MONTHLY NEWSLETTER | FEBRUARY 2022 |
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Wednesday & Friday: 9:30am to 2pm
Saturday & Sunday: 10am to 4pm
Group visits by appointment only.
The health and safety of our visitors, staff, volunteers, and community is our top priority. The Chinese American Museum of Chicago (CAMOC) will require all individuals to wear a mask while in the Museum, regardless of vaccination status. We greatly appreciate your understanding and cooperation.
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| FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR |
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The celebration of the Lunar New Year ends after the Lantern Festival (元宵節 yuán xiāo jié) which falls on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month!
The Lantern Festival is also considered to be the Chinese Valentine’s Day. This year, it falls on February 15th, one day after the “Western” Valentine’s Day which contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. In ancient China, unmarried maidens usually weren’t allowed out of the house, especially during nighttime hours. But on the night of Lantern Festival, everyone, including women and maidens, could stroll freely in the streets and even interact with men.
There were two Lunar New Year Parades in the month in the City of Chicago. CAMOC attended both, one in uptown and the other one with a float in Chinatown, Armour Square. You can watch our float in the parade on February 13 th here and here.
We have a number of exciting exhibits and events coming up! We will launch the “Spotlight Series” exhibits to showcase the work of artists of local Chinese descent. Please RSVP for the inaugural opening on March 19 th here.
Last, but not least, we welcome two new Directors to join our Board, Jasmine Primm and Sue Babb, who will use their expertise to help CAMOC grow.
Ben Lau
Executive Director
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Spotlight Series
Laura Lynn Hsieh: Mahjong and Dumplings
3/19/2022 - 4/29/2022
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This spring, the Chinese American Museum of Chicago (CAMOC) will launch the Spotlight Series, a new initiative to showcase recent and past work by emerging and mid-career artists of Chinese descent locally. Curated by Larry Lee (Molar Productions), the project aims to introduce, promote and celebrate the divergent artistic visions and experiences of being Chinese in America looking at and reflecting upon our relationship to contemporary visual culture to a wider audience within our community and Chicago.
Join us on Saturday, March 19th from 3-6pm CT for the inaugural opening reception of Laura Lynn Hsieh: Mahjong and Dumplings featuring ceramics and video by the artist Laura Lynn Hsieh. This exhibitition will run from March 19 through April 29.
About the artist
Laura Lynn Hsieh is a first-generation Chinese American who doesn’t speak Chinese.
Growing up in an all-white, Massachusetts town has influenced her work as much as having parents who fled their homeland during wartime and who expect her to maintain ties to a culture she has never known. As an installation artist, Hsieh’s creative processes involve writing, text usage, sculptural and ceramic components, as well as video and performance. Her work investigates notions of community, culture, family, and the routine of the everyday.
She has worked in the apparel, computer, and housewares product industries, working with Chinese manufacturers, factories, and laborers and has taught various high school, undergraduate, and graduate-level classes in sculpture, ceramics, 2D design, computer programming, and non-ferrous metals. Hsieh has a B.A. from Hamilton College, a degree in Fashion Design from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, and an M.F.A. from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC).
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Rally and Prayer for Ukraine |
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CAMOC participated in rally and prayer for Ukraine at Saints Volodymyr & Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church in Ukrainian Village, and stood in solidarity with Ukrainian people condemning invasion of their country by Russian military. |
Photo above: Executive Director Ben Lau |
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Photo above (right): Curator of Collections Riley Ren |
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Chinese New Year Virtual Celebration |
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Photo above: CAMOC Artist-in-Residence Lucy Liu demonstrates how to cut out a tiger |
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On the second day of the Year of the Tiger, CAMOC hosted its annual Chinese New Year Celebration virtually. We celebrated the new lunar year with lion dancing, musical performances from Kerry Leung and Miss Chinatown Chicago contestants, paper-cutting art by CAMOC Artist-in-Residence Lucy Liu, discussing the symbolism behind Chinese New Year foods and traditions, and sharing our wishes for health, wealth, and prosperity for all.
By the end of the month, we have over 2.2k views of the festivities on our YouTube channel! Thank you to our performers and all who joined us! If you missed the celebration or would like to re-watch it, you can do so by clicking the button below.
