Public programs offered by the Gardner Center aim to present a holistic view of Asia. Through a mix of dynamic talks and author events, we engage visitors through diverse perspectives on Asia’s many cultural traditions and contemporary issues. The Gardner Center also shares a range of artistic expression through performances, films, and events with visual artists. The popular Saturday University Lecture Series features outstanding international and local speakers who pursue varied forms of inquiry into Asia, past and present.
Today’s Seattle Asian Art Museum is inspired. The newly renovated and expanded Asian Art Museum breaks boundaries to offer a thematic, rather than geographic or chronological, exploration of art from the world’s largest continent. The restoration of the historic Art Deco building, improvements to critical systems, expanded gallery and education spaces, and a new park lobby that connects the museum to the surrounding Volunteer Park are just some of the ways the Asian Art Museum has been transformed and preserved as a cultural and community resource for future generations.
You will no longer find galleries labeled China, Japan, or India. Instead, vibrant artworks from Vietnam to Iran, and everywhere in between, come together to tell stories of human experiences across time and place. From themes of worship and celebration to clothing and identity, nature and power to birth and death, the new collection installation reveals the complexity and diversity of Asia—a place of distinct cultures, histories, and belief systems that help shape our world today.
