Getting into the Smithsonian is tough, at least for arts and humanities. I worked there briefly in a trust position that was funded by a grant and still didn’t couldn’t make the interview stage for permanent federal jobs that were basically the same job that I had done successfully as trust employee for a couple of years. I met people who finally got positions after working for years as contractors without benefits. It’s still worth applying to everything but it’s easy to get discouraged and they’ll be competing with people with a lot more experience who are willing to take an entry level job even mid-career to get in the door.