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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, October 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.
Thursday, October 8, 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 S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, October 8, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
LEENALCHI
Performances
Seating is limited. Reserve your seat in advance to pick where you sit ($6 fee per seat). Join the standby line for remaining seats on the day of the concert, free of charge.
Leenalchi is a seven-piece band from Seoul that draws on the folk storytelling tradition of pansori and will remind you of Talking Heads. After releasing their most recent album, Here Comes That Crow, and supporting Japanese Breakfast, the band will perform in the Meyer Auditorium as part of their first-ever North American tour.
About Pansori
The music of Leenalchi is taken from pansori, a traditional Korean style of musical storytelling often compared to opera. Rooted in shamanism and developed in the seventeenth century during the Joseon dynasty, pansori tells epic tales of love, virtue, sorrow, and dragon kings.
As part of their training, pansori singers are required to spend time singing next to a waterfall, tasked to carefully observe and mimic the sonic nuances of water. The Korean language is full of onomatopoeias. The…
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: $6 per seat. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/leenalchi-tickets-1997897645640?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Performances. After Five. Related Exhibition: Do Ho Suh: Public Figures, Rediscovering Korea’s Past.
Thursday, October 8, 2026, 7:30 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. Photo by Jennifer Berry.
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, October 9, 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, October 9, 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 credit: Taki Katei / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Toshio and Yuka Fujikura in memory of Tome Fujikura, F2014.8.28a-d.
Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online).
Friday, October 9, 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, October 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 S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, October 9, 2026, 2:00 PM – 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. Photo by Jennifer Berry.
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, October 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.
Saturday, October 10, 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, October 10, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Curator Tour | From the Louvre
Gallery Talks & Tours
For the first time ever, an exceptional selection of masterpieces is crossing the Atlantic and coming to the United States. In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area that extends from Spain to India. In these exclusive tours, curator Simon Rettig shares the extraordinary journeys these works took and explains how they were invested with power and meaning along the way.
Please meet at gallery 23 for the tour. We recommend you register in advance. ©️ GrandPalaisRmn (musée du Louvre) / Mathieu Rabeau.
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/1992430550411?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, October 10, 2026, 2:00 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 S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, October 10, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 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, October 10, 2026, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. 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, October 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.
Sunday, October 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 S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, October 11, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 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, October 11, 2026, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. 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, October 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.
Monday, October 12, 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, October 12, 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, October 13, 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 credit: Taki Katei / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Toshio and Yuka Fujikura in memory of Tome Fujikura, F2014.8.28a-d.
Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online).
Tuesday, October 13, 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, October 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.
Tuesday, October 13, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
HasSak Ethno-Folk Ensemble
Performances
Seating is limited. Reserve your seat in advance to pick where you sit ($6 fee per seat). Join the standby line for remaining seats on the day of the concert, free of charge.
Formed in 2013 in Almaty by PhD and Honored Worker of Kazakhstan Yerzhan Zhamenkeyev, HasSak is one of Kazakhstan’s premier contemporary ethno-folklore groups. The ensemble features four highly skilled multi-instrumentalists—Yerzhan Zhamenkeyev, Darkhan Alimgazy, Askat Sagat, and Aray Kanatbek—who master over thirty traditional Kazakh instruments, including the dombyra, zhetygen, sybyzgy, and kyl-qobyz.
Known for bridging ancient Nomadic musical heritage with dynamic, modern arrangements, HasSak won the Grand Prix at the international World Folk Vision competition in 2019. The group has released three studio albums, with a fourth currently in production, and has performed extensively across Kazakhstan and internationally in countries such as Germany, Austria, Türkiye, China, South Korea, Azerbaijan, and Russia. HasSak is currently…
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/hassak-ethno-folk-ensemble-tickets-1998266523965?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true. Categories: Performances. After Five. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Tuesday, October 13, 2026, 7:30 PM – 9:00 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, October 14, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. The Burmese Harp (70th Anniversary)
Films
In the last days of World War II, a Japanese platoon sustains morale through the Burma Campaign by singing traditional songs, accompanied by the delicate harp-playing of Private Mizushima (Shōji Yasui). After the unit surrenders to British forces, Mizushima must convince a holdout of cave-dwelling Japanese soldiers to lay down their arms. When his mission fails, he is counted among the dead.
