Support SAAM This Giving Tuesday

Visually stunning. Complex. Full of mysteries. James Hampton’s The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' Millennium General Assembly is all these things and more. Created from everyday found objects and repurposed materials such as metallic foils and old lightbulbs, each element has unique qualities. While caring for the work, Smithsonian American Art Museum’s conservators and registrars gain new insight with each examination. 

Help us reach our $15,000 goal! Your Giving Tuesday gift to SAAM will support continued cataloguing, conservation, and study to bring more of the Throne of the Third Heaven to light. 

“Every day I am surprised by what I find, whether it be repurposed paperboard with glimpses of printed cartoons and maps, or even Hampton’s own fingerprints.” —Katya Zinsli, Lunder Conservation Fellow, SAAM

The sculpture is monumental in size, yet only about a third of its components are currently on view. Through new study of the unexhibited elements, SAAM’s conservators and registrars are able to get a firsthand look at Hampton’s working methods and better understanding of his pieces beyond what can be seen with the naked eye.

Your gift will help us meet this year’s $15,000 goal to match a generous grant from the Peck Stacpoole Foundation. 

As a non-profit, we rely on donations from generous supporters like you. If you would like information on making a Donor Advised Fund or IRA gift, a corporate matching gift, or other ways to support SAAM before the end of the year, contact us at AmericanArtDevelopment@si.edu or 202-633-8420.

Make your donation online before December 31 to be sure your tax-deductible gift counts for 2023.

Observe the Conservation

See it for yourself! Join us to watch ongoing treatment of James Hampton's Throne of the Third Heaven in a temporary conservation space on the museum’s first floor. In this recurring program, conservators and registrars at SAAM talk with the public about the intricate methods and materials used by Hampton as they do their work.

Public viewing hours every Thursday and Friday, 2 – 6 p.m., and the third Saturday of the month, 12 – 4 p.m., from now until December 16. View the calendar of events.