Seattle Asian Art Museum

The Seattle Asian Art Museum, located in Volunteer Park on Capitol Hill in a beautiful Art Deco building, is an Asian art museum Seattle can be proud of.

It houses Seattle Art Museum's collection of Chinese and Japanese artwork which includes ceramics, jades, sculpture, snuff bottles, and belt decorations. SAAM also includes works from all over Asia and the Himalayas.

The museum offers some great special exhibitions as well. Recently, I went to see Garden and Cosmos: The Royal Paintings of Jodhpur. This was a huge collection of amazingly detailed paintings from the royal courts of Rajasthan from the 17th to the 19th century. This was the first time these paintings had been exhibited in the United States.

Other exhibits have included:

• A Black-and-White World: The Art and Lessons of Chinese Rubbings
• Inspired Simplicity: Contemporary Art from Korea
• Discovering Buddhist Art - Seeking the Sublime

The SAM Shop is a small store inside the front entrance which offers a wide variety of Asian merchandise and books about Asian art and culture. The cafe that used to operate inside the museum is no longer there.

Across from the front of the building, you can see a view of the Seattle Space Needle over the water. This is another spot to get those great photos of the downtown skyline and the Space Needle. This shot was taken through Isamu Noguchi's 1969 sculpture called "The Black Sun". Be sure to leave time for a stroll through Volunteer Park. There are some fabulous old trees with interesting trunk formations.

Just to the north of the museum building is the Volunteer Park Conservatory which is also a must-see on your visit to the Seattle Asian Art Museum. Four rooms representing a different climate, from desert to tropical rain forest. It's a great place to take photos.

Free Days:

• First Thursdays - free to all
• First Fridays - seniors (age 62+)
• First Saturdays - families

For more information about SAAM's collection, exhibitions, member news, programs, events, and store:
Seattle Asian Art Museum
Volunteer Park
1400 East Prospect Street
206-654-3100
www.seattleartmuseum.org