Lecture series, artist talks return to SAAM this fall

Fall weather means it’s time to head indoors and check out one of many public lecture and education events at the Seattle Asian Art Museum. The events will explore all facets of Asia, from history and culture to agriculture, global health and politics.

Saturdays, Sept. 22-Dec. 1: University Lecture Series, Myanmar and Its Many Peoples, 9:30–11 a.m.

In this compelling series, speakers introduce the ethnic diversity of Myanmar (Burma) and trace the changes: from a kingdom to British colony to military state, from ancient Buddhist architecture to activist Buddhist monks, and up to 2012. Presented in partnership with the University of Washington’s Jackson School of International Studies, Partners Asia, and the Elliott Bay Book Company. Visit seattleartmuseum.org/gardnercenter for details.

Oct. 2:  In the Shadow of the Banyan (In partnership with Elliott Bay Book Company), 7 p.m.

In the Shadow of the Banyan, blends the entrancing folklore and literature of the author’s native Cambodia with the story of her own family; paying tribute to the memory of those lost, and bearing eloquent witness to the capacity to survive even in the most terrible circumstances.

Visiting Writer: Vaddey Ratner arrived in the U.S. as a refugee not knowing English and, in 1990, went on to graduate as her high school class valedictorian. She is a summa cum laude graduate of Cornell University, where she specialized in Southeast Asian history and literature. In recent years she traveled and lived in Cambodia and Southeast Asia, writing and researching, which culminated in her debut novel, In the Shadow of the Banyan. She lives in Potomac, Maryland.
From the Ruins of Empire: The Intellectuals Who Remade Asia
In partnership with Elliott Bay Book Company

Oct. 4: From the Ruins of Empire: The Intellectuals Who Remade Asia, 7 p.m.

A new view of the events of two centuries through the eyes of journalists, poets, radicals and charismatics across Europe and Asia.

Visiting writer: Pankaj Mishra was born in North India and graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce from the Allahabad University before completing his MA in English Literature at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. He wrote his first novel when he was only seventeen years old, and two further novels followed, although none have been published. An author of several books on India, Mishra writes literary and political essays for the New York Times, the New York Review of Books, The Guardian, and the New Statesman, among other American, British, and Indian publications.

Admission is free to all author events. Check seattleartmuseum.org for final program of writers for each evening.

Oct. 5: The Story of My Assassins (In partnership with Elliott Bay Book Company), 7 p.m.

Based on actual events, The Story of My Assassins tells the story of a journalist who learns that the police have captured five hitmen on their way to kill him.

Visiting writer: Tarun J Tejpal is a journalist, publisher, and novelist. In a 26-year career, he has been an editor with the India Today and the Indian Express groups, and the managing editor of Outlook, India’s premier newsmagazine. In March 2000, he started Tehelka, a news organization that has earned a global reputation for its aggressive public interest journalism.

Oct. 17: The Modern Moment of Chinese Sculpture, 7 p.m.

Art historian Stanley Abe discusses how our concept of Chinese sculpture has been shaped by modern ideas of history, nations, culture, antiquity, and Fine Art. Free with museum admission. RSVP to boxoffice@seattleartmuseum.org or 206.654.3210.

Oct. 25: Painting Sita's Garden: Mithila Artists Portray Their Lives, 7 p.m.

Anthropologist Carolyn Brown Heinz introduces Mithila villages and women’s painting traditions in Bihar, India, in connection with the exhibition Women’s Paintings from the Land of Sita. Free with museum admission. RSVP to boxoffice@seattleartmuseum.org or 206.654.3210.

Nov. 8: Dirty, Sacred Rivers: Confronting South Asia’s Water Crisis (In partnership with Elliott Bay Book Company), 7 p.m.

Dirty, Sacred Rivers explores South Asia's increasingly urgent water crisis, taking readers on a journey through North India, Nepal and Bangladesh, from the Himalaya to the Bay of Bengal.

Visiting writer: Cheryl Colopy researched and wrote Dirty, Sacred Rivers during seven years of travel and residence in South Asia. With the help of a Fulbright fellowship she undertook her exploration of the looming catastrophes in the Ganges river basin. She is an award-winning reporter, formerly with National Public Radio affiliate KQED in San Francisco.

Nov. 14: Artist Introductions: Wu Mali and Navjot, 7 p.m.

Conceptual artist Wu Mali (Taiwan) and Navjot (India), an artist of many media, each present their art practices, feminist perspectives, and process in working with communities. Held in connection with the SAM exhibition downtown, Elles: Women Artists from the Centre Pompidou, Paris. Tickets: SAM members $5; nonmembers $10; seniors and students $8. Purchase online at tickets.seattleartmuseum.org/public or by calling the SAM Customer Service Center at 206.654.3210.