State Fairs: Growing American Craft

State Fairs: Growing American Craft explores the extraordinary and often unconventional craft traditions that have developed at American state fairs. Based on five years of on-the-ground and behind-the-scenes research, the exhibition brings together more than 240 works dating from the mid-nineteenth century to the present and examines personal stories of craft from many parts of the fairgrounds, including art exhibits and heritage villages.

Presented across both floors of the Renwick Gallery, the exhibition includes the iconic size 96 boots worn by Big Tex® at the State Fair of Texas®, a life-size butter cow made on site by Iowa State Fair butter sculptor Sarah Pratt, and a pyramid of more than 700 glass jars of preserved fruits and vegetables by Rod Zeitler. Justin Favela’s site-specific installation “Capilla de Maiz (Maize Chapel)” is featured in the Rubenstein Grand Salon.

When: August 22, 2025–September 7, 2026

Showtimes: Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Venue: Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Pennsylvania Avenue at 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20006

Tickets: Price not available

Exhibition: More than 240 works spanning the mid-nineteenth century to the present

Featured works: Big Tex®’s size 96 boots, Sarah Pratt’s life-size butter cow, Rod Zeitler’s display of more than 700 preserved-fruit-and-vegetable jars, and Justin Favela’s “Capilla de Maiz (Maize Chapel)”

Note: The exhibition is presented on both floors of the Renwick Gallery.