Renwick prepares to reopen November 13 with a fresh look at handwork
The upcoming free exhibition brings fifty-three collection works together around the possibilities of making things by hand.
Image: AI-generated illustrative photograph of generic craft-process materials; not Renwick Gallery artworks, participating artists' studios or the Handwork exhibition.
An object made by hand can invite questions before its purpose is obvious. What did the maker choose, where did a material resist and how does a familiar technique become a new idea? The Renwick Gallery's upcoming Handwork: Contemporary Craft at the Renwick Gallery offers a setting for those questions.
The Smithsonian American Art Museum announces a November 13, 2026 opening for the exhibition, featuring fifty-three works from its collection and several new acquisitions. Participating artists include Roberto Benavidez, Aya Oki, Bill Harris of the Catawba Nation, Ato Ribeiro, Diego Romero and Jan Yager. The installation explores craft's continuing relevance in American culture.
The Renwick is currently temporarily closed to prepare for the exhibition. Plan this as a future visit and check the official reopening notice before traveling. Once open, the exhibition lists free admission and daily hours of 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m. at Pennsylvania Avenue and Seventeenth Street Northwest.
A free opening-day open house is listed for November 13, 11 a.m.–2 p.m., with registration encouraged and due to open October 30. That program has its own arrangements. While waiting, explore the museum's online collection and compare materials without assuming the pictured works are already on view. A detail noticed online can become a useful question to take into the gallery later.
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