USC Pacific Asia Museum

USC Pacific Asia Museum
USC Pacific Asia Museum, exterior.
Location 46 N. Los Robles Ave
Pasadena, California
Coordinates 34°08′48″N 118°08′28″W / 34.1467°N 118.1411°W / 34.1467; -118.1411Coordinates: 34°08′48″N 118°08′28″W / 34.1467°N 118.1411°W / 34.1467; -118.1411
Built 1924
Architect Marston, Van Pelt & Maybury
NRHP Reference # 77000300[1]
CHISL # 988
Added to NRHP July 21, 1977

USC Pacific Asia Museum is an Asian art museum located at 46 N. Los Robles Avenue, Pasadena, California, United States.

The museum was founded in 1971 by the Pacificulture Foundation, which purchased “The Grace Nicholson Treasure House of Oriental Art” from the City of Pasadena. Grace Nicholson donated the structure to the city for art and cultural purposes in 1943 and was a dealer in Native American and, later, Asian art and antiques.[2] It houses some 15,000 rare and representative examples of art from throughout Asia and the Pacific Islands. In 2013, the museum became part of the University of Southern California.[3]

The building, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, was built in 1926 and designed by the architectural firm of Marston, Van Pelt & Maybury. It is designed in the style of a Chinese imperial palace and features a central courtyard with a garden, a small pool, and decorative carvings.[4]

Galleries

Library

The Research Library, begun in 1975, is the only library in the region dedicated to Asian and Pacific Island art and history and contains more than 9,000 volumes. The highlights include an extensive collection of books on the Philippines and 1,500 books on Indian history and culture donated by Dr. Paul Sherbert, former Consul General in Madras and first Director of the Asia Society, New York. Information about the Museum’s current exhibitions is displayed, as are our current magazines. The library has more than 9,000 books (almost entirely in English) in fields of Asian and Pacific arts, crafts, history and culture.

Notable exhibits

Yaksha Kuber, USC Pacific Asia Museum

One of the museum's 2009 exhibits looked at the mash-up of Chinese calligraphy and American graffiti. US-China Today has an article and slide show on the exhibit and a video featuring the curator and a couple of the artists who contributed to the exhibit: Calligraffiti: Crossing the Divide.

USC Pacific Asia Museum, central courtyard with a garden, a small pool, and decorative carvings

See also

References

  1. ↑ Staff (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. ↑ Building and Garden, USC Pacific Asia Museum, 2011
  3. ↑ Boehm, Mike (2013-11-19). "USC absorbs Pasadena's Pacific Asia Museum in friendly takeover". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2014-08-10.
  4. ↑ Brewer, Polly (November 10, 1976). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Grace Nicholson Building" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved August 5, 2013. Accompanied by photos.

External links

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