Seattle Art Museum: Olympic Sculpture Park

We are thrilled to welcome the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) to Asia Week New York! As the largest fine art museum in the Pacific Northwest, SAM is home to three distinct venues, including the recently renovated Asian Art Museum. This venue houses a renowned collection that celebrates the rich and intricate history of Asian art, spanning from antiquity to the present.

Since its founding in 1933, SAM has embraced Seattle’s unique position as a crossroads where East meets West, urban meets natural, and local meets global. Its collections, exhibitions, and programs showcase art from around the world, fostering connections across cultures and centuries.

SAM’s venues offer diverse experiences: light-filled galleries in downtown Seattle invite visitors to explore global art, while the historic Art Deco building in Volunteer Park provides a serene setting for its distinguished Asian art collection. On the city’s breathtaking waterfront, an award-winning park creates a stunning backdrop for outdoor sculptures and engaging art activities.

As a leading visual arts institution, SAM inspires and educates through its global collections, compelling exhibitions, and dynamic programs. Explore a few of the insightful current and upcoming exhibitions below and experience the creative energy of SAM today!

Youngsook Park (South Korean, b. 1947), Moon Jar, 2007, porcelain with clear glaze, 20 x 19 1/2 in. (50.8 x 49.5 cm), Gift of Frank S. Bayley III, in honor of the 75th Anniversary of the Seattle Art Museum, 2007.86© Young Sook Park. Photo: Susan Cole

Meot: Korean Art from the Frank Bayley Collection
August 28, 2024 – March 9, 2025
Seattle Asian Art Museum

The essence of the Korean term meot encompasses charm, elegance, beauty, and refined creativity—qualities reflected in the life and legacy of Frank Bayley (1939–2022), a generous art patron and collector of East Asian art. During his lifetime, Bayley gifted 86 works to the Seattle Art Museum, with an additional 280 artworks bequeathed after his passing. This exhibition honors Bayley’s legacy, showcasing over 60 works, including ceramics, calligraphy, paintings, and woodwork. Featuring traditional pieces he cherished and contemporary works by seven of his close Korean artist friends, Meot celebrates Bayley’s vision of Korean art’s balance between tradition and innovation, as well as the exploration of Korean identities through creativity.

To learn more, click here.

Dragon Tamer Luohan, ca. 14th century, Chinese, wood with polychrome decorations, 41 x 30 x 22 in., Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection, 36.13

Boundless: Stories of Asian Art
February 8, 2020 – ongoing
Seattle Asian Art Museum

Asia can be defined in many ways, geographically, culturally, and historically. As the world’s largest and most populated continent, Asia is not uniform or fixed: its boundaries shift, its people and cultures are diverse, and its histories are complex. Following a transformative renovation, the Seattle Asian Art Museum—one of the few Asian art museums in the U.S.—reopens with a fresh approach, showcasing Asia’s richness through non-linear narratives rather than geographic labels. The galleries are organized into 12 themes central to Asian arts and societies, such as worship, visual arts and celebration. The south galleries focus on spiritual life, while the north explores material life, with some objects bridging both realms and revealing art’s layered meanings. By displaying diverse works side by side, the museum invites you to uncover connections and stories across time and cultures.

To learn more, click here.

Installation view of Following Space: Thaddeus Mosley & Alexander Calder, Seattle Art Museum, 2024, © 2024 Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society(ARS), New York, photo: Natali Wiseman

Following Space: Thaddeus Mosley & Alexander Calder
November 20, 2024 – June 1, 2025
Seattle Art Museum

Following Space: Thaddeus Mosley & Alexander Calder features the works of two sculptural visions of American artists, contemporary sculptor Thaddeus Mosley and Alexander Calder, the radical inventor of the mobile. This exhibition examines these two innovative artists in dialogue for the first time, focusing on their distinct approaches to movement, weight, and time. Curated by Catharina Manchanda, Seattle Art Museum’s Jon and Mary Shirley Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, the exhibition features 17 large-scale wood sculptures by Mosley alongside five iconic works by Calder.

To learn more, click here.

Courtesy of Ai Weiwei Studio, photo: Gao Yuan

Ai, Rebel: The Art and Activism of Ai Weiwei and Ai Weiwei: Water Lilies and Ai Weiwei: Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads (Bronze)
March 12 – September 7, 2025; March 19, 2025 – March 15, 2026; May 17 2025–May 17 2027 
Seattle Art Museum & Seattle Asian Art Museum & Olympic Sculpture Park

In March, the Seattle Art Museum will present the first US retrospective in over a decade of the work of Ai Weiwei. Titled Ai, Rebel: The Art and Activism of Ai Weiwei, it will explore over 130 works from across four decades, offering visitors from all over the world a rare opportunity to engage with the celebrated conceptual artist’s wide-ranging body of work. For the first time in its 90-year history, SAM is presenting the work of one artist at all three of its locations at the same time. In addition to the major retrospective at the downtown location, the Seattle Asian Art Museum presents Ai Weiwei: Water Lilies (March 19, 2025–March 15, 2026), a reinterpretation in LEGOs of one of Claude Monet’s famed water lilies paintings. The Olympic Sculpture Park presents Ai Weiwei: Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads (Bronze) (May 17, 2025–May 17, 2027), a circle of 12 monumental bronze sculptures. This offers a unique opportunity to engage deeply with Ai Weiwei’s work in different contexts across the city. Tickets for Ai, Rebel: The Art and Activism of Ai Weiwei are on sale now!

