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Conversations with Curators | Three Gifts for the Museum

Thu Apr 16 2026

6–7:30 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Members: $10 + tax | Member guest: $15 + tax | Series pass: $40 + tax

Conversation in a Bamboo Forest, 17th-18th century, Unknown artist, Chinese, Ink and gold on indigo dyed silk, 16 × 16 in. (40.6 × 40.6 cm), Seattle Art Museum, Gift of George W.S. Wen, 2025.15, Photo: Scott Leen

What does it take to acquire a work of art for the museum? Recently, SAM welcomed a striking group of Chinese paintings from the 14th to the 19th century, each carrying its own story of discovery and meaning. This talk explores what early research reveals about the significances of a few works—from a gold-on-indigo scene of a monk and layperson deep in conversation within a bamboo grove, to an ink painting of a gibbon gently touching nearby bamboo leaves with its paw.


FOONG Ping

Foster Foundation Curator of Chinese Art



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Conversations with Curators

This beloved members-only lecture series features monthly conversations with the creative forces behind SAM’s collections and exhibitions.

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