Who We Are

Established in 1971, the museum is one of few U.S. institutions dedicated to the arts and culture of Asia and the Pacific Islands, serving the city of Los Angeles and the Greater Southern California region. The museum’s mission is to further intercultural understanding through the arts of Asia and the Pacific Islands.

The museum’s historic building has served as a center for art, culture and learning in Pasadena since its construction in 1924 by pioneering collector and entrepreneur Grace Nicholson (1877-1948) as her residence, galleries, and Treasure House/emporium. Ms. Nicholson’s championing of Asian art early in the century set the tone for much of the Pasadena community’s arts-related activities during the ensuing decades. The building also served as the site of the Pasadena Art Museum, which was renowned for its groundbreaking exhibitions of contemporary art. Pacific Asia Museum combined the spirits of both its predecessors in its focus on the classic and contemporary arts of Asia and the Pacific Islands.

In 2013, University of Southern California partnered with the museum to form USC Pacific Asia Museum. The affiliation broadened the community that benefits from the museum’s role as a vital resource for education and cultural heritage, and expanded the audience interested in a dialogue about art, history and culture.

Support from the museum’s constituent communities has enabled the collection to grow to more than 15,000 objects, spanning more than five thousand years and the region extending from Persia to the Pacific Islands. The museum fulfills its mission by organizing and presenting exhibitions, performances, lectures, classes, workshops, and festivals, all drawing on the arts and cultures of Asia and the Pacific Islands. These programs provide quality arts programming and education to children and families, ensuring greater access to the arts for area residents and nurturing new audiences.

In its brief history, the museum has organized and presented a number of groundbreaking exhibitions, including the first North American exhibitions of contemporary Chinese art after the Revolution and the first exhibition of Aboriginal art in the United States. Exhibitions originated by the museum have traveled across the country and to Japan. The museum is also committed to scholarship and has produced more than 50 exhibition catalogues.

read less

The Grace Nicholson Building

Grace Nicholson was born on December 31, 1877 in Philadelphia. With a modest inheritance, she moved to California in 1901 and soon after set up a small curio shop on Raymond Avenue in Pasadena. She became interested in Southwestern Indian handiwork through two of her early customers who had been involved in archaeological excavations in Arizona. She invested the few hundred dollars she had remaining on Indian basket collections for her curio shop.

Over time she became increasingly interested in Native American art and culture and would frequently travel the western United States to buy directly from the weavers and basket makers. She carefully documented weaving techniques and designs and photographed daily life. Because of her research on and knowledge of Native American culture, Grace Nicholson became highly respected in the field of anthropology and was elected to the American Anthropological Association in 1904.

An integral part of the University of Southern California, the USC Pacific Asia Museum creates inspiring encounters with the art, history and culture of Pacific Asia to promote intercultural understanding in the service of elevating our shared sense of humanity.

Our Vision

USC PAM is a dynamic and innovative teaching and learning resource for USC and its surrounding communities featuring;

Exhibitions that contest worn assumptions, bridge perspectives and expand understanding
Educational opportunities that connect cultures, disciplines and generations
Programs that engage our common life, even in the absence of common ground

Our Mission

An integral part of the University of Southern California, the USC Pacific Asia Museum creates inspiring encounters with the art, history and culture of Pacific Asia to promote intercultural understanding in the service of elevating our shared sense of humanity.

Our Values

At USC PAM we believe in the power of art to connect us to our deepest humanity and that of others.

As such, we:

Support the Mission and Vision of USC.
Enlist art to expand understanding and bridge divides.
Collect and exhibit exemplary works that amplify artist voices and lift up community narratives.
Steward the objects entrusted to our care for the benefit of successive generations.
Use our resources to inspire a plurality of audiences.
Foster a sense of community both on and off campus.
Explore and validate diversity.
Promote civil and civic discourse.
Secure long-term sustainability.
Manage resources prudently.