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The donor who contributed the most received a Spring Festival couplet written by our volunteer calligrapher Ram Moy. Our top donor was: Linval J. Chung. Thank you, Linval, as well as everyone who made a contribution! Your generous donations allow us to continue providing quality exhibitions and programming for the public. |
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CAMOC joins Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade
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Later in the month, CAMOC joined this year's Lunar New Year parade in Chinatown with our very own float! Like our fellow Chinatown organizations, we were thrilled to be able to celebrate outside this year. In spite of cold weather, our spirits and celebrations kept us warm as we welcomed the Year of the Tiger together. Thank you to our volunteers for helping us decorate our float and greet the public! |
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Executive Director Ben Lau and Miss Chinese Chicago 2019 Crowd Favorite and Congeniality Celina Xu pose with the float |
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Left photo (left to right): Executive Director Ben Lau (front) with Board Director Soo Lon Moy, Empress (Yin Kean), Emperor (Board Director Rich Frachey), and President Ed Jung
Right photo: Executive Director Ben Lau (left), Amy Xie (left 2), CBCAC Executive Director Grace Chan McKibben (middle), and Chris Kanich (right 2)
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President Ed Jung waves with volunteers on our float at the beginning of the route |
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Left to right: God of Fortune (Brent), Board Director Soo Lon Moy, CBCAC Executive Director Grace Chan McKibben, Empress (Yin Kean), Executive Director Ben Lau (front), and the Emperor (Board Director Rich Frachey) |
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CAMOC joins Chinese North American History Network for a Historic First Meeting
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Earlier this month, Executive Director Ben Lau joined the Chinese North American History Group's historic meeting on behalf of CAMOC. This was the very first time nearly all the Chinese museums and historical associations in the USA and Canada agreed to meet. Each institution and organization had the opportunity to introduce their origins and specific goals. CAMOC is proud to be part of the network and to work alongside like-minded organizations that are committed to the preservation of the history and legacy of Chinese North Americans. |
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The full list of meeting attendees (in no particular order):
The San Diego Chinese Historical Museum
The Portland Chinatown Museum
The Chinese Historical Society of America Museum in San Francisco
The Chinese American Museum of Chicago
The Wing Luke Museum of Seattle
The Chinese American Museum of Los Angeles
The Chinese American Museum in Washington, DC
The Locke Foundation Museums in Locke, California
The Chinese Historical Cultural Project of San Jose
The Chinese American Historical Museum of Santa Clara
The Chew Key Store Museum in Fiddleton, California
The Kwan Tai Temple in Mendocino, California
The Mai Wah Museum in Butte, Montana
The Angel Island Immigration Museum in San Francisco
The American Chinese Museum in Philadelophia
The Chinese Canadian Archive of Toronto
The Chinese American G.I. Project
The Chinese Historical Society of Memphis and the Mid-South
The Chinese Historical Society of Southern California
The Chinese Historical Society of New England
The Chinese American Heritage Foundation of Boston
Photo above courtesy of Ben SB, Chinese North American History Network
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CAMOC attends Argyle Lunar New Year Parade
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Executive Director Ben Lau, Vice President Mabel Menard, Board Director Rich Frachey, and longtime volunteer Viable Shum traveled uptown to attend the Argyle Lunar New Year Parade. Despite frigid temperatures, CAMOC had a terrific time celebrating the Lunar New Year and wishing the Beijing 2022 Olympics success!
First photo: Executive Director Ben Lau with community members
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Right photo: Board Director Rich Frachey holds Olympic mascot Bing Dwen Dwen (panda) plushie and longtime volunteer Viable Shum holds Paralympic mascot Shuey Rhon Rhon (lantern child) |
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Executive Director Ben Lau and Consul Zhou from the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China pose with plushies in front of the Consulate's float |
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CAMOC joins "Safeguarding Cultural Heritage in the Face of Urban Change" discussion
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Pictured above: CAMOC Executive Director Ben Lau, CAMOC Board Director Soo Lon Moy, President and Founder of the Bronzeville Historical Society Sherry Williams, Moderator Michelle Stefano from the American Folklife Center, and Resident Scholar and Director of Academic Collaboration Kate Kelaidis
Executive Director Ben Lau and Board Director Soo Lon Moy joined a virtual discussion hosted by the Chicago Architecture Center's Open House Chicago and the Chicago Cultural Alliance's Journey Chicago Festival. Along with representatives from the Bronzeville Historical Society, the National Hellenic Museum, and the American Folklife Center, they discussed the complexities and impacts of top-down gentrification and urban development, and how cultural heritage can be used as forces for celebration, revitalization and fighting against cultural and historical erasure.
