Chinese American Museum
Encyclopedia
The Chinese American Museum (Chinese: 華美博物館; pinyin: Huáměi Bówùguǎn; abbreviated CAM) is a museum located in Downtown Los Angeles
as a part of the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument. It is dedicated to the history and experience of Chinese American
s in the state of California
, first such museum in Southern California
. It presents exhibits of fine art
by Chinese American artists as well as historical exhibits.
Planning for the museum began in October 1984, with the grand opening taking place on December 18, 2003.
The museum is housed in the Garnier Building, the oldest surviving Chinese building in Southern California
. The original Los Angeles Chinatown was located here before it was moved to New Chinatown for the construction of Los Angeles Union Station
.
It is funded by the State of California, the City of Los Angeles, Friends of the Chinese American Museum, the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California
, the Getty Foundation
, the El Pueblo Association, the Center for Chinese Medicine, and hundreds of other donors.
Past exhibits have included "Sunshine and Shadow: In Search of Jake Lee
", showcasing the 60 watercolor work of prolific artist Jake Lee; "Milton Quon's Los Angeles" (2005-2006); "The Art of Diana Shui-In Wong" (2006); and "Tyrus Wong
(Chinese: 黃齊耀): A Retrospective" (2004), who was one of the earliest and most influential Chinese American artists.
A new exhibit, Hollywood Chinese: The Arthur Dong
Collection, opened on October 23, 2009. It is based on Arthur Dong's Hollywood Chinese
documentary that was broadcast on PBS on May 27, 2009. The documentary, a study of more than 90 years of Chinese Americans in films, ranging from the first Chinese American film The Curse of Quon Gwon
that was produced in 1916 to Ang Lee
's 2005 Brokeback Mountain
. It closed on November 7, 2010.
"Remembering Angel Island" is a new exhibition commemorating the centennial anniversary of the opening of the immigration station in California, July 16, 2010 – January 31, 2012. The "Dreams Deferred: Artists Respond to Immigration" will run from December 10, 2010 – December 18, 2011.
celebration each year, a Lantern Festival
is held at the museum, featuring live entertainment, including lion dancers, acrobatics
, musical, Chinese knotting, and dance performances. "Long Story Short", a documentary on actress Jodi Long
's family, was shown at the 8th Annual festival, held Saturday, February 7, 2009.
Each year, the museum sponsors the annual Historymakers Awards Banquet, which "honors extraordinary individuals who have made a significant impact or contribution towards the advancement of the Chinese American
community and beyond." A 2009 honoree was Lisa Lu
(Chinese: 盧燕), Chinese-American actress and documentary producer for excellence in film and entertainment.
34.055832°N 118.239103°W
Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, United States, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area...
as a part of the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument. It is dedicated to the history and experience of Chinese American
Chinese American
Chinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...
s in the state of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, first such museum in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
. It presents exhibits of fine art
Fine art
Fine art or the fine arts encompass art forms developed primarily for aesthetics and/or concept rather than practical application. Art is often a synonym for fine art, as employed in the term "art gallery"....
by Chinese American artists as well as historical exhibits.
Planning for the museum began in October 1984, with the grand opening taking place on December 18, 2003.
The museum is housed in the Garnier Building, the oldest surviving Chinese building in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
. The original Los Angeles Chinatown was located here before it was moved to New Chinatown for the construction of Los Angeles Union Station
Union Station (Los Angeles)
Los Angeles Union Station is the main railway station in Los Angeles, California. The station has rail services by Amtrak and Amtrak California and Metrolink; light rail/subways are the Metro Rail Red Line, Purple Line, Gold Line. Bus rapid transport runs on the Silver Line...
.
It is funded by the State of California, the City of Los Angeles, Friends of the Chinese American Museum, the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California
Chinese Historical Society of Southern California
Chinese Historical Society of Southern California is located in Los Angeles Chinatown, at 415 Bernard Street. Its Chinatown Heritage & Visitors Center is open to the public...
, the Getty Foundation
Getty Foundation
The Getty Foundation, based in Los Angeles, California, at the Getty Center, awards grants for "the understanding and preservation of the visual arts". In the past, it funded the Getty Leadership Institute for "current and future museum leaders", which is now at Claremont Graduate University. Its...
, the El Pueblo Association, the Center for Chinese Medicine, and hundreds of other donors.
Exhibits
A permanent exhibit at the museum is the recreation of the Hing Yuen Hong Chinese Herb Shop of yesteryear.Past exhibits have included "Sunshine and Shadow: In Search of Jake Lee
Jake Lee
Jake Alexander Lee is an English footballer who is currently with Evo Stik Southern League South & West Division side Bishops Cleeve F.C....
