National Museum of Asian Art Events Calendar

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, June 12, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Meditation and Mindfulness

Workshops Register to join the sessions. Join a free online guided meditation. In these 30-minute sessions, DC-based meditation teachers lead a variety of mindfulness practices. Friday sessions take inspiration from art in our museum’s collections. All are welcome! No previous experience is required. Image: Katsushika Hokusai / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.269. Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ymJH4SNfSjKwSlHROFxfyw. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ymJH4SNfSjKwSlHROFxfyw. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online). Friday, June 12, 2026, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, June 12, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tours | Arts Across Asia

Gallery Talks & Tours Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan. Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, June 12, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, June 12, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Hands-On Conservation

Gallery Talks & Tours 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. Department of Conservation and Scientific Research, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. 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 12, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.

Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean

Gallery Talks & Tours Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, June 12, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, June 13, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, June 13, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Film Screening & Artist Talk: Man Follows Birds

Films To celebrate the opening of her exhibition Melted into the Sun, Saodat Ismailova introduces and discusses a classic work of Central Asian cinema, Ali Khamraev's Man Follows Birds. During the Soviet Era, filmmakers balanced the need to promote Soviet ideology with the desire to tell stories unique to their cultures. Khamraev's visual poetry resonates with the work of his contemporaries such as Andrei Tarkovsky and Sergei Parajanov. In Man Follows Birds, an outcast boy leaves his village to travel with his friend, seeking truth and beauty in nature despite the cruelty and violence of adults. Of the film, Ismailova says, “This coming-of-age story is set in a timeless situation. The script was written by Timur Zulfikarov, a major Tajik author and one of the first to develop a distinctive voice that deviated from Soviet ideology, but wasn’t censored. The music, visual language and actors also make this a great film." Description adapted from Eye Filmmuseum. Director: Ali Khamraev. Country: USSR. Released: 1975.… Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/screening-and-artist-talk-man-follows-birds-tickets-1989667539170?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Films. Lectures & Discussions. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices. Captioning. Saturday, June 13, 2026, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM.

Tours | Arts Across Asia

Gallery Talks & Tours Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan. Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, June 13, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, June 13, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean

Gallery Talks & Tours Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, June 13, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.

Tours | Arts of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, June 14, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, June 14, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

The Handmaiden

Films Watch the Trailer In this erotic thriller, filmmaker Park Chan-wook transposes Sarah Waters’s acclaimed novel Fingersmith from Victorian England to 1930s Japanese-occupied Korea. A conman calling himself Count Fujiwara (Ha Jung-woo) aims to seduce and marry wealthy heiress Lady Hideko (Kim Min-hee). To further his cause, he enlists pickpocket Sook-hee (Kim Tae-ri) to insinuate herself as Lady Hideko’s servant. But his plans are thrown into disarray when the women fall in love with each other and hatch their own scheme. Moving back and forth in time, The Handmaiden is full of twists, turns, alliances, and betrayals that keep you guessing to the very end. “Exquisitely designed and sexually liberating, this is a hugely entertaining thriller” (Benjamin Lee, The Guardian). Intended for mature audiences. Director: Park Chan-wook. Country: Korea. Released: 2016. Length: 144 min. Format: DCP. Language: Korean and Japanese with English subtitles. Image courtesy of Amazon Studios. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://pcw.eventive.org/films. Categories: Films. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices. Captioning. Sunday, June 14, 2026, 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM.

Tours | Arts Across Asia

Gallery Talks & Tours Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan. Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, June 14, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, June 14, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean

Gallery Talks & Tours Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, June 14, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, June 15, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, June 15, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, June 15, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Tours | Arts of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, June 16, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Meditation and Mindfulness