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CAMOC featured in WTHR's "Spirit of China" series
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CAMOC was featured in WTHR's "Spirit of China" series, which highlights Chinese American culture across the nation. Channel 13 reporter Scott Swan visited Chicago Chinatown and stopped by the Museum to talk with CAMOC Board Director and Head of Exhibition Committee Soo Lon Moy about the history of Chinese Americans in the Midwest. Watch the video by clicking the button below. |
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CAMOC attends CCC's Lunar New Year Dinner
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CAMOC Board Directors and staff were excited to attend the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce's Lunar New Year Dinner with other community members at the New Furama Restaurant. It was great to be able to celebrate the new lunar year with some good food!
Pictured above (left to right): President Ed Jung, volunteer Aileen Sanford, Executive Director Ben Lau, Board Director Soo Lon Moy, Associate Board member Ada Tong, Miss Friendship Ambassador 2022 Susan Liu, Curator of Collections Riley Ren, Board Director Swee Cheng, Collections Chair Andrea Stamm, Board Director Rich Frachey, volunteer Ram Moy, and Chinatown civic leader Gene Lee
Pictured below: CAMOC Board Directors and staff with 25th Ward Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez
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Second photo: CAMOC Board and staff with Darryl Tom |
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Third photo: CAMOC Board and staff with Steven Lu, Manager of Research and Community Affairs of the Office of the Comptroller |
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The Group Tours Keep Coming! |
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At the Museum, we have been busy with group tours from high schools and colleges in the area. Stephen Cheng recently came back to join us and lead group tours. He is pictured here with students from Northern Illinois University!
You can watch NIU Asian American Certificate Program field trip at CAMOC HERE. |
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Welcome Jasmine Primm to our Board of Directors! |
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The Chinese American Museum of Chicago (CAMOC) is excited to welcome Jasmine Primm to our Board of Directors.
Jasmine Primm (she/her) is the Senior Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Employee Relations at the Chicago-based meal kit and food delivery company Home Chef. She holds an M.S. of Arts and Sciences: Communications & Marketing from Georgia State University.
Tell us about yourself!
I am a southern belle! My favorite pastimes include traveling, writing music, cooking, poetry, any occasion that requires a ball gown, rowing and having fun adventures with my husband and son!
What is your favorite part of the Museum?
My favorite part of the museum is the history in the stories and within the exhibits. I am a huge history buff and I love continuing to be a student and the museum does an amazing job at integrating history in a way that is appealing to all ages and learning types!
What are you most excited about doing as part of the Board of Directors?
I am most excited about encouraging a younger audience to participate in historical experiences! History doesn’t have to be ran or dry and learning about the past is a meaningful way to ensure that we are always as prepared as possible for the future. History is alive and we create it everyday!
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Welcome to the CAMOC community, Jasmine!
Next month, we'll introduce our other new Board Director, Sue Babb - so stay tuned!
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Opening Reception for Spotlight Series
Laura Lynn Hsieh: Mahjong and Dumplings
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Date: Saturday, March 19, 2022
Time: 3 - 6pm CT
Location:
4th floor gallery, CAMOC
238 W 23rd St.
Chicago, IL 60616
This spring, the Chinese American Museum of Chicago (CAMOC) will launch the Spotlight Series, a new initiative to showcase recent and past work by emerging and mid-career artists of Chinese descent locally. Curated by Larry Lee (Molar Productions), the project aims to introduce, promote and celebrate the divergent artistic visions and experiences of being Chinese in America looking at and reflecting upon our relationship to contemporary visual culture to a wider audience within our community and Chicago.
Join us on Saturday, March 19th from 3-6pm CT for the inaugural opening reception of Laura Lynn Hsieh: Mahjong and Dumplings featuring ceramics and video by the artist Laura Lynn Hsieh. This exhibitition will run from March 19 through April 29.
About the artist
Laura Lynn Hsieh is a first-generation Chinese American who doesn’t speak Chinese.