Mizushima survives, however, and becomes a monk who dedicates his life to providing proper burials for his fallen comrades. Meanwhile, his former platoon attempts to track him down by using music to express a shared sense of separation and longing for home.
The Burmese Harp is adapted from Michio Takeyama’s classic novel and renowned for legendary composer Akira Ifukube’s haunting score. This epic humanist masterpiece contemplates suffering, redemption, and spiritual fortitude during the darkest periods of violence. Description adapted from Janus Films.
Director: Kon Ichikawa. Country: Japan. Released: 1956. Length:…
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/6a16066bbc7693df3cfd58c6. Categories: Films. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices. Captioning.
Wednesday, October 14, 2026, 2:00 PM – 4:00 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.
Wednesday, October 14, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 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, October 15, 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, October 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.
Thursday, October 15, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | From the Louvre
Gallery Talks & Tours
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, October 15, 2026, 2:00 PM – 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. Photo by Jennifer Berry.
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, October 16, 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, October 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 credit: Taki Katei / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Toshio and Yuka Fujikura in memory of Tome Fujikura, F2014.8.28a-d.
Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online).
Friday, October 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.
Friday, October 16, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | From the Louvre
Gallery Talks & Tours
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, October 16, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Center Stage
Films
Director’s Cut, 35th Anniversary screening, in 4K Restoration!
Watch the Trailer
International superstar Maggie Cheung (In the Mood for Love) embodies tragic screen siren Ruan Lingyu in this unconventional biopic by Hong Kong New Wave master Stanley Kwan (Rouge). Known as the “Greta Garbo of China,“ Ruan was praised for her moving and emotive onscreen presence. But Ruan’s private life began to mirror the melodramas that brought her fame and was frequent fodder for the vicious Shanghai tabloids. This tumult culminated in her suicide at age 24.
Kwan and Cheung paint a kaleidoscopic yet intimate portrait of the ill-fated actress, deftly blending lush period drama, archival footage, and metatextual documentary sequences of Cheung reflecting on Ruan’s legacy. The result is, much like the films of Ruan Lingyu themselves, “tender, vivid and almost overwhelmingly moving” (Time Out). Description adapted from Film Movement.
Director: Stanley Kwan (Hong Kong). Released: 1991. Length: 154 min. Format: DCP. Language:…
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://chinaclassics.eventive.org/films. Categories: Films. After Five. Accessibility: Captioning. Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, October 16, 2026, 7:00 PM – 9:30 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. Photo by Jennifer Berry.
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, October 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.
Saturday, October 17, 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, October 17, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Global Conversations: Korean Culture and the Power of Cultural Diplomacy
Lectures & Discussions
Join museum director Chase Robinson for a fireside conversation with Nicholas Burns, former US Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, and Kang Kyung-wha, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the United States.
As the first program in our Global Conversations: The Power of Art, Culture, and Diplomacy series, this discussion will explore the role of museums and cultural institutions as powerful instruments of diplomacy, collaboration, and cross-cultural understanding. Using the remarkable global rise and influence of Korean arts and culture as a point of departure, Ambassadors Burns and Kang will reflect on their distinguished careers in diplomacy and public service, the role of cultural soft power in international relations, and the ways museums, exhibitions, and cultural exchange foster dialogue across societies. Moderated by Robinson, the conversation will also examine regional and global efforts to preserve and protect cultural heritage, the importance of international partnerships in advancing…
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium / Online. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/global-conversations-korean-culture-and-the-power-of-cultural-diplomacy-tickets-2000657006964?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Saturday, October 17, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Curator Tour | Melted into the Sun
Gallery Talks & Tours
Join curator Carol Huh for a tour of Saodat Ismailova: Melted into the Sun. This exhibition presents film and installation artist Saodat Ismailova’s work, grounded in Central Asia’s complex histories and ancient myths. Weaving together her own footage, rare archival film, and text, she evokes a vivid sense of place and reflects on the resilience of culture.
