| Who We Are   
View latest artwork online:
Find more images like this on Chinese Culture Center Online Gallery
Find more images like this on Chinese Culture Center Online Gallery
The Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco is a major
community-based, non-profit organization established in
1965 to foster the understanding and appreciation of Chinese
and Chinese American art, history, and culture in the United
States. The facilities of the Center, totaling 20,000 square
feet, include a 299-seat auditorium, a 2,935 square-foot
gallery, book shop, classroom, and offices. Centrally located
between Chinatown and the Financial District, the Center
attracts a broad spectrum of audiences from the Chinese
community, the city at large, and the greater Bay Area,
as well as visitors from all over the country.
 The
Center offers a variety of educational and cultural programs.
These programs range from lectures, workshops, and classes
to art exhibitions, dance and musical performances, and
cultural exchanges--all of which enable members of the Chinese
American community and the general public alike to gain
a deeper knowledge of historical as well as contemporary
Chinese and Chinese American culture.
 The
activities of the Center focus on art exhibitions, which
are presented on a continuous, year-round basis--some organized
by the Center and others on loan from other museums or cultural
institutions. Major exhibitions of historical significance
have included Chinese of America: 1786-1980 (a documentary
exhibition on the history of Chinese Americans); Chinese
Women of America-- A Pictorial History (an exhibition
accompanied by a catalogue published in conjunction with
the University of Washington Press); Stories From China's
Past: Han Dynasty Pictorial Tomb Reliefs and Archaeological
Objects from Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China,
which toured to eight U.S. cities in 1987-88; Symbol
and Adornment: Traditional Costumes and Jewelry< from
China's Minorities, (in collaboration with the Cultural
Palace Museum of Nationalities, Beijing, China); and Shiwan
Ceramics: Beauty, Color, and Passion, which received funding
support locally and from abroad.
 Since
1981, the Center has increasingly developed programs of
contemporary relevance, especially projects featuring Chinese
artists. Contemporary Chinese Paintings: An Exhibition
from the People's Republic of China and Wu Guanzhong, A
Contemporary Chinese Artist are shows that toured nationally,
between respectively 1983 to 1985 and 1989 to 1991. Other
exhibition projects feature emerging and established Chinese
American artists, whose works represent not only important
contributions to the art field, but also commentaries and
reflections of a group of people in a particular time in
history.
 In
its community role, the Center donates facilities and in-kind
support for the Chinatown Community Arts Program of the
San Francisco Art Commission and assists in coordinating
its activities. By sponsoring certain events in conjunction
with various cultural organizations and community groups
in the San Francisco Bay Area (i.e. Chinese Cultural Productions,
Chinese Folk Dance Association, Gu Zheng Society of San
Francisco), it stimulates cooperation and expands resources
and offerings among the many local groups interested in
Chinese and Chinese American history and culture. The Center
is an active member of the Chinese Community Program of
the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, a support group that
assists the Museum in its community outreach. Research internships
in genealogical studies engage the curiosity and interest
of young Chinese Americans in learning about their culture
and its origins. For the past three years, the Center has
began a series of concerts featuring youth orchestras from
the San Francisco Bay Area. Renowned musicians, such as
violinist Cho-liang Lin and pianist Dennis Lee, are invited
to talk about their experiences and interact with the audience.
Heritage Walk docents from the Center, have introduced San
Francisco Chinatown and its history to many out-of-town
visitors and school-age children; tours are fully subscribed,
especially during weekdays by school-age children from throughout
the Bay Area.
 Because
of these national and international projects, the Center
has become a hosting organization on the West Coast for
visiting specialists from China and throughout the U.S.,
among them film producers, artists, musicians, craftsmen
and others. Chinese and American professionals are able
to meet and to exchange ideas and experiences at conferences,
seminars, and receptions. |
