Year 2025 Preview
Highlights include a new gallery dedicated to Korean art and culture, a fashion retrospective of Singapore designer Andrew Gn, artist residencies and much more
SALEM, MA – The Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) announces an exciting lineup of new exhibitions and programming for 2025, ranging from a new gallery dedicated to the museum’s historically significant collection of Korean art and culture to a globe-trotting fashion retrospective of Andrew Gn and a new series of artist residency programs.
“The upcoming year at PEM provides an opportunity to immerse yourself in art and culture through exhibitions and programs that celebrate human creativity across the globe,” said Lynda Roscoe Hartigan, PEM’s Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo Executive Director and CEO. “Our public programming is expanding with our community in mind as we introduce a new artist residency program that underscores PEM’s role as an energetic incubator and a magnetic center for creative expression.”
UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS
Korean Art Gallery
Opening May 17, 2025
PEM’s superlative collection reflects Korea and Korean life during the late Joseon dynasty (1392-1910) and early 20th century, a period of time when Korea first opened its doors to the West. PEM’s early Korean collection was primarily formed by Edward Sylvester Morse, director of the Peabody Academy of Science (a predecessor organization to PEM), who proactively pursued Korean acquisitions during his tenure (1880–1914).
One of the most important groups of works Morse acquired is a set of eight Korean musical instruments that were exhibited at the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893. PEM’s connection with Korea was also strengthened by Yu Kil-Chun (1856-1914), the reformist scholar and politician who came to the U.S. as a member of the first Korean delegation and lived near Salem for nearly a year. Yu Kil-Chun and other early travelers between the U.S. and Korea donated many meaningful and foundational works to the museum’s collection. The fascinating stories of these early pioneers are explored in PEM’s Yu Kil-Chun Korean Art Gallery alongside masterworks from the museum’s renowned Korean textile collection, superb 19th-century paintings and the work of contemporary Korean and Korean American artists.
Jung Yeondoo: Building Dreams
May 17, 2025–January 25, 2026
Do you ever wonder about the people next door? Who they are and what they dream about? Artist Jung Yeondoo invites you to look closer at your neighbors — the strangers you might pass in an apartment elevator or a busy street — and imagine their dreams. This exhibition in PEM’s Jeffrey P. Beale Gallery highlights two major series of photographic works: Evergreen Tower (2001) and Bewitched (2001).
After attending art school in London, Jung returned to Seoul in the early 2000s and discovered that the city had become a “concrete forest” of high-rise apartment complexes. Among his new neighbors, Jung observed that the comforts of urban, middle-class life had also produced a sense of anonymity and isolation. Driven by curiosity, Jung began to ask the people around him about their hopes and aspirations and began using photography to connect with others.
Making History: 200 Years of American Art from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
On view June 14—September 21, 2025
Discover a formidable collection of iconic works alongside stellar pieces by traditionally underrepresented artists. Making History presents 85 works from the historic collection of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, taking you on a journey across time, medium and identity. The exhibition offers new narratives of the history of American art and reveals American artists as they have always been: a diverse group that includes women, artists of color and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Since the founding of the United States, these artists have played a vital role in crafting and continually retelling the nation’s history. Enjoy iconic American works in a new light and enjoy longtime favorites. Featured artists include Edward Hopper, Winslow Homer, Gilbert Stuart, Georgia O’Keeffe, Horace Pippin, Childe Hassam, Thomas Hart Benton, Mary Cassatt and Stuart Davis, among others.
Knowing Nature: Stories of the Boreal Forest
On view July 26, 2025–September 27, 2026
Did you know the boreal forest covers 33% of the Earth’s forested area? Home to 3.7 million people, 85 species of animals, 32,000 species of insects and 2 billion migratory birds, the boreal forest spans nearly the entire Northern Hemisphere, just below the Arctic Circle, and makes up one of the world’s last remaining stretches of true wilderness.
Discover the biodiversity and global importance of our northernmost forests through first-person stories, commissioned objects, interactive experiences and exquisite photography and videography. This timely bilingual exhibition weaves together themes of climate change, Indigenous perspectives and the relationship between people and nature while taking audiences on a learning journey that starts with curiosity, builds empathy and leads to action. This family-friendly exhibition is located in The Dotty Brown Art & Nature Center and is part of PEM’s Climate + Environment Initiative.
Andrew Gn: Fashioning the World
On view September 13, 2025–February 16, 2026
Experience a glittering retrospective of the fashion, art and design mastery of Singaporean designer Andrew Gn.
Named a “pioneer among foreign-born, Paris-based designers” by Vogue, Gn is one of Singapore’s most prolific creative forces, producing more than 80 collections and 10,000 pieces of clothing over 25 years. Making its North American debut, this exhibition showcases nearly 100 stunning works, including clothing, accessories, original illustrations and digital media, divided into thematic sections that highlight the designer’s signature blend of Western aesthetics and Asian decorative arts.
