WHAT: Individually scheduled press tours for “Connecting Stories at the National Museum of Asian Art”
WHEN: April 29–ongoing

WHERE: Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
1050 Independence Ave. S.W.

WHO: Danielle Bennett, head of collections management, associate director for institutional planning
Frank Feltens, curator of Japanese art

Each object in the National Museum of Asian Art tells multiple stories. In the exhibition, “Connecting Stories,” a small selection of objects, images, maps and interactives showcases a variety of the stories and connections reflected in its collections. A digital touchscreen and a colorful, animated projection feature some of the symbols, patterns and designs seen across the museum’s collections and explains how their meanings change in different contexts. On another touchscreen, museum staff and volunteers highlight stories of objects in the collections.
The National Museum of Asian Art opened in 1923, becoming the first art museum on the National Mall. The museum continually renews its commitment to the communities represented by the works in its collections and to the peoples who made them. It aspires to add new perspectives to often simplistic understandings of Asia and is mindful of the complex histories between the United States and the countries of Asia.
“Connecting Stories” invites visitors to explore the museum’s collections further and to develop their own connection to the stories at the museum.

“Stories are at the heart of much of what we do at our museum. It has been and continues to be our mission to preserve and tell the stories of the objects in our collections, of the people who created them, and the places they came from. This new gallery space takes on a different approach and gets right to the essence of what we stand for and the often untold histories of the collections we have been preserving for more than a century.” – Frank Feltens, curator of Japanese art

Note to editors: Media may contact Jennifer Mitchell at mitchellja@si.edu for more information or to schedule a time to interview members of the project team and tour the exhibition.