Growing up in an all-white, Massachusetts town has influenced her work as much as having parents who fled their homeland during wartime and who expect her to maintain ties to a culture she has never known. As an installation artist, Hsieh’s creative processes involve writing, text usage, sculptural and ceramic components, as well as video and performance. Her work investigates notions of community, culture, family, and the routine of the everyday.
She has worked in the apparel, computer, and housewares product industries, working with Chinese manufacturers, factories, and laborers and has taught various high school, undergraduate, and graduate-level classes in sculpture, ceramics, 2D design, computer programming, and non-ferrous metals. Hsieh has a B.A. from Hamilton College, a degree in Fashion Design from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, and an M.F.A. from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC).
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| BECOME A MEMBER TODAY! |
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Becoming a member is a simple and effective way to get involved with the Chinese American Museum of Chicago. Your membership represents a personal investment in the Museum and ensures the continuation of the wide array of quality exhibitions, programs, and events we bring to the community. In addition, you are affirming the importance of the Museum’s commitment to bring the Chinese American experience in the Midwest to as many people as possible.
$150 = Free event admission for member & 3 guests for 1 year
$100 = Free event admission for member & 1 guest for 1 year
$60 = Free event admission for member only for 1 year
$30 = Free event admission for seniors & students for 1 year
$500 = Corporate Membership for 1 year (with 10 individual memberships, recognition in program & on plaque)
For Members who support us beyond the basic level, we offer extra recognition and the following benefits:
$250 = Bronze (Honorary Membership)
$500 = Silver (Honorary Membership)
$1,000 = Gold (Lifetime Membership or a small donor brick)
$1,500 = Platinum (Lifetime Membership and a small donor brick)
$5,000 = Diamond (Large donor brick)
$5,500 = Jade (Large donor brick plus Lifetime Membership)
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TOP:
Large Brick
7.5" X 7.5"
LEFT:
Donor Wall in Front Lobby
BOTTOM:
Small Brick
3.5" X 7.5"
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You can read the full list of benefits on our website by clicking the button below. There are also instructions on how to join at the bottom of the page, along with the Membership Form. |
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We are looking for dedicated, reliable, and energetic individuals who would like to experience our historic institution from the inside — as volunteers! We need volunteers for docents, greeters and special events. If you are interested in volunteering for us, please use the button below to visit our related page and download a volunteer form. |
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Do you have any thoughts on a possible program, a collection to donate, or a fundraising idea for our Museum? Please let us know! We value and welcome your input on how we can continue to provide great programming and resources for our community. If you would like to share an idea, please contact us at office@ccamuseum.org. |
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CAMOC Together Against COVID-19
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An old Chinese saying, 時勢造英雄 (Shíshì zào yīngxióng ), which means a hero is made in the time of misfortune aptly describes how people rally together in the pandemic. During this challenging time we are deeply moved by the proactive steps and incredible acts of generosity and support exhibited by the Chinese Americans. Thousands of individuals and organizations have been raising money, donating personal protective equipment, and providing free meals to those in need, especially to front-line healthcare workers and others. CAMOC is inviting you to help us preserve these heroic moments by sharing the stories to our Together Against Covid-19 Special Collection.
CAMOC started this special collection with the goal of recording the experiences and stories of individuals, families, and organizations during these unprecedented times. The Together Against Covid-19 Collection will include various forms of content, which can be photos, videos, articles, audios, letters, paintings, certificates, or any form you can think of. If you are not sure whether your content fits our collection or you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Please send your story to covid19@ccamuseum.org , with the subject Together Against Covid-19 Collection. And please include your contact information , including full name, organization or community if applicable, email, phone number, and mailing address.
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ABOUT US
The mission of the Chinese American Museum of Chicago - Raymond B. & Jean T. Lee Center (CAMOC) is is to advance the appreciation of Chinese American culture through exhibitions, education, and research and to preserve the past, present, and future of Chinese Americans primarily in the Midwest.
The museum building, formerly the Quong Yick Co., is located in Chicago's Chinatown, at 238 West 23rd Street in Chicago. The Museum opened to the public on May 21, 2005. After a devastating fire in September of 2008, the Museum was closed for renovation and reopened in 2010.
CAMOC is governed by the Board of Directors of the Chinatown Museum Foundation (CMF), a 501(C)(3) non-profit corporation located in Chicago, Illinois.
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