ImaginAsia: Journey to the East.

ImaginAsia: Journey to the East

 
(For ages 8–14) Watch performances of Manjushri and Lakkhi dances from the Mahayana Buddhist tradition. Then use an activity book to explore the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and see how the introduction of Indian Buddhist art influenced Chinese sculpture. Finish the afternoon with a dance class that demonstrates the meaning of body positions and hand gestures in Buddhist sculpture and dance. Learn more »

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Film Series

Pages of Beauty and Madness: Japanese Writers Onscreen

Film adaptations from Japan, the United States, Korea, and Cambodia offer a cross-cultural exploration of the rich history of Japanese literature, from classic novels to modern manga. Find the books that inspired these films in the Sackler shop, and join book club meetings following the films on September 29 and October 13 and 20. This series is generously supported by the Toshiba International Foundation.
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Performance

Apsaras Incarnate: The Sacred Dancers of Angkor

Twenty young artists from rural villages near Angkor Wat perform classical Khmer dance and music. All are students at a performing-arts school that complements programs in health, sanitation, hygiene, and childcare in fourteen small villages. On their first U.S. tour, these inspiring young artists are visiting Cambodian-American communities across the country, consecrating Buddhist temples, and conducting healing ceremonies to address traumatic memories of the Khmer Rouge regime. One writer described the dancers as “apsaras incarnate” after the semideities that adorn Cambodian temples and are often shown dancing or playing musical instruments.
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Lecture Series

Exhibiting Asia in the 21st Century

Today, globally engaged exhibiting of Asian art involves challenges never imagined when our museums and disciplines were established. Why does the aura of objects remain important in an era of virtual learning? What is the impact of 24/7 exhibition cycles on curators? Why is it urgent to reexamine the historical roots of current collections and intellectual frameworks? How do museums present objects as simultaneously "icons" and "artworks"? Who interprets Asian art? Answers to these and other pressing questions will be explored in talks delivered by leading experts in the field. Exhibiting Asia in the 21st Century is an occasional lecture series inaugurated in 2012 to honor the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.
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In the Galleries

Tours, Carts & Conversations

Explore the Freer Gallery of Art's rich and diverse collections, or discover the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery's premier collection of Asian art through one of our tours, offered year-round. With help from gallery interpreters, engage in hands-on activities at interactive carts and informal conversations in the galleries.
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