Conservation Cart Talk | Choosing Materials for Chinese Hanging Scrolls
Join Chinese painting conservator Xiangmei Gu to explore how she selects materials when mounting paintings as hanging scrolls. Learn how she chooses silks for the borders, lines them with Xuan paper, and dyes them with Chinese watercolors to create harmony with the delicate Chinese paintings.
Try your hand at picking the right color and experience the trial and error process. Plus, examine and handle the silks, papers, pigments, and brushes used in this traditional practice.
Ultimately, you'll learn how these materials support the conservation of Chinese paintings in our collections. Image: Department of Conservation and Scientific Research, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Gallery 13. Cost: Free. Registration is optional. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1984382944806?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Gallery Talks & Tours. Demonstrations. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Friday, April 24, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Saeb Eigner, Artists of the Middle East: Book Talk and Signing
In this lecture, Saeb Eigner offers a journey through more than a century of modern and contemporary art from the Middle East and North Africa, as documented in Artists of the Middle East: 1900 to Now. The book brings together over 250 major artists—from early modernists to today’s leading contemporary voices—across a vast geographic area stretching from Morocco to Iran. Eigner will highlight how cultural heritage, linguistic and literary traditions, and regional socio‑political realities have shaped different art movements and individual practices.
By examining landmark artists such as those active in the mid‑20th century alongside contemporary figures, the lecture will trace continuities and ruptures: how earlier modernist expressions gave way to new forms; how political upheaval, migration, globalization, and cultural exchange influenced artistic production; and how art from the region today speaks to global audiences while remaining rooted in local histories.
After the talk, participate in a Q&A…
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (required). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/saeb-eigner-artists-of-the-middle-east-book-talk-and-signing-tickets-1981810960933?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Shopping/Book Signing. Lectures & Discussions. After Five. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, April 24, 2026, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM.
American Council for Southern Asian Art (ACSAA) Symposium XXII: Keynote Panel and Reception
Keynote panel and reception: Thursday, May 7, 4–8 p.m. EDT
Symposium: Friday, May 8–Saturday, May 9, 10 a.m.–6:30 p.m. EDT
Curator-led tours: Sunday, May 10, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. EDT
The American Council for Southern Asian Art (ACSAA) Symposium XXII will be hosted by the Freer Research Center in Washington, DC, on May 7–10, 2026.
The symposium begins on the afternoon of May 7 with a keynote panel and reception. On May 8–9, the program will continue with two full days of in-person talks and discussions. We will conclude on May 10 with curator-led gallery tours.
Keynote Panel: In the Realms of Friendship: Emotion, Devotion, and Status in the Visual Arts Vidya Dehejia , Annapurna Garimella , Heidi Pauwels , Molly Emma Aitken, ACSAA symposia are opportunities to meet our colleagues, reconnect with mentors and graduate school cohorts, and share one’s current research with the field. Occurring every two years and hosted by academic institutions and museums, often in conjunction with major exhibitions, ACSAA symposia…
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Freer Courtyard, Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (required). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/american-council-for-southern-asian-art-acsaa-symposium-xxii-tickets-1980384718002?aff=ebdssbdestsearch. Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, May 7, 2026, 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM.
American Council for Southern Asian Art (ACSAA) Symposium XXII: Day 1
Keynote panel and reception: Thursday, May 7, 4–8 p.m. EDT
Symposium: Friday, May 8–Saturday, May 9, 10 a.m.–6:30 p.m. EDT
Curator-led tours: Sunday, May 10, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. EDT
The American Council for Southern Asian Art (ACSAA) Symposium XXII will be hosted by the Freer Research Center in Washington, DC, on May 7–10, 2026.
The symposium begins on the afternoon of May 7 with a keynote panel and reception. On May 8–9, the program will continue with two full days of in-person talks and discussions. We will conclude on May 10 with curator-led gallery tours.
ACSAA symposia are opportunities to meet our colleagues, reconnect with mentors and graduate school cohorts, and share one’s current research with the field. Occurring every two years and hosted by academic institutions and museums, often in conjunction with major exhibitions, ACSAA symposia are one of the primary ways that members gather, share ideas, and participate in the ACSAA community. To learn more about ACSAA, its current board members, and its…
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (required). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/american-council-for-southern-asian-art-acsaa-symposium-xxii-tickets-1980384718002?aff=ebdssbdestsearch. Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, May 8, 2026, 10:00 AM – 6:30 PM.
American Council for Southern Asian Art (ACSAA) Symposium XXII: Day 2
Keynote panel and reception: Thursday, May 7, 4–8 p.m. EDT
Symposium: Friday, May 8–Saturday, May 9, 10 a.m.–6:30 p.m. EDT
Curator-led tours: Sunday, May 10, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. EDT
The American Council for Southern Asian Art (ACSAA) Symposium XXII will be hosted by the Freer Research Center in Washington, DC, on May 7–10, 2026.
The symposium begins on the afternoon of May 7 with a keynote panel and reception. On May 8–9, the program will continue with two full days of in-person talks and discussions. We will conclude on May 10 with curator-led gallery tours.
ACSAA symposia are opportunities to meet our colleagues, reconnect with mentors and graduate school cohorts, and share one’s current research with the field. Occurring every two years and hosted by academic institutions and museums, often in conjunction with major exhibitions, ACSAA symposia are one of the primary ways that members gather, share ideas, and participate in the ACSAA community. To learn more about ACSAA, its current board members, and its…
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (required). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/american-council-for-southern-asian-art-acsaa-symposium-xxii-tickets-1980384718002?aff=ebdssbdestsearch. Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, May 9, 2026, 10:00 AM – 6:30 PM.
