Due to an unavoidable conflict in the speaker's schedule, the Nov. 19, 2021 Arts of Asia lecture with Dr. Arshiya Lokhandwala has been rescheduled to Sat., Nov. 20, 2021, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. PST. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience that this may cause.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Nov. 12, 2021 Arts of Asia lecture has been rescheduled to Dec. 10, 2021. We apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause.

Find the schedule of speakers and topics, as well as study guides and any additional resources on the Fall 2021 Arts of Asia webpage.

Dear SAA Members and Friends,

The social aspect of SAA has suffered in the last 18 months without in-person events, but I am happy to report that our first in-person gathering took place last month, strangely enough in Morocco. A small group of our intrepid travelers finally made the twice-postponed trip and, as you can see from the photo, they had a great time!

In October our second in person event, a walking tour of Chinatown, was fully booked!

In case you missed the notice in the latest emails to the Fall 2021 Arts of Asia registered attendees, the Friday, Oct. 15, 2021 lecture will start at 2 p.m. Pacific Time, to accommodate the speaker, who will be joining the webinar from China.

The study guide for this lecture is now posted on the Fall 2021 Arts of Asia webpage. Here is the link to the study guide.

Thank you.

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Dorothy Moss, Curator of Painting and Sculpture at the National Portrait Gallery and Coordinating Curator of the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative, will give the October 22, 2021 Arts of Asia lecture, originally scheduled to be given by contemporary Chinese-born American artist Hung Liu (1948-2021).

The Society for Asian Art mourns the sudden passing of outstanding Bay Area artist Hung Liu. Her work speaks powerfully to audiences worldwide, and has been particularly admired by our members. Many SAA members were honored to know Hung Liu and valued her as a friend. The SAA extends its deepest condolences to her family.

Hung Liu was scheduled to speak on October 22, 2021, as part of this fall's Arts of Asia lecture series. We will announce a replacement speaker at a later date.

Ehler Spliedt
SAA President

We are gearing up to launch our fall 2021 Upper Category events, which are organized exclusively for the Society for Asian Art's Upper Category members - Sponsors, Donors and Contributors.

The first in the series, on Sept. 2, 2021, will be an introduction to a groundbreaking exhibition at SFMOMA, Nam June Paik, a Korean-American visionary artist. The presenting scholar, Dr. Rudolf Frieling, is Curator of Media Arts at SFMOMA, and co-curator of the exhibition. SFMOMA is the only US venue for this international exhibition, organized with the Tate Modern, London.

As a docent at the Asian, I love connecting with the ancient beauty of Asia. And as the Asian expands its collection of contemporary art, I was initially a little disturbed by some of the “new” objects. After a very enlightening and enjoyable talk by Abby Chen at this spring’s Arts of Asia lectures, I began to use the viewing techniques I had been trained in. I rested a while with a piece, watching my responses to it. No cheating and looking at the labels! What thoughts or sensations was I having? And asked what is this piece saying to me – the same way I encountered our Buddhas.

The Society for Asian Art stands in solidarity with the Asian American Pacific Islander communities that have been targeted with hate and violence. We condemn racism, xenophobia and violence in all its forms. Educating the public about the art and culture of the rich and diverse Asian communities has been at the heart of the Society for Asian Art's mission since we were founded in 1958. Through our programs, we help promote intercultural understanding, diversity and inclusion.

Due to illness, the April 16, 2021 Arts of Asia lecture, Seeing Large in Small: The Power of Scale in Chinese Landscape Painting with Prof. Jun Hu, is now postponed to Friday, May 7 at 10:30 a.m. Registered attendees will receive a Zoom webinar confirmation email for the May 7 lecture a few days beforehand.

The April 23 and April 30 Arts of Asia lectures will take place as scheduled.

Thank you.