I’m especially excited to share this fall issue of our members’ magazine — it’s the first since I joined the Asian Art Museum as director in April. Inside, you’ll find an overview of my vision for the museum and how I hope to build on its remarkable legacy, making the museum a place of connection, creativity, and discovery for all.
This issue also offers a look at the extraordinary art and experiences happening right now. Rave into the Future: Art in Motion is charged with the vibrant, joyful energy of rave culture, while New Japanese Clay highlights bold ceramic works, enriched by a Q&A with the collectors and a behind-the-scenes feature on our mount maker, Vincent Avalos, whose craftsmanship ensures each piece is beautifully — and safely — presented. You’ll also encounter a moving new installation by Jitish Kallat and find previews of upcoming programs, from new family initiatives to beloved traditions like our annual Japanese New Year Bell-Ringing Ceremony.
Thank you for being part of our community. Your support makes all of this possible.
SEE YOU AT THE MUSEUM
Soyoung Lee
THE BARBARA BASS BAKAR DIRECTOR AND CEO
Asian Culture is Worldwide OUR VISION FOR THE FUTURE
A MESSAGE FROM SOYOUNG LEE, THE BARBARA BASS BAKAR DIRECTOR & CEO
Since arriving at the Asian Art Museum, I’ve spent these first months listening and learning — meeting with staff, board members, city officials, community partners, and countless visitors who’ve shared what this museum means to them. The following vision emerged from those conversations and my deep conviction about what we can become together.
THREE COMMITMENTS GUIDE THIS VISION:
• We will be San Francisco’s cultural anchor and Asia’s global voice — maintaining deep roots in our local community while leading global conversations about Asian art and culture.
• We celebrate Asian culture as a foundation that is already here — illuminating the Asian and Asian diasporic influences that shape how we think, create, and connect.
• We offer both timeless encounters with art and cutting-edge exploration — creating real human connection through innovative inquiry.
This 21st century is the Asian century. From the tech rebuilding our economy to the aesthetics shaping our neighborhoods and our way of life, Asian influence and Asian American innovation are everywhere. This is cultural DNA, not cultural tourism.
Picture two interwoven destinies unfolding. We become an essential destination, an integral part of the Bay Area’s rhythm. Every weekend pulses with the energy
of families exploring heritage and neighbors discovering each other’s cultures, everyone finding new, hybrid communities.
Simultaneously, we build unprecedented global networks. Emerging curators from Seoul, Mumbai, and Bangkok collaborate with Bay Area artists. Technology artists treat our galleries as laboratories. International collectors and cultural ambassadors consider us their San Francisco headquarters.
We become new storymakers — exploring Afro-Asian connections, Scandinavian-Japanese design dialogues, and Asian innovation’s expansive influence.
When you bring your family and friends to the museum, you’re sharing more than your love of art. You are helping to grow and galvanize the community that will carry on this work. You are co-creators of this transformation. Whether you are trustees and commissioners, staff, volunteers, or members, your expertise, wisdom, and passion make this possible.
We’re the place where Asia and the world meet, where ancient and contemporary dance together, where “you,” “me,” and “them” become simply “us.” The future is here. And thanks to you, we’re leading it.
This vision builds on the incredible partnership of our Founders Circle, board members, Nexus and Curator’s Forum members, Jade Circle, Gump Society, and all our Patrons, Friends, and Members.
Rave into the Future: Art in Motion explores an uplifting new cultural wave that is redefining what “rave” means to the world. Featuring ten women and queer artists from the West Asian diaspora, this vibrant tribute to contemporary rave culture includes video, photographs, sculptures, performances, DJ events, immersive environments, and an in-gallery dance floor where all are welcome.
The rave renaissance of recent years is notable for a prevalence of Asian attendees, artists, and DJs, as well as a renewed emphasis on inclusivity and collective experience that recalls rave’s earliest origins. With a heartbeat of bassheavy electronic music, rave culture traces its roots to the disco clubs of 1970s New York and the house and techno scenes of 1980s Chicago and Detroit—dance parties that offered spaces of connection and self-expression for marginalized communities, before exploding into mass popularity through global circuits, especially in Europe, during the 1990s. The prominence of sounds from West Asia in today’s raves reflects a post-pandemic global surge in demand for music from this region.
