The Chinese American Museum (Chinese: 華美博物館; 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 Americans in the state of

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, the first such museum in

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban a ...

. It presents exhibits of

fine art In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwor ...

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

. 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 Getty Foundation, based in Los Angeles, California at the Getty Center, awards grants for "the understanding and preservation of the visual arts".Getty FoundationAbout the Foundation. Retrieved September 18, 2008. In the past, it funded the ...

, 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. Another permanent exhibit opened on December 13, 2012 is "Origins: The Birth and Rise of Chinese American Communities in Los Angeles", celebrating the growth and development of Cantonese American enclaves from Downtown Los Angeles to the San Gabriel Valley. Past exhibits have included "Sunshine and Shadow: In Search of Jake Lee", showcasing the 60

watercolor Watercolor (American English) or watercolour (British English; see spelling differences), also ''aquarelle'' (; from Italian diminutive of Latin ''aqua'' "water"), is a painting method”Watercolor may be as old as art itself, going back to ...

work of prolific artist Jake Lee; "

Milton Quon Milton Quon (August 22, 1913 – June 18, 2019) was an American animator, artist and actor. Early life Milton Quon was born in Los Angeles, California to Ng Quan Ying and Wong Shee Quon, Chinese immigrants. He was the eldest and only son, with sev ...

's Los Angeles" (2005-2006); "The Art of Diana Shui-In Wong" (2006); and "

Tyrus Wong Tyrus Wong (October 25, 1910 – December 30, 2016) was a Chinese-born American artist. He was a painter, animator, calligrapher, muralist, ceramicist, lithographer and kite maker, as well as a set designer and storyboard artist. One of the mo ...

(Chinese: 黃齊耀): A Retrospective" (2004), who was one of the earliest and most influential Chinese American artists. * The exhibit on "Hollywood Chinese: The

Arthur Dong Arthur Dong is an American filmmaker and author whose work centers on Asia America and anti-gay prejudice. He was raised in San Francisco, California, graduating from Galileo High School in June 1971. He received his BA in film from San Franci ...

Collection" was opened on October 23, 2009. It was based on Arthur Dong's '' Hollywood Chinese'' documentary that was broadcast on

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

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: When the Far East Mingles with the West'' is a black-and-white silent film. Filmed , it was never released and long thought lost. Two reels of an estimated total of seven or eight survived and were restored, rendering th ...

'' that was produced in 1916 to

Ang Lee Ang Lee (; born October 23, 1954) is a Taiwanese filmmaker. Born in Pingtung County of southern Taiwan, Lee was educated in Taiwan and later in the United States. During his filmmaking career, he has received international critical and popula ...

's 2005 ''

Brokeback Mountain ''Brokeback Mountain'' is a 2005 American neo-Western romantic drama film directed by Ang Lee and produced by Diana Ossana and James Schamus. Adapted from the 1997 short story of the same name by Annie Proulx, the screenplay was written by ...

''. It closed on November 7, 2010. * "Remembering

Angel Island Angel Island may refer to: *Angel Island (California), historic site of the United States Immigration Station, Angel Island, and part of Angel Island State Park, in San Francisco Bay, California * Angel Island, Papua New Guinea * ''Angel Island'' (n ...

", commemorating the centennial anniversary of the opening of the immigration station in California, July 16, 2010 – January 31, 2012. * ''Dreams Deferred: Artists Respond to Immigration'', December 10, 2010 – December 18, 2011. This exhibition showcased local artists exploring the tensions, repercussions, hopes, and dreams of immigrant communities in the face of new immigration legislation, through a broad spectrum of art including street art, graffiti art, sculptures, painting and multimedia installations. Artists included: Augustine Kofie, Cache, Eriberto Oriol, Ernesto Yerena Montejano, Eyeone, K. Lovich, Jesus Barraza of Dignidad Rebelde, Joel “rage.one” Garci, John Carlos De Luna, LeHumanBeing, Oscar Magallanes, Patrick Martinez, Sand One,

Shepard Fairey Frank Shepard Fairey (born February 15, 1970) is an American contemporary artist, activist and founder of OBEY Clothing who emerged from the skateboarding scene. In 1989 he designed the "Andre the Giant Has a Posse" (...OBEY...) sticker campai ...

