American Art, the peer-reviewed journal co-published by the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the University of Chicago Press, seeks papers that answer the question, “What is the place of design in American art history?” In an effort to explore this topic, the journal plans to publish several short, scholarly essays that demonstrate how the history of design can contribute to art history. Our conception of design encompasses objects, places, environments, experiences, systems, and sites shaped by culture. While we are open to a range of historic periods, there is a particular editorial interest in material from the nineteenth century and earlier.