“By providing a sense of home and belonging, the contemporary rave scene has been particularly meaningful for the Asian diaspora,” says exhibition curator Naz Cuguoglu, assistant curator of contemporary art at the
Untitled (radio tower with accessories), 2023, by Sahar Khoury. Plastic, steel, soda-fired ceramic, glazed and unglazed ceramic, anchoring resin, waxed plaster, cast glass, animal cages, wax, radios, FM transmitter, party light, timers, glass, clock, and sound. Courtesy of the artist; Rebecca Camacho Presents, San Francisco; Canada, New York; and Parker Gallery, Los Angeles. Photograph by Robert Divers
Asian Art Museum. “Challenging the myth of raves as pure escapism, the raves of this generation offer collective joy and community resilience in the face of conflict and displacement.”
Exuberant and empowering, Rave into the Future invites visitors to experience music and dance as sources of healing and unity. The exhibition features work by artists of diverse West Asian heritage currently based in Europe and the United States, including Morehshin Allahyari, Sophia Al-Maria, Farah Al Qasimi, Meriem Bennani, Yasmine Nasser Diaz, Sahar Khoury, :mentalKLINIK, Joe Namy, and Maryam Yousif.
“While exploring the DIY ethic as a form of resistance,” says Cuguoglu, “the artists in Rave into the Future highlight the power of music and dance to create empowering spaces — whether on a packed dance floor, or in the solitude of one’s bedroom — where we feel safe to dream of future possibilities.”
Rave into the Future: Art in Motion is organized by the Asian Art Museum. Major support is provided by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. Additional support is provided by the Jacques and Natasha Gelman Foundation.
Sustained support generously provided by the Akiko Yamazaki and Jerry Yang Endowment Fund for Exhibitions and the Kao/Williams Contemporary Art Exhibitions Fund.
Herrick.
For Your Eyes Only, presented at OXY ARTS, Los Angeles, 2023.
Creative Director: Yasmine Nasser Diaz. Photograph courtesy of the artist and Ochi Gallery. Photo by Tracy Nguyen.
Move to the Future
RAVE ACTIVATIONS LIGHT UP THE MUSEUM
Opening Celebration for Rave
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24
6–11 PM
Kick off the exhibition with live performances by featured artists Yasmine Nasser Diaz, Joe Namy, and Sahar Khoury. Find more details on page 22.
SENZA + Local DJ Open Call
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6
5–8 PM
A trap and bass set by the sensational SENZA; plus, mixes from the Bay Area’s best. Open call to local DJs to join in this event!
Discostan
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13
5–8 PM
Reflections on decolonizing the dance floor from the founder of LA’s Discostan, plus a special DJ set.
Programming may change — please visit asianart.org for the latest details.
Throughout the run of Rave into the Future: Art in Motion, the museum comes alive with a series of performances by exhibition artists, local DJs, and special guests. These events invite everyone to move, connect, and be part of a shared creative energy. For tickets, visit asianart.org.
Opening Celebration: Rave into the Future
Puff Out M_2205_pink, 2017–2025, by :mentalKLINIK. Eight robot vacuums with special caps and charging units, various glitters. Courtesy of the artists. Photograph by Özge Balkan, courtesy of Borusan Contemporary.
Tradition Disrupted, Beauty Reimagined
NEW JAPANESE CLAY
ON VIEW THROUGH FEBRUARY 2, 2026
HAMBRECHT GALLERY
What does clay look like when it’s freed from the expectation to be functional? In New Japanese Clay, 32 contemporary works — each a recent gift from collectors Phyllis Kempner and David Stein — pose that question with energy and elegance.
Though grounded in Japan’s long history of ceramic craftsmanship, the artists in this exhibition aren’t simply inheriting tradition — they’re twisting it, stretching it, and in some cases, leaving it behind entirely. Their forms balance on impossibly small points, mimic windblown leaves or ocean currents, and blur the line between sculpture and vessel.
Oroshi: Mountain Gust by Kino Satoshi is a ribbon of porcelain that looks as if it’s been bent by wind, yet
ABOVE: Kai (Turn), 2015. by Moriyama Kanjiro (Japanese, b. 1984).
stands upright with perfect poise. Fujikasa Satoko’s Seisei (Plant Growth) seems to swell and unfurl as if alive — each fold in its surface catching light like a leaf in motion. Kai (Turn) by Moriyama Kanjiro is an abstract, gestural shape whose tension and precision reflect a practiced mastery of balance and form.
