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"Poetry is about those lyric transcendent moments," says Kevin Young, the new director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, "and so is the museum, it reminds us what is possible."

A Bold Anthology Shows How R-I-G-H-T and W-R-I-T-E Come Together in Black Poetry

Poet and essayist Kevin Young discusses his new book, “African American Poetry,” and his new post at the Smithsonian

Chef Danielle Renov offers up festive Hanukkah ideas from her new cookbook during a Smithsonian Associates Streaming program on December 6.

Smithsonian Voices

Get Ready for the Holiday Season With These Virtual Smithsonian Programs

Studio arts workshops, holiday décor making and a guided wine tasting with an award-winning sommelier to kick off the season

Theresa Secord (Penobscot, b. 1958). Ear of corn basket, 2003. Maine. 26/1694. By looking at Thanksgiving in the context of living cultures, we can make the holiday a more meaningful part of teaching and learning, in school and at home.

Smithsonian Voices

Five Ideas to Change the Way Thanksgiving Is Taught in Classrooms and at Home

Students can use Thanksgiving and their new tools for thinking about culture to learn and share more about their own family’s history and traditions

Pandamonium

Pandamonium

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo is one of the top leaders in giant panda conservation

The spinning magnetar transferred a remarkable amount of energy to the debris created by the collision, heating the material up and generating a bright glow.

In a First, Astronomers Witnessed the Birth of a Supermassive Magnetar Following a Glorious Kilonova

The scientists originally thought that the cosmic crash would create a black hole

The Hope Diamond came to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in 1958. Since then, museum scientists have uncovered a lot about the diamond’s intriguing past.

Smithsonian Voices

Get to Know the Hope Diamond’s Keeper

Learn the story of this infamous blue diamond, and the countless things mineralogy can reveal about the past and future

The Smithsonian’s Division of Birds provided about 40% of the tissue samples for the new bird genomes in a landmark study.

Smithsonian Voices

Landmark Study Relies on Bird DNA Collected Over Three Decades at the Smithsonian

A new study in Nature published the genomes—the complete DNA sequences—of 363 species of birds, opening the door for hundreds of new studies

On his last day of service in Vietnam in 1963, Harvey Pratt (Cheyenne and Arapaho) poses in Da Nang carrying his rappelling rope that he used to descend from helicopters to clear landing fields. Pratt is the designer of the National Native Americans Veterans Memorial.

The Remarkable and Complex Legacy of Native American Military Service

Why do they serve? The answer is grounded in honor and love for their homeland

An unveiling ceremony takes place virtually on November 11, 2020 at the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian.

Native American Veterans Receive a Place of Their Own to Reflect and to Heal

After two decades in the making, a veterans memorial is dedicated at the National Museum of the American Indian

The longtime "Jeopardy" host died of pancreatic cancer on November 8.

Alex Trebek on Why ‘Jeopardy’ Represents the American Dream

The game show host, who died Sunday at age 80, donated items to the Smithsonian in 2013

Martin Johnson Heade, Black-eared Fairy, ca. 1863-1864, oil on canvas, 12 1/4 x 10 in.

Smithsonian Voices

Scholars Are Finding New Clues to Understanding a Gorgeous Hummingbird Series of Artworks

The 19th-century artist Martin Johnson Heade abandoned his effort to paint his ‘Gems of Brazil,’ but why?

The Peruvian tern's desert camouflage makes it almost impossible to track, but that’s exactly what our research team set out to do.

Smithsonian Voices

Searching for the Invisible, Invincible Peruvian Tern

The Peruvian tern’s desert camouflage makes it almost impossible to track, but that’s exactly what the research team set out to do

Those who missed the site-specific version of artist Koo Jeong A's density can now conjure it up at home, hovering over the couch or floating over their beds.

Innovation for Good: Game Changers

With Augmented Reality, You Can Now Superimpose Publicly Exhibited Artworks in Your Home

Art institutions are embracing AR during the Covid-19 pandemic—and making art more accessible in the process

In the ninth edition of the Renwick Invitational, artists Lauren Fensterstock, Timothy Horn (above: Gorgonia 12, 2016), Debora Moore and Rowland Ricketts offer viewers entrancing new perspectives on the natural world.

Nature and Artifice Collide at the 2020 Renwick Invitational

In an era of isolated anxiety, “Forces of Nature” offers room to breathe

Keara Teeter treating William H. Johnson’s Historical Scene with Mary McLeod Bethune, ca. 1945, oil on paperboard

Smithsonian Voices

A Conservator Weighs in on the Preserving of Artist William H. Johnson’s ‘Fighters for Freedom’ Series

By preserving these artworks, the artist’s message will continue to inspire future generations and elicit meaningful dialogue about the meaning of freedom

This mummified steppe bison was donated to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in the 1970s. Right now, museum audiences can see it online during a virtual tour.

Smithsonian Voices

How Bison Mummies Help Scientists to Ruminate on Ancient Climate

Bison mummies hold valuable information for researchers who want to understand how biodiversity evolved and responded to climate change.

Glass ballot boxes were used as a way to show voter transparency at the polls and became popular in the late 1800s.

A Glass Ballot Box Was the Answer to Voter Fraud in the 19th Century

This transparent approach let voters know that their ballots were counted

Sommelier Erik Segelbaum leads a guided tasting of the perfect wines to pair with the season’s traditional foods on November 20.

Smithsonian Voices

Perfect Food and Wine Pairings and 26 Other Smithsonian Programs Streaming in November

Paul Glenshaw examines the iconic work ‘The Shaw Memorial’ by Augustus Saint Gaudens, and other offerings

An elegant solution—raise money from donors to underwrite the purchase of food locally for polling stations in each city—tacos in Milwaukee, barbecue in Atlanta, cupcakes in Houston, empanadas in Portland, burritos in L.A.

Chefs Are Helping Hungry Voters Waiting in Line at the Polls

One clear winner this election season? Everything from empanadas to barbecue, courtesy of star chef José Andrés and his partners

Carlos A. Cortéz, "José Guadalupe Posada," 1981, signed 1983, linocut on paper mounted on paperboard

Smithsonian Voices

How Día de los Muertos Is Celebrated in the United States

Chicano artists and activists blend cultural and visual traditions

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