Get Involved with Yoga: The Art of Transformation!

Thank you so much for your interest in Yoga: The Art of Transformation, the world’s first exhibition of yogic art. We are honored that so many people in the community have contacted the Freer|Sackler, wanting to get involved.

We’ve outlined a number of ways in which individuals and organizations can participate, including sponsoring a program, promoting the exhibition online, and dedicating a yoga class to supporting the show. Please look over the opportunities here, and then complete the online form to let us know how you would like to become part of yoga history.

Promote the Exhibition | Attend Special Events | Support Education Programming | Online Form

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Promote the Exhibition to Your Friends and Networks

Exhibitions don’t come to life until they are filled with people enjoying the shared experience of learning, wonder, and art. We ask for your help in spreading the word about Yoga: The Art of Transformation. Encourage your members, staff, and friends to visit the Galleries. Reach out to your community through social media and together learn more about yoga’s diverse histories.

Here’s how:

• Sign up for our newsletter through the F|S online portal to receive the latest updates on exhibitions and programs.

• Share information about Yoga: The Art of Transformation and related programs through your email networks and newsletters.
• Follow @FreerSackler on Twitter, connect with us on Facebook, and show your excitement using the hashtag #artofyoga.
• Link to the Yoga exhibition webpage (asia.si.edu/yoga).
• Organize a group to visit the exhibition. Enjoy an in-depth exploration of Yoga: The Art of Transformation with a docent tour, available from early November through January 26, 2014. Please submit a tour request at least four weeks in advance using the online form. Tour groups can include up to 15 members. Find out more on our tour reservation webpage.

We can advise on written content and images for your promotional projects. Please send questions to yoga@si.edu.

For questions about media coverage and marketing, please reach out to pressasia@si.edu. Selected promoters may be invited to the media preview for Yoga: The Art of Transformation at the Sackler Gallery on October 15, 2013.

Become a Yoga Messenger
Yoga Messengers are people with a passion for yoga and art who help raise awareness and support for the exhibition within their communities. As representatives of the Freer|Sackler, Yoga Messengers:

Promote the exhibition:

• Share content from the exhibition’s webpage through online networks.
• Distribute links to Yoga videos and explain why this exhibition is so important.
• Share images from our exhibition highlights slideshow. Pick your favorite artwork and explain why it speaks to you.
• Post frequently on Twitter and your Facebook page using the hashtag #artofyoga.
• Download, print, and display the exhibition posters in yoga studios, coffee shops, schools, or other gathering places.

Fundraise for the exhibition:

• Make an online donation to the Freer|Sackler in support of the exhibition and programs.
• Encourage others to do the same, using our email appeal or creating your own.
• Host a benefit yoga class to raise funds for the exhibition. Please let us know when and where the class will be held and we will promote it on Freer|Sackler social media networks. We would also be happy to arrange a docent-led tour of the exhibition for you and your students as an expression of our thanks.

Email us at yoga@si.edu to find out more about becoming a Yoga Messenger.

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Special Events at the Freer|Sackler

Celebrate Yoga at the Freer|Sackler Annual Gala and Young Patrons’ Soiree
The Freer|Sackler’s annual gala and after-party are highlights of the Washington social scene. Proceeds from this year’s celebrations will directly support Yoga: The Art of Transformation.

Some Enlightened Evening—Freer|Sackler Annual Gala
Thursday, October 17, 2013

Join diplomats, philanthropists, artists, and yogis for Some Enlightened Evening at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery to celebrate the premiere of Yoga: The Art of Transformation. A sumptuous affair of exceptional art—complemented by fine cuisine created by Floyd Cardoz, executive chef of North End Grill in New York City—the evening will feature a performance by Grammy-nominated vocalist Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon. Guests can mingle with yoga luminaries Hilaria and Alec Baldwin, Lorenzo Cohen, Seane Corn, Vidya Dehejia, Mira Nair, and John Schumacher. Dinner will be followed by the Transcendance after-party.

