National Collection of Fine Arts The National Collection of Fine Arts in Washington, D. C., renamed the National Museum of American Art in 1980, was the first federal collection of American art. The museum was established in 1846 as part of the Smithsonian Institution. In 1906 it was designated a national gallery of art and in 1937 it became known as the National Collection of Fine Arts. The museum is housed in the Old Patent Office, a Greek Revival structure, built (1836-66) by Robert Mills, William P. Elliot, and Ithiel Town. The main concern of the museum is the study and exhibition of American art from its beginnings to the present day. The collection, which includes paintings, sculpture, drawings, and prints, comprises more than 26,000 items. The painting section, which includes works by George Catlin, Albert P. Ryder, Frederick Church, and Benjamin West, traces the evolution of art in America from 18th-century painters, such as Gilbert Stuart, to such contemporary artists as Robert Rauschenberg and Jim Dine. The collection also contains fine examples of American decorative arts and organizes temporary and circulating exhibitions. Together with the National Portrait Gallery the museum administers a 43,000-volume library and the Archives of American Art. The museum's Renwick Gallery, which opened in 1972, is devoted to American folk arts and crafts.
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