Virtual Book Club | Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
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.
Conservation Cart Talk | Preparing Art for Display
The same techniques museums use to care for artwork can help protect treasured items at home. Join paper conservator Kesha Talbert for a behind-the-scenes look at how conservators prepare works on paper for display. Learn about conservation-friendly approaches for displaying photographs, prints, and documents, and see how professional practices can be adapted for personal keepsakes. Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Photo by Department of Conservation and Scientific Research.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: North Corridor. Cost: Free. Registration optional. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2003457768116?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Gallery Talks & Tours. Demonstrations. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Friday, November 13, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.