The Board of Directors for the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena gave the museum and its collection of more than 14,000 pieces of Asian art to the University of Southern California (USC) this morning.
The museum building, originally a private home near downtown Pasadena, was constructed 90 years ago to resemble closely an Asian temple. To my thinking the building alone is worth the visit. It’s quite remarkable.
Like the Autry Museum’s acquisition of the Southwest Museum a few years ago, this ‘take-over’ by USC with its deep pockets will help assure that the excellent art collection and building will be properly and professionally maintained. Like many smaller museums the Pacific Asia Museum has been struggling along on a shoe-string operating budget and its endowment is tiny, relatively speaking–under a million dollars.
If you are in the L.A. area it is easy to get to the museum. Take the Gold Line to the Memorial Park station and when you exit, go left for about three blocks to Los Robles. You won’t be able to miss the museum with its huge dragon and other graphics on the outside.
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