
The American Wing
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is situated in Lenapehoking, homeland of the Lenape diaspora, and historically a gathering and trading place for many diverse Native Peoples, who continue to live and work on this island. We respectfully acknowledge and honor all Indigenous communities—past, present, and future—for their ongoing and fundamental relationships to the region.
Ever since its establishment in 1870, the Museum has acquired important examples of American art. A separate "American Wing" to display the domestic arts of the seventeenth to early nineteenth centuries opened in 1924; painting and sculpture galleries and a skylit courtyard were added in 1980.
Today, the Wing's ever-evolving collection comprises some 20,000 works of art by African American, Euro American, Latin American, and Native American men and women. Ranging from the colonial to early-modern periods, the holdings include painting, sculpture, works on paper, and decorative arts—including furniture, textiles, ceramics, glass, silver, metalwork, jewelry, basketry, quill and bead embroidery—as well as historical interiors and architectural fragments.
Monumental sculpture, stained glass, and architectural elements are installed in the Charles Engelhard Court; silver, gold, glass, and ceramics on the courtyard balconies. Narratives of American domestic architecture and furnishings, 1680–1915, are explored in twenty historical interiors, or period rooms. Changing rotations of painting, sculpture, works on paper, and textiles appear throughout the Wing.
The Henry R. Luce Center for the Study of American Art, our open-storage area and installation space, is also a special attraction. Browse and learn more about the collection.
Collection Highlights
Period Rooms
Explore our period rooms online and discover 300 years of American domestic life.
American Wing Primer
Art has a unique way of bringing complicated facts to life. What can it tell us about the multiple histories of two continents over several centuries? Visit the American Wing Primer.
Native Perspectives
Contemporary Native artists and historians respond to 18th- and 19th-century Euro-American works, presenting alternative narratives and broadening our understanding of American art and history.
Related Content
Publications
Discover The Met's many publications on American art.
Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
Browse richly illustrated essays on American art.
Blog Articles
Read fresh perspectives on American art from curators and others at the Museum.
Videos
Watch videos about American art—interviews, lectures, exhibition previews, and more.
Special Attractions
The Henry R. Luce Center for the Study of American Art
The Henry R. Luce Center for the Study of American Art, the American Wing's open-storage and installation space, features wide-ranging collections not on view in the main galleries.
Friends and Patrons
Friends of the American Wing
The Friends of the American Wing support group, founded in 1960, consists of enthusiasts of American art and culture.
William Cullen Bryant Fellows
The William Cullen Bryant Fellows group, founded in 1982, comprises major American art collectors and supporters of the America Wing.
Stay Connected
Meet the Staff
Get to know the people who oversee the American Wing's collection.
Curatorial Fellows
Meet the Fellows of the American Wing.