Portland Chinatown History Foundation

HONORING PORTLAND CHINATOWN'S PAST, CELEBRATING ITS PRESENT, AND HELPING TO CREATE ITS FUTURE.

IN 2023, THE MUSEUM EXPANDED ITS PROGRAMMING AND DEEPENED ITS COMMUNITY IMPACT. WE INTRODUCED NEW LUNAR NEW YEAR EVENTS, INCLUDING DRAGON AND LION DANCE ACADEMIES, THE ANNUAL DRAGON CELEBRATION, DRAGON RESTORATION EFFORTS, AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS ABOUT LUNAR NEW YEAR, ENGAGING BOTH VOLUNTEERS AND VISITORS IN MEANINGFUL WAYS. OUR TWO CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED EXHIBITIONS ON BUE KEE, OUR SECOND ARTIST IN RESIDENCE, RECEIVED WIDESPREAD ATTENTION. THESE EXHIBITIONS NOT ONLY BROUGHT RECOGNITION FROM THE OREGONIAN BUT ALSO INSPIRED SEVERAL COLLECTORS TO DONATE THEIR ENTIRE BUE KEE COLLECTIONS, ESTABLISHING THE MUSEUM AS A LANDMARK REPOSITORY OF HIS WORK. CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O.THE BUE KEE EXHIBITION WILL BE THE SUBJECT OF TWO SCHOLARS' PANELS, ONE AT OUR MUSEUM AND ANOTHER AT THE COLLEGE ART ASSOCIATION.OUR ONGOING BOOK TALKS BECAME A STAPLE OF OUR PROGRAMMING, AND WE PARTNERED WITH VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS TO HOST A VARIETY OF EVENTS. A NOTABLE ADDITION TO OUR OFFERINGS WAS THE VETERAN'S MEMORIAL COMMUNITY TALKING GROUPS, WHICH HELPED ENVISION A FUTURE MEMORIAL BY AND FOR THE CHINESE AMERICAN COMMUNITY IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST.ALTHOUGH OLD TOWN CHINATOWN CONTINUES TO FACE SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES FROM THE ADDICTION AND HOUSELESSNESS CRISIS, OUR MUSEUM EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS BY RETURNING TO PRE-PANDEMIC VISITOR NUMBERS AND EVEN SURPASSING THEM IN CERTAIN MONTHS, THANKS TO OUR QUALITY PROGRAMMING. OUR VOLUNTEER BASE DOUBLED, AND WE SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED A GENERAL OPERATIONS APPEAL THAT STRENGTHENED OUR FINANCIAL POSITION.LOOKING FORWARD, WITH OUR FIVE-YEAR CALENDAR FIRMLY IN PLACE AND EXHIBITIONS PLANNED WELL IN ADVANCE, WE ARE TURNING OUR ATTENTION TO OUR CAPITAL CAMPAIGN. SECURING THE PURCHASE OF OUR BUILDING WILL ENSURE OUR LASTING LEGACY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, ANCHORING US AS A VITAL PART OF OLD TOWN'S CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL PRESERVATION.