", showcasing the 60 watercolor work of prolific artist Jake Lee; "Milton Quon's Los Angeles" (2005-2006); "The Art of Diana Shui-In Wong" (2006); and "Tyrus Wong
Tyrus Wong
Tyrus Wong is a Chinese-American painter, muralist, ceramicist, lithographer, designer and kite maker. As film production illustrator in the film industry, Wong has worked for Disney and Warner Bros.. Wong's most famous work was for the Disney animated classic, Bambi.-Early life:Wong was born in...
(Chinese: 黃齊耀): A Retrospective" (2004), who was one of the earliest and most influential Chinese American artists.
A new exhibit, Hollywood Chinese: The Arthur Dong
Arthur Dong
Arthur Dong is an Academy Award-nominated American documentary filmmaker. His work combines the art of the visual medium with an investigation of social issues, examining topics such as Asian American history and identity, and gay oppression...
Collection, opened on October 23, 2009. It is based on Arthur Dong's Hollywood Chinese
Hollywood Chinese
Hollywood Chinese: The Chinese in American Featured Films is a 2007 American documentary film directed by Academy Award-nominated director Arthur Dong....
documentary that was broadcast on PBS on May 27, 2009. The documentary, a study of more than 90 years of Chinese Americans in films, ranging from the first Chinese American film The Curse of Quon Gwon
The Curse of Quon Gwon
The Curse of Quon Gwon: When the Far East Mingles with the West is a 1916-1917 black-and-white silent film. It was apparently never released and long thought lost. It was restored in 2006 by the Academy Film Archive from the two reels helped preserved by filmmaker Arthur Dong. As of 2007, it is the...
that was produced in 1916 to Ang Lee
Ang Lee
Ang Lee is a Taiwanese film director. Lee has directed a diverse set of films such as Eat Drink Man Woman , Sense and Sensibility , Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon , Hulk , and Brokeback Mountain , for which he won an Academy...
's 2005 Brokeback Mountain
Brokeback Mountain
Brokeback Mountain is a 2005 romantic drama film directed by Ang Lee. It is a film adaptation of the 1997 short story of the same name by Annie Proulx with the screenplay written by Diana Ossana and Larry McMurtry...
. It closed on November 7, 2010.
"Remembering Angel Island" is a new exhibition commemorating the centennial anniversary of the opening of the immigration station in California, July 16, 2010 – January 31, 2012. The "Dreams Deferred: Artists Respond to Immigration" will run from December 10, 2010 – December 18, 2011.
Events
During the Chinese New YearChinese New Year
Chinese New Year – often called Chinese Lunar New Year although it actually is lunisolar – is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is an all East and South-East-Asia celebration...
celebration each year, a Lantern Festival
Lantern Festival
The Lantern Festival ; is a festival celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunisolar year in the Chinese calendar, the last day...
is held at the museum, featuring live entertainment, including lion dancers, acrobatics
Acrobatics
Acrobatics is the performance of extraordinary feats of balance, agility and motor coordination. It can be found in many of the performing arts, as well as many sports...
, musical, Chinese knotting, and dance performances. "Long Story Short", a documentary on actress Jodi Long
Jodi Long
Jodi Long is an American actress.She was raised in Queens, New York. Her parents are Kimiye , a showgirl performer of Japanese American descent, and Lawrence K...
's family, was shown at the 8th Annual festival, held Saturday, February 7, 2009.
Each year, the museum sponsors the annual Historymakers Awards Banquet, which "honors extraordinary individuals who have made a significant impact or contribution towards the advancement of the Chinese American
Chinese American
Chinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...
community and beyond." A 2009 honoree was Lisa Lu
Lisa Lu
Lisa Lu is a Chinese-American actress and documentary producer.-Life and career:Lu was born in Peking, China . Beginning in her teens, she was active in Chinese opera, or Kunqu, before emigrating to the United States...
(Chinese: 盧燕), Chinese-American actress and documentary producer for excellence in film and entertainment.
- Other Historymakers Awards honorees:
- Jackie ChanJackie ChanJackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
(Chinese: 成龍) (entertainment), 2003 - Iris ChangIris ChangIris Shun-Ru Chang was an American historian and journalist. She is best known for her best-selling 1997 account of the Nanking Massacre, The Rape of Nanking. She committed suicide on November 9, 2004...
(Chinese: 張純如) (arts), 1998 - Joan ChenJoan ChenJoan Chong Chen is a Chinese American actress, film director, screenwriter and film producer. She became famous in China for her performance in the 1979 film Little Flower and came to international attention for her performance in the 1987 Academy Award-winning film The Last Emperor...
