Pacific Asia Museum

NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Current News:

For more news from Pacific Asia Museum, visit our Blog

Pacific Asia Museum Announces Active Cultures
Select Winter Nights 2010, 7:00–10:30

Come out of hibernation for a dynamic winter series that explores the diverse cultures of Asia and the Pacific Islands through food, drink, art, fashion and history! Each evening pairs two experts from the world of art and culture, presenting on his or her area of expertise. Conversation continues over drinks and a select food tasting by local restaurants.

December 10, 7-10pm
Martin Wong from 'Giant Robot' covers Asian American Pop Culture on everything from instant ramen to marinated bugs and Asian American gangsters. More...

Pacific Asia Museum Education Department Overview 2009
The robust Public Programming schedule developed over the past few years continued to provide a diversity of experiences to visitors. By the end of the year, 270 lectures, demonstrations, classes, concerts, screenings, contests, special tours, performances and festivals will have been held, serving an estimated 12,500 people.

Two ongoing series were added this year. A weekly Lunchtime Yoga class, designed in part to serve employees of neighboring businesses, has developed a core of regulars and continues to grow. A monthly Family Tour allowed adults and children to enjoy a docent–led tour of the museum at no cost.

Contests, a new program format, also proved a great tool for community outreach. Sixty local students in grades 6-12 participated in the Silk Road Essay Contest, and the professionally judged Student Animation Contest resulted in many highly creative shorts based on the museum’s popular Samurai exhibition. (Watch the winning films in the "Digital Lounge".)

The summer film program was effectively expanded in 2009. The Anime Film Festival drew diverse audiences all summer long, and the successful Chinese Film Festival received international media coverage. Similarly, increased partnerships with largely Asian theatrical groups brought impressive performances and talented local actors, playwrights and improv artists to the public eye.

This year, the Education Department also introduced an Audio Tour. Delivered via cell phone, the tour provides additional context on the museum’s historic building, permanent collections, and special exhibitions. The inaugural recordings feature original poetry inspired by the museum and its collections - an unexpected but effective way of giving visitors new ways to experience the museum. The audio content and transcripts are also on the museum’s website to increase accessibility for international audiences as well as the hearing impaired.

The success of the museum’s Community Outreach Coordinator, hired in mid-2008, was extremely apparent throughout 2009. Some of the year’s most popular performances, such as martial arts demonstrations and a Chinese Opera performance, came about through partnerships established by the bilingual Coordinator. The museum has also had an increased presence in the community at cultural festivals, city functions, local libraries, and business events.

School Programs were particularly strong this year. Offered free to schools, the demand for this popular museum tour/ hands-on workshop format continues to grow. In fact, this spring student numbers were up a whopping 52%! An entire year’s supply of Family Tickets, given to all students to encourage returning with their families, had to be reordered within just a few months. Increased school partnerships, an exhibition of particular interest to teens, an increased teacher willingness to be flexible in scheduling, staff positions dedicated to community outreach and tour coordination, and the availability of bus funding all played a role – as did the willingness of our docents to meet the demand! In all, an estimated 3,700 students and 950 adults will have participated in the tour program in 2009.

Throughout the year, preparation was underway for the fall kick off of the Docent Training program. Held every other year, docents submit applications and are interviewed. Those who qualify meet weekly for an intense regimen of orientation, lectures and research. Upon successful completion of the course, they will be a welcome addition to the docent corps.

In collaboration with Pasadena Unified School District, Education staff developed and piloted a sixth grade curriculum for the My Masterpieces program. Using the museum’s collection and the Journeys: The Silk Road exhibition to address state standards in art, history, and writing, the program will be further expanded in the 2009-2010 school year, eventually serving all sixth graders in the district.

Finally, to help promote all these exciting happenings, the Education Department began maintaining an active and highly effective social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr.