Together, the varied works on view offer more than technical marvels: they reflect a thriving contemporary movement that embraces ambiguity, sensuality, and experimentation. Through them, we glimpse a different pace of life: one attentive to the handmade, the organic, and the quietly radical.
This promised gift from Kempner and Stein marks a major moment for the museum’s ceramics collection and invites us to experience clay as a contemporary art form in full bloom. Whether you’re a longtime ceramics devotee or newly curious, New Japanese Clay offers a rare chance to see some of the most imaginative work being made in Japan today, right here in San Francisco.
New Japanese Clay is organized by the Asian Art Museum. All works on display are from the collection of Dr. Phyllis A. Kempner and Dr. David D. Stein. Presentation is made possible with the generous support of Tania and Michael Stepanian. Sustained support generously provided by the Akiko Yamazaki and Jerry Yang Endowment Fund for Exhibitions and the Kao/Williams Contemporary Art Exhibitions Fund.
Stein, 2019.99. Right: Kakan (Flower Crown) No. 3, by Miwa
A Shared Vision
COLLECTORS
PHYLLIS KEMPNER
AND DAVID STEIN ON CONTEMPORARY
JAPANESE CERAMICS
The 32 works on view in New Japanese Clay are part of a gift from longtime museum supporters Dr. Phyllis A. Kempner and Dr. David D. Stein. Over the past two decades, the couple’s interest in traditional ceramics evolved into a deep appreciation for the bold, sculptural direction of contemporary Japanese clay art. In this conversation, Kempner and Stein reflect on their journey as collectors — and their decision to entrust this work to the Asian Art Museum.
What drew you to contemporary Japanese art and, in particular, ceramics?
Phyllis: We were initially drawn to the elegance and quiet presence of traditional forms, but over time, it was the sculptural ambition of contemporary Japanese ceramics that really captivated us. These artists are pushing the medium in ways we find both surprising and deeply beautiful. David: There’s a level of experimentation and restraint that we respond to forms that are expressive without being loud. It’s subtle, but profound.
Do you find a connection between your work as psychologists and the art you collect?
PHYLLIS: Definitely. We’re trained to notice nuance, contradiction, the space between what’s said and unsaid. We’re drawn to work that carries that kind of quiet complexity.
DAVID: The best pieces feel like they hold emotion and intention in balance. That resonates with our clinical work — and probably explains why we live with so much art.
What inspired you to entrust this gift to the museum?
PHYLLIS: We care deeply about the museum’s mission and future. It felt like the right home.
DAVID: We hope it strengthens the museum’s voice in contemporary ceramics and encourages others to think about their own collecting legacy.
What would you say to beings from another world, if you had only one chance to speak for all of humanity?
Renowned Mumbai-based artist Jitish Kallat asks you to consider that lofty question in Covering Letter (Terranum Nuncius), an immersive installation on view in the Osher Gallery. First presented in 2018 and continually resonant, the work opens a portal between deep time and urgent present, between a divided world and a shared cosmos.
Drawing on the legendary Golden Records launched aboard NASA’s Voyager 1 and 2 in 1977 — now over 13 billion miles from Earth — Kallat reimagines this “interstellar message in a bottle” through sound, image, and space. The original phonographic records, compiled under the guidance of Carl Sagan, included greetings in 55 languages and a suite of images capturing the richness and fragility of life on Earth. These selections, meant for unknown extraterrestrial recipients, are recontextualized here for a terrestrial audience in a moment of global reckoning.
In Kallat’s hands, the Voyager’s time capsule becomes an invitation to reflect on what we choose to communicate as a species, and how we relate to the unknown. A projected Pulsar Map, decrypted audioimages of scientific diagrams, representations of flora and fauna, depictions of human anatomy and genetic makeup, and a broadcast of words of welcome in 55 languages surround visitors with poetic artifacts of planetary selfportraiture. A bench, on which viewers are invited to sit and reflect, references the hands of the Doomsday Clock, evoking the urgency of our times.
Kallat’s work consistently explores the interplay of the immediate and the infinite, the personal and the interplanetary. Covering Letter (Terranum Nuncius) is both a meditation and a mirror — one that asks us to consider our place in the universe and our responsibilities to each other.
