Skip to main content
Seattle Art Museum

Ai, Rebel: The Art and Activism of Ai Weiwei

get tickets join SAM now on view through Sep 7
Seattle Asian Art Museum

Ai Weiwei: Water Lilies

get tickets now on view through Mar 15 2026

One museum, three must-see locations

Find information on ticketing and visiting SAM

Pedestrians are crossing a downtown street on their way to visit Seattle Art Museum.

Seattle Art Museum

1300 First Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101

🏙️ plan your visit
Sunset reflecting off the art-deco facade of the Seattle Asian Art Museum.

Seattle Asian Art Museum

1400 East Prospect Street
Seattle, WA 98112

🐫 plan your visit
Aerial view of Olympic Sculpture Park with Calder's "Eagle" and Serra's "Wake" in the foreground of Seattle's waterfront.

Olympic Sculpture Park

2901 Western Avenue
Seattle, WA 98121

🌲 plan your visit
50% off admission in April

Because the arts matter and bringing together our community matters, we're asking you to stand with us and support the cultural sector all month long.

learn more
take me to the art take me to the art take me to the art take me to the art

Following Space: Thaddeus Mosley & Alexander Calder

Nov 20 2024–Jun 1 2025

Seattle Art Museum

Bethany Collins: At Sea

Nov 14 2024–May 4 2025

Seattle Art Museum

Selections from the Shirley Family Calder Collection

Nov 20 2024–ongoing

Seattle Art Museum

Diego Cibelli: Fiori dei Miei Habiti / La Montagne EnchantĂŠe

May 31 2024–May 10 2026

Seattle Art Museum

Boundless: Stories of Asian Art

Feb 8 2020–ongoing

Seattle Asian Art Museum

Yirrkala: Art from Australia’s Top End

May 10 2024–ongoing

Seattle Art Museum

Deities & Demons: Supernatural In Japanese Art

Oct 20 2022–ongoing

Seattle Art Museum

American Art: The Stories We Carry

Oct 20 2022–ongoing

Seattle Art Museum
see what’s on

So much to do at SAM!

see all events

Seattle Art Museum

Spring Educator Open House | Ai, Rebel: The Art and Activism of Ai Weiwei

Thu Apr 3 2025

  

4–7 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Free First Thursday: Seattle Art Museum

Thu Apr 3 2025

  

10 am–8 pm

Seattle Asian Art Museum

Family Saturday

Sat Apr 5 2025

  

11 am–2 pm

Seattle Art Museum

SAM Films: China’s Van Goghs

Sun Apr 6 2025

  

2–4 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Member Monday

Mon Apr 7 2025

  

2–8 pm

Seattle Asian Art Museum

Premier Member Opening Celebration: Suchitra Mattai

Tue Apr 8 2025

  

6:30–9 pm

Seattle Asian Art Museum

Member Day: Suchitra Mattai

Wed Apr 9 2025

  

10 am–8 pm

Seattle Asian Art Museum

Saturday University: Performing Identity in Contemporary Art of Mongolia

Sat Apr 12 2025

  

10–11:30 am

Seattle Art Museum

SAM Creates: Vivid Description Poetry Workshop with Luther Hughes

Sun Apr 13 2025

  

1–3 pm

Seattle Art Museum

SAM Films: Dragonfly Eyes

Sun Apr 13 2025

  

2–4 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Conversations with Curators | New Scores for Art: The Work of Benjamin Patterson

Wed Apr 16 2025

  

6–7:30 pm

Seattle Art Museum

SAM Talks: Hamza Walker

Thu Apr 17 2025

  

6–7:30 pm

Seattle Asian Art Museum

Lay Your Burden Down Sewing Circle

Fri Apr 18 2025

  

2:30–4:30 pm

Olympic Sculpture Park

Family Saturday

Sat Apr 19 2025

  

10 am–12 pm

Seattle Art Museum

SAM Films: Hausu

Sun Apr 20 2025

  

2–4 pm

Seattle Asian Art Museum

My Dinner with SAM

Thu Apr 24 2025

  

6:30–10 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Spring Educator Workshop: Art & Activism

Sat Apr 26 2025

  

10:30 am–4 pm

Seattle Asian Art Museum

Ragamala Indian Classical Music and Arts Celebration

Sun Apr 27 2025

  

10 am–5 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Free First Thursday: Seattle Art Museum

Thu May 1 2025

  

10 am–8 pm

Seattle Asian Art Museum

Family Saturday

Sat May 3 2025

  

11 am–2 pm

Seattle Art Museum

SAM Films: Terminal USA

Sun May 4 2025

  

2–4 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Member Monday

Mon May 5 2025

  

2–8 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Naramore Ceremony

Fri May 9 2025

  

