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WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — One of the Smithsonian’s museums is trading quiet gallery walks for controllers and joysticks this weekend, and admission is free.
The Smithsonian American Art Museum will host SAAM Arcade, its annual celebration of video games as an art form, on Saturday, July 25. The day-long event fills the downtown museum with games to play, from classic arcade cabinets and console titles to a showcase of new work from independent developers, with this year’s featured lineup highlighting games made by women in the industry.
Visitors can play the games and, in many cases, meet the designers and coders behind them. The event also includes a live performance from the Triforce Quartet, an ensemble known for arranging music from popular video games.
The festival is not a one-off gimmick for the museum. The Smithsonian American Art Museum was one of the first art museums in the United States to add video games to its permanent collection, back in 2013, and it has treated games as a serious part of American visual culture ever since. SAAM Arcade grew out of that work and has become one of the museum’s most popular annual programs.
The event is free and open to the public, and it is designed to be family-friendly, offering something for longtime gamers and curious newcomers alike.
The Smithsonian American Art Museum is located at Eighth and F streets NW, directly above the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro station, making it easy to reach without driving downtown. The museum is typically open from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., and organizers encourage visitors to check the museum’s website for the full schedule of games, performances and activities before heading out.
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