Arts of Asia galleries at the Denver Art Museum, Martin Building 5th floor.
The month of May is recognized as Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, which celebrates the important contributions people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent have made to the United States.
The term “Asia” is a Western construction and is used to represent the world’s largest and most populous continent, which is located primarily in the Eastern and Northern Hemispheres. It is a helpful geographical term but is not an accurate reflection of the distinct peoples inhabiting that part of the world. And while the umbrella term AAPI encompasses people from the entire Asian continent—including East, Southeast, and South Asia, as well as the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia—it is important to note that this large area of the world is home to very diverse populations and cultures.
See Asian Art at the Museum
This diversity is on view when you visit the Denver Art Museum and explore our Asian Art galleries, which organize the plethora of distinct cultures and traditions housed on the continent into seven regional galleries. Four additional galleries are organized around common themes that can be found across the continent, emphasizing that while Asia is diverse, its people and cultures are interconnected.
The Asian Art galleries are included with general admission, which is free for members and people 18 and younger. Learn more and plan your visit.
Explore Online
The Asian Art collection includes some of the oldest objects in the DAM’s holdings as well as wonderful contemporary examples of the artistic, cultural, and religious traditions that continue today. It has more than 7,000 artworks representing 6,000 years of history across the entire Asian continent, including objects of almost all media. Browse our online Asian Art and Oceanic Art collections. (Oceanic Art is not currently on view.)
More Ways to Engage
Follow us on social media! This month, to honor Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we will be highlighting artworks from this collection on our Instagram and Facebook accounts
In addition, we invite you to visit the Asian Art galleries and to attend this illuminating talk about fashion and K-pop on May 21 or this talk on July 26 about a new research subject that explores objects made in China for local Muslim users.