, Shark Toof, O.G. Slick, Swank, and Tempt. * ''Breaking Ground: Chinese American Architects in Los Angeles'' (1945-1980), January 19, 2012 – June 3, 2012. Part of Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A., 1945-1980, this exhibition showcased the achievements of four pioneering Chinese American architects whose contributions were critical to the development of Los Angeles’ urban and visual landscape between 1945 and 1980. The exhibit focused on the lives and work of Eugene Kinn Choy, Gilbert L. Leong,

Helen Liu Fong Helen Liu Fong (January 14, 1927April 17, 2005) was a Chinese-American architect and interior designer from Los Angeles, California. Fong was an important figure in the Googie architecture movement, designing futuristic buildings like Norms Res ...

, and Gin D. Wong, FAIA, four architects who played pivotal roles in the development of Mid-Century Modern and

Googie Architecture Googie architecture ( ) is a type of futurist architecture influenced by car culture, jets, the Atomic Age and the Space Age. It originated in Southern California from the Streamline Moderne architecture of the 1930s, and was popular in th ...

movements, unique to California's Post-War architectural renaissance. * ''LA Heat: Taste Changing Condiments'', March 13-July 12, 2014. This art exhibition explored the impact of

Sriracha Sriracha ( or ; th, ศรีราชา, ) is a type of hot sauce or chili sauce made from a paste of chili peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar, and salt. Use In Thailand, sriracha is frequently used as a dipping sauce, particula ...

and Tapatio in Los Angeles. The exhibit included a curated selection of artwork from artists of diverse backgrounds passionate and reflective about notions of identity, community, and foodways. Participating artists included: Edith Beaucage, Erik Benjamins, Audrey Chan, Ching Ching Cheng, The Chung!!, Chris Christion, Clayton Brothers, Eye One,

Gajin Fujita is a graffiti artist from East Los Angeles. He is a member of LA graffiti crews K2S (Kill 2 Succeed) and KGB (Kids Gone Bad). Background and education He was born in 1972 to Japanese parents. Fujita holds an MFA from the University of Nevada, Las ...

, Daniel Gonzalez, Pato Hebert
Michael C. Hsiung
Phung Huynh, Tomo Isoyama, Nery Gabriel Lemus, Sandra Low, Trinh Mai, Patrick Martinez, Michael Massenburg, Kwanchai Moriya, Jose Ramirez, Yoshie Sakai, Jose Sarinana, Sand One, Shark Toof, Sket, Slick, Henry Taylor, Werc.

Events

Chinese New Year Celebration

During the Chinese New Year celebration each year, a

Lantern Festival The Lantern Festival ( zh, t=元宵節, s=元宵节, first=t, hp=Yuánxiāo jié), also called Shangyuan Festival ( zh, t=上元節, s=上元节, first=t, hp=Shàngyuán jié), is a Chinese traditional festival celebrated on the fifteenth d ...

is held at the museum, featuring live entertainment, including lion dancers, acrobatics, musical,

Chinese knotting Chinese knotting, also known as () and decorative knots in non-Chinese cultures, is a decorative handcraft art that began as a form of Chinese folk art in the Tang and Song dynasty (960–1279 CE) in China. This form of craft originated and w ...

, and dance performances. "Long Story Short", a documentary on actress

Jodi Long Jodi Long is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Madama on '' Cafe Americain'' (1993–1994), and Ok Cha on ''Sullivan and Son'' (2012–2014), and her role in ''Patty Hearst'' (1988). She won Best Supporting Actress at the Dayt ...

's family, was shown at the 8th Annual festival which was held on February 7, 2009.CAM 2009 Lantern Festival
The 2013 Lantern Festival was held Saturday, March 2, 2013, 12 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Historymakers Awards

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 Lisa Lu Yan (; born January 19, 1927) is a Chinese actress. She won the Golden Horse Awards three times in the 1970s. She is the only person who is a member of both the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts ...

(Chinese: 盧燕), Chinese-American actress and documentary producer for excellence in film and entertainment. ;Notes

References

External links