Jitish Kallat: Covering Letter (Terranum Nuncius) is organized by the Asian Art Museum. Presentation is made possible with the generous support of Tad Freese and Brook Hartzell; and Aarti and Sandeep Johri. Sustained support generously provided by the Akiko Yamazaki and Jerry Yang Endowment Fund for Exhibitions and the Kao/Williams Contemporary Art Exhibitions Fund.
LEFT AND ABOVE: Covering Letter (Terranum Nuncius) (2018–2021), detail. 116 stereoscopic parallax prints on Plexiglas, programmed LED panels, frames, wooden shelves and bench, 4 horn speakers, video projection. Image courtesy of the artist and Ishara Art Foundation. Courtesy of the artist and Nature Morte. Photography by Ismail Noor / Seeing Things.
Tradition and Innovation
CONTEMPORARY KOREAN CERAMICS
ON
VIEW THROUGH DECEMBER 8, 2025
KORET KOREAN GALLERIES
Offering a rare chance to see contemporary Korean ceramics from the museum collection, this exhibition highlights clay creations by four prominent 20th-century artists. Their various approaches, each one an heir to its own creative lineage, demonstrate innovations deeply rooted in Korea’s rich legacy of ceramics production.
On one side of the gallery, the lively surface textures of stoneware and porcelain works by Roe Kyung-Jo (b. 1951), Kim See-man (b. 1958), and Yoon Kwang-jo (b. 1946) bring fresh updates to traditional marbling and glazing techniques. Exhibition curator and Assistant Curator for Korean Art Yoon-Jee Choi notes that “buncheong (분청), the central decoration of Kim and Yoon’s vessels, is one of the most innovative techniques of Korean ceramics; the two artists advance this traditional method by exploring a sense of rhythm and spontaneity.”
Directly opposite are three smooth, black pillars of stacked onggi (옹기) — vessels historically used to carry fermented foods such as kimchi — by Cho Chung-Hyun (b. 1940). Standing as tall as people, each of these appealing works seems animated by its own unique personality, conveyed via subtle variations in shape and size.
The largest known bronze from ancient Cambodia will be on view in the Osher Gallery in the fall of 2026, on loan from the National Museum of Cambodia. Originally installed over a thousand years ago at West Mebon, a temple at the center of a vast reservoir in Angkor, this monumental sculpture of the god Vishnu reclining reflects the spiritual and artistic life of the ancient city. Seen today, it resonates with contemporary concerns about water, the environment, and sustainability.
Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean: The Great Bronze of West Mebon, Cambodia is organized by the Asian Art Museum. Presentation is made possible with the generous support of The Bernard Osher Foundation. Sustained support generously provided by the Akiko Yamazaki and Jerry Yang Endowment Fund for Exhibitions.
General view of the bust of the West Mebon Vishnu, 1050 – 1100. Bronze. Photo: P. Baptiste.
Designing Stability
VINCENT
AVALOS
Behind every fragile artwork at the Asian Art Museum is a mount designed by Vincent Avalos — part protector, part problem-solver, always invisible until it matters most.
For more than thirty years, mount maker Vincent Avalos has been the Asian Art Museum’s first line of defense against the threats posed to fragile and irreplaceable artworks by earthquakes, accidental bumps from passersby, and the perpetual specter of gravity. Of the thousands of works on view in the museum galleries at any given time, each one is held upright and safely stabilized by a mount — a custom structure of steel, wood, wire, or wax — fabricated precisely by Avalos to suit that object’s particular dimensions and requirements.
Every new exhibition or object poses a different challenge for the mount maker, and New Japanese Clay, this year’s survey of innovative contemporary Japanese ceramics in Hambrecht gallery, is no exception. Several of the featured works exhibit a delicate balance that seems almost deliberately designed to tempt fate, should we experience any vibration or shaking during the show. “There’s a quote about sculpture attributed to Michelangelo,” says Avalos, “supposedly, he claimed one measure of a sculpture was whether it could be rolled
down a hill and remain intact. The works in this show are spectacular, but they should not be rolled down a hill!”
Avalos typically designs mounts to be as invisible as possible, visually blending his structures into the artwork and using color to camouflage support elements that can’t be hidden. However, the works in New Japanese Clay emphasize form and surface; even the most discreetly incorporated mount would “destroy the aesthetic,” says Avalos, by introducing an interruption to the works’ dramatic profiles.
