This Spring, Don’t Miss These Exhibits Highlighting Asian American Culture

From May onward, museums nationwide are showcasing Asian American narratives. These institutions are emphasizing the significant contributions of Asian Americans to the arts, sciences, history, and culture of the United States, while also featuring emerging talents shaping the future.

During this Asian and Pacific American Heritage Month, explore these four exhibits to gain insights into the diverse perspectives and history of Asian Americans.

Scratching at the Moon

Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles

• Location: Los Angeles, California
• Event Dates: February 10–July 28, 2024
• Operating Hours: Wednesdays and Fridays from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursdays from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Entry Fee: Free

Scratching at the Moon showcases the works of 13 artists, marking the first comprehensive survey of Asian American creatives at a significant contemporary art museum in Los Angeles. Curated by artist Anna Sew Hoy, the exhibit draws inspiration from the community's response to support Black lives and combat violence against Asian Americans in 2020. It explores themes such as structural racism, environmental issues, immigration, cultural assimilation, gentrification, and intergenerational wisdom. The museum states that the exhibition "posits that each body serves as an archive containing the experiences of generations across various cultures and times."

The artworks presented in Scratching at the Moon include a diverse range of media, such as video, ceramics, photography, and sculpture, featuring artists who were born both in the United States and abroad.

Shared Lines: The AAPI Journey on Route 66

Chinese American Museum of Chicago

• Location: Chicago, Illinois
• Exhibition Dates: April 4–September 28, 2024
• Visiting Hours: Wednesday and Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Suggested Admission: $8 donation

In 2023, artist Sammy Yuen traveled along Route 66 to explore the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities situated along this historic route. As he passed through towns like Tulsa, Oklahoma, Flagstaff, Arizona, and Amarillo, Texas, Yuen discovered a shared experience among those who made their homes along the Mother Road. He reflected, "I found that while the sizes of the towns differ, the aspiration remains the same. They all seek a better life and the American Dream."

Shared Lines features a series of drawings inspired by his travels along Route 66. Yuen captures the diversity of locations significant to Asian American history, illustrating sites such as the pagoda pavilion at Ping Tom Memorial Park in Chicago and the Guardian Lion statues in Amboy, California.

Threads

Albany Center Gallery

• Location: Albany, New York
• Exhibition Dates: April 30–June 1, 2024
• Visiting Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• Entry Fee: Free

In collaboration with the local celebration AAPI Heritage Month 518, Albany Center Gallery is featuring local artistic talent in its exhibit Threads, which runs until early June. The gallery states that the exhibit "challenges conventional definitions and emphasizes the viewpoints of AAPI artists along with the shared heritage among communities."

Threads showcases works from 28 regional artists, featuring a variety of mediums including paintings, embroidery installations, and spray paint art.

Exhibit for Asian American Pacific Islander Month

National Museum of Nuclear Science & History

• Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
• Exhibition Dates: May 1–31, 2024
• Hours: Daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Entry Fee: $17

The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was founded in 1969 to educate the public about the nation’s nuclear history and science. As part of this mission, the museum will host a banner exhibition from May 1 to May 31 that highlights the scientific contributions of Asian Americans. Discover the stories of pioneers like Chien-Shiung Wu, an experimental physicist known to be the only Chinese participant in the Manhattan Project, and microbiologist Yee Ching Wong-Staal, a notable AIDS researcher.

On May 4, guests can partake in the museum’s celebrations during its Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Festival.