Mission: An integral part of the University of Southern California, the USC Pacific Asia Museum creates inspiring encounters with the art, history, and culture of Pacific Asia to promote intercultural understanding in the service of elevating our shared sense of humanity.;xNLx;
The Pacificulture Foundation moved into the building in 1971. In 1987 the Foundation bought the structure once known as “The Grace Nicholson Treasure House of Oriental Art,” and subsequently became Pacific Asia Museum. In November 2013, the museum partnered with University of Southern California to become USC Pacific Asia Museum.
My family moved from Palos Verdes to Pasadena during the war. In 1943, due to the war effort, my father, an organic chemist, had to find land near Los Angeles with a railroad tie where he could build a chemical company to produce his lubricant inventions. Palos Verdes was too isolated for such an industrial endeavor. However, the family history in Palos Verdes involved a deep commitment to the arts. My homesick mother missed the community of this Olmsted-designed village spreading along the coastline. With close family friends of Japanese and Chinese descent, she discovered the Pasadena Art Institute, which offered art classes for children. However, these classes were terminated during the war due to the lack of students and teachers. Years later, the museum established a Culinary Arts council that had events in the room next to the Blue Room. At round tables of 8, we were served the most delicious food! The council members cooked it in the kitchen and served it at the tables. It was very hard to get a reservation or to find a space. Later, parties on the patio were constant. The Festival of the Autumn Moon was an elegant and very joyous affair. Several of us, including Marilyn Brumder and Nancy Wheat, added to the guest list and hand addressed all the envelopes. Refreshments for gatherings were almost always served upstairs in the Blue Room back then—now they are served on the patio. David Kamansky had innovative ideas to bring in the public, including an annual art appraisal day when one could bring objects to be identified and appraised. Many of these objects ended up in the annual Festival of the Autumn Moon sales. These were exciting events and attracted a large crowd. Originally, the event was held in the museum courtyard, but due to the ever-increasing crowd it was moved to the parking lot. After several years of coping with the hot surface and less-than-ideal space, I managed to persuade David that we should put the event in the hotel across the street. One year the auction was carefully staged in the Convention Center, but the amount of work and expense sent it back to the hotel. The event was also held at the California Club for a couple of years, and until the pandemic, at the Langham Hotel. There were no professional party planners until the arrival of USC ownership. Tai-ling Wong managed the museum store forever. She had extraordinary resources for antiques, jewelry and clothes. The store was nominated the best resourced and performing museum gift store in Los Angeles. When the garden needed a restoration, Jim Folsom from the Huntington came in to design the pruning of the ginko tree. The landscape architect Thomas Batcheller Cox designed the placement of a huge clump of donated bamboo. The problem was that it had been dug up in somebody’s vacant lot and was riddled with spores and invasive plants. The Lasarte Brothers carefully transplanted it into concrete, in-ground boxes to keep the new growth from creeping into the patio itself. They are still there today. There was wisteria that had been trained up the staircase railings. The distinguished architect, Bob Ray Offenhauser insisted that the ole, woody, non-blooming vine be removed to another location reminding everyone that you never cover important designs and carvings with creeping vines when dealing with a notable structure.
At least 40 years ago, I was a volunteer in search of ‘a place.’ I was intrigued by the learning possibilities and most of all, photographic opportunities. That day, I found myself to be a ‘signed up’ volunteer, commtiting myself to 2 years of study and at least 1 year of ’docenting.’
The first comprehensive exhibit of the prints of Paul Jacoulet opened at the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena on April 22, 1982 and was on view until January 9, 1983. Jacoulet, a Frenchman by birth, lived and worked for most of his life in Japan in the first half of this century. His woodblock prints were created by the traditional Japanese collaboration of artist, carver, and printer, yet the images were anything but traditional. In the words of Richard Miles, Guest Curator of the exhibit, Jacoulet’s portraits of Japanese. Manchurian, Korean, and particularly South Seas subjects were blatantly frontal and brilliantly sensuous, unafraid of the naked emotion and the grand if not grandiloquent pose.