Avalos’s solution was to create distinct, custom mounts from Baltic birch plywood — a material that is both strong and visually clean. His goal was to maintain a clear separation between the object and the mount, respecting the ceramics’ emphasis on surface and form without disrupting their aesthetic with clips or disguised supports. By allowing the mounts to be visibly separate but still harmonious, the approach treats them as functional elements rather than visual intrusions. The mounts are carefully fitted to each object using templates and a secure fastening method to ensure both visual integrity and dependable stability.
While threats to museum funding are pressing, we also see amazing opportunities to rise to the occasion.
In April, the museum welcomed Sally Matsuishi as the new Grace Kase Director of Learning and Civic Engagement. Her arrival brings fresh energy and momentum for the future of museum education programs. Her work will be transformational for families, students, teachers, and lifelong learners.
Sally self-identifies as a fifth-generation Bay Area native and the daughter of Japanese American WWII incarceration survivors. The Asian Art Museum has been a beacon for her family for generations, and she is honored to join the community.
“I have had the great pleasure of growing up, raising children, and educating students within the galleries of the Asian Art Museum,” says Matsuishi “The museum is a source of joy not just for me and my family, but for the entire Bay Area and beyond. Looking forward, I can't wait to bring more live performances, innovative art making, interactive school tours, and vibrant opportunities to engage the Asian Art Museum's long-standing celebration of Asian and Asian American art and culture.”
TOP: Photo Courtesy Sally Matsuishi. BOTTOM: Photo: Gary Sexton
Ring in the New Year
40TH ANNUAL BELL-RINGING CEREMONY
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 28 | 10:30 AM–12:30 PM
Mark the end of 2025 with this beloved tradition. Led by Reverend Gengo Akiba, the ceremony includes a purification ritual and the chanting of the Buddhist Heart Sutra. Participants are invited to ring a 2,100-pound, 16th-century Japanese temple bell. The San Francisco Chronicle calls it “a great way to end a year and start a new year.”
Programs subject to change. For the latest updates, visit asianart.org.
Fall Programs at the Asian Art Museum
From vibrant performances to hands-on workshops, our fall schedule is packed with experiences that spark connection, creativity, and curiosity. Join us for Thursday night programs, family-friendly first Sundays, and our iconic year-end bell-ringing ceremony.
Thursday Nights at the Museum
THURSDAYS, 5–8 PM | FREE WITH ADMISSION
On Thursdays (through Nov. 20), the museum stays open late with programs featuring Asian and Asian American artists, DJs, performers, and thinkers. Drawing thematic inspiration from SWANA dance floors, the playful forms of New Japanese Clay, and the poetic work of Jitish Kallat, these evenings invite you to move, make, and reflect.
OCTOBER 16
Live Performance by Mercury Soul
In collaboration with San Francisco Opera
OCTOBER 30
Sculpture Workshop with Mud Witch (Viviana Matsuda)
NOVEMBER 20
“Restoring the Forbidden City” Presentation by the World Monuments Fund on the Qianlong Garden
Note: Thursday Nights will take a holiday break and return on January 8. Enjoy the season — we’ll see you in the new year!
Sundays at the Asian Art Museum
Each week we’ll have plenty of museum fun for you and your family to enjoy all day long.
MAHJONG AT THE MUSEUM, BOGART COURT
10:30 AM–4 PM Take a lesson and play all day!
ART ACTIVITIES
10–4 PM Drop-in Art Activities (Shriram Learning Center)
1:30 PM Monthly Makers
Ages 12+ (Koret Education Center)
2:30 PM Crafternoon: Open Studio Collaging (Koret Education Center)
TOURS
11 AM Family Storytelling, ages 3–6
1 PM Family Storytelling, all ages
Check out the calendar at asianart.org for more information about upcoming art classes, tours, and talks.
Free First Sundays
First Sunday of each month | Free admission all day
Bring the whole family for artmaking, storytelling, performances, and special cultural celebrations.
NOVEMBER 2
Diwali Celebration
• Talk by Dr. Roobina Karode
• Craft activities with SACHI (Society for Art & Cultural Heritage of India)
DECEMBER 7
Baby Rave
11 AM and 1 PM
Call all kids to the dance floor! Enjoy padded dance spaces and music around 65 decibels.