American Council for Southern Asian Art (ACSAA) Symposium XXII: Curator-led Tours
These tours are part of the American Council for Southern Asian Art (ACSAA) Symposium XXII. ACSAA membership is required to attend. Join or renew your ACSAA membership.
To conclude the symposium, our curators will lead tours of two exhibitions at the museum. Debra Diamond will lead tours of Of the Hills: Pahari Paintings from India’s Himalayan Kingdoms at 10 and 11 a.m. , Emma Natalya Stein will lead tours of Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean at 10 and 11 a.m. Registration for this year’s symposium is free due to the generous support of the Elizabeth Moynihan Curator of South and Southeast Asian Art Endowment. Additional support is provided by Catherine Glynn Benkaim and Barbara Timmer.
For more information, please visit the program page or email FreerResearchCenter@si.edu. Image: Procession of musicians, ceremonial textile (detail); India, Gujarat state, for the Indonesian market, 16th–17th century; block-printed plain-weave cotton (mordant- and resist-dyed); National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution,…
Venue: Asian Art Museum, East Building. Building: East Building. Event Location: Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. Cost: Free. Register in advance (required). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/american-council-for-southern-asian-art-acsaa-symposium-xxii-tickets-1980384718002?aff=ebdssbdestsearch. Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, May 10, 2026, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Conservation Cart Talk | Paper Repairs
Paper tears easily—especially paper that's decades or even centuries old. Meet paper conservator Rhea DeStefano and learn how she repairs damaged paper in our collections. Try out using a water pen to shape a “fill,” a piece of paper used to fill in a torn edge or hole. You can also explore the papers, tools, and adhesives Rhea uses in repair treatments. Image: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Photo by Department of Conservation and Scientific Research.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Gallery 1. Cost: Free. Register in advance (optional). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1987634542422?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Lectures & Discussions. Demonstrations. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Friday, May 15, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Sneak Peek | Marine Predators in Prehistoric Japan's Worldview
Prehistoric shell midden sites along the Japanese coasts provide a treasure trove of information for archaeologists. The conditions are excellent for the preservation of organic materials, such as artefacts, animals, and plants that include subsistence resources, as well as buried human remains. The data from excavations offers a peek into the fascinating life of prehistoric fishermen, including their tragedies and perils.
This presentation focuses on two of the potentially most dangerous marine species: sharks and the cone sea snail, a small but highly venomous invertebrate. Their representation in material culture indicates that both species also played an important symbolic role. Shark teeth (fossilized teeth of megalodons and other contemporaneous species) were fashioned into amulets and ritual adornments. Perhaps surprisingly, so were cone snail shells. Archaeology tells us more about their role in prehistoric life and society—even if the lack of written texts prevents us from grasping their full me…
Event Location: Zoom. Cost: Free. Register in advance (required). Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_zwkjd0lGTJG3Ia9TFiffzQ. Categories: Webcasts & Online. Lectures & Discussions. Accessibility: Captioning.
Tuesday, May 19, 2026, 12:00 PM – 12:40 PM.
IlluminAsia | Bruce Lee Night with Jeff Chang and DJ 2-Tone of Shaolin Jazz
Register in advance to get the best experience. On the evening of the event, join the standby line for remaining seats. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis for patrons without tickets.
A story about Bruce Lee is a story about Asian America. Celebrate this global icon with an evening of literature, film, and music to kick off our IlluminAsia BookCon for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
First, Jeff Chang discusses his new book, Water Mirror Echo: Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America, with Theo Gonzalves, curator at the National Museum of American History. Purchase a copy and get it signed before the talk.
Then, catch a film screening of The Big Boss accompanied live by DJ 2-Tone Jones in another of Shaolin Jazz’s popular Can I Kick It? events. This time he spins with the film that proved to be Bruce Lee’s big breakthrough, launching him to instant superstardom and setting a new standard for kung fu heroics.
5 p.m.: Book sales start
6 p.m.: Book…
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Event Location: West Building. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/illuminasia-bruce-lee-night-with-jeff-chang-and-dj-2-tone-of-shaolin-jazz-tickets-1987695823716?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true. Categories: After Five. Lectures & Discussions. Shopping/Book Signing. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, May 22, 2026, 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM.
IlluminAsia | BookCon Fair and Disco
Celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander authors and stories with the book fair of your dreams! All day long, browse books and enjoy live discussions with authors in all kinds of genres, from cookbooks and comics to Asian American history. Then stick around for an afterhours disco dance party with a live DJ!
Bring the kids early for our children's book fair in the morning.
11 a.m.–1 p.m.: Children's Book Fair, East Building, Gallery 27
12 p.m.–5 p.m.: Book Fair and Market, Plaza
6 p.m.–9 p.m.: Disco Dance Party, Plaza, Bank of America is the Founding Sponsor of the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art “IlluminAsia” Arts and Culture Festival. Image: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Photo by Sonya Pencheva.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Freer Gallery of Art, Freer Plaza, Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/illuminasia-bookcon-fair-and-disco-tickets-1987653866220?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true. Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Kids & Families. Shopping/Book Signing. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. ASL-interpreted program.
Saturday, May 23, 2026, 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM.