made possible through Handwork: Celebrating American Craft 2026, a nationwide initiative organized by Craft in America. The new works come from artists Roberto Benavidez, Angela Ellsworth, Bill Harris of the Catawba Nation, Aya Oki, Ato Ribeiro, Diego Romero, and Jan Yager, whose dazzling Tiara of Useful Knowledge — a floral crown of gold, silver, and quartz — is a centerpiece of the show.
Opening day is a party: the free Handwork: Contemporary Craft Open House runs November 13 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with the chance to chat with curators and meet several of the artists in person, plus hands-on craft activities and a scavenger hunt designed for all ages. Admission to the museum is always free, and the Renwick sits just steps from the White House at Pennsylvania Avenue and 17th Street NW, open daily 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Photo: Smithsonian American Art Museum (Jan Yager, Tiara of Useful Knowledge, 2006; gift of Linda L. Brownrigg, Cynthia Lovelace Sears, and Todd Wingate and Steven Cason)
