Aiming to help the community heal in the aftermath of Saturday’s mass shooting in Monterey Park, USC Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena will be offering free admission through Sunday.
“At the USC Pacific Asia Museum, we strive to make the museum to be a place of welcome and refuge for our community during difficult times,” said Valentina Quezada, the museum’s education and engagement manager, said on Tuesday, Jan. 24.
The USC Pacific Asia Museum (Photo by Walt Mancini/Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
“In offering free admission for the rest of the month, we wish to open our space to folks for reflection, processing of grief, and human-centered connection. Our education team is working on other ways to support and uplift our community in the weeks and months to come.”
The announcement comes three days after a gunman killed 11 people at a dance studio during the community’s Lunar New Year celebration.
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Museum officials decided to cancel its own Lunar New Year event set for Sunday, Jan. 22, “out of respect for the victims and an abundance of caution.” The museum, usually open on Sundays, also closed that day.
Admission to the museum is normally $10 general admission and $7 for students and seniors. Children 17 and younger, museum members, faculty, staff and students of the University of Southern California are also admitted free with valid ID. Admission is free to all visitors the second Sunday of the month and guests can pay what they wish on Thursdays.
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As the only Asian and Pacific Islander art and culture museum in Southern California, the museum provides a “space where our community can find solace and reflection during these difficult times,” officials said.
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On its website, the museum also includes a link for people to donate to the Monterey Park Lunar New Year Victims’ Fund, resources for victims and community members and contact information for elected officials.
Exhibitions include “Open Flowers Bear Fruit,” a series of 10 still-life photographs by Stephanie Shih of Los Angeles. The artist said her photographs explore themes of cultural dynamics such as belonging, alienation, appropriation and celebration.
The museum is at 46 North Los Robles Ave., in Pasadena. For more information, visit pacificasiamuseum.usc.edu or call 626-787-2680.