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The article focuses on the collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) and the National Portrait Gallery (NPG), which jointly reopen in the old Patent Office Building on July 1, 2006 after a six-year, $283 million renovation. The directors of the two museums are interviewed. Both directors state their desire to make the museums accessible to visitors, to get them to see art as a way to tell a story about the history and culture of the United States. The ground floor features landscapes in order to recount part of the story of the United States. The expanded museum features official portraits of American Presidents from George Washington to Bill Clinton and also features photography of ordinary people, sculptures, and modern art forms like holograms.

Presents photographs of the images of U.S. President George Washington which ornament the national portrait gallery. Popularity of Washington during his lifetime.