Please meet at gallery 28 for the tour. We recommend you register in advance. Image: Saodat Ismailova (b. 1981); Still from Melted into the Sun; 2024; single-channel video with sound; 35 minutes; Courtesy @saodatismailova. Commissioned by Fondazione In Between Art Film and Batalha Centro de Cinema Porto.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 28. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1998887427103?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Saodat Ismailova: Melted into the Sun. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, October 17, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Tour | From the Louvre
Gallery Talks & Tours
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, October 17, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 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, October 17, 2026, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. 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, October 18, 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, October 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.
Sunday, October 18, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Farewell My Concubine
Films
Uncut 4K restoration including 20 minutes missing from the original US release!
Watch the Trailer
Preceded by a live performance of the sword dance and suicide by Lady Yuji from the Peking opera Farewell My Concubine, presented by DC Beauty of Beijing Opera.
Cheng Dieyi (Leslie Cheung) and Duan Xiaolou (Zhang Fengyi) grow up enduring the harsh training of the Peking Opera Academy, where instructors regularly beat the students to instill in them the discipline needed to master the complex physical and vocal techniques of this ancient art. As the two boys mature, they develop complementary talents: Dieyi, with his fine, delicate features, assumes the female roles while Xiaolou plays masculine warlords. Their dramatic identities become real for Dieyi when he falls in love with Xiaolou, who fails to fully reciprocate his affections and marries a courtesan, Juxian (Gong Li), creating a dangerous, jealousy-filled romantic triangle.
Hailed as a “cultural achievement” (The New York Times) and widely considered…
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://chinaclassics.eventive.org/films. Categories: Films. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Captioning. Assisted listening devices.
Sunday, October 18, 2026, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
Tour | From the Louvre
Gallery Talks & Tours
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, October 18, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 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, October 18, 2026, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. 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, October 19, 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, October 19, 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, October 19, 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, October 20, 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 credit: Taki Katei / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Toshio and Yuka Fujikura in memory of Tome Fujikura, F2014.8.28a-d.
Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online).
Tuesday, October 20, 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, October 20, 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, October 20, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Virtual Tour | Ghosts and Demons
Gallery Talks & Tours
How does art communicate how we imagine the supernatural? In this tour, you’ll meet scary ghosts, powerful demons, and comical monsters in works of art from Japan. Learn about theatrical plays and folktales that feature these supernatural beings and the heroes, guardians, and everyday people they menace. Image: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 月岡芳年 (1839–1892); A Ghost Jizō Startles a Near-sighted Old Man at Asajigahara from the series Crazy Pictures of Famous Places in Tōkyō (Tōkyō kaika kyōga meishō); Japan, 1881; print; ink and color on paper; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, The Pearl and Seymour Moskowitz Collection, S2021.5.363.
Event Location: Zoom. Cost: Free. Register in advance (required). Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_UG0wGk-HQiOSd2YlJaNvcQ. Categories: Webcasts & Online. Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Captioning.
Tuesday, October 20, 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, October 21, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | From the Louvre
Gallery Talks & Tours
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, October 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.
Wednesday, October 21, 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.
Thursday, October 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.
Thursday, October 22, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | From the Louvre
Gallery Talks & Tours
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, October 22, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
The Peacock Room at 150: Lecture and Reception
Lectures & Discussions
Join the Freer Research Center as we celebrate the 150th anniversary of James McNeill Whistler’s most complete Aesthetic-era interior, the Peacock Room. Hear from noted Whistler scholar and former National Museum of Asian Art curator Linda Merrill about the context of the room’s creation. She also discusses some of the art-historical misinterpretations that prevailed before the comprehensive conservation campaign of the 1990s. The program will be followed by a celebratory reception in the courtyard.
The Peacock Room is as awe inspiring for its rich detail as it is notorious for the rupture the project caused between the artist and his patron. Whistler designed the space for shipping magnate Frederick Leyland between 1876 and 1877. Leyland expected a few modest alterations to his new dining room, where he intended to display his collection of Chinese blue-and-white porcelain. The room Whistler ultimately completed, mostly without his patron’s consent, was a lavish space covered floor to ceiling in depictions…
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Courtyard, Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (required). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-peacock-room-at-150-lecture-and-reception-tickets-2000233342773. Categories: After Five. Lectures & Discussions. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, October 22, 2026, 6:00 PM – 8:00 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. Photo by Jennifer Berry.
