The National Museum of Korea has announced a landmark grant of $1.4 million to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art (NMAA) as part of its Overseas Korean Galleries Support Program. This grant represents the largest financial contribution ever made by the National Museum of Korea to an external institution.
The substantial grant will be disbursed over the next four years and is intended to enhance the NMAA’s Korean art program, aiming to foster greater public engagement with Korean art and culture. Key initiatives include the reinstallation of the museum’s Korean art collection to better appeal to younger audiences and local communities.
A significant portion of the grant will support a major exhibition of Korean art planned for 2025–2026. This exhibition will be a collaborative effort between the National Museum of Korea and the NMAA and will showcase masterworks recently donated by the family of former Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee.
Chase F. Robinson, Director of the National Museum of Asian Art, expressed his gratitude for the grant, stating, “Following our 2023 centennial celebrations, we are embarking in concert with our new partners on our second century with great momentum. I thank the National Museum of Korea for this pace-setting gift that will allow us to continue to foreground the rich history of Korean arts and cultures as we begin a new chapter in our museum’s history.”
Since its inception as the Freer Gallery of Art in 1923, the NMAA has been at the forefront of displaying Korean art in the United States. The museum’s Korean collection includes approximately 500 objects, featuring around 130 Goryeo-era (918-1392) and 80 Joseon-era (1392-1910) ceramic pieces.
In addition to its historical art collections, the NMAA has increasingly integrated Korean popular culture into its programming, which includes film, food, music, and performance. Recently, the museum installed a special edition of Korean artist Suh Do-ho’s sculpture “Public Figures” in front of the Freer Gallery, funded by the Korea Foundation. This installation celebrates the museum’s centennial and will be on display until April 2029.
The current exhibition, “Park Chan-kyong: Gathering,” marks the debut of Seoul-based artist Park Chan-kyong’s work in the NMAA’s new modern and contemporary galleries. Furthermore, the museum has appointed Hwang Sun-woo as its inaugural Korea Foundation Curator of Korean Art to lead and advise on Korean art and culture projects.
Sayart / Jason Yim, yimjongho1969@gmail.com
