Last March, when the Trump administration issued an executive order to “restore truth and sanity to American history,” the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) quickly became a target. Then, in August, the administration announced a comprehensive audit of all the Smithsonian’s exhibitions, didactics, and collections. Based on the executive order’s condemnation of any discussion of racism, sexism, and oppression as revisionist history, the audit promised to “celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions.” The announcement sent shockwaves through the museum world, seeming to signal the dismantling of free speech, especially within government-funded arts institutions.

“State Fairs: Growing American Craft” is the first exhibition to open at SAAM’s Renwick Gallery since the audit announcement. The exhibition brings together over 250 works from across the United States, spanning the 19th century to the present, to argue for regional state and tribal fairs as essential sites for the development of American craft. Situated directly across the street from the White House, “State Fairs” beckons D.C. tourists and art enthusiasts alike.