Handwork: Contemporary Craft at the Renwick Gallery
Handwork: Contemporary Craft at the Renwick Gallery presents 53 works from the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s collection, examining the practice of making by hand and the continuing significance of craft in American culture. The installation marks the Renwick Gallery’s longstanding engagement with craft, which dates to its 1972 opening.
The exhibition is part of Handwork: Celebrating American Craft 2026, an initiative organized by Craft in America. Newly acquired works by Roberto Benavidez, Angela Ellsworth, Bill Harris of the Catawba Nation, Aya Oki, Ato Ribeiro, Diego Romero, and Jan Yager are included alongside other contemporary and historical pieces. The works are intended to create connections among the objects and encourage consideration of craft’s possibilities in the contemporary world.
When: Opens November 13, 2026. The page lists Friday, November 13, with the installation continuing as a daily exhibition.
Showtimes: The Renwick Gallery is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Tickets: Free admission. Registration is encouraged, and registration opens October 30.
Venue: Renwick Gallery.
Collection: The installation includes 53 works from the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s collection.
Artists and works: The page lists works by Roberto Benavidez from 2023 and 2024, made with paper, paperboard, tape, glue, wire, and crepe paper; Aya Oki, 2021, blown glass; Elizabeth Brim, 2025, steel; Wendell Castle, 1985, bleached Honduras mahogany; Chunghi Choo, 2004, copper with silver plating; Lia Cook, 1998, handwoven cotton and rayon; Cristina Córdova, 2021, ceramic, metal, resin, and wood; Vicki Essig, 2023, silk; Patricia R. Gorelangton and Caroline Correa, 2025, cotton, cotton sateen, and polyester; Katherine Gray, 2024–2025, blown glass, powder-coated metal, and acrylic; Jan Yager, 2006, 18- and 14-karat gold, oxidized sterling silver, and a quartz pebble; Bill Harris, 2024, ceramic; Luci Jockel, 2023, honey bee wings and archival glue; Anya Kivarkis, 2017, sterling silver; Charles Loloma, circa 1970, silver alloy, stone, wood, ivory, and gold alloy; Sam Maloof, 1980, walnut; Christine McHorse, 2016, micaceous clay; Ato Ribeiro, 2023, repurposed wood, wood glue, high-density polyethylene, and acrylic; Diego Romero, 2025, ceramic with gold luster; and Akio Takamori, 2009, stoneware with underglazes.
Organization: Organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the exhibition is presented as part of Handwork 2026 by Craft in America.
Support: Generous support is provided by Rebecca Ravenal and The Ravenal Foundation, and Todd Wingate and Steven Cason.