For millennia, waves of conquerors swept through the Central Asian steppe destroying older cultures and introducing new ones. The territory was a battleground for two great ancient civilizations: the settled Persians and the Turkic nomads. This fusion of Turkic and Persian cultures is the legacy of centuries of conflict and proximity between the peoples of Central Asia.

Sarts were settled inhabitants of Central Asian cities. They could be both Persian-speaking Tadjiks and Turkic-speaking Uzbeks. Nomads, bronzed by the brutal steppe sun, called their lighter-colored neighbors ‘yellow dogs’ (sari-it). This insult may be the origin of the word ‘sart’.

 

Happening Now

Monumental Soviet Paintings

Saturday, April 12, 2025 - Sunday, September 21, 2025

Monumental Soviet Paintings post image
Russia’s Native Mushrooms: Botanical Watercolors by Alexander Viazmensky post image

Chemiakin’s Worlds

Saturday, March 15, 2025 - Sunday, June 22, 2025

Chemiakin’s Worlds post image

Geometric Abstraction: Selections from the Kolodzei Art Foundation Collection

Saturday, February 1, 2025 - Sunday, June 1, 2025

Geometric Abstraction: Selections from the Kolodzei Art Foundation Collection post image
Say No to War: Political Cartoons by Ukrainian and Russian Artists – The 4th Iteration post image
The Permanent Collection Gallery post image