East India Marine Hall
Opens December 13, 2025
2025 marks the 200th anniversary of East India Marine Hall and offers an opportunity to reflect upon the global perspective that has made Salem such a distinctive city. Explore several hundred fascinating objects inside the historic hall, a sampling of the many collections that were displayed in the museum during its earliest years. This installation gives voice to early collectors, trading partners and museum visitors about these objects — some extracted from records in the museum's vast archive — along with perspectives shared by a range of people living today.
PROGRAMMING
PEM Presents
PEM Presents further activates the museum as a global center for art, culture and creativity, with artist residencies, live performances, lecture series, symposia and conferences. In 2025, week-long artist residencies will culminate in Sunday showcases, offering a mix of guest speakers and musical performances that will fill the museum with creative energy along with surprise, joy and delight.
Shayok Misha Chowdhury: RHEOLOGY
Sunday, March 2 at 2 pm in Morse Auditorium
Award-winning playwright and director Shayok Misha Chowdhury and collaborators will spend a week in March 2025 further developing his new piece RHEOLOGY, which will have its world premiere at the Bushwick Starr in Brooklyn in May 2025. This work is a performance memoir created with Chowdhury’s mother, the physicist Bulbul Chakraborty. Her specialty is rheology, the laws governing the malleability and movement of matter under force.
The New York Neo-Futurists: The Infinite Wrench
Saturday, March 8 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, March 9 at 2 pm in Morse Auditorium
The New York Neo-Futurists are a radically dynamic ensemble of multidisciplinary artists who write and perform original works rooted in their own lived experiences. They fuse elements of poetry, game and performance art to create ever-changing theatre and other artistic experiments to respond to the world. The Infinite Wrench is a barrage of 30 short plays the cast attempts to perform within a single hour.
Donna Walker-Kuhne | Champions for the Arts: Lessons and Successful Strategies for Engaging Diverse Audiences
Sunday, April 6 at 2 pm in Morse Auditorium
Join author and community engagement legend Donna Walker-Kuhne in conversation about her new book, Champions for the Arts: Successful Strategies for Engaging Diverse Audiences.
American Modern Opera Company: Zarabanda Variations
Sunday, May 11 at 2 pm in Morse Auditorium
This new piece, already supported by a previous residency at the Clark Art Institute in the spring of 2024, will have its world premiere at Lincoln Center in the summer of 2025. Conceived by performer, composer and American Modern Opera Company member Keir GoGwilt, Zarabanda Variations brings together a group of visionary composers, improvisers and performers, inspired by musical histories of 16th- and 17th-century New Spain, or present-day Mexico, and the United States. Over the course of the performance, the familiar tonalities and harmonies of early Baroque music are warped into contemporary and futuristic soundscapes.
Daniella De Jesus: Gooey’s Toxic Aquatic Adventure
Sunday, June 8 at 2 pm in Morse Auditorium
In this puppet musical set in Brooklyn, a sweet but lonely mermaid named Gooey makes an unlikely friend in a rude, mangy rat named Scabby. Together they set out on a journey to the Gowanus Canal, a land of trash and opportunity. There the two friends encounter a mysterious suitcase that they soon discover belongs to a couple of less than friendly mobsters. Gooey’s Toxic Aquatic Adventure will have its world premiere at the Bushwick Starr in Brooklyn in February 2026.
PEM Reads
PEM Reads celebrates the art of literature and the creative act of writing through a year-round series of collaborative book club readings and author events, both in person and online. By gathering to read and discuss world-class literature and meet authors, PEM Reads seeks to deepen our sense of community and celebrate great storytelling.
Moby-Dick Read-a-thon
Wednesday, January 15 at 6:30 pm | Virtual
Join us as we continue our year-long PEM Reads journey on a quest to read Moby-Dick together! Set sail with David Snider, Director of Learning and Community Engagement, and Dan Lipcan, the Ann C. Pingree Director of the Phillips Library and curator of our current exhibition Draw Me Ishmael: The Book Arts of Moby Dick. Each session will begin with a brief presentation on the day’s selection and end with a lively discussion. By June 16, 2025, we will cross the finish line together, invigorated with new perspectives on this classic tale — and with bragging rights!
The Spice Ports: Mapping the Origins of Global Sea Trade
Sunday, January 12 at 2 pm in Morse Auditorium
Lessons from history and geography combine in this fascinating study of how globalization as we know it emerged from empire-building and trade between the spice ports. Lavishly illustrated with antique maps and city views, each chapter covers one port and its culture, literature, architecture and science. Explore Venice to Batavia (modern Jakarta), Lisbon to Malacca and Cape Town to Singapore.
Curator Conversations
This lecture and dialogue series features PEM’s world-class curators sharing their latest scholarship and insights into the museum’s collections, exhibitions and ongoing research.
