The Pacific Asia Museum at the University of Southern California is dedicated to the art of Asia. The Pacificulture Foundation bought “The Grace Nicholson Treasure House of Oriental Art” from the City of Pasadena and opened the museum there in 1971. A collector and trader of Native American and subsequently Asian art and antiquities, Grace gave the building to the city for its artistic and cultural use in 1943.
American Indian and Asian art and artifact collector and expert Grace Nicholson oversaw the creation of her 1929 gallery/museum. It is one of a kind due to its usage of Chinese ornamentation and has been dubbed an outstanding example of 1920s revival architecture.
About 15,000 unique and significant works of art from Asia and the Pacific Islands are housed there. The museum joined USC in 2013, expanding the university’s already extensive collection. For the duration of the seismic retrofit and refurbishment, which started in June 2016 and ended in December 2017, the building was closed to the public. Previously closed in October 2017, it reopened in December 2017 with extended hours.
The architectural company of Marston, Van Pelt & Maybury is responsible for the 1926 construction of this National Register of Historic Places structure. It was inspired by traditional Chinese architecture and contains a center courtyard with a garden, a small pool, and intricate sculptures.
In 2009, the museum featured an exhibit that explored the intersection between Chinese calligraphy and American graffiti. There is a film in which the exhibit’s curator and a couple of the artists who contributed to the display are featured.
Since its erection, the museum’s historic building has been a hub of Pasadena’s artistic, cultural, and educational communities. The Pasadena Art Museum, known for its innovative displays of contemporary art, called this building home as well. The Pacific Asia Museum successfully merged the traditional and modern art exhibition focuses of its two forerunners by showcasing works from Asia and the Pacific Islands. USC Pacific Asia Museum opened in 2013 as a result of a partnership between the museum and the University of Southern California. The association has increased the pool of people interested in engaging in a conversation about the museum’s art, history, and culture, as well as the community that can benefit from the museum’s crucial function as a resource for education and cultural heritage.
The museum has a rich history of firsts in its short existence, including the first displays of Aboriginal art in the United States and the first North American shows of contemporary Chinese art following the Revolution. The museum’s exhibitions have been seen all around the United States and even in Japan. The museum places a high value on research and has published over 50 exhibition catalogues as evidence of this commitment.
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