Curator Tour | Chinese Arts of the Ming and Qing Dynasties
Join curator Jan Stuart for an exclusive tour of Chinese calligraphy, porcelains, and paintings, including scrolls illuminating the steps of silk cultivation and tilling rice.
Please meet at gallery 13 for the tour. We recommend you register in advance. Image: Attributed to Cheng Qi (傳)程棨 (act. mid- to late 13th century); Silk Weaving after Lou Shou 摹樓璹〈蠶織圖; China, mid- to late 13th century; ink and color on paper; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1954.20.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Gallery 13. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1988568831907?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Lectures & Discussions. Related Exhibition: Looking Out, Looking In: Art in Late Imperial China. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, August 5, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
AlUla and the Incense Road: An Ancient World in Dialogue
Explore the Arabian region of AlUla through the lens of art history and archaeology in this talk with their storytellers, the Rawis.
Discover how AlUla sat at the heart of a vast network of cultural exchange, where people, objects, artistic traditions, and ideas traveled across continents. Drawing on archaeological discoveries and historical references, this lecture invites audiences to explore a past that is still being uncovered and the global connections that shaped the ancient world. The stories shared here will be the core narratives of AlUla’s future Museum of the Incense Road. Image: UNESCO/Nick Jackson.
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/alula-and-the-incense-road-an-ancient-world-in-dialogue-tickets-1993957185618?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: After Five. Lectures & Discussions. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, August 7, 2026, 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM.
Conservation Cart Talk | Protecting Art on Display
How do museums keep art safe while it is on display? Join exhibitions conservator Jenifer Bosworth to explore the environmental and physical risks that can affect artworks in the gallery. Learn how conservators monitor conditions, evaluate exhibition materials, and reduce threats from humidity, pollutants, and other agents of deterioration. Check out conservation tools and material samples up close and discover the behind-the-scenes work that helps preserve art for future generations. Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Mall Entrance. Cost: Free. Registration optional. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1994691771785?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Demonstrations. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Friday, August 21, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.