National Museum of Asian Art » Lectures & Discussions

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History As Mixtape: Theo Gonzalves and Jeff Chang on Asian American Experiences

Register in advance to get the best experience. On the evening of the event, join the standby line for remaining seats. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis for patrons without tickets. Each track—an object, a memory, a voice—samples the past, remixed for the present. The skips and scratches matter as much as the melodies. And who gets to DJ the story? That’s everything. In the hands of writers Theo Gonzalves and Jeff Chang, history isn’t a closed book—it’s a living playlist. One where protest and poetry blend with pop hooks, family heirlooms echo with collective grief, forgotten voices are dropped back into the mix, and the mic gets passed to those often left off the record. Sojin Kim moderates this lively discussion about the award-winning publication Smithsonian Asian Pacific American History, Art, and Culture in 101 Objects, and we invite you to consider the mixtape of your own history. Theo Gonzalves Dr. Theodore S. Gonzalves is a scholar of comparative cultural studies and a… Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1313010572969?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Lectures & Discussions. After Five. Shopping/Book Signing. Accessibility: ASL-interpreted program. Thursday, May 15, 2025, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM.

Conservation Cart Talk | The Colors of Pichwais

Join scientist Jennifer Giaccai as she discusses her research on pigments used in South Asian paintings called pichwais. Pigments are the raw materials that give paints color. These materials can come from plants and stones, or they can be man-made. Pichwais are intricate and colorful paintings on fabric that average about eight by eight feet in size. By examining materials found in pichwais, Jennifer explores an under-researched topic: how pichwai painters fit into the artistic landscape of India and how their methods have changed over time. Learn how Jennifer used cameras, infrared light, ultraviolet (UV) light, and other techniques to identify pigments and reveal hidden features like underdrawings. You'll get the chance to interact with pigment samples directly and even see how some of them glow under UV light. Fourteen pichwais are currently on view in the exhibition Delighting Krishna: Paintings of the Child-God (March 15–August 24). Image credit: Hutomo Wicaksono. Venue: Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. Event Location: Gallery 24. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Related Exhibition: Delighting Krishna: Paintings of the Child-God. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices. Friday, May 16, 2025, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.

Mahjong at the Museum: Book Talk and Gameplay with Nicole Wong

Register in advance to get the best experience. On the evening of the event, join the standby line for remaining seats. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis for patrons without tickets. "The winds are blowing!" is just one way to say, "Let's play mahjong!" Delve into everything mahjong, from slang and snack guides to gameplay and hosting your own mahjong night, in Nicole Wong's Mahjong: House Rules from Across the Asian Diaspora. This new book not only provides a comprehensive overview of mahjong for beginners but also tells the intimate story of family house rules, oral traditions, and the ways mahjong thrives today in the Asian diaspora. Join us for a discussion with Nicole Wong and NPR's Emily Kwong around mahjong, house rules, and the unique stories each of us has to tell. Mahjong will be available for purchase from the museum store. Enjoy an exclusive book signing after the talk. Plus, enjoy mahjong gameplay and light refreshments for purchase afterwards! All levels welcome;… Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Freer Gallery of Art, Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1313043742179?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: After Five. Lectures & Discussions. Shopping/Book Signing. Accessibility: ASL-interpreted program. Saturday, May 17, 2025, 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM.

Sneak Peek | Between Two Traditions: Reinterpreting Chinese Paintings in Joseon Korea

In this online talk, Dayun Oh, curator at the National Museum of Korea, explores the dynamic interaction between Chinese and Korean painting traditions. She focuses on a pair of landscape paintings and a pair of phoenix paintings that have been variously attributed to China and Korea over the last hundred years. Oh carefully analyzes the stylistic ambiguities to offer her account of the origins of the two paintings. During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, these painters reinterpreted and reinvented the painting styles of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) to create a unique Korean visual language based on the aesthetics of the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910). A Q&A will follow, facilitated by Sunwoo Hwang, Korea Foundation Assistant Curator of Korean Art and Culture at the National Museum of Asian Art. This program is part of the monthly lunchtime series Sneak Peek, where staff members and outside scholars share personal perspectives and new research related to the collections of the National Museum of Asian… Event Location: Zoom. Cost: Free. Register in advance (required). Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Ks0tVPW-TqaEa1umNR9QQA. Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Webcasts & Online. Accessibility: Captioning. Tuesday, May 27, 2025, 12:00 PM – 12:40 PM.

