The Smithsonian American Art Museum, the nation's first collection of American art, houses one of the largest and most inclusive collections of American art in the world. Its artworks reveal key aspects of America's artistic and cultural history from the colonial period to today. More than 7,000 artists are represented in the collection, including major masters, such as John Singleton Copley, Gilbert Stuart, Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, Childe Hassam, Mary Cassatt, Georgia O'Keeffe, Edward Hopper, Jacob Lawrence, Helen Frankenthaler, Christo, David Hockney, Jenny Holzer, Lee Friedlander, Nam June Paik, Martin Puryear, and Robert Rauschenberg.
The museum offers exhibits; tours, including self-guided and guided tours for school groups; videoconferencing "virtual fieldtrips" for classrooms; and recreational and educational events, including performances.