“The museum’s centennial will serve not only as a milestone for the institution and the Smithsonian but as a catalyst for the century ahead.”
— Chase F. Robinson, Dame Jillian Sackler Director of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and Freer Gallery of Art, the National Museum of Asian Art
Washington-based Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art announced plans for its 100th anniversary. Beginning in November and continuing through 2023, the museum will celebrate its centennial with a year-long series of events and programs that deepen the understanding of Asian arts and cultures and reach new audiences. The activities, organized around the theme of “Journeys,” highlight the larger transformation of the museum into an institution engaged globally and locally.
“The National Museum of Asian Art has played an essential role in fostering a greater understanding and appreciation of Asian art and its intersections with America for nearly a century,” said Lonnie Bunch, Secretary of the Smithsonian. “The museum’s centennial represents a unique opportunity to reflect on its past while looking toward its future in line with the Smithsonian’s wider goals of expanding the reach and impact of our nation’s collection. We welcome the public to join the museum as it marks this anniversary and sets its trajectory for the next 100 years.”
“The museum’s centennial will serve not only as a milestone for the institution and the Smithsonian but as a catalyst for the century ahead,” said Chase F. Robinson, Dame Jillian Sackler Director of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and Freer Gallery of Art, the National Museum of Asian Art. “Our vision is to transform the National Museum of Asian Art into a space where a wide range of visitors can come together to celebrate, learn about and interact with Asian art and cultures, including their intersection with America. In our second century, we’re becoming a space to convene, learn, reflect and forge connections through art.”
An accompanying program series explores cultural attitudes toward water and speaks to environmental racism, resource management and climate concerns in India and Washington, D.C.
The “Journeys” theme encourages long-standing and first-time visitors alike to chart their own path through the museum and the diverse artistic traditions of Asia. The centennial is anchored by lead exhibitions—each of which furthers the museum’s vision for its next century—employing cutting-edge digital and immersive features and forging global partnerships. Among them is:
“A Splendid Land: Paintings from Royal Udaipur” (Nov. 19–May 14, 2023): Presented in collaboration with The City Palace Museum in Udaipur administered by The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation, “A Splendid Land” is a major survey of works from the city of Udaipur in Rajasthan, India. An ambient soundscape by the renowned experimental filmmaker Amit Dutta underscores the sensorial elements in the paintings, which center on local landscapes, lake systems and palaces. An accompanying program series explores cultural attitudes toward water and speaks to environmental racism, resource management and climate concerns in India and Washington, D.C.
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