Asia After Dark| Storytelling Through Performance

Tune in for this after-hours salon of performance storytelling, such as dance, theater, and public art. Through discussions and live performances, local and national talents will share how they tell their stories and express their full, authentic selves on stage. Register in advance to get the best experience. Some activities have a limited capacity, with entry on a first-come, first-served basis. All activities will take place in the West Building (Freer Gallery of Art). This event is part of our annual IlluminAsia Festival in celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. Join us for the entire weekend to continue celebrating AANHPI Heritage Month and World Pride! Bank of America is the Founding Sponsor of the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art “IlluminAsia” Arts and Culture Festival. , Image: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, photo by Sonya Pencheva. Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/illuminasia-asia-after-dark-storytelling-through-performance-tickets-1325501944999?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: After Five. Celebrations. Lectures & Discussions. Performances. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. ASL-interpreted program. Friday, May 30, 2025, 5:30 PM – 9:30 PM.

World Pride Panel Discussion: Asian American Representation in Film and Media

In celebration of AANHPI Heritage Month and WorldPride DC 2025, we present a special panel discussion with the acclaimed director of Saving Face, Alice Wu, in conversation with special guests Andrew Ahn and James Tom on queer and Asian American representation in film and media. Join us after the discussion on our museum's plaza for an outdoor market with SAMASAMA from 4–8 p.m.! Then, on June 1, join us for a screening of Saving Face. This discussion is copresented with the Queer and Transgender Asian and Pacific Islander Coalition (QTAPI), in partnership with Asian and Pacific Islander Queers United for Action (AQUA DC), Capital Pride Alliance, the Mayor's Office of LGBTQ Affairs (MOLGBTQA), and the Mayor's Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs (MOAPIA) as part of WorldPride 2025. About Alice Wu Alice’s debut feature, Saving Face, made its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and was released by Sony Pictures Classics in 2005. Her second film, The Half of It, won the Founders… Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1333258344599?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Celebrations. Saturday, May 31, 2025, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.

SAMASAMA Market

Register in advance to get the best experience. Food and art will be available for purchase on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. Shop, eat, and celebrate at our outdoor SAMASAMA market featuring AANHPI artists and friends! Meet and shop with the creators and learn about the beautiful multicultural landscape of our diaspora community. Artworks and food will be available for purchase. Enjoy crafts at the SAMASAMA table with Julie Wu and a DJ set by Les The DJ! Plus, get a chance to redo picture day at our reimagined school photo booth! Celebrate your authentic self and get your portrait taken by photographer Airin Yung. About SAMASAMA SAMASAMA (Tagalog for "all together") began with the humble mission of celebrating diversity through art and gathering. Founded in Washington, DC, in 2016 as a collective art show and benefit celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, SAMASAMA has evolved to curate year-round programs, events, and partnerships to… Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Freer Plaza. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1338701725899?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Shopping/Book Signing. After Five. Celebrations. Lectures & Discussions. Performances. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, May 31, 2025, 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM.

Beyond Babur's Gardens: A Symposium in Honor of Elizabeth Moynihan (Day 1 of 3)

Inspired by the groundbreaking work of Elizabeth Moynihan (1929–2023), this online symposium explores how ecological concerns and heritage imperatives have impacted the ways we study, view, and reconceptualize historical gardens. In her long career as researcher, historian, and author, Elizabeth Moynihan left a profound impact on the study of Mughal gardens in South Asia. Her pioneering work includes extensive research on Babur, the founder of the Mughal dynasty, and publications such as Paradise as a Garden in Persia and Mughal India (1979) and The Moonlight Garden: New Discoveries at the Taj Mahal (2000), among others. In 1996, Moynihan also directed a joint project for the Archaeological Survey of India and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, now the National Museum of Asian Art. A rich collection of Moynihan’s work has been compiled online in the Elizabeth Moynihan Resource Gateway. It includes her research of the Lotus Garden in Dholpur, the Jai Mahal Garden in Jaipur, Mehtab Bagh (Moonlight Garden) in… Event Location: Zoom. Cost: Free. Register in advance (required). Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_GipscK3tTAmYVQjXDxO2iw#/registration. Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Webcasts & Online. Accessibility: Captioning. Tuesday, June 3, 2025, 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM.

Beyond Babur's Gardens: A Symposium in Honor of Elizabeth Moynihan (Day 2 of 3)

Inspired by the groundbreaking work of Elizabeth Moynihan (1929–2023), this online symposium explores how ecological concerns and heritage imperatives have impacted the ways we study, view, and reconceptualize historical gardens. In her long career as researcher, historian, and author, Elizabeth Moynihan left a profound impact on the study of Mughal gardens in South Asia. Her pioneering work includes extensive research on Babur, the founder of the Mughal dynasty, and publications such as Paradise as a Garden in Persia and Mughal India (1979) and The Moonlight Garden: New Discoveries at the Taj Mahal (2000), among others. In 1996, Moynihan also directed a joint project for the Archaeological Survey of India and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, now the National Museum of Asian Art. A rich collection of Moynihan’s work has been compiled online in the Elizabeth Moynihan Resource Gateway. It includes her research of the Lotus Garden in Dholpur, the Jai Mahal Garden in Jaipur, Mehtab Bagh (Moonlight Garden) in… Event Location: Zoom. Cost: Free. Register in advance (required). Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_GipscK3tTAmYVQjXDxO2iw#/registration. Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Webcasts & Online. Accessibility: Captioning. Wednesday, June 4, 2025, 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM.

