Peabody Essex Museum

09/06/2026

Today is !

At PEM, we’re committed to making art accessible to everyone. Through our initiative with EnChroma, visitors with red-green color blindness can experience our collection in its full, vibrant spectrum. When we first launched, we invited volunteers to try out the glasses in our South Asian Art gallery. You can read their stories here: pem.org/blog/in-living-color-visitors-see-pem-in-a-new-light-with-enchroma-glasses

👓 Ready to see the museum in a new light? Stop by our Visitor Resources Center during your next visit to borrow a pair of EnChroma glasses and discover a different view of PEM for yourself.

09/03/2026

This month, we’re hosting a special event with Kakawa Chocolate House! 🍫

On Sunday, September 27 at 1 pm, join us for a presentation by Bonnie Bennett, co-founder of Kakawa Chocolate House (located next door to the museum). After explaining a little about the fascinating history of chocolate, she will sit down for a conversation about the important role of sustainable production and agroforestry with Jane Winchell, Director of PEM’s Art & Nature Center and coordinating curator for “Knowing Nature: Stories of the Boreal Forest.” Make sure to stay after the conversation for a special chocolate demonstration and tasting!

Register today at pem.org/events. This event is included with admission but requires preregistration.

📸: Bob Packert/PEM

09/03/2026

For many in our community, museums and art spaces haven’t always felt like places where we see ourselves, our stories, or our language represented.

So bringing 24 community members across multiple generations to the Peabody Essex Museum, experiencing the art together, and having the tour led in Spanish was more of a moment of belonging.

Seeing multiple generations share the experience, ask questions, appreciate the art, and enjoy the museum in our language was powerful.

Representation isn’t just about what’s on the walls. It’s also about who gets to walk through the doors and feel like they belong there.

A huge thank you again to Rosario Ubiera-Minaya Peabody Essex Museum for partnering with us in August to create an experience where our community felt seen, welcomed, and included.

09/02/2026

In 1951, Isamu Noguchi conceptualized his famous Akari light sculptures, seamlessly blending traditional Japanese lantern-making in mulberry bark paper (washi) and bamboo with modern electricity. By naming them for the quality of light, Noguchi hoped they would be appreciated as “no object, only space and luminosity.” Noguchi designed nearly 200 unique models of Akari, which are handcrafted in Japan and distributed in North America through The Noguchi Museum.

🎟️ Come see these for yourself in "Isamu Noguchi: 'I am not a designer'", opening at PEM on Saturday, September 19.

This exhibition is organized by the High Museum of Art, Atlanta

📸: Akari (installation view from the exhibition Isamu Noguchi, Chuo Koron Gallery,
August 2-7 1954), 1954. The Noguchi Museum Archives, 07141. © 2026 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

09/01/2026

🎟️ Early bird tickets for the PEM Gala after–party are available now through Wednesday, September 9!

Secure your spot for an unforgettable after-hours dance party on Saturday, November 7 with live music, dancing, cocktails, open bar, specialty food and more! This year’s gala is inspired by the spirit of boundless curiosity, cross-cultural exchange and wonder reflected in East India Marine Hall. The funds raised make the museum’s mission a reality by providing essential support to vital initiatives like school visits and community partnerships. The party of the year at PEM sells out fast, so secure your spot at this special price while there’s time!

🔗 Click the PEM Gala link in our bio or visit PEM.org/gala to purchase your tickets today!

08/31/2026

This fall, we’re celebrating the Chuseok Festival, one of Korea’s most important cultural holidays, centered around the harvest, gratitude and family reunions.

On Saturday, September 26, explore traditional and contemporary expressions of Korean culture through storytelling, art making and a curator-led tour! This multigenerational celebration also welcomes first-time and returning visitors to PEM’s Korean Art gallery. We’re hosting a special PEM Pals program, a calligraphy demonstration, curator-led tours of our Korean Art gallery and more!

🗓️ See the full list of events here:

The Chuseok Festival celebrates one of Korea’s most important cultural holidays, centered around the harvest, gratitude and family reunions.

08/30/2026

This fall, you can enjoy our drop-in art making sessions in a new and bigger location!

In September and October, our weekly drop-in art making sessions will take place in the Main Atrium on Fridays from 3–4:30 pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 1–3 pm. In September, make bug-themed prints on Fridays and create your own bat masks on Saturdays and Sundays. Then, in October, you can create your own miniature broomsticks or magic bottles! All art making sessions are included with museum admission.

📸: Ken Sawyer/PEM

08/29/2026

Today is the final day to watch our bootmaker in residence at work!

Throughout this summer, we’ve hosted artist Sarah Madeleine T. Guerin at our historic ten footer, the Lye-Tapley Shoe Shop. Guerin has been demonstrating her contemporary bootmaking techniques and leatherworking for visitors as part of Salem 400+. Check out her final day in our historic property from 11 am–6 pm. We encourage you to listen to Guerin’s interview in our recent PEMcast episode about Salem 400+.

📸 : Kathy Tarantola/PEM

08/28/2026

Join us for this year’s Preservation in a Changing Climate conference on Wednesday, September 23!
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Hosted by Salem Preservation in a Changing Climate Partners, this day of thought-provoking talks aims to advance strategies that can help reduce climate change and boost resiliency of historic buildings, landscapes and neighborhoods.
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Join for panel presentations and informational sessions at PEM throughout the day and a closing reception at the Salem Maritime National Historic Site Armory Visitor Center!⁠
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🗓️ See the full schedule of events and grab your tickets here: pem.org/events/preservation-in-a-changing-climate-conference-2026?date=2026-09-23&time=08:15