Thank you, Pacific Asia Museum, for [having me] join you in 1985. There, as a young ceramic artist, I met Sunghul Kim, another clay artist. And in 2001, we travelled to Incheon, Korea, as guests, to demonstrate our art in the ceramic museum there. I met my first pottery teacher, Kimpei Nakamura from Tokyo/Kanazawa, 3 days after 9/11.
The opening, or reopening, of China to the West in the 1970’s was one of the momentous political developments of the twentieth century. By the early 1980’s it had led to a broad new national program of modernization which, under good leadership, has already brought important benefits to the economy and the society in general. There is no clearer prism through which to perceive these developments than in the art now being created by the new generation of Chinese artists. The exhibit opened on April 15th, 1987 and ran until August 9th, 1987.
Several years ago I became interested in Tibetan rugs. I read up as much as I could about them. It wasn't until the 1992 PAM exhibit that I was able to see some of these extraordinary rugs in person.
"A Gathering Place: Artmaking by Asian/Pacific Women in Traditional and Contemporary Directions," was an art exhibition that presented a complex, progressive political vision with immense implications for the visual arts in the final years of the 20th century. The exhibition brought together two generations of women of Asian/Pacific descent. Included were artists from China, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Samoa, and Hawaii. Their ages ranged from their late 20s through their 80s and their works included traditional crafts to postmodern installations. Together, their efforts served as a powerful alternative to the historical presence of white male ‘superstars' who have dominated the art world and its institutions throughout American history. In "A Gathering Place," one encountered quilts, mat weavings, embroideries, and dolls along with paintings, drawings, sculptures, and installations, all presented equally with no suggestion of any distinction between arts and crafts. The exhibit opened on February 18th 1995 and ran until August 27th, 1995.
I remember when the Dalai Lama came and they did a sand Buddhist painting. It was extraordinary to see how focused the monks were and how precisely they created the picture. This happened in the late 1980s. There were a lot of people and I came with my two young kids.
The Pacific Asia museum celebrated the centennial of Philippine independence with a special exhibition titled “The Creative Voices of Reason:Philippine Painters, Poets, and Craftsmen.” The exhibit opened on March 18th 1998 and ran until July 15th, 1998. The show surveyed the Manila/Acapulco Galleon Trade and traced one aspect of the important role East to West Trade has played in the cultural and political history of the world.
In my more than15 plus years as a docent (beginning 1997), I’ve had a front row seat to an exciting run of exhibitions that showcase the rich diversity and depth of Pacific Rim material culture. Vivid images remain with me still of ancient treasures from the Indus Valley and a sculpture of the Buddhist bodhisattva Guan Yin. One year museum director David Kamansky shared wooden furniture from Tibet painted in beautiful colors. Examples of Japanese bamboo basketry—the work of master craftsmen—expanded our expectations. Enriched by walk-thrus with artists, curators, and archeologists immersed in their subject, we docents caught their keen enthusiasm and became eager to share it with our students. We tried to help them discover and understand, even appreciate, the objects before them. One day stands out among the rest: September 11, 2001. That morning all of us awoke to the news of a national calamity. Our first docent meeting of the year was that morning and I was president of the docent council. I tried to steady my thoughts as I drove to the museum. The auditorium was packed. We expected to hear Professor Kendall Brown, a popular speaker on Japanese art butI sensed that we just needed to be together, to try and process what was happening. Fellow docent Joyce Kelly suggested a moment of silence as we waited for our speaker to traverse the near gridlock of our city. In that moment, I saw the need for a broad education in today’s world that teaches respect for human differences. Our role as docents had never been clearer.
The Pacific Asia museum offers a rare glimpse at more than 100 Asian costumes and textiles from the Museum’s renowned collection of textiles from China, Japan, Korea, South and Southeast Asia. Many of these textiles were woven out of silk, the most beloved of Asian textiles, while others are made of cotton, wool, and other fibers. Some of the textiles had patterns woven into them while others featured painted designs or were embellished with elaborately embroidered patterns, often of flowers, animals, or landscapes. Their natural dyes made them highly sensitive to light; thus they were rarely on view to the public. The exhibit opened on March 18th 1998 and ran until July 15th, 1998.
