Smithsonian Spotlight

Discover the inspirations, efforts, and challenges involved in establishing the National Museum of African American History, dedicated to preserving the African American experience.

Plunge into the frigid waters of the South Pole to discover unique species and the strange phenomena of gigantism and longevity exhibited by sea life in Antarctica. The earth's southernmost land mass has the dubious distinction of being the coldest, driest, windiest continent. It's also where you'll find a daring team of divers from the Smithsonian Institution.

Travel south of the continental United States' border to where the Smithsonian Institution maintains a remarkable project in the rain forest along the Panama Canal. Scientists have set up a network of research stations to study subtle changes in animals and plants. See how these creatures adapt-and often surrender-to changes in the environment.

Follow the Consortium for the Barcode of Life, an international initiative dedicated to developing technology that will allow scientists to catalog every living creature and plant on earth.

Join curators from the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and a former shuttle astronaut as they discuss memorable moments from the last fifty years in Space. Relive the triumphs and tragedies, and witness the astonishing tales and technological advances that changed the world and how we see it.

Take a look inside the artist's studio, including the Long Island barn where Jackson Pollock created his famous "poured" paintings and the nineteenth century Paris studio of John Singer Sargent. These workspaces often tell as much about the artists as their paintings.