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, October 23, 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, October 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 credit: Taki Katei / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Toshio and Yuka Fujikura in memory of Tome Fujikura, F2014.8.28a-d.
Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online).
Friday, October 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.
Friday, October 23, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | From the Louvre
Gallery Talks & Tours
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, October 23, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Conservation Cart Talk | Peacock Room Ceramics
Lectures & Discussions
Join objects conservator Ellen Chase to explore the blue-and-white ceramics displayed in the Peacock Room. Learn how artists in China used cobalt pigments and brushes to create their distinctive designs, and discover how conservators study, care for, and preserve them. Examine a replica ceramic and conservation materials up close while gaining a deeper understanding of these works of art. Image: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Photo by Colleen Dugan.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Gallery 12. Cost: Free. Register in advance (optional). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1999025752839?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Lectures & Discussions. Related Exhibition: The Peacock Room. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Friday, October 23, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
The Adventures of Prince Achmed
Films
100th Anniversary Screening! Live accompaniment by Rahim AlHaj
Watch the Trailer
Lotte Reiniger’s 1926 adaptation of tales from The Thousand and One Nights is widely believed to be the very first animated feature film. The Adventures of Prince Achmed uses striking silhouette cutouts inspired by traditional Indonesian wayang shadow puppets and gorgeous color tinting. These methods bring to life the story of an Arabian prince who is whisked away on a flying horse to an enchanted land where he tangles with an evil sorcerer, rescues a princess, and joins forces with none other than Aladdin. Painstakingly composed frame by frame over the course of three years by Reiniger, this landmark work is both an enchanting storybook saga and a retina-delighting triumph of visual imagination. Description adapted from the Criterion Collection.
Presented in a digital restoration by DFF – Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum e.V.
Director: Lotte Reiniger. Country: Germany. Released: 1926. Length: 65 min. Format: Restored DCP.…
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://1001nights.eventive.org/films. Categories: Films. After Five. Performances. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Captioning. Assisted listening devices.
Friday, October 23, 2026, 7:00 PM – 8:30 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/art-me-family-workshop-outdoor-sculpture-tickets-1994363833914?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Workshops. Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Saturday, October 24, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:30 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, October 24, 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, October 24, 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/art-me-family-workshop-outdoor-sculpture-tickets-1994363833914?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Workshops. Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Saturday, October 24, 2026, 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM.
Performance: Rahim AlHaj, oud
Performances
Join master musician Rahim AlHaj for an intimate solo performance on the oud (the grandfather of all stringed instruments). This performance celebrates our exhibition From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art.
AlHaj and his trio also accompany our screening of The Adventures of Prince Achmed. Rahim AlHaj has performed around the globe and is considered one of the finest oud players in the world. Born in Baghdad, Iraq, he moved to the US as a political refugee in 2000 and later became a US citizen. Since he began playing oud at age nine, he has studied under Munir Bashir (considered by many to be the greatest oud player of the twentieth century) and Salim Abdul Kareem at the Institute of Music in Baghdad, Iraq. AlHaj has won many accolades and awards, including two Grammy nominations and the National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship. He has recorded and performed with various master musicians such as genre-busting American guitarist Bill Frisell, Indian sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan, and…
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Performances. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, October 24, 2026, 2:00 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.
Saturday, October 24, 2026, 3:15 PM – 4:15 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. Photo by Jennifer Berry.
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, October 25, 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, October 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.
Sunday, October 25, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | From the Louvre
Gallery Talks & Tours
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, October 25, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 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, October 25, 2026, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. 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, October 26, 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, October 26, 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, October 26, 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, October 27, 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 credit: Taki Katei / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Toshio and Yuka Fujikura in memory of Tome Fujikura, F2014.8.28a-d.
Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online).
Tuesday, October 27, 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, October 27, 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, October 27, 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, October 28, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | From the Louvre
Gallery Talks & Tours
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, October 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.
Wednesday, October 28, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Musicians from Marlboro I
Seating is limited. Reserve your seat in advance to pick where you sit ($6 fee per order). Join the standby line for remaining seats on the day of the concert, free of charge.
