When most of us visit the International district, our purpose is usually going for the famous Chinese dim sum, some traditional Chinese sweet pastries, and the different varieties of fruits and vegetables you can get at the stores. Many of us, like myself, usually pass by the historic East Kong Yick building where the Wing Luke Museum is going to hold it's grand opening this weekend.
The Wing Luke Asian Museum is dedicated to engaging the Asian Pacific American communities and the public exploring issues related culture, art and history of Asian Pacific Americans. It's Smithsonian institution affiliated, which was found in 1966 named after the first Asian American, Wing Luke that held an elected office in the Pacific Northwest. Wing Luke believed that the culture and traditions of Chinese and other Asian immigrants should be preserved and taught. He envisioned a place to present history and important issues of Asian Americans. In 2003, the Museum took on an extraordinary journey to transform a building and community by raising funds to restore the historic 60,000 square foot East Kong Yick Building in Seattle's International district as its new permanent home. It successfully completed it's $23.2 million goal, which is the biggest fund rising effort in the organization's history.
The Museum will have a celebration grand opening on May 31 – June 1st from 11am-6pm. Saturday at 10a.m., it will start with a ribbon cutting ceremony and multicultural drumming performance. On Sunday, there will be many children's activities, traditional Chinese lion and dragon dances at 11:30am, hip hop performance and workshops. All the events are family friendly and the admission will be free. The Museum will be open for regular business on June 3rd.
Some upcoming events will include:
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The Native Hawaiian Community in the Pacific Northwest (Special Exhibition Gallery – October 2008)
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Voter Registration (New Dialogue – Augest 2008)
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Dance (Kid Place – Augest 2008)
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Mixed Race / Ethnicity (Community Portrait Gallery – September 2008)
Let's all go support and celebrate this event. Bring your kids along, and I'm sure they'll love the lion dance, fun activities, and learning about the Asian Pacific culture at the same time.