Beyond Babur's Gardens: A Symposium in Honor of Elizabeth Moynihan (Day 3 of 3)

Inspired by the groundbreaking work of Elizabeth Moynihan (1929–2023), this online symposium explores how ecological concerns and heritage imperatives have impacted the ways we study, view, and reconceptualize historical gardens. In her long career as researcher, historian, and author, Elizabeth Moynihan left a profound impact on the study of Mughal gardens in South Asia. Her pioneering work includes extensive research on Babur, the founder of the Mughal dynasty, and publications such as Paradise as a Garden in Persia and Mughal India (1979) and The Moonlight Garden: New Discoveries at the Taj Mahal (2000), among others. In 1996, Moynihan also directed a joint project for the Archaeological Survey of India and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, now the National Museum of Asian Art. A rich collection of Moynihan’s work has been compiled online in the Elizabeth Moynihan Resource Gateway. It includes her research of the Lotus Garden in Dholpur, the Jai Mahal Garden in Jaipur, Mehtab Bagh (Moonlight Garden) in… Event Location: Zoom. Cost: Free. Register in advance (required). Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_GipscK3tTAmYVQjXDxO2iw#/registration. Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Webcasts & Online. Accessibility: Captioning. Thursday, June 5, 2025, 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM.

Hands-On Conservation

Explore conservation for yourself at our pop-up cart! Touch and see the tools and materials we use to preserve art, manuscripts, and other historic objects. Check out fluorescent glue samples, paper and brushes used for scroll mounting, and more. This is your chance to get a peek at what our conservators and scientists are up to behind the scenes. Image: Department of Conservation and Scientific Research. Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: West Building (Mall entrance). Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices. Friday, June 6, 2025, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.

Hands-On Conservation

Explore conservation for yourself at our pop-up cart! Touch and see the tools and materials we use to preserve art, manuscripts, and other historic objects. Check out fluorescent glue samples, paper and brushes used for scroll mounting, and more. This is your chance to get a peek at what our conservators and scientists are up to behind the scenes. Image: Department of Conservation and Scientific Research. Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: West Building (Mall entrance). Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices. Friday, June 13, 2025, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.

Conservation Cart Talk | The Colors of Pichwais

Join scientist Jennifer Giaccai as she discusses her research on pigments used in South Asian paintings called pichwais. Pigments are the raw materials that give paints color. These materials can come from plants and stones, or they can be man-made. Pichwais are intricate and colorful paintings on fabric that average about eight by eight feet in size. By examining materials found in pichwais, Jennifer explores an under-researched topic: how pichwai painters fit into the artistic landscape of India and how their methods have changed over time. Learn how Jennifer used cameras, infrared light, ultraviolet (UV) light, and other techniques to identify pigments and reveal hidden features like underdrawings. You'll get the chance to interact with pigment samples directly and even see how some of them glow under UV light. Fourteen pichwais are currently on view in the exhibition Delighting Krishna: Paintings of the Child-God (March 15–August 24). Image credit: Hutomo Wicaksono. Venue: Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. Event Location: Gallery 24. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Related Exhibition: Delighting Krishna: Paintings of the Child-God. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices. Friday, June 20, 2025, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.

Hands-On Conservation

Explore conservation for yourself at our pop-up cart! Touch and see the tools and materials we use to preserve art, manuscripts, and other historic objects. Check out fluorescent glue samples, paper and brushes used for scroll mounting, and more. This is your chance to get a peek at what our conservators and scientists are up to behind the scenes. Image: Department of Conservation and Scientific Research. Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: West Building (Mall entrance). Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices. Friday, June 27, 2025, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.

Hands-On Conservation

Explore conservation for yourself at our pop-up cart! Touch and see the tools and materials we use to preserve art, manuscripts, and other historic objects. Check out fluorescent glue samples, paper and brushes used for scroll mounting, and more. This is your chance to get a peek at what our conservators and scientists are up to behind the scenes. Image: Department of Conservation and Scientific Research. Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: West Building (Mall entrance). Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices. Friday, July 11, 2025, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.