Saturday University: Discovering Bhutan
Sat Nov 9 2024
10â11:30 am
Seattle Asian Art Museum
Emma Baillargeon Stimson Auditorium
Welcome to Saturday University, a monthly lecture series featuring experts from around the world. Gain new insights on Asia throughout time as our visiting scholars, authors, artists, and thought leaders delve into new themes each season.
Tickets
$15
$10 SAM members & students with ID
Tickets include gallery access
Discovering Bhutan: Navigating Tradition and Modernity in a Changing Cultural Landscape
Wantanee Suntikul
On November 9, Take a journey to the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, at the front lines of the confrontation between this countryâs rich and storied culture and the networks of global tourism. Dr. Wantanee Suntikul will explore the dynamics of this collision of cultures around this festival and the prospects for the future of traditional heritage in the face of encroaching tourism as a harbinger of modernity.
The Tsechu festival, an ancient element of heritage in Bhutan, is an anchor of spiritual and cultural identity for the Bhutanese. Recent years have seen the incursion of international tourism into this formerly largely untouched region, drawn by the exotic lure of this unique landscape and culture, raising the question of how to reap the benefits of tourism while mitigating the impact on the local culture and society. With the influx of international tourism, the Tsechu has been attended by increasing numbers of tourists, for whom it is an exotic and entertaining spectacle. Drawing on insights from dialogues with monks and local residents, the lecture will explore the dynamics of this collision of cultures around this festival and the prospects for the future of traditional heritage in the face of encroaching tourism as a harbinger of modernity.
Dr. Wantanee Suntikul received her Master's degree and PhD from the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of Surrey, Guildford, England. With over 17 years of teaching and research experience in Macao, Hong Kong, and Bhutan, she is currently an Associate Professor at the University of Cincinnati, Clermont College. Dr. Suntikul's research interests and expertise lie in gastronomy, cultural festivals, sustainable hospitality, and the political and social aspects of tourism and hospitality development. Her geographical focus spans Bhutan, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, China, Hong Kong, Macao, and the South Pacific. Her co-edited books include "Tourism and Political Change," "Tourism and War," and "Tourism and Religion: Issues and Implications." She is currently working on a book on gastronomy in Vietnam. Dr. Suntikul has been the Joint Editor-in-Chief of the journal âTourism, Culture & Communicationâ for over ten years and is an Associate Editor of the journal âAnnals of Tourism Research Empirical Insights."
Related program
Saturday University Lecture Series
Gain new insights on Asian Art at this lecture series featuring experts from around the world.
view programWhatâs on at Seattle Asian Art Museum
Family Saturday
Sat Apr 5 2025
11 amâ2 pm
Public Tour: Journeys Through Time and Space
Sat Apr 5 2025
1:30â2:30 pm
Public Tour: Journeys Through Time and Space
Sun Apr 6 2025
1:30â2:30 pm
Museums on Us: Presented by Bank of America
SatâSun Apr 5â6 2025
10 amâ5 pm
Premier Member Opening Celebration: Suchitra Mattai
Tue Apr 8 2025
6:30â9 pm
Member Day: Suchitra Mattai
Wed Apr 9 2025
10 amâ8 pm
Saturday University: Performing Identity in Contemporary Art of Mongolia
Sat Apr 12 2025
10â11:30 am
Public Tour: Journeys Through Time and Space
Sat Apr 12 2025
1:30â2:30 pm
Public Tour: Journeys Through Time and Space
Sun Apr 13 2025
1:30â2:30 pm
Lay Your Burden Down Sewing Circle
Fri Apr 18 2025
2:30â4:30 pm
Public Tour: Journeys Through Time and Space
Sat Apr 19 2025
1:30â2:30 pm
Public Tour: Journeys Through Time and Space
Sun Apr 20 2025
1:30â2:30 pm
My Dinner with SAM
Thu Apr 24 2025
6:30â10 pm
Public Tour: Journeys Through Time and Space
Sat Apr 26 2025
1:30â2:30 pm
Public Tour: Journeys Through Time and Space
Sun Apr 27 2025
1:30â2:30 pm
Ragamala Indian Classical Music and Arts Celebration
Sun Apr 27 2025
10 amâ5 pm
Family Saturday
Sat May 3 2025
11 amâ2 pm
Public Tour: Journeys Through Time and Space
Sat May 3 2025
1:30â2:30 pm
Public Tour: Journeys Through Time and Space
Sun May 4 2025
1:30â2:30 pm
Saturday University: Paper Reliquaries
Sat May 10 2025
10â11:30 am
Public Tour: Journeys Through Time and Space
Sat May 10 2025
1:30â2:30 pm
Lay Your Burden Down Sewing Circle
Sat May 10 2025
2:30â4:30 pm
Public Tour: Journeys Through Time and Space
Sun May 11 2025
1:30â2:30 pm

SAM Talks: Asia Society Seattle Series
Thu May 15 2025
5:30â7:30 pm
Public Tour: Journeys Through Time and Space
Sat May 17 2025
1:30â2:30 pm
Public Tour: Journeys Through Time and Space
Sun May 18 2025
1:30â2:30 pm
Public Tour: Journeys Through Time and Space
Sat May 24 2025
1:30â2:30 pm
Public Tour: Journeys Through Time and Space
Sun May 25 2025
1:30â2:30 pm
Public Tour: Journeys Through Time and Space
Sat May 31 2025
1:30â2:30 pm
SAM Camp: Creative Ceramics (Grades 3â6)
MonâFri Jul 7â11 2025
9 amâ3 pm
SAM Camp: Playful Plots (Grades 1â3)
MonâFri Jul 7â11 2025
9 amâ3 pm
SAM Camp: Big & Bold (Grades 1â3)
MonâFri Jul 14â18 2025
9 amâ3 pm
SAM Camp: Mixed Media Magic (Grades 3â6)
MonâFri Jul 14â18 2025
9 amâ3 pm
SAM Camp: Nature Explorers (Grades 1â3)
MonâFri Jul 21â25 2025
9 amâ3 pm
SAM Camp: Printmaking Paradise (Grades 3â6)
MonâFri Jul 21â25 2025
9 amâ3 pm