LEFT PAGE: Storytellers in action. THIS PAGE ABOVE: April’s Night of Ideas, photo: Vivø Visuals; RIGHT: Joe Namy, Rave, photo: Anne Tetzlaff.
Rave into the Future OPENING CELEBRATION
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2025, 6–11 PM
Rave into the Future: Art in Motion celebrates the dance floor as a source of joy, resilience, and community. Join us at our opening event to be among the first to experience the exhibition and show us your moves — the dance floor is waiting!
Throughout the night you’ll be able to enjoy a plethora of member and donor perks, including:
• Exhibition Viewing & Gallery Activations
• Art Terrace Hang Out
• Artmaking and Activities
• DJ Sets and Artist Performances
• Light Bites and Refreshments
• Exhibition Shopping | Cha May Ching Museum Boutique
We look forward to sharing an exciting evening with you. Check out event details, including how to RSVP and/or reserve tickets, at asianart.org. Contact members@asianart.org with any questions about your benefits and perks at this event.
Looking for Style Inspiration?
Attendees are encouraged to dress festively! Show off your best dance look in the clothes that move you. Respectful cultural attire is always welcomed.
TOP: Member and Public Opening of Murakami: Monsterized, Sep 21, 2023. Photograph by Chris Constantine. BOTTOM: Photo: Anna Nguyen Photography
Docents Hit 60th Anniversary Milestone
In 2026, the Asian Art Museum will celebrate its 60th birthday while our dedicated Docent Association marks its milestone 60th anniversary this year, 2025.
It is no coincidence that these milestones converge, as the museum and its docents trace their histories to the same beginning. In the years leading up to the opening of the Asian Art Museum in 1966, then-President of the Society for Asian Art William Stanton Picher recommended the creation of a group of volunteer guides to help members of the public understand the artworks in depth. With an initial class of trainees including 100 inaugural docents, so began the long and storied history of our esteemed Docent Association.
Through six decades and counting, docents continue to serve as key ambassadors by sharing our mission — and the importance of our collections and exhibitions — with the general public and schools. The countless tours across traditional and contemporary art, both virtually and in person, organized by the Docent Association are a testament to both their rigorous training and their dedication to the museum they care about so deeply.
Please join us in congratulating our docents on 60 years of service and wishing them many more years of connecting with audiences.
Please join us in congratulating our docents on 60 years of service and wishing them many more years of connecting with audiences.
As dawn heralds the promise of a new beginning, The 2025 Gala Host Committee warmly invites you to an inspiring evening celebrating new possibilities, the museum’s exciting evolution, and the inaugural year of The Barbara Bass Bakar Director & CEO Soyoung Lee.
Wednesday, October 22, 2025
Asian Art Museum 200 Larkin Street GET TICKETS
5:30 PM • GALA COCKTAILS & DINNER
Includes access to the Dream Party premium lounge and the After Party
8 PM • DREAM PARTY + DREAM PARTY PREMIUM
Includes access to the After Party
10 PM • AFTER PARTY MEMBER PERK ALERT! Get discounted member tickets
Photography by Show Ready Photo.
PAGE: Lillian Chun, David Chun, Hee-Jung Moon at the Asian Art Museum's 2024 Gala: HALLYU! October 24th, 2024. LEFT: Dave Lu, Jenny Wall, Anand Bayaraa, Shelly Cheng, Komal Ahmad, Chris Pang. Drew Altizer Photography.
ABOVE:
OPPOSITE
San Francisco Art Lover’s Generous Legacy
MISTY TYREE (1945 – 2025)
Helen “Misty” Tyree was a woman of incredible generosity and grace.
A philanthropist who was active in civic life but who rarely sought public recognition, she loved the arts and was a longtime member of the Asian Art Museum.
When she passed away earlier this year, Misty gave back generously to her adopted city of San Francisco. After making gifts to friends and to charity in her will, she left the remainder of her estate to six San Francisco cultural institutions, including the Asian Art Museum, resulting in a $3 million gift to each organization. The museum is deeply honored to be among the beneficiaries of her extraordinary generosity.
Misty understood the importance that arts and culture play in a community; she believed strongly in the Asian Art Museum’s mission to deepen understanding and empathy among people of all backgrounds. Her gift not only strengthens our ability to serve the community but also reflects a lasting commitment to the cultural vibrancy of San Francisco.