(Chinese: 陳冲) (arts), 2000 - John ChiangJohn Chiang (California politician)John Chiang is a Democratic politician and has been California State Controller since January 8, 2007. He previously served as Chair of the California Board of Equalization and represented the Fourth District, primarily serving southern Los Angeles County...
(Chinese: 江俊輝) (government), 2007 - Andrew and Peggy CherPanda ExpressPanda Express is a fast casual restaurant chain serving American Chinese cuisine. It operates mainly inside the United States, in casinos, shopping malls, supermarkets, airports, train stations, strip plazas, theme parks, stadiums, college campuses and The Pentagon...
(culinary culture), 2005 - Assemblymember Judy ChuJudy ChuJudy May Chu, Ph.D. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. She is a member of the Democratic Party....
(Chinese: 趙美心) (government), 2006 - Tim Dang (entertainment), 2006
- Arthur DongArthur DongArthur Dong is an Academy Award-nominated American documentary filmmaker. His work combines the art of the visual medium with an investigation of social issues, examining topics such as Asian American history and identity, and gay oppression...
(Chinese:曾奕田) (film), 2008 - March Fong EuMarch Fong EuMarch Kong Fong Eu is an American politician of the Democratic Party.Fong earned a Bachelor of Science in dentistry from the University of California, Berkeley in 1943 and a Master of Arts from Mills College. She earned a Ed.D...
(Chinese: 江月桂) (government), 1997 - Nancy KwanNancy KwanNancy "Ka Shen" Kwan is a Eurasian-American actress, who played a pivotal role in the acceptance of actors of Asian descent in major Hollywood film roles...
(Chinese: 關家蒨) (actress), 2001 - Michelle KwanMichelle KwanMichelle Wingshan Kwan is an American figure skater. She is a two-time Olympic medalist, a five-time World champion and a nine-time U.S...
(Chinese: 關穎珊) (sports), 1999 - C.Y. LeeC. Y. Lee (author)Chin Yang Lee is a Chinese American author best known for his 1957 novel The Flower Drum Song, which inspired the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Flower Drum Song and writer for his 2006 film "10,000 Apologies" with May Wang.-Biography:...
(literary arts), 2006 - Judge Ronald S.W. LewRonald S.W. LewRonald S.W. Lew is a U.S. District Court Judge for the Central District of California in the Ninth Circuit. Outside of Hawaii, Judge Lew was the first Chinese-American appointed to the federal bench after being appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1987...
, (law), 2001 - Lisa LingLisa LingLisa J. Ling is a Chinese American journalist, best known for her role as a co-host of ABC's The View , host of National Geographic Explorer, reporter on Channel One News, and special correspondent for the Oprah Winfrey Show and CNN. She is the older sister of journalist Laura Ling.-Early...
(Chinese: 凌志慧) (journalism), 2008 - Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (government), 2005
- Lisa SeeLisa SeeLisa See is an American writer and novelist. Her Chinese-American family has had a great impact on her life and work. Her books include On Gold Mountain: The One-Hundred-Year Odyssey of My Chinese-American Family and the novels Flower Net , The Interior , Dragon Bones , Snow Flower and the...
(author), 2003 - Tyrus WongTyrus WongTyrus Wong is a Chinese-American painter, muralist, ceramicist, lithographer, designer and kite maker. As film production illustrator in the film industry, Wong has worked for Disney and Warner Bros.. Wong's most famous work was for the Disney animated classic, Bambi.-Early life:Wong was born in...
(Chinese: 黃齊耀) (artist), 2001
- Jackie Chan
See also
- Museum of Chinese in America
- Chinese Historical Society of AmericaChinese Historical Society of AmericaThe Chinese Historical Society of America is the oldest and largest archive and history center documenting the Chinese American experience in the United States...
- Chinese Historical Society of Southern CaliforniaChinese Historical Society of Southern CaliforniaChinese Historical Society of Southern California is located in Los Angeles Chinatown, at 415 Bernard Street. Its Chinatown Heritage & Visitors Center is open to the public...
- Chinese Culture CenterChinese Culture CenterThe Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco, California, USA, is a major community-based, non-profit organization established in 1965 to foster the understanding and appreciation of Chinese and Chinese American art, history, and culture in the United States.The facilities of the Center, totaling ,...
External links
- Chinese American Museum official site
- Pauline Wong Executive Director by KCET Departures Video interview with Pauline Wong
34.055832°N 118.239103°W