I remember an unusual and fascinating exhibition: The 1st sake exhibition in the world! It was curated by Meher McArthur, and was a real hit with the docents, members, and the public. The creative curator had gotten sake-related objects from many sources, and there were for sample, a miniature sake factory, barrels, flasks, paintings and photographs, and more. There were lectures, and sake tastings; great fun, and insctinctive aloud the Japanese culture.
I have been a docent at PAM for 10 years, but I was involved with the museum for years before that as a member of the Chinese art council. The goals of the museum’s art councils were to support the museum’s mission and, along with staff, to develop regional specific cultural programs for special occasions. My story is about one of these special occasions where a chance encounter led to my discovery of something new about my family. In November 2005, PAM installed an exhibition titled “Place/Displace: Three Generations of Taiwanese Art.” The exhibition explored the identification and transformation of cultural identity as expressed in the highly diverse works of 24 artists. Some of these artists were living in Taiwan, and others in the U.S. A number of the artists came to Pasadena for the opening of the exhibition. A group of council members invited these visiting artists to dinner. There, I struck up a conversation with one of the artists who happened to come from the same town in Taiwan where my family resides. As we conversed, I mentioned to him my mother’s clinic. He was familiar with her clinic and proceeded to tell me something about her work that I did not know. Here is what the artist told me: Back in the late 1950s, early 1960s, students from Taiwan who wanted to do their advanced studies in the U.S. had to pass a number of tests including a health examination. At the time, a very contagious eye disease called trachoma (and caused by bacteria) was prevalent in Taiwan. Quite a number of students were denied entry to the U.S. due to this health problem. From English medical journals that had been translated to Japanese journals, my mother learned that this disease could be treated with antibiotics. She then imported antibiotics to Taiwan and developed a gel-like formulation that was easy to apply to the eye, finding a “cure” to the problem. As a result of her work, many students at the time were able to pass the health exam and pursue their studies in the U.S. Prior to this conversation with the artist, I was generally aware of my mother’s work involving the treatment of this health problem. However, I did not know how her work had directly benefited these students! I was particularly moved by this new information because, like them, I was able to pursue my studies in the U.S. This chance encounter and revealing conversation make this special occasion stand out for me from all the others that I have attended over my many years of involvement with PAM. My story is a fine example of how you cannot predict all the good places where your involvement with PAM will lead you.
I am so grateful to the museum for hosting a special event to celebrate the release of my book Women Warriors, which featured numerous courageous female fighters throughout history. It was held in their auditorium and it wasn't your typical book event. Friends joined me to share the inspiring stories of some of the women—from the Trung Sisters and Tomoe Gozen to Joan of Arc—through music, dance, and readings. Little did I know that I'd return to the PAM nearly 15 years later to lead art workshops and develop an interactive piece for their Silk Road exhibit.
Growing up in Pasadena, I’ve been going to the Pacific Asia Museum for over a decade. My dad would take me and my brother to museums all over Los Angeles, but the Pacific Asia Museum was special because they had koi fish and burned incense in their gift shop. I felt like I was in my own little Japan—a home my dad, my brother, and I had never been to. I would imagine battling pink robots in the museum courtyard and slinking away from assassins by blending in with the other museumgoers.
Royal Taste offers a unique glimpse into the luxurious lifestyles of princely courts in early- and mid-Ming China. Featuring more than one hundred fifty works of pictorial, sculptural, and decorative arts, this exhibition sheds light on some lesser-known aspects of the palatial lives and religious patronage of Ming princes. Their regional courts were at the center of art production, creating works that showcased imperial styles while reflecting local traditions. The quality of craftsmanship and beauty of design testify to the richness and sophistication of the art and culture in the provincial courts, as well as their abundant resources. This exhibit ran from February 26th, 2016 to June 26th, 2016
I have a great memory of the Women Warriors book event a number of years ago at the museum. It was really fun and I got to perform a song called "Fiery Joan," there. It was a great experience, and I love how the museum is a place that that kids and people of all ages can come to and enjoy.
