Gamelan performance in the Gallery lobby, October 2, 2014, offered in conjunction with the exhibition East of the Wallace Line
Immerse yourself in the beauty and heritage of Indonesian art at the Yale University Art Gallery with a series of free, interactive events celebrating the current exhibition, Nusantara: Six Centuries of Indonesian Textiles! Join a behind-the-scenes talk on textile conservation, try your hand at a guided sketching session, and experience the vibrant sounds of Central Javanese gamelan music. All events are free and open to the public — come ready to explore, learn, and create!
Conserving Textile Histories
Wednesday, November 12, 2025, 12:30 – 1:30 pm
Meet by the central column in the Gallery lobby
Join Lauren Van Dessel, Postgraduate Fellow in Textiles Conservation, for fascinating insight into the conservation of selected textiles from the exhibition Nusantara: Six Centuries of Indonesian Textiles. Learn what technical analyses can reveal about the materials and masterful artistic techniques used throughout the centuries, alongside the preservation methods enabling the textiles’ display and longevity.
To learn more, click here.
Sketching in the Galleries: Nusantara
Thursday, November 13, 2025, 5:30 – 6:30 pm
Inaugurated in 1867, Street Hall—today part of the Yale University Art Gallery—housed the first school of art in the country. Its curriculum permitted students from a variety of disciplines to sketch from live models and original works of art. Take part in this centuries-old practice by joining them for an evening of guided sketching in the exhibition Nusantara: Six Centuries of Indonesian Textiles.
Generously sponsored by the Martin A. Ryerson Lectureship Fund. Open to all ages and levels of drawing experience. Materials are provided.
To learn more, click here.
Javanese Gamelan Concert
Thursday, November 20, 2025, 5:30 – 6:30 pm
Hailing from the islands of Java and Bali in the Republic of Indonesia, gamelan music incorporates bronze gongs, a variety of bronze percussion, the rebab (bowed lute), kendhang (drums), gambang (wooden percussion), pesindhèn (vocalist), and gèrong (chorus). The Yale University Gamelan Ensemble presents a performance of music in the Central Javanese style, specifically that of the city of Surakarta and surrounding villages. The concert is modeled on a klenèngan, or a Javanese semiformal gathering to play gamelan music among friends and for the community. These events progress from serene and dignified pieces to more lively and joyful ones.
Generously sponsored by the Martin A. Ryerson Lectureship Fund. Offered in conjunction with the exhibition Nusantara: Six Centuries of Indonesian Textiles.
To learn more, click here.