To learn more, click here.

Installation view of Subjective Realm: Between Form and Flow at Fu Qiumeng Fine Art

Subjective Realm: Between Form and Flow
Closing Saturday, February 1, 2025
65 East 80th Street, Ground Floor, NYC

This is the final week to catch Subjective Realm: Between Form and Flow, a solo exhibition by Chinese artist Chen Duxi at Fu Qiumeng Fine Art. Featuring 23 works from Chen’s Chi Yi 持颐 series, this exhibition explores the fluid interplay of motion, stillness, and time through meticulous Gongbi 工笔 techniques (a Chinese traditional painting style that uses fine and controlled lines to define forms) on silk, enhanced by luminous mineral pigments.

For Chen, water is both a subject and a metaphor, symbolizing the continuous flow of time, the cycles of life, and the dynamic relationship between observer and observed. His understanding of fluidity extends beyond the physical, translating ephemeral movements into visual rhythms. Through the precise use of brushstroke, a cornerstone of Chinese aesthetics, Chen captures the trajectories of water, sediment, and magma, distilling their motion into elegant, layered compositions.

Each line in Chen’s work embodies both the passage of time and the compression of space, creating an intricate interplay of density and flow. Combined with vivid mineral pigments, his paintings achieve an ethereal balance of motion and stillness, inviting viewers to contemplate the deeper connections between nature, existence, and perception.

This latest body of work builds on themes introduced in his earlier Er Gong 尔躬 series, transforming outward observation into an intimate exploration of form, emotion, and meaning. This inward shift reflects Chen’s evolving focus on the essence of his inner realm, fleeting moments are turned into profound meditations on life and existence, inviting viewers into a deeply personal yet universal exploration of interconnectedness.

Be sure to experience Chen’s personal artistic journey before the show closes!

To learn more, click here.

Ansei Uchima (1921-2000), In Space – Violet (larger version), self-carved, self-printed; titled, numbered, signed and dated in pencil on the bottom margin, IN SPACE – VIOLET, 1/30, A. Uchima, with artist’s circular monogram AU, 1969-77, 33 1/8 x 22 in. (84 x 56 cm)

Special Evening Hours and Uchima Gallery Talk
Thursday January 30, 5–7pm
145 West 58th St, Ste 6D, NYC
RSVP required

Scholten Japanese Art is excited to present an exclusive evening viewing of their captivating winter exhibition, Creative Connections: Sosaku Hanga Artists in New York. This special event will include an informal gallery talk by Anju Uchima, son of Ansei and Toshiko Uchima, two artists featured in the exhibition who were pivotal members of the sosaku hanga movement.

After launching their artistic careers in Japan, Ansei and Toshiko Uchima settled in New York with their young son in 1960. Together, they became important liaisons between the Japanese and American print communities, hosting visitors to the city and providing valuable assistance to many of the other artists in this exhibition by introducing them to American contacts and helping them exhibit their work.

Don’t miss this exceptional opportunity to explore these historically significant prints and deepen your understanding of their creation.

Space is limited, so RSVP to attend: admin@scholten-japanese-art.com

Sunday Art: Lunar New Year, 2022; Photo: Elena Olivo; Courtesy Brooklyn Museum

Join the many celebrations at our local AWNY museums and institutions in the coming weeks as we welcome the Lunar Year of the Snake! Enjoy an array of activities, from captivating lion dances and creative art-making sessions to engaging storytelling and lively music performances—there’s something to delight visitors of all ages!

As we transition from the vibrant and dynamic energy of the Year of the Dragon, the Lunar New Year in 2025 ushers in the wise and intuitive spirit of the Snake, the sixth animal in the zodiac cycle. Celebrated across East Asia and beyond, the Lunar New Year marks the beginning of a new zodiac cycle and is a time for honoring traditions, reuniting with family, and inviting good fortune. A symbol of transformation and wisdom, the Snake inspires opportunities for personal growth and meaningful change.

Celebrate this auspicious New Year by joining the exciting events hosted by our local AWNY member museums listed below!

The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Lunar New Year Festival: The Year of the Snake
Saturday, January 25, 12-5pm
Free with Museum admission

Celebrate the New Year with performances, interactive activities, and artist-led workshops for all ages! Admission is free for Members and kids under 12. For New York state residents and NY, NJ, and CT students, the amount you pay is up to you.

To learn more, click here.

Brooklyn Museum
Weekend Art: Sunday Art Hang
Sunday, January 26, 2-4pm
Free with Museum admission

Bring the family to this free drop-in program in collaboration with Cool Culture where you’ll create art inspired by the collection and enjoy a lion dance performance by the Chinese Freemasons Athletic Club at 3 pm.