Pacific Asia Museum Receives Wells Fargo Award

PAM Wells Fargo

Pacific Asia Museum receives Wells Fargo Award

Wells Fargo banking store managers select local non-profit organizations to receive unsolicited grants at company’s annual Community Support Breakfast

Wells Fargo Foundation Regional Vice President Jonathan Weedman (left), Wells Fargo Greater San Gabriel Valley Community Bank Regional President Linda Russell (second from left), present a $1,000 check to former Pacific Asia Museum Executive Director Joan Marshall (second from right), during the annual Wells Fargo Community Support Breakfast. Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard (right), also participated in the breakfast event, held at Pacific Asia Museum.

Wells Fargo awarded 24 nonprofits with $1,000 in unsolicited contributions as part of the company’s ongoing commitment to support the communities it serves.

Pacific Asia Museum gratefully acknowledges grants for 2009 program support from special funders including: The Ahmanson Foundation, The Blakemore Foundation, The Capital Group Companies, The E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, Citigroup Foundation, The Getty Foundation, The Green Foundation, The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, City of Pasadena Cultural Affairs Division, Pasadena Art Alliance, Pasadena Arts and Culture Commission, Pasadena Community Foundation, Ann Peppers Foundation, The Ralphs/Food 4 Less Foundation, Lon V. Smith Foundation, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles, Target, Union Bank of California, The Jeanne Ward Foundation, Katharine Audrey Webb Foundation, and Wells Fargo.

Audio Tours
Where can you hear poetry inspired by cricket cages followed by a first hand account of life as a professional artist? Pacific Asia Museum’s new Audio Tour!

This new generation of tours is delivered via your own phone. Not only is it familiar and easy to use, but you can listen to what you want, when you want. Just look for the Audio Tour logo throughout the museum, then call 626-628-9690 and enter the number of what interests you. Or you can find it online at www.pacificasiamuseum.org, if you’d rather listen that way.

In addition to the voices of artists from the special Calligraffiti exhibition, original poetry by Poets on Site offers new perspectives on the art, architecture and garden of Pacific Asia Museum. Plus, there’s lots more great content on its way – so be ready with that “redial” button.

eroded sacred rock-
looking through life
framed by holes

Janis Albright Lukstein

Holiday Shopping at the Museum Store
Named one of the “Best of L.A.” by Los Angeles Magazine, Pacific Asia Museum Store is the place to shop for special one-of-a-kind gifts. This season choose from a new selection of Asian inspired jewelry and clothing, hand-carved wood Buddhas from Burma and other attractive accessories for the home. Plus art books, children’s books, signed books and much, much more. Visit or call the Museum store at ext. 20 for assistance with all your holiday shopping needs.

News Archives

Fall 2008:

Renewing the Jade Gallery
Campaign for the Future – Goal Reached
New Online Exhibition: Rank and Style

Summer 2008:

Journeys: The Silk Road
Donor Profile: The Docent Council

Winter 2008:

Conservation and Restoration
Introducing Kendall Brown
Festival of the Autumn Moon

Fall 2007:

Donor Profile: Robert Sheen

Summer 2007:

In Memoriam: Sofia Adamson

Spring 2007:

Courtyard Garden Project
Donor Profile: Patricia Ayers Gallucci

Winter 2007:

Donor Profile: Georgiana Erskine
James Irvine Foundation Awards Major Leadership Grant

Fall 2006:

Donor Profile: Setsuko Oka

Summer 2006:

Planning for the Future
Heritage Society

Spring 2006:

Member Opening Reception

Summer 2005:

Korean Culture Night
New Acquisitions
Object Conservation
New Additions: A Buddhist Nun Called Rengetsu
Library Adds to Collection

Spring 2005:

New Acquisitions
Collections on the Web
Nature of the Beast Online Exhibition
Major Grant Award Received

Winter 2005:

New Acquisitions
PAM Welcomes Dr. Stephen A. Kanter
Library Receives Generous Gift

Fall 2004:

New Acquisitions

Summer 2004:

New Acquisitions
New Board Member Peter Sartin
In Memoriam

Spring 2004:

PAM Welcomes New Board Members
Service Council Recognition Dinner
New Acquisitions

Fall 2003:

New Acquisitions
Annual Volunteer Recognition
The Exquisite Collection of Emma Dagan