Workshops Register to join the sessions. Join a free online guided meditation. In these 30-minute sessions, DC-based meditation teachers lead a variety of mindfulness practices. Friday sessions take inspiration from art in our museum’s collections. All are welcome! No previous experience is required. Image: Katsushika Hokusai / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.269. Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ymJH4SNfSjKwSlHROFxfyw. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ymJH4SNfSjKwSlHROFxfyw. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online). Tuesday, June 16, 2026, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, June 16, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, June 16, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Virtual Tour | Hokusai and the Art of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours The Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) is widely recognized for a single image—Under the Wave off Kanagawa, an icon of global art—yet he produced thousands of works throughout his long life. On this virtual tour, explore featured works from the world’s largest collection of paintings, sketches, and drawings by Hokusai, both large and small, from six-panel folding screens and hanging scrolls to paintings and drawings. Together, these works reveal an artistic genius who thought he might finally achieve true mastery in painting—if he lived to the age of 110. Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾北斎 (1760–1849); The Sazaidō of the Gohyakurakan-ji, from the series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei); Edo period, ca. 1830–1831; ink and color on paper; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of the family of Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer, F1974.63. Event Location: Zoom. Cost: Free. Register in advance (required). Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_KpRTk6DOTaGRBAJTZnXwzQ. Categories: Webcasts & Online. Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Captioning. Tuesday, June 16, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Wednesday, June 17, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Wednesday, June 17, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean

Gallery Talks & Tours Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Wednesday, June 17, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.

Peacock Room Shutters Open

Third Thursday of every month. Free, no registration required. See the Peacock Room in a whole new light! Please join us for a beloved NMAA tradition: our third Thursday opening of the Peacock Room shutters. Experience this unique masterwork of art and design in a whole new way as natural light reveals details of James McNeill Whistler's painted interior and accents the gleaming surfaces of Charles Lang Freer's collection of Asian ceramics. The shutters are open from noon to 5:30 p.m. every third Thursday of each month. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Freer gallery 12 (Peacock Room). Cost: Free. Categories: Demonstrations. Gallery Talks & Tours. Thursday, June 18, 2026, 12:00 PM – 5:30 PM.

Tours | Arts of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, June 18, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, June 18, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tours | Arts Across Asia

Gallery Talks & Tours Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan. Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, June 18, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, June 18, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean

Gallery Talks & Tours Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, June 18, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.

Tour | Art & Architecture

Gallery Talks & Tours Explore the architecture of the National Mall’s first art museum on this tour of the National Museum of Asian Art's Freer Gallery. Look closely at the West Building’s plaza, lobby, and inner courtyard while discovering the Italian architectural influences and design details of this US National Historic Landmark designed by the famed turn-of-the-century architect Charles Platt. Please meet at the West Building plaza for the tour. During rainy weather, meet at the West Building information desk. Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Plaza. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, June 19, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, June 19, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Meditation and Mindfulness

Workshops Register to join the sessions. Join a free online guided meditation. In these 30-minute sessions, DC-based meditation teachers lead a variety of mindfulness practices. Friday sessions take inspiration from art in our museum’s collections. All are welcome! No previous experience is required. Image: Katsushika Hokusai / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.269. Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ymJH4SNfSjKwSlHROFxfyw. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ymJH4SNfSjKwSlHROFxfyw. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online). Friday, June 19, 2026, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, June 19, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tours | Arts Across Asia

Gallery Talks & Tours Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan. Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, June 19, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, June 19, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean

Gallery Talks & Tours Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, June 19, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.

Tour | Art & Architecture

Gallery Talks & Tours Explore the architecture of the National Mall’s first art museum on this tour of the National Museum of Asian Art's Freer Gallery. Look closely at the West Building’s plaza, lobby, and inner courtyard while discovering the Italian architectural influences and design details of this US National Historic Landmark designed by the famed turn-of-the-century architect Charles Platt. Please meet at the West Building plaza for the tour. During rainy weather, meet at the West Building information desk. Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Plaza. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, June 20, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, June 20, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, June 20, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tours | Arts Across Asia

Gallery Talks & Tours Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan. Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, June 20, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, June 20, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean

Gallery Talks & Tours Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, June 20, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.