By including the Asian Art Museum in their will, members like Helen “Misty” Tyree create enduring legacies that provide for the financial security of the museum, ensuring that its collections, exhibitions, and programs continue for future generations.
To learn more, visit plannedgiving.asianart.org or contact Kate McNulty, director of individual and legacy giving, at kmcnulty@asianart.org or 415.581.3683.
Re membering Coral Reiff
(1951–2025)
The Asian Art Museum community mourns the loss of longtime museum volunteer Coral Reiff. After joining the 1997 docent training class, Coral quickly became a valued member of both the museum and the Society for Asian Art. She was a regular presence at the Asian Art Museum, where she served as an active docent and videographer for the Society’s Arts of Asia lectures. Her videos now enrich the museum’s education archives, continuing her legacy of knowledge and preservation.
Coral served on the Society for Asian Art’s board of directors from 2008 to 2014 and played a vital role on its Member Events Committee, curating diverse and engaging programs for more than 16 years. Her contributions as a volunteer greatly benefited both the museum and the society, and she will be fondly remembered for her generosity, passion, and commitment.
Artist Member Nights
We’re proud to offer the artist membership to working artists of all backgrounds who find inspiration, connection, and access to scholarly research at the museum. Launched in the summer of 2024, this membership tier features benefits including invitations to special artistcentric happy hours, meet-ups, talks, and exhibition openings.
This year, we’ve partnered with multidisciplinary artist Risa Iwasaki Culbertson to present a quarterly series of artist member nights for mingling and hands-on art making. Risa brings vibrant creativity, a playful exploration of imagination, and visually stunning creations to the Bay Area in her workshops, art nights, and exhibitions. We’re excited to work with Risa to encourage a deeper appreciation and understanding of artistic practice for all.
Save the Dates!
ARTIST MEMBER NIGHTS
Thursday, Nov 13, 2025
Thursday, Feb 26, 2026
Thursday, May 7, 2026
All members are invited to attend. Priority registration is available to artist membership holders.
RISA IWASAKI CULBERTSON is a multidisciplinary artist in San Francisco, CA with a focus on fiber arts, illustrating, and storytelling. Biracial and born in Japan, she grew up creating art as a way to bridge the gap between her two worlds. Inspired by the healing and connective power of humor and play, she creates her wacky, whimsical, and colorful work as a way to process deep emotions of grief and joy while creating places of belonging and staying connected to those she loves.
Sweet Tooth Hotel by Risa Iwasaki Culbertson. Photo by TA Visuals.
Cha May Ching MUSEUM BOUTIQUE
Double Discount Member Shopping Days
THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY, OCT 23–26 (IN-STORE ONLY)
Take advantage of your member benefits during Member Shopping Days. Double your discount with 20% off at the best museum store around.*
*Excludes already discounted items
Holiday Artisan Market Save the Dates!
FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY, NOV 14–16, 10 AM–5:30 PM
The Boutique’s beloved Holiday Artisan Market is back!
Shop one-of-a-kind handmade goods from dozens of local makers, including:
• Fashion & Accessories — Fresh looks to elevate your winter style
• Jewelry – From timeless classics to bold statements
• Ceramics – Elegant housewares and show-stopping décor
• Specialty Foods – Delicious treats to brighten your pantry
• Cards – Beautifully designed for every occasion
Members enjoy a 10% discount on all purchases and a chance to win a $100 boutique gift card. Admission is free — bring your friends and join the festive fun!
Asia Reimagined MAPPING CULTURES BEYOND BORDERS
SOCIETY FOR ASIAN ART
SPRING 2026 ARTS OF ASIA LECTURE SERIES
In an age when cultural identities are increasingly fluid, Asia Reimagined invites you to explore how artists, ideas, and aesthetics have long transcended national boundaries. From ancient pilgrims to contemporary nomads, artists have responded to new worlds with curiosity, resilience, and vision. This 14-lecture series examines the ways that creative exchange — across empires, trade routes, diasporas, and digital platforms — has influenced both the makers and movements of Asian art.
