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The Collections and Archives

Strategic Plan 2025–2030

Foreword from the Director

two visitors study a large elaborate painting
National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Photo by Colleen J. Dugan

“My great desire has been to unite modern work with masterpieces of certain periods of high civilization harmonious in spiritual suggestion, having the power to broaden esthetic culture and the grace to elevate the human mind.”

So wrote our museum’s founder, the industrialist-turned collector and benefactor, Charles Lang Freer, in 1904. Well over a century later, the words may sound quaint, but judged by the standards of their time, they were radical: Freer sought not only to establish Asian art as a field comparable to Western art, but to build a museum—America’s first national art museum, free to all—that would educate the public in a fast-transforming America.

Now, in another phase of transformation, our ambition is faithful to Freer’s intrepid spirit. Over the last five years, the National Museum of Asian Art has grown significantly—in our collection, engagement, attendance, impact, budget, and staff. We’ve also adapted creatively to the opportunities of our globalizing world, speaking to audiences in new ways, launching several research and program initiatives, and building powerful collaborations with international partners. At a time of uncertainty, especially in the museum field, we draw on the confidence that comes from fulfilling the goals of our 2020–2025 Strategic Plan.

Emboldened by our growth and success, we envision a museum that serves as a global resource for understanding the arts and cultures of Asia and their interaction with America. The 2025–2030 Strategic Plan sets the coordinates for realizing that bold vision. The result of broad consultation, the Plan identifies three areas of concentrated growth. By deepening and broadening impact, setting standards for research and museum practice, and increasing financial and operational resilience, the National Museum of Asian Art aims to serve national and international audiences of visitors, students, and scholars, onsite and online alike.

The imperative of fostering cross-cultural understanding remains as crucial now as it was at the museum’s founding, and the power of art to induce wonder, spark curiosity, and generate empathy is perennial. We invite you to join us in our work.

Chase F. Robinson
Dame Jillian Sackler Director of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and Freer Gallery of Art

Download the Strategic Plan

Our Mission

Through an ambitious program of collection, conservation, exhibitions, programming, and research, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art serves as a global and national resource for understanding the arts and cultures of Asia and their interaction with America, past and present. By presenting the arts and cultures of Asia in their extraordinary diversity, we aim to exemplify foundational ideals of curiosity, creativity, and respect. In a world growing ever more interdependent, we believe that cross-cultural understanding is crucial to personal and collective well-being.

the freer exterior
©️ Do Ho Suh, 2024. Courtesy the artist and Lehmann Maupin, New York, Hong Kong, Seoul, and London / National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Photo by Colleen J. Dugan

Strategic Priorities

visitors in the ay-o exhibition
National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Photo by Sonya Pencheva
Leveraging the scale and reach of the Smithsonian, our position at the heart of Washington, DC, and our standing in the museum field, we will broaden and deepen our impact through targeted growth in programming, learning opportunities, and partnerships that disseminate knowledge, inspire curiosity and discovery, and generate empathy.

Speak to Contemporary Interests and Concerns Through Our Collection

  • Launch a bold acquisition and exhibition program in modern and contemporary Asian, Asian diasporic, and Asian American arts
  • Expand public programming that showcases contemporary Asian, Asian diasporic, and Asian American arts, and charts cross-regional and cross-temporal connections between the museum’s collections
  • Explore innovative ways of bringing our historic collections, both Asian and American, into conversation with contemporary concerns

Serve as a Forum for Understanding Asian Cultures and Their Intersection with America

  • Enhance exhibitions and programming that explore Asian, Asian diasporic, and Asian American culture, informed by engagement with community partners and enriched by cross-departmental collaboration
  • Expand onsite and online programming and teaching resources for students at the primary and secondary levels, both nationally and internationally
  • Build a sustainable portfolio of family-oriented programming that celebrates culture and heritage

Build Partnerships That are Sustainable and Impactful

  • Design and implement a long-term strategy for international and domestic partnerships, which, coordinated by the museum’s Office of Global Affairs, builds upon areas of traditional strength
  • Leverage partnerships to raise the museum’s visibility and extend its impact within and beyond the museum sector
  • Link partnerships to institutional priorities, expanding partnership-based programming, research, and opportunities for staff professional growth

two hands work on an artwork illuminated from below
National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Department of Conservation and Scientific Research
Unique in its focus, its staff expertise, and its unrivaled collections, laboratory, library, and archival resources, the museum bears a special responsibility. By generating, fostering, and disseminating research; delivering user-experience and data-driven interventions onsite and online; and supporting current and future generations of museum professionals, we will exercise national and international leadership in research and museum practice.