Asia After Dark | Smithsonian Solstice

Performances Celebrate the longest day of the year with after-hours access to the museum, a DJ dance party, a cafe popup, and exclusive gallery tours and talks! Dance the day and night away with a special guest DJ Armana Khan! Meanwhile, experience our exhibitions in a new light with exclusive curator tours throughout the evening. Enjoy spotlight talks in our newly opened exhibition Of the Hills: Pahari Paintings from India’s Himalayan Kingdoms. ScheduleDocent Spotlight Talks 4–7 p.m. Moongate Cafe Bar 5–9 p.m. Plaza Drinks available for purchase while supplies last, DJ Dance Party with Armana Khan 6–9 p.m. Plaza, Spotlight Talks with Curator Debra Diamond 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Gallery 24, Of the Hills: Pahari Paintings from India’s Himalayan Kingdoms, Curator Tours 5 p.m. | Gallery 5-7, Japanese Art from the Collection with Curator Naoko Adachi 6 p.m. | Gallery 25, Into the Waters with Curator Jan Stuart, Register in advance to get the best experience. Image: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution,… Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: National Museum of Asian Art, Plaza. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1989548933417?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Performances. Celebrations. After Five. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, June 20, 2026, 5:00 PM – 11:00 PM.

Highlights Tour in Mandarin 館藏精華導覽

Gallery Talks & Tours Join free walk-in tours in Mandarin. These one-hour, docent-led tours feature highlights from the museum’s collections, including the famous Peacock Room and select masterpieces of Chinese art. Each docent chooses an artwork to present in their own way, so you can learn something new every time. No registration is needed. 國立亞洲藝術博物館邀請您參加免費普通話導覽（無需預約）在一小時的導覽中，我們的講解員將帶您聚焦博物館中的精華，包括舉世聞名的孔雀廳和精選的中國藝術品。每場導覽都是獨一無二的，讓您每次對藝術品都能有不同的了解。 Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1915.103a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: West Building (Freer Gallery of Art) information desk 西樓（佛利爾美術館）咨詢臺. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Sunday, June 21, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.

Tours | Arts of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, June 21, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, June 21, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tours | Arts Across Asia

Gallery Talks & Tours Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan. Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, June 21, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, June 21, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean

Gallery Talks & Tours Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, June 21, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, June 22, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, June 22, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, June 22, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Tours | Arts of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, June 23, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Meditation and Mindfulness

Workshops Register to join the sessions. Join a free online guided meditation. In these 30-minute sessions, DC-based meditation teachers lead a variety of mindfulness practices. Friday sessions take inspiration from art in our museum’s collections. All are welcome! No previous experience is required. Image: Katsushika Hokusai / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.269. Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ymJH4SNfSjKwSlHROFxfyw. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ymJH4SNfSjKwSlHROFxfyw. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online). Tuesday, June 23, 2026, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, June 23, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, June 23, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Wednesday, June 24, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Wednesday, June 24, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean

Gallery Talks & Tours Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Wednesday, June 24, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.

Tours | Arts of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, June 25, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, June 25, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tours | Arts Across Asia

Gallery Talks & Tours Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan. Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, June 25, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, June 25, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean

Gallery Talks & Tours Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, June 25, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.

Tour | Art & Architecture

Gallery Talks & Tours Explore the architecture of the National Mall’s first art museum on this tour of the National Museum of Asian Art's Freer Gallery. Look closely at the West Building’s plaza, lobby, and inner courtyard while discovering the Italian architectural influences and design details of this US National Historic Landmark designed by the famed turn-of-the-century architect Charles Platt. Please meet at the West Building plaza for the tour. During rainy weather, meet at the West Building information desk. Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Plaza. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, June 26, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, June 26, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Meditation and Mindfulness

Workshops Register to join the sessions. Join a free online guided meditation. In these 30-minute sessions, DC-based meditation teachers lead a variety of mindfulness practices. Friday sessions take inspiration from art in our museum’s collections. All are welcome! No previous experience is required. Image: Katsushika Hokusai / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.269. Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ymJH4SNfSjKwSlHROFxfyw. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ymJH4SNfSjKwSlHROFxfyw. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online). Friday, June 26, 2026, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, June 26, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tours | Arts Across Asia

Gallery Talks & Tours Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan. Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, June 26, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, June 26, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Conservation Cart Talk | Technology of Mina'i Ceramics

