American Council for Southern Asian Art (ACSAA) Symposium XXII: Keynote Panel and Reception

Keynote panel and reception: Thursday, May 7, 4–8 p.m. EDT
Symposium: Friday, May 8–Saturday, May 9, 10 a.m.–6:30 p.m. EDT
Curator-led tours: Sunday, May 10, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. EDT

The American Council for Southern Asian Art (ACSAA) Symposium XXII will be hosted by the Freer Research Center in Washington, DC, on May 7–10, 2026.

The symposium begins on the afternoon of May 7 with a keynote panel and reception. On May 8–9, the program will continue with two full days of in-person talks and discussions. We will conclude on May 10 with curator-led gallery tours.

Keynote Panel: In the Realms of Friendship: Emotion, Devotion, and Status in the Visual Arts

• Vidya Dehejia
• Annapurna Garimella
• Heidi Pauwels
• Molly Emma Aitken

ACSAA symposia are opportunities to meet our colleagues, reconnect with mentors and graduate school cohorts, and share one’s current research with the field. Occurring every two years and hosted by academic institutions and museums, often in conjunction with major exhibitions, ACSAA symposia are one of the primary ways that members gather, share ideas, and participate in the ACSAA community. To learn more about ACSAA, its current board members, and its activities, click here.

ACSAA membership is required to attend. To join or renew, click here.

Registration for this year’s symposium is free due to the generous support of the Elizabeth Moynihan Curator of South and Southeast Asian Art Endowment.

For more information, please visit the program page or email FreerResearchCenter@si.edu.
Image: Procession of musicians, ceremonial textile (detail); India, Gujarat state, for the Indonesian market, 16th–17th century; block-printed plain-weave cotton (mordant- and resist-dyed); National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Pettit Foundation South Asia and India Fund and the Elizabeth B. Moynihan Fund, F2025.2.1