I remember my first day at USC Pacific Asia Museum. I was ten years old and my family was living near Pasadena. It was raining and my uncle was visiting us over the weekend. My uncle wanted to get out of the house and do a fun, local activity despite the weather, but I wanted to stay inside and play with LEGOs and watch Pirates of the Caribbean. “Besides,” I thought, “I’ve already seen the major local sights. Disneyland, La Brea tar pits, Rose Parade, etc. Why would I do any of these when it’s raining?” Undeterred, my uncle took out a Visit Pasadena pamphlet and flipped to a page emboldened with the title “USC Pacific Asia Museum,” a place I had never heard of and did not sound all too interesting. Pointing at the various pictures, he smiled and whispered, “Let’s go here.” I politely shook my head no; he was persistent and once he convinced my mom and dad I was obliged to join. Irritated, I put on my rattiest jacket and my rattiest shirt in silent protest before climbing into the car. But once I entered the museum courtyard, I began to soften. The architecture and atmosphere beckoned me, and I curiously stepped through the entrance. As I walked through the various exhibits, the beautiful collections resonated deeply with me: I had always been proud of my heritage, but had never realized the scope and vibrancy of my heritage’s culture and art. After exploring the museum for several hours, I returned home with my mindset singularly broadened. That visit sparked a curious passion in me to learn and try new things particular to my heritage, prompting me to later that year attend the Chinese Terra Cotta at the Bower Museum in Santa Ana. A few years later, I was able to further pursue that passion with family trips to China and Korea. This curious passion steadily grew infectiously to other parts of my personality, and open unbiased exploration is now one of my core tenets (manifesting in 2021 as participation in this exhibit!). It is fascinating that visiting, by chance, the USC Pacific Asia Museum, led me down a personal path of growth and realization. Poetically, in the present day I find myself circling back to the USC Pacific Asia Museum, most recently attending public conversations centered around the upcoming remodel of the iconic courtyard. Looking ahead to tomorrows, the museum will always have a special if accidental place in my heart and self-journey. As my childhood friend Winnie-The-Pooh says, “You can’t stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.” That visit to the USC Pacific Asia Museum over a decade ago was the impetus for me to explore the forest beyond.
In collaboration with The Network of Myanmar (Burmese) American Association, this special Free 2nd Sunday celebrated the culture of Myanmar through dance, music, puppetry, and art activities.
Over the course of one week, a group of Tibetan monks from the Drepung Gomang Monastery Tibetan visited the museum and constructed a mandala sand painting, accompanied by special ceremonies. The sand mandala is a Tibetan Buddhist tradition that involves the creation and destruction of paintings made from colored sand. During this ritual, millions of grains of sand are painstakingly laid into place in order to purify and heal the environment and its inhabitants. Once completed, it is ritualistically dismantled to symbolize the Buddhist belief in the transitory nature of material life. Museum visitors were be able to observe the creation of the mandala during open hours and attend the creation and destruction ceremonies.
The Annual USC PAM Lunar New Year Festival has been a celebrated tradition at the museum since 2010. This lively event brings together a wide range of traditional and contemporary performances, artmaking activities, and delicious food to celebrate the new year. One of USC PAM's most loved and attended events, the festival is fun for audiences of all ages and brings together community members to celebrate the time honored traditions of cultures across Asia that use the lunar calendar.
When I became a Teen Ambassador for the USC Pacific Asia Museum, I had little experience with planning a public event such as Teen Art Night. I had been to the museum a few years back for a school field trip, but this was the first time I would be working with the museum.
I remember going to the museum and making collages, and also seeing some fish. It's a really good place where you can see and make art.
This special Free 2nd Sunday featured a full day of activities celebrating the diverse cultures of the Philippines! Visitores enjoyed performances, art-making activities, a chef conversation, and storytime for kids. This collaborative event featured the talented performing artists from Malaya Filipino American Dance Arts, Pakaraguian Kulintang Ensemble, and Rocksteady Rondalla. Other partners included Bone Kettle Restaurant, Barnsdall Arts, and the Philippine Expressions Bookshop.
Hi. My name is Sabina and I'm calling about the first time I went to PAM, actually, just before the pandemic. So it's the only time I've been. I went for an event by my friend Teena with Narrated Objects.
I was first drawn to USC PAM because of its sense of community and intimacy. I enjoyed the galas, auctions, and exhibits, and made long-lasting friendships. We shared a common interest in celebrating the art, history, and culture of Pacific Asia.
One of my memories here is feeding the fish.