Lead the Museum Sector in Research, Collections Care, and Conservation

  • Strengthen capacity and impact by investing in infrastructure and resources—our collections, laboratories, library, and archives
  • Deliver an expanded and innovative portfolio of scholarly publications and programming
  • Infuse our research culture with new approaches by expanding opportunities for fellowships, internships, scholar-in-residence programs, and collaborations
  • Adopt a sustainable collection plan and stewardship program

Center the Visitor Experience to Deepen and Broaden Impact

  • Establish and institutionalize interpretation practices that improve visitor satisfaction
  • Undertake bold, data-informed redesigns of the Freer galleries and all our public spaces
  • Expand our portfolio of digital and digital-only content, and integrate technology-driven experiences that enhance and complement object-based displays
  • Enhance the visitor experience by deploying multilingual tools and increasing accessibility

Drive the Development of Provenance Research and Object Histories as Integral to Museum Practice

  • Establish a program of field-defining research on Asian art provenance and object histories
  • Develop and implement protocols that integrate provenance research into acquisitions, exhibitions, and loans
  • Build provenance research and object histories regularly into exhibitions and programming
  • Lead national and international discussions on provenance research, object histories, and ethical collecting practices by organizing workshops, training programs, and collaborations

a visitor and a docent bend closer to examine a highly decorated metal container in a glass display case in a gallery
National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Photo by Colleen J. Dugan

Building upon significant growth in budget and staffing over the last five years, we will ensure that programming is both ambitious and sustainable by fostering a culture of collaboration, cross-departmental communication, and effective budgeting and management. Effective resourcing and strategic alignment will foster greater financial resilience and operational efficiency, enabling the museum to accelerate its growth and evolution.

Foster a Supportive, Resourceful, and High-Performing Organizational Culture

  • Enhance staff well-being and growth by offering tailored opportunities for professional development, training, teambuilding, and supportive workplace initiatives
  • Cultivate leadership and workplace practices that prioritize cross-departmental collaboration at all stages of museum ideation, fostering a culture of creativity and innovation
  • Strengthen the vital role of all members of our community—including board members, donors, Friends, docents, and volunteers—as partners in expanding our reach and deepening our impact

Increase and Align Financial Resources

  • Meet or exceed the fundraising goals of the Second Century campaign, significantly expanding the donor pipeline, particularly through a national membership program
  • Expand budgetary flexibility by diversifying revenue streams, especially through earned income
  • Develop operational budgets that drive institutional innovation and efficiency, ensuring alignment with long-term strategic priorities and the effective use of restricted funds

Clarify Processes and Strengthen Systems

  • Clarify decision-making structures and introduce multiyear departmental planning to advance institutional priorities, fostering trust and modeling transparency
  • Enhance timely and accurate communication across departments through improved tools and practices, re-engineering workflows within and across departments
  • Integrate data-driven methods and performance indicators into planning, evaluation, and decision-making, thereby tracking progress and strengthening accountability
a visitor, in silhouette, holds up a phone to take a photo of a projection of an ancient cityscape
National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Photo by Colleen J. Dugan

Planning and Implementation

Planning Process

The strategic plan is the outcome of extensive consultation, facilitated by AEA Consulting. Beginning on November 5, 2024, the process was divided into three stages:

  1. Strategic assessment and prioritization;
  2. Plan formulation: task forces;
  3. Resource implications and the final plan.

To ensure diverse perspectives and encourage innovative thinking, staff from all departments and a range of levels of seniority were invited to participate. Task forces met throughout February 2025, and in parallel, the Steering Committee met to discuss the evolution of priorities. The resulting Strategic Plan framework was further refined by Senior Management and the Steering Committee.

Implementation and Assessment

The Strategic Plan is conceived as a guiding framework to be executed by staff and management in the context of a changing environment. The successful delivery of this plan will depend on the active collaboration of staff across all departments. The Director and the Deputy Directors will be responsible for monitoring progress against clearly defined metrics and milestones. Regular updates will be communicated to both internal teams and external stakeholders, ensuring transparency and shared ownership. Through participation across departments, NMAA aims to foster a culture in which every staff member feels engaged, empowered, and proud of their contributions to the museum’s future.

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