ASIA WEEK NEW YORK ROLLS OUT an 8-day EXTRAVAGANZA OF

gallery open houses, auctions, museum exhibitions, lectures, and SPECIAL events from MARCH 16-24, 2012

NEW YORK: For Asia Week New York starting on March 16, nearly three-dozen galleries will host simultaneous exhibitions to spotlight prized ancient, antique, and contemporary Asian artworks. International and Manhattan dealers will showcase an astonishing array of the best art from China, Japan, Korea, India, the Himalayas, and Southeast Asia. The rarest and finest Asian examples of porcelain, jewelry, paintings, ceramics, sculpture, books, bronzes, prints, photographs, and jades constitute the rich offerings at the 33 specialist gallery presentations, some of which are being unveiled to the public for the first time. With each participating show open to the public, Asia Week New York is organized to welcome Asian Art enthusiasts from around the world.

Carrying forth a mission to celebrate and promote Asian art in New York City, Asia Week New York 2012 is presented through a collaboration of Asian art specialists, auction houses, museums, and Asian cultural institutions in the metropolitan New York area. In addition to the simultaneous Open Houses hosted by 33 art galleries, Asian art auctions will be held at Bonhams, Christie's, Doyle New York, iGavel, and Sotheby's. At multiple locations, there will also be a variety of other special events related to Asian art, including lectures and symposia by leading experts in the field.

"Asia Week New York demonstrates just how vital New York has become as a leading center for the Asian art market," says Henry Howard-Sneyd, Chairman of Asia Week New York 2012 and Sotheby's Chairman, Asian Art, Americas. "In partnership with the renowned cultural institutions and auction houses, the thirty-three participating galleries will offer a unique and extraordinary week of activities and events."

To launch Asia Week New York on March 16, there will be a private, by-invitation-only reception at The Morgan Library & Museum. "We are absolutely delighted to have the opportunity to host this year's reception," says the Morgan's Director, William M. Griswold. "The Morgan Library and Museum's collection holds many surprises, and these include a number of Asian manuscripts and works of art. To celebrate Asia Week New York, we are pleased to share with the public several of the Morgan's fascinating but rarely seen Chinese objects."

To read about all the exciting Asia Week New York gallery exhibitions :