My name is Julie Hunter Bagish of Juls,Pottery & Prints, located now in Laguna Woods. And I want to share how I met you and went to your museum so many years ago and met a person who is very significant to my roof.
Margaret “Sunny” Stevenson (1924–2021) was a vital part of the USC Pacific Asia Museum since its founding. A Pasadena native, Sunny recalled visiting the Grace Nicholson Treasure House as a child with her mother and grandmother. The building, with its green curved roof and lush courtyard, caught her heart at a young age. When the Pacific Asia Museum was established in 1971, Sunny joined as a volunteer and carried a banner in the opening parade. Her first job was sweeping the courtyard! Since then, Sunny served as an active member of the Service Council, which was established to support museum volunteers. As volunteer manager for ten years, she coordinated and trained others to provide staff and visitors with quality experiences and assistance. She spent the last two decades sharing her love of Asian cultures and storytelling by reading books for children during free days and special events. The original Silk Road Gallery, Journeys, was designed with Sunny’s reading in mind. In 2013, Sunny won the prestigious HALO Award from the Carl and Roberta Deutsch Foundation. She donated her portion of the award to the museum for the purchase of books for the children’s library. The library of the Crossroads: Exploring the Silk Road Gallery is dedicated to Sunny, for her continuous love and generosity toward the museum and every family that comes through our doors.
Happy to have learnt more about my culture! Happy 50th Anniversary!
From the Tibetan monks to Gil Garcetti - Thank you for the chance to meet them!
As a USC PAM volunteer docent, I give tours to student groups. My story is about exploring the museum with elementary school children. Sometimes they stand patiently and closely observe the objects. But, more often, they are bodies in motion: rushing to leave their school bus; stopping suddenly at the candy as I try to march them through the gift shop; pounding out rhythms as they pause at the slit drum; instantly dropping to the floor to pose like the historical Buddha; poking each other and giggling when they notice Shiva holding Parvati's breast; grimacing and baring their teeth to look like the mask of Mahakala; scurrying around to count the symbols of dragons and bats; crawling on their hands and knees to get a better view of the creature hiding under the base of the Amitabha Buddha; parading around wearing Silk Road garb; and, after some prompting from their teacher, waving goodbye as they say, "Thank you for a good tour."
What a beautiful museum! Everything was so unique. We love the interactive room. Thank you for having us! Can't wait to come back.
I love the Chinese New Year Celebrations and watching the performances.
I am ninety-three and I have been a member of the museum for many decades and of my first experiences just walking into this exquisite building and meeting the friendly person at the desk was always a pleasure.
I remember many event here with the Ethnic Arts Council. Lovely exhibitions while visiting with fellow artists, collectors, and curators. I have always loved this museum, and its architecture is glorious. The courtyard is an ideal venue for socializing and viewing art. I always feel like I am in Asia when I am here. I'm happy you have the exhibitions and events for kids. It's a way to enjoy art and culture with my grandkids.
Drawn during a Second Sunday visit, inspired by her friend's drawing during his first visit.
As a lifelong resident of SoCal and an alumnus of USC, I had the pleasure of taking my family to this wonderful location for the first time. To see the careful attention taken to preserve the culture and share the many beauties from this part o the world makes me beam with pride.
My first time at PAM and I am amazed by their garden, it is so tranquil. Their art is beautiful and educational. My favorite was the seeing the new exhibition (Intervention), which has an amazing variety of pieces on display.
Nathan was visiting with his friend Minna and drew this scene of the pond. They both visited for the first time.
[The Intervention: Fresh Perspectives after 50 Years] was very pretty...my favorite piece was the wedding dress. I really enjoyed coming here.
Serene atmosphere & musical background. Good first time visit. Loved the fun art scroll!
I liked the koi pond. I liked the silk room. I liked making a scroll.
My daughter and I came to the museum with our Girl Scout troop and her friend liked it so much that she planned her 9th birthday here. So we are back and love i!
Hello, Seeing artifacts from stories in books that I have read made the stories real even if the books were fiction. Thanks!
We enjoy the family programming and beautiful courtyard.
Ryan recalled attending our November Second Sunday @PAM Scroll Workshop—during which he made a story scroll about his upbringing—and came by our December Second Sunday@PAM workshop to add a postcard about his memory to the community wall at the museum.
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