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how complex designs were made in Islamic Mina'i ceramics, a colorful style of pottery developed in Iran in the late 12th–early 13th centuries. In this talk, Andrew W. Mellon Senior Scientist Blythe McCarthy shares what scientific analysis reveals about the multistep glazing and firing processes behind these artworks. After the talk, visit our galleries to view more of these ceramics and see how this research deepens your understanding. Image: Bowl; Iran, Kashan, early 13th century; stone-paste painted over glaze with enamel (mina'i); National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1943.3. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Gallery 3. Cost: Free. Registration optional. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1989860133224?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Related Exhibition: Engaging the Senses: Arts of the Islamic World. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices. Friday, June 26, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.

Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean

Gallery Talks & Tours Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, June 26, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, June 27, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, June 27, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tours | Arts Across Asia

Gallery Talks & Tours Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan. Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, June 27, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, June 27, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean

Gallery Talks & Tours Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, June 27, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.

Tours | Arts of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, June 28, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, June 28, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Decision to Leave

Films Watch the Trailer This deliciously twisty thriller from master director Park Chan-wook (No Other Choice) garnered loads of awards, including the Best Director prize at last year’s Cannes Film Festival. A married detective (Park Hae-il) falls for an enigmatic femme fatale played with elegant panache by Tang Wei (Lust, Caution) in what The New York Times’ Manohla Dargis calls a “heady, baroque mystery infused with the kind of old-fashioned romantic fatalism that makes noir-darkened hearts flutter.” The encounter sets off a serpentine plot probing its characters’ dark impulses toward violence, treachery, and betrayal, all filmed in Park’s characteristically lush, ravishing style. Director: Park Chan-wook. Country: Korea. Released: 2022. Length: 139 min. Format: DCP. Language: Korean and Mandarin with English subtitles. Image courtesy of Mubi. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://pcw.eventive.org/films. Categories: Films. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Captioning. ASL-interpreted program. Sunday, June 28, 2026, 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM.

Tours | Arts Across Asia

Gallery Talks & Tours Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan. Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, June 28, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, June 28, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean

Gallery Talks & Tours Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, June 28, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, June 29, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, June 29, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, June 29, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Tours | Arts of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, June 30, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Meditation and Mindfulness

Workshops Register to join the sessions. Join a free online guided meditation. In these 30-minute sessions, DC-based meditation teachers lead a variety of mindfulness practices. Friday sessions take inspiration from art in our museum’s collections. All are welcome! No previous experience is required. Image: Katsushika Hokusai / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.269. Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ymJH4SNfSjKwSlHROFxfyw. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ymJH4SNfSjKwSlHROFxfyw. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online). Tuesday, June 30, 2026, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, June 30, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, June 30, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Wednesday, July 1, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Wednesday, July 1, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean

Gallery Talks & Tours Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Wednesday, July 1, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.

Tours | Arts of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, July 2, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, July 2, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tours | Arts Across Asia

Gallery Talks & Tours Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan. Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, July 2, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, July 2, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

CANCELLED - Hands-On Conservation

Gallery Talks & Tours 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. Department of Conservation and Scientific Research, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. 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. Thursday, July 2, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.

Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean

Gallery Talks & Tours Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, July 2, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.

Tour | Art & Architecture

Gallery Talks & Tours Explore the architecture of the National Mall’s first art museum on this tour of the National Museum of Asian Art's Freer Gallery. Look closely at the West Building’s plaza, lobby, and inner courtyard while discovering the Italian architectural influences and design details of this US National Historic Landmark designed by the famed turn-of-the-century architect Charles Platt. Please meet at the West Building plaza for the tour. During rainy weather, meet at the West Building information desk. Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Plaza. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, July 3, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, July 3, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Meditation and Mindfulness

Workshops Register to join the sessions. Join a free online guided meditation. In these 30-minute sessions, DC-based meditation teachers lead a variety of mindfulness practices. Friday sessions take inspiration from art in our museum’s collections. All are welcome! No previous experience is required. Image: Katsushika Hokusai / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.269. Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ymJH4SNfSjKwSlHROFxfyw. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ymJH4SNfSjKwSlHROFxfyw. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online). Friday, July 3, 2026, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, July 3, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tours | Arts Across Asia

Gallery Talks & Tours Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan. Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, July 3, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, July 3, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean

Gallery Talks & Tours Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, July 3, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.

