Conservation Cart Talk | Conserving a Japanese Folding Screen
Get a rare glimpse into a current conservation project: our remounting of a unique Japanese folding screen by Tawaraya Sōtatsu, which features six fan-shaped paintings attached to a painted background.
Our Japanese painting conservators will talk about the process of remounting folding screens. In this traditional conservation technique, a conservator removes the painting from its old screen, constructs a new screen, and carefully mounts the painting to the new surface. Explore models and materials from our conservation studio to see what this process entails, and learn why we do it.
Learn more about how we mount Japanese paintings. Image: Department of Conservation and Scientific Research.
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Gallery 5. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Lectures & Discussions. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Friday, September 5, 2025, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Forbes Colloquium on Conservation and Scientific Research: A Codex in Late Antiquity
In person registration by Wednesday, September 17
Virtual registration coming soon
The 2025 Forbes Colloquium will mark the launch of a major new research initiative focused on the Washington Gospels Codex—also known as the Freer Codex or Codex Washingtonianus. As one of the earliest surviving parchment codices of the Gospels and a significant object of the National Museum of Asian Art’s collections, this manuscript offers a unique opportunity for renewed scholarly and scientific inquiry.
This colloquium will introduce the project’s scope and goals, highlighting the collaborative efforts of an international, multidisciplinary team. Speakers will discuss the codex’s significance and outline ongoing and upcoming scientific and conservation research that will guide future studies.
The colloquium, organized by the National Museum of Asian Art’s Department of Conservation and Scientific Research, will be held in the Meyer Auditorium on September 24, 2025.
A reception will follow in the museum courtyard.
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Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium (Enter on Independence Avenue); Freer Courtyard (reception); Online. Cost: Free. Register in advance (required). Categories: After Five. Lectures & Discussions. Webcasts & Online. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Captioning. Assisted listening devices.
Wednesday, September 24, 2025, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM.
Conservation Cart Talk | Preserving the Present
From fading colors to deteriorating plastics, contemporary art materials can pose unexpected preservation challenges. Join art conservator Kesha Talbert and lighting specialist Amber Meade to explore how science and technology help them monitor and protect these works. Get hands-on experience with damaged samples, see how tools like a light meter are used in real time, and learn how conservators and lighting experts work together to care for modern art both on display and in storage. Image: Department of Conservation and Scientific Research.
Venue: Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. Event Location: Gallery 25. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Lectures & Discussions. Related Exhibition: Cut + Paste: Experimental Japanese Prints and Photographs. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Friday, October 10, 2025, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.