Freer/Sackler Galleries Open Yoga Exhibit With Party Poses

Diplomats, philanthropists, artists, celebrities, and yoga luminaries joined together in a collective oooommmmm — and a sigh of relief! — last week as the Smithsonian’s Freer and Sackler Galleries dodged the government shutdown shenanigans (and took some calming yoga breaths) by moving the annual event to a new venue, the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium.

Celebrating the unveiling of “Yoga: The Art of Transformation,” the world’s first exhibition on the art of yoga, guests mixed, mingled and meditated around Gala chairs Dame Jillian Sackler, DBE, Hilaria and Alec Baldwin in their best black tie or ‘asian fancy’ attire, enjoying a dinner and featured performance by Grammy-nominated vocalist Chandrika Tandon.

Following the program, the Galleries’ young patrons society, the Silk Road Society, hosted its own soiree, TranscenDANCE, which featured Rob Garza of Thievery Corporation… and making dancing past midnight their mantra.

*All images credit Tony Powell