Highlights Tour in Mandarin 館藏精華導覽

Gallery Talks & Tours Join free walk-in tours in Mandarin. These one-hour, docent-led tours feature highlights from the museum’s collections, including the famous Peacock Room and select masterpieces of Chinese art. Each tour is unique, so you can learn something new every time. No registration is needed. 國立亞洲藝術博物館邀請您參加免費普通話導覽（無需預約）在一小時的導覽中，我們的講解員將帶您聚焦博物館中的精華，包括舉世聞名的孔雀廳和精選的中國藝術品。每場導覽都是獨一無二的，讓您每次對藝術品都能有不同的了解。 Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1915.103a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: West Building (Freer Gallery of Art) information desk 西樓（佛利爾美術館）咨詢臺. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Saturday, July 4, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, July 4, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, July 4, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tours | Arts Across Asia

Gallery Talks & Tours Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan. Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, July 4, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, July 4, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean

Gallery Talks & Tours Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, July 4, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.

Sketch & Discover Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours Join docent Sushmita Mazumdar every first Sunday of the month as she guides you to use pencil and paper to consider the unique ideas and expressions of Asian artists from various traditions spanning the continent across centuries. All materials will be provided. No reservation needed. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, July 5, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | Art & Architecture

Gallery Talks & Tours Explore the architecture of the National Mall’s first art museum on this tour of the National Museum of Asian Art's Freer Gallery. Look closely at the West Building’s plaza, lobby, and inner courtyard while discovering the Italian architectural influences and design details of this US National Historic Landmark designed by the famed turn-of-the-century architect Charles Platt. Please meet at the West Building plaza for the tour. During rainy weather, meet at the West Building information desk. Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Plaza. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, July 5, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.

Tours | Arts of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, July 5, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, July 5, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tours | Arts Across Asia

Gallery Talks & Tours Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan. Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, July 5, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, July 5, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean

Gallery Talks & Tours Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, July 5, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, July 6, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, July 6, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, July 6, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Tours | Arts of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, July 7, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Meditation and Mindfulness

Workshops Register to join the sessions. Join a free online guided meditation. In these 30-minute sessions, DC-based meditation teachers lead a variety of mindfulness practices. Friday sessions take inspiration from art in our museum’s collections. All are welcome! No previous experience is required. Image: Katsushika Hokusai / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.269. Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ymJH4SNfSjKwSlHROFxfyw. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ymJH4SNfSjKwSlHROFxfyw. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online). Tuesday, July 7, 2026, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM.

Virtual Tour | American Art Beyond Whistler

Did you know that our museum holds works from late 19th- and early 20th-century American artists such as John Singer Sargent, Thomas Dewing, and Abbott Handerson Thayer? Discover some of the exquisite works that bridged ideas across the United States, Europe, and Asia, and learn more about their place in the museum’s collection. Image: Winslow Homer (1836-1910); Sun and Clouds; United States, 1882; watercolor on paper; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1913.31.a-b. Event Location: Zoom. Cost: Free. Register in advance (required). Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_yDlpOiCSRVG1HmltdTdy8A. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Webcasts & Online. Accessibility: Captioning. Tuesday, July 7, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, July 7, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, July 7, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Curator Tour | Of the Hills

Gallery Talks & Tours In this tour exploring Of the Hills: Pahari Paintings from India’s Himalayan Kingdoms, curator Debra Diamond focuses on the paintings' representations of men and women. Get exclusive insights into the abstractions and identities expressed in these artworks. Please meet at gallery 23 for the tour. We recommend you register in advance. Image: Kaccheli Ragini, from a Ragamala; India, Himachal Pradesh state, Bahu or Jammu, ca. 1710; opaque watercolor and gold on paper; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection—funds provided by the Friends of the National Museum of Asian Art, S2018.1.11. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 23 & 24. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1984086858203?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Wednesday, July 8, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Wednesday, July 8, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla

Films This monster movie romp introduces Godzilla’s evil twin, Mechagodzilla, a robot designed by aliens to conquer Earth. The film recaptures the feel of the 1960s’ Godzilla movies with the help of earnest direction, spectacular pyrotechnics, and guest appearances by veteran genre actors. Description adapted from Janus Films. Director: Jun Fukuda. Country: Japan. Released: 1974. Length: 84 min. Format: DCP. Language: Japanese with English subtitles. Image courtesy of Janus Films. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://nmaamatinees.eventive.org/schedule/6a15fb4bff05f12c555316e2. Categories: Films. Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Captioning. Assisted listening devices. Wednesday, July 8, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Wednesday, July 8, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean

Gallery Talks & Tours Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Wednesday, July 8, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.

Tours | Arts of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, July 9, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, July 9, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tours | Arts Across Asia

Gallery Talks & Tours Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan. Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, July 9, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, July 9, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean

Gallery Talks & Tours Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, July 9, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.

Art Break

Kids and Family Take time to relax, create, and connect with a hands-on art activity. Make art inspired by objects from our collections while discovering the techniques, histories, and cultures behind them. Drop by any time between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.! All ages and skill levels welcome. Image credits: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Photos by Cory Grace and Melinda Jane Tomerlin. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 27. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, July 10, 2026, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM.

Tour | Art & Architecture

Gallery Talks & Tours Explore the architecture of the National Mall’s first art museum on this tour of the National Museum of Asian Art's Freer Gallery. Look closely at the West Building’s plaza, lobby, and inner courtyard while discovering the Italian architectural influences and design details of this US National Historic Landmark designed by the famed turn-of-the-century architect Charles Platt. Please meet at the West Building plaza for the tour. During rainy weather, meet at the West Building information desk. Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Plaza. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, July 10, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, July 10, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Meditation and Mindfulness

Workshops Register to join the sessions. Join a free online guided meditation. In these 30-minute sessions, DC-based meditation teachers lead a variety of mindfulness practices. Friday sessions take inspiration from art in our museum’s collections. All are welcome! No previous experience is required. Image: Katsushika Hokusai / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.269. Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ymJH4SNfSjKwSlHROFxfyw. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ymJH4SNfSjKwSlHROFxfyw. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online). Friday, July 10, 2026, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, July 10, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tours | Arts Across Asia

Gallery Talks & Tours Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan. Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, July 10, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, July 10, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Hands-On Conservation

Gallery Talks & Tours 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. Department of Conservation and Scientific Research, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. 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 10, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.

Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean

Gallery Talks & Tours Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, July 10, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.

The Killer

Films Watch the Trailer Considered one of the greatest action movies of all time, The Killer has influenced everyone from Quentin Tarantino to Robert Rodriguez, Luc Besson, and even the Wu-Tang Clan’s Raekwon, who sampled it on his album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. Chow Yun-fat stars as Ah Jong, a contract killer wracked with guilt for accidentally blinding a nightclub singer named Jennie (Sally Yeh) while doing a hit. He resolves to perform one last job to earn the money for surgery to restore her sight. Made at the height of John Woo’s creative powers, the film combines furious action scenes with melodrama and humor—for example, the famous scene in which Ah Jong and his cop pursuer (Danny Lee) balance teacups and pistols and pretend to be pals while Jennie serves them tea. Director: John Woo (Hong Kong). Released: 1989. Length: 111 min. Format: DCP. Language: Cantonese with English subtitles. Image courtesy of GKIDS. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://woonmaa.eventive.org/films. Categories: Films. After Five. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Captioning. Assisted listening devices. Friday, July 10, 2026, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM.

Tour | Art & Architecture

Gallery Talks & Tours Explore the architecture of the National Mall’s first art museum on this tour of the National Museum of Asian Art's Freer Gallery. Look closely at the West Building’s plaza, lobby, and inner courtyard while discovering the Italian architectural influences and design details of this US National Historic Landmark designed by the famed turn-of-the-century architect Charles Platt. Please meet at the West Building plaza for the tour. During rainy weather, meet at the West Building information desk. Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Plaza. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, July 11, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, July 11, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, July 11, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tours | Arts Across Asia

Gallery Talks & Tours Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan. Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, July 11, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, July 11, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean

Gallery Talks & Tours Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, July 11, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.