Meet Our Team

BETHANY MONTAGANO, Director, USC Museums

DAVID BLAIR, Deputy Director

LINDA BOOT, Registrar, Collections

MICHELLE BOURDON, Visitor Services, Store & Revenue Manager

COURTNEY CRANE, Executive Administrative Supervisor

EVELYN DAVIS, Visitor Services, Store & Tours Associate

LEE MARTIN, USC Museums Prep, Exhibition Carpentry and Fabrication Specialist

CRISTINA HERNANDEZ-GUERRERO, Manager, Public Programs and Campus Partnerships

VACANT, Marketing Coordinator

ANNIE YIHONG-KUANG LEE, Director of Collections, Compliance and Exhibition

SHARON LEMIRE, Grants and Corporate Sponsorships Coordinator

VACANT, Education and Engagement Manager

ALCIDES “AL” ENRIQUE QUIJADA BORJA, Facilities & Events Coordinator

MIKE ROCHE, Operations & Events Supervisor

KIMBERLY TORREZ, Registrar

LONNIE GOODWIN, School Programs and Education Coordinator

USC Museums

USC Museums is guided by a common belief in the power of art to connect us to our deepest humanity and that of others. Our mission is to unite the resources of our museums, campus, and communities, placing art at the core of our collective efforts to address our shared challenges. As such, we embrace our role as conveners who facilitate dynamic art experiences that bridge divides, cultivate connection, and expand perspective.

Pacific Asia Museum

The USC Pacific Asia Museum creates inspiring encounters with the art, history, and culture of Pacific Asia to promote intercultural understanding in the service of elevating our shared sense of humanity.

A painting of various bird species on the wall outside of the PAM Museum.

Fisher Museum of Art

The Fisher Museum of Art catalyzes campus and community connection through the power of art.

We fulfill our mission by promoting collaborative teaching, learning, and engagement experiences within the USC campuses and surrounding communities. Our primary role is that of conveners who facilitate dynamic experiences around art. This involves:

Presenting boundary-pushing exhibitions that challenge conventional assumptions, bridge perspectives, and enhance understanding.
Offering dynamic educational opportunities that span cultures, disciplines, generations, and neighborhoods, fostering connectivity.
Creating programs that encourage shared experiences, even when common ground may be lacking.
Maintaining accessible collections that encourage interdisciplinary inquiry and research, reflecting the diversity of the campuses and communities they serve.
Providing cutting-edge opportunities for innovation and evolution in museum practices, pushing the boundaries of art definitions.

Go to USC Museums

Special Thanks to Our Donors & Sponsors

The USC Pacific Asia Museum depends on the support of individuals, corporations, and foundations to fulfill its mission to create inspiring encounters with the art, history and culture of Pacific Asia to promote intercultural understanding in the service of elevating our shared sense of humanity. Your generosity allows USC PAM to present dynamic exhibitions, provide engaging educational school initiatives, thoughtful public programs, and care of its diverse collections.

Students with USC Museums

Whether you are an art enthusiast or simply curious about the world of art, SUM provides everyone an opportunity to discuss, learn, and develop their skills and knowledge on all things museums and art. Our members have the unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the prestigious USC Fisher Museum of Art and the USC Pacific Asia Museum. With chances to connect with museum staff and participate in unprecedented experiences, our organization provides a vibrant community for students to expand their passion for all things artistic.

Visit Students with USC Museums

Accessibility & Guidelines

USC PAM values a broad range of perspectives from our visitors, employees, volunteers, students, faculty, and community. The museum acknowledges that diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are vital to the USC PAM’s future viability, relevance, and sustainability. We as an institution continue to create policies and practices that help to eliminate barriers to participation, ensure that our offerings reflect the diversity of the communities we serve and the inclusivity to which we aspire.

Diversity

At USC PAM, diversity is defined as the characteristics and attributes that make each of us unique at the individual or group level. Diversity has many dimensions, including gender identity and expression, race, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, disability, and age; as well as cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, life experiences, skills, thoughts, perspectives, and ideas.

Equity

Equity involves acknowledging diversity, celebrating our differences and working together to eliminate barriers that prevent participation of all people and communities. Building equity requires that we seek an understanding of the underlying causes of disparities within our society, and strive to address and overcome them, in order to fulfill our commitment to providing equal opportunities in our employment and other practices.

Inclusion

While diversity always exists in social systems, inclusion and equity must be fostered. At USC PAM, we need to do this by cultivating an environment where people feel supported and listened to. As a museum with a global collection, it is our mission and responsibility to ensure that our staff, interns, and volunteers demonstrate cultural competence, and that our collections and programming reflect and respond to diverse needs, interests, and cultures of our communities here in Pasadena and beyond.

