We took advantage of the holiday weekend to visit the Gallery and we re glad we did. The Arts of Asia meet America is amazing. The place is clean and airy, the collection is rich with artifacts and very informative, yet the display is not crowded. I particularly love the collection of Tibetan Buddhas.
I would recommend this Gallery to the Asian Arts lovers.
Beautiful little museum among the many of the Smithsonian. If you enjoy seeing the great diversity of Asian art, this is your place to go. I have been going there for years.
Interesting mix of art and artifacts from multiple Asian countries. Be sure to check out the peacock room. The rotating exhibits were laid out very effectively. Lots of small rooms in the building with pieces, if you want to see everything, make sure to explore the building.
One of the best kept secrets among the Smithsonian museums. World-famous filmmakers visit the Freer and Sackler and present their Cannes-award-winning films with a Q&A at the end. I saw some life-changing independent films there. Os Mutantes by Teresa Villaverde - a great narrative film based on the true story of three orphans who reinact their lives; I also saw Lee Chang Dong there who won multiple Cannes awards when he presented Secret Sunshine. Check out their website and see who is visiting. Their film screenings are world-class!
Beautiful building, nice exhibits and concert series
My first time here and won t be my last. Peacock blue and white room is a must!!!
A place to start the tour of the Avenue Museum. An exhibition of the objects of one of the founders of the museum complex in the National Mall.
The Sackler is a very good museum of Asian arts. The displays of the permanent collection are good and the temporary exhibits range from good to excellent. The shop is good too. However, I recently visited Paris's fabulous Guimet Museum, which is now my standard for a five star museum of Asian arts.
What a cool gallery! We were here recently for their Asia After Dark party. The building is almost mazelike, as you wind your way through the various collections on multiple levels. I especially loved the room of Japanese woodblock paintings. They are so impressive and whimsical.
Impressive exhibit on Chinese Empresses of the Forbidden City with beautiful court robes and paintings. Thank you for the scholarship behind the exhibit, it was very thoughtfully presented.
Beautiful building, great collection. A lot of people disregard this place and its a stop worth doing..
Absolutely ammmmazing.. Don't miss it, especially the garden
Very interesting collections when I visited. Very convenient that it is located right next to the Smithsonian castle and connected to the African Art gallery.
This place is closed but they have signs outside directing you to go around to another entrance with a sign that says to go around to the entrance you just came from. I checked with another museum close by and they don't know when they will re-open but their website doesn't even let you know they are closed
An essential part of the National Mall and anyone's trip to DC, especially for the art connoisseur
Strongly curated. The temple bell installation and the Buddhist altars are enveloping. Rare forms of Asian art relating to metaphysical and philosophic understanding. The gardens in the courtyard are immaculate and well planned.
Beautiful gallery that connects two different museums together. I was also lucky enough to see a live performance of middle East instruments.
Amazing collection, and a great way to get something in return for what the Sackler family has wrought
Lovely museum. Loved the exhibition on Chinese Empresses
Great stuff in here, but it's a little confusing to navigate
Very quiet and calm compared to other museums. Mostly sculptures carvings and metal work.
The Freer and Sackler Galleries are the Smithsonian's originals and despite its small space, you should pay it a visit. It's on the National Mall and free and has one of the most beautiful courtyards in DC. Here are a few interesting facts about the galleries:
1. Opening in 1923, it was the first art museum in the Smithsonian network.
2. Charles Freer, a business man and private art collector, designed the museum to house his collection. He planned the museum knowing he wouldn't live to see the opening.
3. To prevent "museum fatigue," the space is intentionally kept small preserving its domestic feel.
4. Its courtyard was once called "the most beautiful spot in Washington" and also housed peacocks in the 1920s.
5. The museum is mostly dedicated to Asian art but there is a small collection of American art.
Enjoy!
A good place to wonder about without too many folks around.
Great museum. I went during the exhibit for the empress of China. Stunning!
The Buda Exhibit is fascinating . The tour with the Docent is better than walking through alone. Many other galleries also. Plan to spend a minimum of 3 hours here.
Interesting artworks about Asian cultures. Good staff. Lovely gifts.
This place tends to have a lot of great art exhibits. The Quran one was particularly incredible.
Amazing pieces from Asia. But the islamic part had mostly pieces from Iran and India but not much from Arabia
Wonderful spot to chill out
I recently did their noon meditation
There s always cool things going on here!
Always a pleasure to peruse this wonderful place!!!
We had a great visit and went during the Lunar New Year celebration. Very pretty exhibits.
Wonderful museum and building. Fabulous collection . And it's free!
I really enjoyed this gallary/ museum. The displays were breathtaking. It is a nice place, very clean and spacious. There are many rooms with displays so if you're someone who really does enjoy exploring artwork and learning about different cultures you may need a few hours to get through all the displays and ti truly absorb what is there. I cannot wait to go back again. The staff was also very friendly and helpful.
One of my favorite museums. Excellent Asian collection.
Delightful Asian art gallery. Now has exhibition of Chinese empresses.
Very confusing place to walk through and look around. I could not find the gallery I was looking for or an exit to leave the building.
It makes me realize the beauty of Buddha statue in Japan.
People who are not object of faith understand purely seeing as art objects. Because Asians are seeing as the object of faith, it is a complex feeling.
Wonderful Asian Art exhibit. Some in house, some borrowed from Beijing. Sackler's collection of Asian art was broad and extraordinary. Only a small portion of it is rotated through at any time so regular visits are suggested.
How fortunate we are to be able to see fantastic exhibits like Empresses of China's Forbidden City, currently at the Sackler gallery. We can go any day of the week, stay for hours, and it's all free. Portraits, paintings, magnificent embroidered robes, jewelry and information about the lives of the Qing dynasty empresses will keep me going back again and again until the exhibit closes on June 23. You would ordinarily have to go to the Forbidden City Museum in Beijing to see most of these objects. For the next couple of months, all you have to do is hop on the Metro to enjoy the exhibit and learn about this fascinating time in Chinese history. Thank you James Smithson, wherever you are.
Beautiful, quiet, amazingly organized with so much information on the exhibits! All around an absolute treat!
It seems small but it can take several hours to explore if you pay attention to details. It has wonders of Asia. The section of Buddhism made me feel peace and joy of being there. Beautiful place
Great exhibits and calming space with outdoor gardens and
My favorite museum in the National Mall! This hosts the Asian art gallery. Everything here you ll want to take a picture of!
Tons of great Asian art and fun family and or date spot. They have different events and shows through out the year, check ahead of time. Great place for a Sunday. The Gift shop in the bottom also has great coffee table books.
There's alot of interesting art from different places as well as from different times of history. I didn't enjoy visiting here. Many more places to visit in DC besides this one.
Beautiful art museum definitely a must if you have the time.
It would be so helpful if a map of "Persia" is displayed, together with the displays of ancient and current places.
Absolutely first-rate collection. The current Hokusai exhibition is drawn entirely from the museum's own collection!
A nice museum focusing on Asian countries. Not too big, easy to get trough.
This is a wonderful gallery. It's tucked away underground and behind the Smithsonian castle, marked only by a small structure. It's easy to miss if your not looking for it. I thoroughly enjoyed the temporary Buddhist exhibit. Fantastic gift shop as well.
A very quiet museum on the Mall, but with thoughtful exhibits. The juxtaposition of a red Rothko and a red piece of Ming pottery is not to be missed
It's a half to see go downstairs to the Buddha room and check it out it's awesome
Well... It is cool, but there is way too much bowls!
One of the best Smithsonian museums. Exhibits get updated more often than most.
asia.si.edu