For six decades, Musicians from Marlboro tours have offered audiences throughout North America and beyond a glimpse into the magic that happens each summer in Vermont. Each Marlboro tour program is curated by Co-Artistic Directors Mitsuko Uchida and Jonathan Biss from among the most exceptional collaborations from previous summers. Unlike typical touring ensembles, these groups are formed through Marlboro’s unique intergenerational approach, pairing world-renowned mentors with exceptional younger professionals. The results offer audiences the chance to discover seldom-heard masterworks and enjoy fresh, spirited interpretations of chamber music favorites, all born from weeks of immersive rehearsal and shared musical life at Marlboro.
As part of our 2026–2027 Meyer Concert Season, we welcome back the Marlboro touring ensembles. The…
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/musicians-from-marlboro-i-tickets-2001079313093?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Performances. After Five. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Wednesday, October 28, 2026, 7:30 PM – 9:00 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.
Thursday, October 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.
Thursday, October 29, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | From the Louvre
Gallery Talks & Tours
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, October 29, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Virtual Book Club | Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
Lectures & Discussions
Register to join. Halloween costumes welcome~
Calling all readers! We’re starting a quarterly virtual book club, hosted by NPR’s Emily Kwong. You may recognize her from the hit podcast Inheriting about AAPI family history. Our club will meet once each season, with fresh recommendations from some of our favorite Asian-owned bookstores (including Loyalty Bookstore and Yu & Me Books).
Expect: open-ended questions, organic conversation, and a structured activity.
To kick off the club, our first book is Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar. Grab a copy from the museum store on your next visit. About Martyr!
A newly sober, orphaned son of Iranian immigrants, guided by the voices of artists, poets, and kings, embarks on a remarkable search for a family secret that leads him to a terminally ill painter living out her final days in the Brooklyn Museum. Electrifying, funny, and wholly original, Kaveh Akbar’s debut novel is a paean to how we spend our lives seeking meaning—in faith, art, ourselves, others. Martyr! is a New York…
Event Location: Online. Cost: Free. Register in advance (required). Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/-aNMzt2QS8eO8K6Fh7Uocw#/registration. Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Webcasts & Online. After Five.
Thursday, October 29, 2026, 7:00 PM – 8:30 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. Photo by Jennifer Berry.
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, October 30, 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, October 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 credit: Taki Katei / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Toshio and Yuka Fujikura in memory of Tome Fujikura, F2014.8.28a-d.
Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online).
Friday, October 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.
Friday, October 30, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | From the Louvre
Gallery Talks & Tours
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, October 30, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Halloween Screening: Train to Busan
Films
10th Anniversary Remastered Version!
Zombie Costumes Welcome!
Watch the Trailer
Yeon Sang-ho’s global phenomenon Train to Busan arrives back in theaters to celebrate its 10th Anniversary. What begins as a simple birthday trip for a father and daughter turns into a high-octane fight for survival when a zombie outbreak ravages South Korea. Trapped on a speeding train, they must navigate a landscape of terror to reach safety. Experience the relentless action and heart-wrenching drama on the big screen like never before.
Director: Yeon Sang-ho. Country: Korea. Released: 2016. Length: 128 min. Format: DCP. Language: Korean with English subtitles. Image courtesy of Well Go USA.
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/halloween-screening-train-to-busan-tickets-2000509312205?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true. Categories: Films. After Five. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Captioning. Assisted listening devices.
Friday, October 30, 2026, 7:00 PM – 9:15 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. Photo by Jennifer Berry.
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, October 31, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Curator Tour | From the Louvre
Gallery Talks & Tours
For the first time ever, an exceptional selection of masterpieces is crossing the Atlantic and coming to the United States. In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area that extends from Spain to India. In these exclusive tours, curator Simon Rettig shares the extraordinary journeys these works took and explains how they were invested with power and meaning along the way.
Please meet at gallery 23 for the tour. We recommend you register in advance. ©️ GrandPalaisRmn (musée du Louvre) / Mathieu Rabeau.
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/1992443921404?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, October 31, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 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, October 31, 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, October 31, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | From the Louvre
Gallery Talks & Tours
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, October 31, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 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, October 31, 2026, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. 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, November 1, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. 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, November 1, 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, November 1, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | From the Louvre
Gallery Talks & Tours
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, November 1, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 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, November 1, 2026, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. 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, November 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.