To learn more, click here.

They are also offering 20% off tickets to their current Solid Gold exhibition to all visitors! Just use the special discount code: LUNAR25 (expiration date: Feb 10, 2025) when purchasing.

To purchase tickets, click here.

Japan Society
Oshogatsu: New Year’s Celebration
Sunday, January 26, 11:30am-3:30pm
Ticketed

Celebrate the New Year Japanese-style with a taiko drum performance, hands-on calligraphy, lion dancing, and more! Japanese boxed lunches and snacks will be available for purchase on-site from BentOn.

To purchase tickets, click here.

Asia Society
Lunar New Year at the Leo Bar
Friday January 31, 5:30-8pm
Ticketed

Welcome the New Year in the Garden Court with snacks, a Lunar New Year cocktail and mocktail, fortune telling, and a lion dance performance! A ticket includes one drink, followed by a cash bar.

To purchase tickets, click here.

China Institute
Lunar New Year Festival 2025
Sunday, February 2, 2-5pm
Ticketed

Experience a once-in-a-lifetime cultural extravaganza as they bring the enchantment of Prince Kung’s Palace Museum—a national first-class museum and one of the most prestigious cultural treasures of China—to the heart of New York City. Join an afternoon of interactive workshops, music performances and more for all ages.

To purchase tickets, click here.

Charles B. Wang Center
Sangjaru: Korean Folk Gypsy Swing
Thursday, February 20 at 6pm
Ticketed

Experience an exhilarating performance by Sangjaru, the dynamic Korean folk fusion band that masterfully blends traditional Korean music with the vibrant rhythms of gypsy swing, funk, rock, and improvisation.

To purchase tickets, click here.

Courtesy The Korea Society

Cho In Ho | In the Manner of Magnificence
January 23 – April 18, 2025
Opening Reception: January 23, 5-7pm (kindly RSVP)
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Fl, NYC

The Korea Society is delighted to present their latest exhibition, Cho In Ho | In the Manner of Magnificence. Rooted in the rich tradition of ink painting, this exhibition explores the genre of landscape, which extends beyond simple depictions of nature. Landscape painting embodies diverse meanings, dimensions, and concepts, serving as a profound expression of an artist’s perspective.

Cho In Ho masterfully reinterprets the landscape tradition, offering fresh perspectives through multiple and dynamic viewpoints. Using only muk (black ink), he captures recognizable locations in present-day Korea, reconstructing and transforming his observations into a captivating visual journey through space and time.

To learn more and RSVP to the reception, click here.

The Korea Society Gallery welcomes visitors by appointment only. Appointments must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance. To arrange a visit, please contact info@koreasociety.org.

Tiffany & Co (1837–present), The Magnolia Vase, 1893, silver, enamel, gold, and opals, 30 7/8 x 19 1/2 in. (78.4 x 49.5 cm) overall; Gift of Mrs. Winthrop Atwill, 1899, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Asia Week New York in Partnership with The Winter Show Presents
Art and the Great Expositions: The Worldwide Web of Taste, 1876-1904
Saturday, January 25 at 3pm
In-person event, Park Avenue Armory, Board of Officers Room
643 Park Avenue, NYC

We are thrilled to once again partner with The Winter Show to present a fascinating in-person discussion with an esteemed panel of experts. Art and the Great Expositions: The World Wide Web of Taste, 1876–1904 will assess the long-term aesthetic impact that World Fairs had on American decorative art and painting during the Gilded Age and on early twentieth century decorative arts and paintings, including the part played by Japanese art and crafts.

With a focus on works displayed in Philadelphia, Paris, Chicago, and St. Louis, the distinguished experts on the panel–moderated by Dessa Goddard, U.S. Head of the Asian Art Group, Senior Vice President of Bonhams–will discuss the influence of Paris on American painting, the impact of Japanese arts and crafts on American decorative arts, especially Tiffany, and how the expositions served as a background for the transformation in 19th century painting.

Panelists:

Annette Blaugrund, Curator and former director (and first woman director) of the National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts (1997-2007)

Joe Earle, Global Senior Consultant for Japanese Art at Bonhams

Medill Harvey, Ruth Bigelow Wriston Curator of American Decorative Arts and Manager of the Henry R. Luce Center for the Study of American Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Mark D. Mitchell, Holcombe T. Green Curator of American Paintings and Sculpture at the Yale University Art Gallery

Moderate by Dessa Goddard, U.S. Head of the Asian Art Group, Senior Vice President and Head, Business Strategy for Chinese Paintings, and Senior Specialist for Chinese Art at Bonhams

This year’s The Winter Show runs from January 24 to February 2 in the Park Avenue Armory in New York City. Among the many oustanding exhibitors are Asia Week New York members Ralph M. Chait Galleries, Joan B Mirviss LTD and Thomsen Gallery.  We look forward to welcoming you soon to this celebration of art, antiques and culture!

To purchase The Winter Show tickets, click here.