Smithsonian's Archives of American Art

05/29/2026

Stepping into the bloom-filled, garden immersion of summer gets us in the mood for foraging! Be sure to verify your blooms are safe to eat before taking a bite 😉

Image:
Abril Lamarque with flower bud, 1969 June. Abril Lamarque papers. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

05/22/2026

Zarina Hashmi (1937–2020) was an artist active in New York City. Born in Aligarh, India, Hashmi studied mathematics before discovering printmaking and papermaking in the 1960s. She studied intaglio with Stanley William Hayter at Atelier 17 in Paris and woodblock printing at Toshi Yoshida Studio in Tokyo. Through printmaking, drawing, and sculpture, Hashmi explores themes of geographical and social borders, migration, and home, often incorporating text in her native Urdu.

Hashmi’s papers include biographical materials, correspondence, diaries and lectures, notebooks with sketches and notes on projects, files for “Homes | Made” book project and others, printed materials, and photographs of Hashmi and artwork.

Visit our website to learn more about Zarina Hashmi: s.si.edu/4dEVh1u.

Images:
All, Zarina Hashmi papers. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
1. Photograph of Zarina and Saad Hashmi and others, 196-?.
2. Zarina Hashmi. Material from Unknown Project, undated.
3. Zarina Hashmi. Material from “10,000 Things” Project, circa 2009.
4. Zarina Hashmi. Material from Unknown Project, circa 2010.

05/21/2026

With the academic year drawing to a close, be sure to make time on your calendar to consult the Archives’ collections and submit your research to the Archives of American Art Journal! Learn more about the journal and our submission guidelines on our website: s.si.edu/3OElTor.

Image:
Bernarda Bryson Shaw. May 21-27 spread from appointment book, 1972. Bernarda Bryson Shahn papers, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

05/20/2026

The papers of Kaili Chun are now part of the collections of the Archives of American Art. While the archives stewards papers of many artists born or based in Hawai‘i, Chun’s collection marks the first of a Kanaka ‘Ōiwi artist. As Christina Ayson-Plank notes in an essay on the papers, “[r]esearchers can track the development of Chun’s career as an artist who seeks to transform physical spaces into environments that recall the history and genealogy of a place.”

Learn more about Kaili Chun and her papers on our blog: s.si.edu/4wEQPbQ.

Images:
Both, Kaili Chun Papers. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
1. Kaili Chun, sketch of her “Ua ‘eha ka ’ili i ka maka o ka ihe” installation for the Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, February 1, 1997. Ink and graphite on paper.
2. Kaili Chun, sketch of “Pe’a” sail construction for the Kona Village Resort, Hawai‘i, ca. 2023. Ink and graphite on paper.

05/13/2026

Mark your calendars for the 2026 Archives of American Art Gala! On September 17, 2026, we will recognize three brilliant honorees for their groundbreaking contributions to American art and culture. Come celebrate why art matters.

05/12/2026

05/11/2026

We continue our celebration of Asian American Native Hawai‘ian Pacific Islander Heritage Month with California-based painter and educator Kenjilo Nanao.

Nanao was born in Aomori, Japan, and graduated with a degree in economics in 1953 from Nihon University before immigrating to the United States to study art in the San Francisco Bay Area. Kenjilo's primary artistic medium was lithography in which he became known for Surrealist minimal figurative compositions. Eventually he immersed himself in painting in an abstract expressionist style that became his main form of artistic production from the 1980s on. Nanao taught lithography and painting at California State University at Hayward and lectured at various other schools in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Learn more about Kenjilo Nanao and view the finding aid to his papers on our website: s.si.edu/4cB0Wq7.

Image Credits:
All, Kenjilo Nanao papers. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
1. Kenjilo Nanao. Paint Sketch from Sketchbook, circa 1988.
2. Photographs of Kenjilo Nanao, circa 1997.
3. Kenjilo Nanao. Paint Sketch from Sketchbook, circa 1980-2000.
4. Kenjilo Nanao. Paint Sketches from Sketchbook, circa 2009.
5. Kenjilo Nanao. Paint Sketch from Sketchbook, circa 1988.

05/10/2026

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers and mother figures in our lives from Smithsonian Gardens and the Archives of American Art! 💐

[VIDEO DESCRIPTION: This video is based on floral sketches, real-life florals, and floral bouquets. The video opens up to a frame of roses being slowly zoomed into, followed by a purple and white tulip. Then, there are several frames of the artist Miriam Brown Fine’s flower sketches, ranging from a basket of flowers to wild roses and marigolds. Next, a video of two hands moving a bouquet of flowers in a vase to show the full scope of the bouquet. Next, another series of floral sketches, including cosmos and iris, is shown in a sequence leading up to a final video zooming into the bouquet.]

05/07/2026

Did you know that it’s Teacher Appreciation Week? At the Archives of American Art, we have papers of numerous educators (both artists and art historians) whose commitment to teaching helped shape the art world.

Free registration is now open for the 2026 Smithsonian National Education Summit! Join us online or in-person in D.C. for over 40 sessions designed to prepare educators for the nation’s 250th anniversary. To view the session line-up and to register, visit s.si.edu/EducationSummit2026.

Image:
William Hsu. Esther Rolick teaching art class, 1968. Esther G. Rolick papers, 1940-1985. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

05/01/2026

Kick off Asian American Native Hawai‘ian and Pacific Islander month by taking a deep dive into Toshiko Takaezu’s work. Takaezu (1922–2011) was a Japanese American ceramicist whose signature work was based on “closed form” objects, which were hollow and sealed or included tiny openings to release gases during firing.

She began working at the Hawai‘i Potter’s Guild in 1940 and then took classes at the Honolulu Academy of Arts (now called the Honolulu Museum of Art School). She also studied at the University of Hawai‘i (1948–1951) and Cranbrook Academy of Art (1951– 1954) in Michigan. Takaezu based her home and studio in Quakertown, New Jersey, where her home is still open for on-site residencies, and her studio continues to be a place where artists can gather and learn.

Learn more about Toshiko Takaezu’s life through her digitized papers and explore our Guide to the Papers of Asian American and Pacific Islander Artists and Related Resources to discover more artists in our collections on our website: s.si.edu/3OEnzkt.

Images:
All, Toshiko Takaezu papers, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, unless otherwise indicated
1. Toshiko Takaezu pot making series, 1974
2. Toshiko Takaezu, circa 1975
3. Photograph of Toshiko Takaezu walking among artwork, 1979
4. Guide to the Papers of Asian American and Pacific Islander Artists and Related Resources