Monday, November 2, 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, November 2, 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, November 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 credit: Taki Katei / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Toshio and Yuka Fujikura in memory of Tome Fujikura, F2014.8.28a-d.
Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online).
Tuesday, November 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.
Tuesday, November 3, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Virtual Tour | Art of South Asia
Gallery Talks & Tours
Encounter South Asian art from across the Indian subcontinent in this free, online tour. Journey through time, from historical sculptures to contemporary art and photography. This tour highlights both the diversity and unity of South Asian art, and it brings together works from the traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Image: Krishna Entertains His Companions; India, Himachal Pradesh state, Guler or Chamba, ca. 1760–1765; 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, S2018.1.8.
Event Location: Zoom. Cost: Free. Register in advance (required). Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1XcV5JccQ_eOqyJjgd7MRQ. Categories: Webcasts & Online. Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Captioning.
Tuesday, November 3, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 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.
Tuesday, November 3, 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, November 4, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | From the Louvre
Gallery Talks & Tours
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, November 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.
Wednesday, November 4, 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.
Thursday, November 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.
Thursday, November 5, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | From the Louvre
Gallery Talks & Tours
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, November 5, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 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, November 6, 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 credit: Taki Katei / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Toshio and Yuka Fujikura in memory of Tome Fujikura, F2014.8.28a-d.
Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online).
Friday, November 6, 2026, 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM.
Artful Movement | SEL Webinar for Students K–3
Kids and Family
Get ready to observe, chat, and move with art! In these webinars, students (grades K–3) will look carefully at a work of art through facilitated exploration. Then, they will breathe, stretch, and flow through a guided mindful movement. This month’s theme is “Mountain Strong: Steady and Grounded.”
These sessions are perfect for families, homeschool groups, virtual schools, and teachers who may want to review a recording with their students after the live session. Everyone who registers gets a link to the recording. Each session includes American Sign Language interpretation. Sessions take place on Fridays from 1 to 1:30 p.m. We present these webinars in partnership with Create Calm. Utagawa Hiroshige 歌川広重 (1797–1858); No. 14 Hara: View of Fuji and the Ashitaka Mountains, from the series Pictures of Famous Places of the Fifty-Three Stations (detail); Japan, 1855, 7th month; ink and color on paper; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Study Collection, Gift of Victor and Takako Hauge, …
Event Location: Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_p2Y4aTSfRMOPnZ9b0h3lAQ. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_p2Y4aTSfRMOPnZ9b0h3lAQ. Categories: Kids & Families. Webcasts & Online. Accessibility: ASL-interpreted program.
Friday, November 6, 2026, 1:00 PM – 1:30 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, November 6, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | From the Louvre
Gallery Talks & Tours
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, November 6, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Family Fun | Diwali
Kids and Family
Bring the whole family to celebrate Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. Make crafts, listen to stories, participate in a scavenger hunt, and learn how we protect light-sensitive art. Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Photo by Sonya Pencheva.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Courtyard, Gallery 1, Gallery 2, Gallery 12. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: After Five. Celebrations. Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, November 6, 2026, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM.
Asia After Dark | Diwali Festival
Performances
Celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights, with an evening of food, music, dance, and activities! Learn how different regions celebrate this Hindu holiday, create crafts to take home, and see the museum lit up once the sun goes down.
Register in advance for the best experience. Some activities have a limited capacity, with entry on a first-come, first-served basis. Food VendorsCuisine from the Indian Diaspora
5–9 p.m.
West Building, Plaza, Crafts & ColoringFamily Fun Activities
5–7 p.m.
West Building, North Corridor and Galleries 1 and 2, Color a Diya
5–9 p.m.
East Building, Level B2, ImaginAsia, Decorate a Rangoli with Kulture Khazana
East Building, Level B1, Gallery 27
5–9 p.m. PerformancesStrings for the Festival of Lights: Classical Sarod Recital by Swarnendu
6 p.m. and 7:15 p.m.
West Building, Meyer Auditorium, Dance Performances by Vishious Vicinity
5:30 p.m. 6:15 p.m. 7 p.m.
West Building, Plaza, Afterhours Dance Party with DJ MAIYA
7:30–9:30 p.m.