Join us this spring, along with Instructor of Record Natasha Reichle, AAM curator of Southeast Asian art, as we journey through the histories and futures of art across Asia and beyond. Through case studies that span regions and centuries, we’ll consider how crossing literal and metaphorical borders can redefine cultural identity, artistic practice, and global connection. Whether you’re a devoted museum member or a curious newcomer, this series offers a compelling lens into the vibrant complexity of Asia as it has been imagined, reimagined, and continually reshaped.
Join the Society for Asian Art
The Society for Asian Art (SAA) has been providing dynamic programs on Asian art and culture since 1958. SAA members enjoy literature and culture courses; visits to art galleries and artists’ studios; study groups; and opportunities to travel. To join, visit societyforasianart.org.
Lectures are tentatively planned for January–May of 2026. Please visit societyforasianart.org for a confirmed schedule of speakers and topics.
TOP: Incense burner with Arabic inscriptions, approx. 1700–1800. China. The Avery Brundage Collection, B62B32. BELOW: Dish with wave-and-rock motif, approx. 1575–1600. Turkey. Gift of the Menke Family, 2015.26.
Scene at the Asian Art Museum
1 Docent John Kouletsis leads a tour of school children around the galleries. Credit: Eric Martinez 2 Mount Maker Vincent Avalos examines an artwork to be installed for New Japanese Clay. Credit: Kevin Candland 3 Guests enjoy various samplings of rice porridge at the 2025 Jook-Off Cook-Off, in partnership with the Asian Women’s Shelter. Credit: Eric Martinez 4 San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie with his wife Becca Prowda and Chief of Protocol Penny Coulter visit the museum and meet with Director and CEO Soyoung Lee, Board Chair Salle Yoo, and Board President Anjali Pichai. Credit: Eric Martinez
5 Karen Campbell, Ashleigh Lutz-Nelson, Tshiring Lhamu Lama, Tenzin Bhuti Gurung, Sonam Choekyi Llama, and Danielle Hobart at the members’ screening of Snow Leopard Sisters, June 2025. Credit: Snow Leopard Conservancy 6 Soyoung Lee and the musicians from Baramey Unplugged, VannDa, Vanthan, Norith, YuuHai, and Suzana Reth, gather on the East West Bank Art Terrace. Credit: Eric Martinez 7 A fan shows off their style at Baramey Unplugged: Cambodian Superstars in Concert.
Credit: Eric Martinez 8 Guests enjoy the artwork of Yuan Goang-Ming: Everyday War. Credit: Ian Chin Photography 9 John Maa and fellow members enjoy a walking tour of the Tenderloin during our AAM X McSweeney’s X Tenderloin Museum event during AAPI Heritage Month.
Credit: Danielle Hobart
Support Our Mission
The Asian Art Museum celebrates, preserves, and promotes Asian and Asian American art and cultures for local and global audiences. We provide a dynamic forum for exchanging ideas, inviting collaboration, and fueling imagination to deepen understanding and empathy among people of all backgrounds. With your help, our work can continue to reverberate throughout the Bay Area and beyond. Your generous gift to the Museum Fund sustains our work to provide:
• Experiences of art and culture to thousands of schoolchildren each year
• A welcoming experience for all visitors on First Free Sundays
• Teacher and classroom interdisciplinary lesson plans with hands-on art activities that celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage
Today, we need your help to support the demands of running a world-class museum. Will you stand with us and make a fully tax-deductible museum fund donation?
Photo: Gary Sexton
Give the Gift of Membership
Share amazing, members-only access with your loved ones by buying a gift membership today! Your gift recipient will be invited to attend opening events and programs for Rave into the Future (opening Oct. 24), where they’ll experience moving narratives of joy, humor, and a brighter future as they step onto a dance floor where all are welcome.
Members-Only Events & Programs
• Tune in online with members from around the globe for our monthly Virtual Lecture Series, exploring a rotating schedule of fun art-historical topics.
• Mix and mingle with members at our bimonthly, semiprivate docent tours.
• Bring your guests to special exhibition Member Previews, talks, artmaking nights, and other programs throughout the year.
• Enjoy priority access to popular cultural celebrations like our annual Japanese New Year Bell-Ringing!
Plus, we’re offering a discount for being a member of the museum community. Save 10% on gift membership purchases with code GIFT10.
Visit give.asianart.org/gift-membership/ to learn more about our membership benefits and make gift-giving easy this year!
Questions? Contact Member Services at 415.581.5740 or members@ asianart.org to find the perfect membership for your gift recipient.