6–7 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Teen Night Out 2025: Childhood Whimsy

Fri May 9 2025

  

7–10 pm

Seattle Asian Art Museum

Saturday University: Paper Reliquaries

Sat May 10 2025

  

10–11:30 am

Olympic Sculpture Park

Family Saturday: Groove Garden

Sat May 10 2025

  

10 am–12 pm

Seattle Asian Art Museum

Lay Your Burden Down Sewing Circle

Sat May 10 2025

  

2:30–4:30 pm

Seattle Art Museum

SAM Films: Ai Weiwei Never Sorry

Sun May 11 2025

  

2–4 pm

Seattle Art Museum

My Dinner with SAM

Wed May 14 2025

  

6:30–10 pm

Seattle Asian Art Museum

SAM Talks: Asia Society Seattle Series

Thu May 15 2025

  

5:30–7:30 pm

Seattle Art Museum

SAM Creates: Vivid Description Poetry Workshop with Luther Hughes

Sun May 18 2025

  

1–3 pm

Seattle Art Museum

SAM Films: Rohingya

Sun May 18 2025

  

2–4 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Conversations with Curators | Uncanny Landscapes: Surrealism in the Pacific Northwest

Wed May 21 2025

  

6–7:30 pm

Seattle Art Museum

SAM Talks: Dr. Richard Powell

Sat May 24 2025

  

1–2:30 pm

Seattle Art Museum

SAM Films: Vivos

Sun May 25 2025

  

2–4 pm

Seattle Art Museum

2025 Naramore Middle & High School Art Show

Wed–Sun Apr 2–Jun 1 2025

  

10 am–5 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Free First Thursday: Seattle Art Museum

Thu Jun 5 2025

  

10 am–8 pm

Olympic Sculpture Park

My Dinner with SAM

Thu Jun 5 2025

  

6:30–10 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Saturday University: Magic Materiality, and Miniatures in First Millennium BCE West Asia

Sat Jun 14 2025

  

10–11:30 am

Seattle Art Museum

Free First Thursday: Seattle Art Museum

Thu Jul 3 2025

  

10 am–8 pm

Seattle Asian Art Museum

sold out

SAM Camp: Creative Ceramics (Grades 3–6)

Mon–Fri Jul 7–11 2025

  

9 am–3 pm

Seattle Asian Art Museum

sold out

SAM Camp: Playful Plots (Grades 1–3)

Mon–Fri Jul 7–11 2025

  

9 am–3 pm

Seattle Asian Art Museum

sold out

SAM Camp: Big & Bold (Grades 1–3)

Mon–Fri Jul 14–18 2025

  

9 am–3 pm

Seattle Asian Art Museum

sold out

SAM Camp: Mixed Media Magic (Grades 3–6)

Mon–Fri Jul 14–18 2025

  

9 am–3 pm

Seattle Asian Art Museum

sold out

SAM Camp: Nature Explorers (Grades 1–3)

Mon–Fri Jul 21–25 2025

  

9 am–3 pm

Seattle Asian Art Museum

sold out

SAM Camp: Printmaking Paradise (Grades 3–6)

Mon–Fri Jul 21–25 2025

  

9 am–3 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Free First Thursday: Seattle Art Museum

Thu Aug 7 2025

  

10 am–8 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Free First Thursday: Seattle Art Museum

Thu Sep 4 2025

  

10 am–8 pm

Sign up for SAM News

Subscribe to receive email from SAM for updates on what’s happening at the museum.

A collage of photographs showing children's hands coloring, a person DJing, and a figure looking into the camera while gesturing toward plant life.

Saturday University Lecture Series

Gain new insights on Asia throughout time at this lecture series featuring experts from around the world.

learn more

Seattle Asian Art Museum

Saturday University: Performing Identity in Contemporary Art of Mongolia

Sat Apr 12 2025

  

10–11:30 am

Seattle Asian Art Museum

Saturday University: Paper Reliquaries

Sat May 10 2025

  

10–11:30 am

Seattle Art Museum

Saturday University: Magic Materiality, and Miniatures in First Millennium BCE West Asia

Sat Jun 14 2025

  

10–11:30 am

For members

Make the most of your SAM membership with discounts and exclusive events!

learn more

Seattle Art Museum

Member Monday

Mon Apr 7 2025

  

2–8 pm

Seattle Asian Art Museum

Premier Member Opening Celebration: Suchitra Mattai

Tue Apr 8 2025

  

6:30–9 pm

Seattle Asian Art Museum

Member Day: Suchitra Mattai

Wed Apr 9 2025

  

10 am–8 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Conversations with Curators | New Scores for Art: The Work of Benjamin Patterson

Wed Apr 16 2025

  

6–7:30 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Member Monday

Mon May 5 2025

  

2–8 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Conversations with Curators | Uncanny Landscapes: Surrealism in the Pacific Northwest

Wed May 21 2025

  

6–7:30 pm

See it first. See it free.