West Building, Plaza, Tours & TalksConservation…
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Event Location: East Building, West Building. Cost: Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/asia-after-dark-diwali-festival-tickets-2001238735931?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true. Categories: After Five. Celebrations. Performances. Kids & Families. Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: The Art of Knowing in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas, Body Image: Arts of the Indian Subcontinent. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. ASL-interpreted program. Assisted listening devices.
Friday, November 6, 2026, 5:00 PM – 9:30 PM.
Conservation Cart Talk | Art in a New Light
Celebrate Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, by exploring how light can reveal new perspectives on art. Join conservation scientist Matthew Clarke to discover how X-ray, infrared, and other forms of light allow researchers to look beneath the surface of paintings, textiles, sculptures, and more. Through examples from scientific research on Asian art—including a recent study of Indian pichwais—learn how scientists uncover details about artists’ materials, techniques, and histories that are invisible to the naked eye. Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Photo by Hutomo Wicaksono.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: South Corridor. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: After Five. Gallery Talks & Tours. Demonstrations. Celebrations. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, November 6, 2026, 6:00 PM – 7:00 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 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, November 7, 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, November 7, 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, November 7, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | From the Louvre
Gallery Talks & Tours
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, November 7, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 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, November 7, 2026, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. 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, November 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.
Sunday, November 8, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Pakeezah
Films
New 4K Restoration!
Following our Diwali celebration, enjoy this beloved Bollywood classic, a heartbreaking romance with gorgeous visuals and some of the most beautiful songs ever committed to film. Set against the backdrop of the courtly era of the Nawabs of Lucknow, Pakeezah is a poetically exquisite classic that took fourteen years to complete. The film’s painterly frames are saturated with color, opulent sets and costumes, haunting music, and actress Meena Kumari in an unforgettable performance.
The courtesan Nargis is rejected by the family of her husband Shahabuddin and dies giving birth to her daughter Sahibjaan who grows up to become a renowned courtesan. But she lives in a gilded cage, yearning for love and a life of dignity. Her life takes a turn when a forest officer, Salim, accidentally encounters her while she is asleep in a train compartment. Captivated by her, he leaves behind a note praising her beauty and innocence without knowing her identity. Their paths cross again and they fall in love.…
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/pakeezah-tickets-2000643239786?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Films. Celebrations. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Captioning. Assisted listening devices.
Sunday, November 8, 2026, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
Tour | From the Louvre
Gallery Talks & Tours
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, November 8, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 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, November 8, 2026, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. 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, November 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.
Monday, November 9, 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, November 9, 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, November 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 credit: Taki Katei / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Toshio and Yuka Fujikura in memory of Tome Fujikura, F2014.8.28a-d.
Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online).
Tuesday, November 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.
Tuesday, November 10, 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, November 10, 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, November 11, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | From the Louvre
Gallery Talks & Tours
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, November 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.
Wednesday, November 11, 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.
Thursday, November 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.
Thursday, November 12, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | From the Louvre
Gallery Talks & Tours
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, November 12, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Eunbi Kim
Performances
Seating is limited. Reserve your seat in advance to pick where you sit ($6 fee per order). Join the standby line for remaining seats on the day of the concert, free of charge.
Pianist Eunbi Kim’s sonic memoir it feels like a dream features a soundworld of classical music threaded with an indie-pop awareness. Meanwhile, hypnotic projected visuals by new media artist Xuan expand the experience. This immersive multimedia performance explores questions of family and identity, offering listeners a space to meditate on the dreams they carry and pass on. it feels like a dream includes works by Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR), Angélica Negrón, Pauchi Sasaki, and Sophia Jani for piano, pre-recorded voices, and electronics, written for and performed by Kim.
The evening also premieres The Dreamers, a new work by Corey Chang written for Kim and commissioned by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art. The work incorporates a poem that Kim’s father wrote more than thirty years ago, shortly after immigrating to the US…
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/eunbi-kim-tickets-2001091935848?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true. Categories: Performances. After Five. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Thursday, November 12, 2026, 7:30 PM – 9:00 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, November 13, 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 credit: Taki Katei / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Toshio and Yuka Fujikura in memory of Tome Fujikura, F2014.8.28a-d.
Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online).
Friday, November 13, 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, November 13, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | From the Louvre
Gallery Talks & Tours
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, November 13, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 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, November 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.
Saturday, November 14, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Curator Tour | Melted into the Sun
Gallery Talks & Tours
Join curator Carol Huh for a tour of Saodat Ismailova: Melted into the Sun. This exhibition presents film and installation artist Saodat Ismailova’s work, grounded in Central Asia’s complex histories and ancient myths. Weaving together her own footage, rare archival film, and text, she evokes a vivid sense of place and reflects on the resilience of culture.
Please meet at gallery 28 for the tour. We recommend you register in advance. Image: Saodat Ismailova (b. 1981); Still from Melted into the Sun; 2024; single-channel video with sound; 35 minutes; Courtesy @saodatismailova. Commissioned by Fondazione In Between Art Film and Batalha Centro de Cinema Porto.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 28. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1998887829306?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Saodat Ismailova: Melted into the Sun. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, November 14, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Tour | From the Louvre
Gallery Talks & Tours
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, November 14, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 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, November 14, 2026, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. 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, November 15, 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, November 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.
Sunday, November 15, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | From the Louvre
Gallery Talks & Tours
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, November 15, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 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, November 15, 2026, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. 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, November 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.
Monday, November 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.
Monday, November 16, 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, November 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 credit: Taki Katei / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Toshio and Yuka Fujikura in memory of Tome Fujikura, F2014.8.28a-d.
Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online).
Tuesday, November 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.
Tuesday, November 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.
Tuesday, November 17, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Virtual Tour | Art of South Asia
Gallery Talks & Tours
Encounter South Asian art from across the Indian subcontinent in this free, online tour. Journey through time, from historical sculptures to contemporary art and photography. This tour highlights both the diversity and unity of South Asian art, and it brings together works from the traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Image: Krishna Entertains His Companions; India, Himachal Pradesh state, Guler or Chamba, ca. 1760–1765; 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, S2018.1.8.
Event Location: Zoom. Cost: Free. Register in advance (required). Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_U28QeG4KTGKKEnbA5D6K-A. Categories: Webcasts & Online. Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Captioning.
Tuesday, November 17, 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, November 18, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Late Autumn
Films
This portrait of family love and conflict centers on Ayako, a young woman who resists marriage because she does not want to leave her widowed mother alone. Three friends of the late husband seek to find matches for Ayako to no avail. But Ayako’s resolve changes when her mother begins to consider her own remarriage.
Late Autumn reworks plot elements and themes of Ozu’s 1949 masterpiece Late Spring. Actress Setsuko Hara played the daughter in the earlier film and returns here as the widowed parent, pointing to Ozu’s regular theme of life’s repeating cycles. Description adapted from Janus Films.
Director: Yasujiro Ozu. Country: Japan. Released: 1960. Length: 128 min. Format: 35mm. 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/6a1609ad738727be3b1d2245. Categories: Films. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices. Captioning.
Wednesday, November 18, 2026, 2:00 PM – 4:10 PM.
Tour | From the Louvre
Gallery Talks & Tours
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, November 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.
Wednesday, November 18, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 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, November 19, 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, November 19, 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, November 19, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | From the Louvre
Gallery Talks & Tours
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, November 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.
Thursday, November 19, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 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, November 20, 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 credit: Taki Katei / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Toshio and Yuka Fujikura in memory of Tome Fujikura, F2014.8.28a-d.
Event Location: Online. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Cost: Free; registration required. Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/meeting/register/ginJalQ2SrujYkg4lbl2ZA. Categories: Workshops. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Meditation and Mindfulness (Online).
Friday, November 20, 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, November 20, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | From the Louvre
Gallery Talks & Tours
In From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art, you can admire remarkable artworks created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries from a vast geographic area extending from Spain to India. This tour guides you through the exceptional selection of masterpieces, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. Meanwhile, learn about the extraordinary journeys these works took and how they were invested with power and new meaning along the way. Image: Signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Basin, Known as the “Baptistery of Saint Louis”; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Paris, Musée du Louvre, Islamic Art Department, LP 16; ©️ 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet in the S1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, November 20, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.