Patrons can sponsor tables for $50,000, $25,000, and $10,000 with wonderful benefits. Tickets are also available at $2,500 and $1,000 levels. For more information, visit our Gala webpage or contact Mary Fox at fsgala@si.edu.

Transcendance—Young Patrons’ Soiree
Thursday, October 17, 2013

Unleash your inner yogi or yogini at Transcendance, hosted by the Silk Road Society, the Galleries’ dynamic group for young professionals. Dance the night away to beats by Rob Garza of Thievery Corporation; enjoy drinks, hors d'oeuvres, and sublime desserts; and preview Yoga: The Art of Transformation. Tickets start at $200 and include membership in the Silk Road Society. Find out more on the Silk Road Society webpage or contact Carly Pippin at pippinc@si.edu.

Cohost Private Yoga Classes at Freer|Sackler
Practice yoga amid emblems of its history. Host a yoga class inside the Yoga: The Art of Transformation galleries for a tax-deductible donation of $3,000. The exhibition studio, designed for up to 15 students at a time, will join modern yogis with ancient masterworks. Contact us at fsevents@si.edu to learn more about this unique opportunity.

Cohost an Event at Freer|Sackler
Celebrate the exhibition by cohosting an event at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. The bold, modern design and contemporary ambience makes the Sackler a spectacular venue for special occasions. Make your event unforgettable by providing guests afterhours access to Yoga: The Art of Transformation. Find out more on our special events webpage or contact Miranda Gale at fsevents@si.edu

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Education Programs

Yoga: The Art of Transformation will include an array of free public programs—a symposium, lectures, concerts, family art activities, and yoga classes—that will enrich visitors’ understanding of yoga and Indian culture.

Many organizations have offered support for exhibition programming, and we invite all to consider a program sponsorship. Please review our programs below and contact Jaap Otte at ottej@si.edu for information on sponsorship opportunities and benefits.      

Any offer of in-kind sponsorship for public program materials will be gratefully considered.

Performances and Demonstrations
Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon, vocals*
Saturday, October 19, 7:30 pm
Freer, Meyer Auditorium

This Grammy-nominated singer’s soaring voice and innovative fusion of Sanskrit chant with world music are accompanied by an instrumental and vocal ensemble and images from Yoga: The Art of Transformation.

Nada Yoga: The Sound of Transcendence
K. Sridhar, sarod; Krishna Ramdas, tabla
Saturday, October 26, 1 and 3 pm
Freer conference room

Indian classical musician K. Sridhar explores how music, like yoga postures, can bind oneself to the divine through singing, playing an instrument, or listening.

Indian Classical Music and the Yoga of Sound
K. Sridhar, sarod; Krishna Ramdas, tabla*
Saturday, October 26, 7:30 pm
Freer, Meyer Auditorium

K. Sridhar performs classical north Indian ragas and discusses the history and practice of nada yoga (yoga of sound).

Festival
Opening Celebration: The Art of Yoga
Saturday, October 26, 11 am
Freer|Sackler

Yoga: The Art of Transformation opens with a festive day of activities. Experience classical Indian music, participate in a traditional lamp-lighting ceremony, take yoga classes, and create art through hands-on workshops. 

Family Activities
ImaginAsia
Saturday, October 19; Sunday, October 20
Saturdays, November 16 and 23; Sundays, November 17 and 24
Saturday, December 7; Sunday, December 8
2 pm
Sackler sublevel 2

Use the activity book Gods Amongst Us to explore Yoga: The Art of Transformation. Learn how a person became a yogi, what was gained and lost in the process, and yogis’ influence on Indian rulers and villagers. Then return to the ImaginAsia classroom to create yantras used to focus the mind.

Symposium
Yoga and Visual Culture: An Interdisciplinary Symposium
November 21–23, 2013
Freer, Meyer Auditorium

Fifteen scholars from a range of disciplines present new research on diverse aspects of yoga’s visual culture in this free public symposium. Six sessions are organized around topics such as "Yoga and Place" and "Yoga and Print Culture."