Tours | Arts of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, July 12, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, July 12, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

A Better Tomorrow

Films Watch the Trailer After more than a decade toiling in the Hong Kong film industry, John Woo finally hit his stride with “the opening shot in [his] redefinition of the action genre” (Steve Rose, The Guardian). This was thanks in no small part to a scene-stealing performance by suave leading man Chow Yun-fat, whose trench coat and shades get-up became a fashion trend. Chow plays counterfeiter Mark, whose partner in crime, Ho (Ti Lung), takes the fall. Mark pays him back with a violent scheme that goes spectacularly haywire while Ho’s police officer brother (Leslie Cheung) finds his loyalty torn. The blend of bullet-riddled mayhem and sentimental masculine bonding that would become Woo’s hallmark began here. Director: John Woo (Hong Kong). Released: 1986. Length: 95 min. Format: DCP. Language: Cantonese with English subtitles. Image courtesy of GKIDS. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://woonmaa.eventive.org/films. Categories: Films. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Captioning. Assisted listening devices. Sunday, July 12, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:45 PM.

Tours | Arts Across Asia

Gallery Talks & Tours Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan. Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, July 12, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, July 12, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean

Gallery Talks & Tours Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Sunday, July 12, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, July 13, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, July 13, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Monday, July 13, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Tours | Arts of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, July 14, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Meditation and Mindfulness

Workshops Register to join the sessions. Join a free online guided meditation. In these 30-minute sessions, DC-based meditation teachers lead a variety of mindfulness practices. Friday sessions take inspiration from art in our museum’s collections. All are welcome! No previous experience is required. Image: Katsushika Hokusai / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.269. Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ymJH4SNfSjKwSlHROFxfyw. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ymJH4SNfSjKwSlHROFxfyw. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online). Tuesday, July 14, 2026, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, July 14, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, July 14, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Curator Tour | Of the Hills

Gallery Talks & Tours Join curator Debra Diamond and discover how Pahari painters portrayed the Hindu god Krishna in this tour exploring Of the Hills: Pahari Paintings from India’s Himalayan Kingdoms. These masters of romance depicted Krishna as not only transcendent and heroic but also beloved and playful. Please meet at gallery 23 for the tour. We recommend you register in advance. Image: Attributed to the Master of the Court of Mankot; Krishna Fluting, folio from a Dasavatar series; India, Uttarakhand state, Mankot, ca. 1730; opaque watercolor and gold on paper; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection—funds provided by the Friends of the National Museum of Asian Art, S20a18.1.60. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 23 & 24. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1984087744855?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Wednesday, July 15, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Wednesday, July 15, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Wednesday, July 15, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean

Gallery Talks & Tours Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Wednesday, July 15, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.

Peacock Room Shutters Open

Third Thursday of every month. Free, no registration required. See the Peacock Room in a whole new light! Please join us for a beloved NMAA tradition: our third Thursday opening of the Peacock Room shutters. Experience this unique masterwork of art and design in a whole new way as natural light reveals details of James McNeill Whistler's painted interior and accents the gleaming surfaces of Charles Lang Freer's collection of Asian ceramics. The shutters are open from noon to 5:30 p.m. every third Thursday of each month. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Freer gallery 12 (Peacock Room). Cost: Free. Categories: Demonstrations. Gallery Talks & Tours. Thursday, July 16, 2026, 12:00 PM – 5:30 PM.

Tours | Arts of Japan

Gallery Talks & Tours As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, July 16, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, July 16, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tours | Arts Across Asia

Gallery Talks & Tours Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan. Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, July 16, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, July 16, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean

Gallery Talks & Tours Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, July 16, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.

Art Break

Kids and Family Take time to relax, create, and connect with a hands-on art activity. Make art inspired by objects from our collections while discovering the techniques, histories, and cultures behind them. Drop by any time between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.! All ages and skill levels welcome. Image credits: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Photos by Cory Grace and Melinda Jane Tomerlin. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 27. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, July 17, 2026, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM.

Tour | Art & Architecture

Gallery Talks & Tours Explore the architecture of the National Mall’s first art museum on this tour of the National Museum of Asian Art's Freer Gallery. Look closely at the West Building’s plaza, lobby, and inner courtyard while discovering the Italian architectural influences and design details of this US National Historic Landmark designed by the famed turn-of-the-century architect Charles Platt. Please meet at the West Building plaza for the tour. During rainy weather, meet at the West Building information desk. Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Plaza. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, July 17, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, July 17, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Meditation and Mindfulness

Workshops Register to join the sessions. Join a free online guided meditation. In these 30-minute sessions, DC-based meditation teachers lead a variety of mindfulness practices. Friday sessions take inspiration from art in our museum’s collections. All are welcome! No previous experience is required. Image: Katsushika Hokusai / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.269. Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ymJH4SNfSjKwSlHROFxfyw. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ymJH4SNfSjKwSlHROFxfyw. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online). Friday, July 17, 2026, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, July 17, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Tours | Arts Across Asia

Gallery Talks & Tours Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan. Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, July 17, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, July 17, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Conservation Cart Talk | From Panel to Hanging Scroll

Lectures & Discussions Join Japanese painting conservators to explore the process of converting panel-mounted paintings back into hanging scrolls. Handle a former mounting panel, still layered with fabric, to better understand its structure. Then watch a live demonstration of how the first layer of backing paper is carefully applied to a painting—an essential step in creating a hanging scroll. Learn more by speaking with conservators about their ongoing treatment of paintings by Hishikawa Moroyasu and Katsushika Hokusai. On our blog, you can learn more about how we mount Japanese paintings. National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Photo by Department of Conservation and Scientific Research. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: North Corridor near Gallery 5. Cost: Free. Register in advance (optional). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1991072447288?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Lectures & Discussions. Demonstrations. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible. Friday, July 17, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.

Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean

Gallery Talks & Tours Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, July 17, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.

Art & Me | Family Workshop: Outdoor Sculpture

Kids and Family What happens to art that lives outside? In this hands-on workshop, children ages 3–8 and their caregivers explore outdoor sculptures at the museum and learn how conservators care for artworks exposed to sun, rain, and more. Then, kids make their own outdoor art and take it home to observe how it stands up to the elements. Image credit: Department of Conservation and Scientific Research, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: ImaginAsia Studio. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1918232217199?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Workshops. Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices. Saturday, July 18, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM.

Tour | Art & Architecture

Gallery Talks & Tours Explore the architecture of the National Mall’s first art museum on this tour of the National Museum of Asian Art's Freer Gallery. Look closely at the West Building’s plaza, lobby, and inner courtyard while discovering the Italian architectural influences and design details of this US National Historic Landmark designed by the famed turn-of-the-century architect Charles Platt. Please meet at the West Building plaza for the tour. During rainy weather, meet at the West Building information desk. Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Plaza. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, July 18, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.

Tours | Arts of China

Gallery Talks & Tours Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics. Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, July 18, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

Permanent Collection Tour

Gallery Talks & Tours The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, July 18, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. For more info visit asia.si.edu.

Art & Me | Family Workshop: Outdoor Sculpture

Kids and Family What happens to art that lives outside? In this hands-on workshop, children ages 3–8 and their caregivers explore outdoor sculptures at the museum and learn how conservators care for artworks exposed to sun, rain, and more. Then, kids make their own outdoor art and take it home to observe how it stands up to the elements. Image credit: Department of Conservation and Scientific Research, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: ImaginAsia Studio. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1918232217199?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Workshops. Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices. Saturday, July 18, 2026, 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tours | Arts Across Asia

Gallery Talks & Tours Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan. Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, July 18, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Tour | The Peacock Room at 150

Gallery Talks & Tours Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, July 18, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.

Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean

Gallery Talks & Tours Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly. Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, July 18, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.