Freer and Sackler Galleries reopen during celebration of Asian culture

THE HOYA
AISHA MALHAS/THE HOYA
WASHINGTON, DC---Patterned paper lanterns, a vast maze of Asian food stalls and the sounds of traditional Middle Eastern songs greeted visitors of the Smithsonian Institution’s Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery during their grand reopening celebration last weekend. The two-day celebration, “IlluminAsia: A Festival of Asian Art, Food and Cultures,” featured interactive programming throughout the galleries in addition to highlighting a number of new and updated exhibitions in the remodeled space. The Freer Gallery welcomed visitors for the first time since January 2016, when the gallery closed for what was the museum’s second large-scale renovation in its 94-year history. [More]
Encountering the Buddha: Art and Practice across Asia October 14, 2017–November 29, 2020