Become a SAM member and enjoy free admission at all three locations!
join SAM

Explore 25,000 works of art in SAM’s collection

Browse SAM’s global collection and learn about art that spans cultures and centuries, past to present.
see the collection

Upcoming exhibitions

Suchitra Mattai: she walked in reverse and found their songs

Apr 9–Jul 20 2025

Seattle Asian Art Museum

Tariqa Waters: Venus is Missing

May 7 2025–Jan 5 2026

Seattle Art Museum

Ai Weiwei: Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads (Bronze)

May 17 2025–May 17 2027

Olympic Sculpture Park

FriendsWithYou: Little Cloud Sky

Jun 27 2025–ongoing

Seattle Art Museum

Farm to Table: Art, Food, and Identity in the Age of Impressionism

Oct 23 2025–Jan 18 2026

Seattle Art Museum

Samantha Yun Wall: 2024 Betty Bowen Award Winner

Opening Spring 2026

Seattle Art Museum
see what’s coming up

SAM Shop

shop now

SAM TV

watch now
custom-preview

Weight in Space: Interview with Thaddeus Mosley

SAM Stories

read now

A Symbol of Tangible Faith: Ghiordes Pattern Prayer Rug
Illustration of a female astronaut in a gray suit with U.S. flags, floating in space. She is surrounded by smaller figures, rocket ships, and cosmic elements. A golden arc and Earth enhance this surreal, celestial scene.

These Four Artworks by Women Artists in SAM’s Collection Embody the Spirit of Women’s History Month 2025
A large, vintage-style pink vehicle hovers behind a chain-link fence in a suburban yard.

“We Possess the Ability to Imagine Boundlessly”: An Interview with Tariqa Waters
An elderly man with a beard stands in a workshop filled with wooden items and tools. He wears a checkered shirt and a black cap, smiling gently at the camera. The background shows various hanging pictures and unfinished wooden projects.

Celebrate Black History Month 2025 with Four Artworks by Contemporary Black Artists On View at SAM
An older woman with glasses and dark hair stands confidently, arms crossed, in a black jacket and scarf. Behind her, a large abstract artwork featuring a horse is displayed on the wall—a tribute to artist and activist Jaune Quick-to-See Smith.

Jaune Quick-to-See Smith: Her Existence Was a Miracle
Two people stand in an indoor market, under adorable inflatable cloud decorations by FriendsWithYou. The market features a glass ceiling and iron supports. Both individuals are smiling, dressed casually, with pink flowers adding a splash of color below.

“From Rooted to Airy”: Middle Fork Makes Way For FriendsWithYou Commission
Elderly woman with curly hair wearing a traditional embroidered dress, sitting in a colorful room. Her expression is playful, with her tongue sticking out. Artworks and sculptures decorate the background.

The Seat of Knowledge with Joyce J. Scott
A person with curly hair stands in a gallery wearing a light-colored jumpsuit and a badge, epitomizing inclusive programming. They admire an art installation of red and white stripes against a backdrop of abstract faces.

Summer Fun and Inclusive Programming: Intern Lucy Adams Reflects
A group of children and an adult gather around a white display platform in the art gallery during a school tour. The adult gestures towards wire sculptures suspended above. The children, sitting on the floor with notepads, appear engaged by the captivating visual art.

Access to Art: Rebuilding School Tours at SAM
In a dimly lit corner of the Seattle Asian Art Museum, a person observes a display case featuring exquisite ceramic artifacts. Behind them, an artistic panel with a tree branch design hints at the beauty and depth of Korean art.

An Interview with “Meot” Guest Curator HJ Han
Samantha Wall against a black background wearing a loose v-neck top and looking at the camera.

Meet the 2024 Betty Bowen Award Winner: Samantha Yun Wall
Two figures seen from behind interact with a yellow rotary phone on a pedestal inside a gallery.

How SAM’s Interpretation Team Brought Poke in the Eye to Life

Have you heard the news?

A person stands in front of a large, artistic photograph featuring a close-up of another persons face with their hands framing their eyes. The standing person gazes sideways. The scene combines portraiture and artistic expression.
Inside the Former ‘Underworld’ Where Ai Weiwei Makes Art
T: The New York Times Style Magazine
March 10, 2025
Bold green text on a dark wall, displaying the letters AI, REBE. Some smaller white text is partially visible below, but indistinct. The overall atmosphere is modern and minimalistic.
Ai Weiwei’s Seattle Art Museum takeover begins with ‘Ai, Rebel’
The Seattle Times
March 11, 2025