Accessibility

An accessible museum is one that is inclusive of, and makes accommodations for, people with all types of disabilities. At the USC PAM, we are committed to creating accessible environments throughout the institution’s physical building and in our practices; and providing the public with physical and intellectual access to the museum and its resources. We believe these commitments strengthen the institution for everyone.

Services for Visitors with Disabilities

Everyone is welcome at USC PAM. We aim to make our exhibitions and programs accessible to all visitors with the help of the following services and amenities. If you have accessibility needs please contact the museum ahead of time and they can assist you with accessible parking locations and other information. Please email: rochemic@usc.edu

Parking

Accessible parking is available in the parking lot adjacent to the museum.

Wheelchairs

A limited number of wheelchairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis, free of charge. Please inquire at the Information Desk upon arrival. The museum welcomes your personal walkers, wheelchairs, and scooters.

Gallery Chairs

A limited number of portable gallery chairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis, free of charge. Please inquire at the Information Desk upon arrival.

Closed Captioning

All videos for special exhibitions are closed-captioned.

Service Animals

In accordance with titles II and III of the ADA, USC PAM welcomes service dogs only. Service dogs must be housebroken as well as harnessed, leashed, or tethered to their accompanying individual. If the handler is unable to control disruptive behaviors, the museum reserves the right to remove the animal and the individual from the museum.
With the exception of service animals that meet the federal government’s guidelines for animals trained to perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a qualifying disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), visitors are not permitted to bring animals into USC PAM.

Restrooms

A fully accessible and gender neutral restroom is available at the museum, with a changing table.

Facility Rentals

Let us help you incorporate thousands of years of Asian art, history and culture into your next event. USC PAM is an ideal venue for hosting special events of all kinds, from corporate luncheons and meetings to large receptions, lectures, and beyond. Requests are evaluated in keeping with our mission to preserve the permanent collection according to the highest professional standards.

The museum is housed in a building inspired by the architecture of a traditional Chinese imperial mansion. The galleries surround a charming courtyard garden containing a koi pond, rock sculptures and graceful trees that reflect the beauty of the changing seasons.

This one of a kind building, is a California State Historic Landmark and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The second floor of the museum overlooks the garden and features a conservatory/auditorium and a meeting room with elegant Chinese furniture and décor.

Outside event rentals and catering are permitted. All our facilities are ADA accessible as well.

If you wish, after dining or meeting, you may enjoy a guided tour of the galleries and garden. Special demonstrations and lectures may be arranged for an additional fee.

In an effort to ensure that those who rent out spaces at USC PAM care for our spaces like their own, an active Museum membership at the Friends Level or above is required for facilities rentals.

Fill out the inquiry form below to connect with our Rentals team!

Inquire

Centrally located on the museums first floor, the courtyard offers open concept design with collection pieces, Zen garden and koi pond. Courtyard furniture is flexible and can be adapted to any event. Portable PA system can be brought in. Space is optimal for receptions, banquets, celebrations, dinners. Space allows for up to 80 people (standing room only) and 30 people (seated). Easy access to galleries, museum store and restrooms.

Rent Courtyard

Located on the 2^nd floor, this space offers flexibility for meetings, workshops and presentations. In house portable A/V is available. Open floor plan with natural lighting from the courtyard and flexible design for up to 30 (theater style seating).

Rent Room

Located on the 2^nd floor, this flexible space offers two projectors, in house A/V and bay windows with blackout curtains. Entrance Foyer allows additional space for food and beverage or event usage. Track light for a more intimate seating. Open floor plan with seating for up to 80 (theater style seating). The auditorium is great for presentations, workshops, meetings, screenings, receptions and performances.

Rent Auditorium

In The News

View All

Work With Us

Thank you for your interest in working at USC Pacific Asia Museum!

USC PAM is part of the University of Southern California, a leading private research university located in Los Angeles – a global center for arts, technology and international business. We invite you to apply to our open positions below!

Apply now: 2025 Collections Department
Student Worker

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: Pacific Asia Museum. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact

*For Select Newsletter, type the email list/s that you would like to join: Volunteer opportunities, Adult public programs, Family workshops, or Press Releases.