- Thursday, January 16 at 1 pm: Conjuring the Spirit World with George Schwartz, Curator-at-Large
- Thursday, March 20 at 1 pm: Saints, Sinners, Lovers, and Fools with Karina Corrigan, Associate Director–Collections, The H.A. Crosby Forbes Curator of Asian Export Art
- Thursday, May 22 at 1 pm: Korean art and culture with Jiyeon Kim, Curator of Korean Art, and Stephanie Hueon Tung, Byrne Family Curator of Photography
- Thursday, July 17 at 1 pm: Making History: 200 Years of American Art from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts with Jeffrey Richmond-Moll, The George Putnam Curator of American Art
- Thursday, September 18 at 1 pm: Andrew Gn with Petra Slinkard, Director of Curatorial Affairs, The Nancy B. Putnam Curator of Fashion and Textiles
- Thursday, November 20 at 1 pm: East India Marine Hall with Daniel Finamore, Associate Director–Exhibitions, The Russell W. Knight Curator of Maritime Art and History, and George Schwartz
PUBLICITY IMAGES
High-resolution images are available upon request.
IMAGE CREDITS
- Artists in Korea, Hwarot (bridal robe), late 18th century. Silk and rice paper. Gift of Yamanaka and Company, 1927. E20190.F. Peabody Essex Museum.
- Portrait of Jung Yeondoo. Photo © An Sangkyum. Image courtesy of the Jung Yeondoo Studio.
- Charles Willson Peale, The Artist in His Museum, 1822. Oil on canvas. Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia. Gift of Mrs. Sarah Harrison (The Joseph Harrison, Jr. Collection). 1878.1.2. Photograph by Adrian Cubillas.
- Scenic moonrise. Photo © Gary and Joanie McGuffin/themcguffins.ca.
- Installation view of the Andrew Gn: Fashioning Singapore and the World exhibition at the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM), 2023. Image courtesy of Asian Civilisations Museum.
- Michele Felice Cornè and Samuel Bartoll, East India Marine Society Sign, 1803. Oil on canvas. Museum commission, 1803. M235. Peabody Essex Museum.
SPONSORS
The Yu Kil-Chun Gallery of Korean Art and Culture has been made possible with the support of the Korea Foundation. Generous support is also provided by the National Museum of Korea; The E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation; the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation and Samsung Foundation, Korea; the Korean Cultural Center, Washington, D.C.; the Korean Cultural Society of Boston; an anonymous donor; Linda Champion; and Mrs. Yu. Making History is co-organized by the American Federation of Arts and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Lead support was provided to PAFA by the William Penn Foundation, with additional support from the Richard C. von Hess Foundation and donors to PAFA's Special Exhibitions Fund. In-kind support is provided by Christie's and Gill & Lagodich Fine Period Frames, New York. Knowing Nature: Stories of the Boreal Forest is developed by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, and made possible by the National Audubon Society, with additional support from The Anders Foundation, Charlie and Nancy Hogan, and Anne C. Madison. We recognize the support and guidance of the Art & Nature Center Visiting Committee. Jung Yeondoo: Building Dreams is organized by the Peabody Essex Museum and made possible by the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation. Andrew Gn: Fashioning the World is organized by the Peabody Essex Museum in collaboration with the Asian Civilisations Museum. Major support for East India Marine Hall has been provided by Tim and Joanie Ingraham, Alex Ingraham, and Sam Ingraham. Generous support has been provided by Mr. and Mrs. James B. Hawkes, Angus and Leslie Littlejohn, Mr. and Mrs. Howard B. Hodgson Jr., Chip and Susan Robie, Mr. and Mrs. Stuart W. Pratt, and Edward A. Studzinski and Anne G. Studzinski. Additional support has been provided by The Lee and Juliet Folger Fund, Jonathan B. Loring, Walter C. Meibaum III, the Salem Marine Society, Jean Verbridge, and Connie and Stan Grayson. We thank Jennifer and Andrew Borggaard, James B. and Mary Lou Hawkes, Chip and Susan Robie, and Timothy T. Hilton as supporters of the Exhibition Innovation Fund. We also recognize the generosity of the East India Marine Associates of the Peabody Essex Museum.
ABOUT THE PEABODY ESSEX MUSEUM
Founded in 1799, the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) in Salem, Massachusetts, is the country’s oldest continuously operating museum. PEM provides thought-provoking experiences of the arts, humanities and sciences to celebrate the creative achievements and potential of people across time, place and culture. By connecting people through inquiry, empathy and dialogue, PEM encourages an understanding of our shared humanity and fosters a sense of belonging in a complex, ever-changing world. We build, steward and share our superlative collection, which includes African, American, Asian Export, Chinese, contemporary, Japanese, Korean, maritime, Native American, Oceanic and South Asian art, as well as architecture, fashion and textiles, photography, natural history and one of the nation’s most important museum-based collections of rare books and manuscripts. PEM offers a varied and unique visitor experience, with hands-on creativity zones, interactive opportunities and performance spaces. The museum’s campus, which offers numerous gardens and green spaces, is an accredited arboretum and features more than a dozen noted historic structures, including Yin Yu Tang, a 200-year-old Chinese home that is the only example of Chinese domestic architecture in the United States.
MEDIA CONTACT
Whitney Van Dyke | Director of Marketing & Communications | whitney_vandyke@pem.org | 617-259-6722