USC Pacific Asia Museum

USC Pacific Asia Museum
USC Pacific Asia Museum, exterior.
Location46 N. Los Robles Ave
Pasadena, California
Coordinates34°08′48″N 118°08′28″W / 34.1467°N 118.1411°W / 34.1467; -118.1411
Built1924
ArchitectMarston, Van Pelt & Maybury
NRHP reference No.77000300[1]
CHISL No.988
Added to NRHPJuly 21, 1977

USC Pacific Asia Museum is an Asian art museum located at 46 N. Los Robles Avenue, Pasadena, California, United States.

The museum was founded in 1971 by the Pacificulture Foundation, which purchased "The Grace Nicholson Treasure House of Oriental Art" from the City of Pasadena. Grace Nicholson donated the structure to the city for art and cultural purposes in 1943 and was a dealer in Native American and, later, Asian art and antiques.[2] It houses some 15,000 rare and representative examples of art from throughout Asia and the Pacific Islands. In 2013, the museum became part of the University of Southern California.[3] The building was temporarily closed beginning June 27, 2016 until December 2017 for a seismic retrofit and renovation. It has reopened as of December 8, 2017 with new operating hours.[4]

The building, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, was built in 1926 and designed by the architectural firm of Marston, Van Pelt & Maybury. It is designed in the style of a Chinese imperial palace and features a central courtyard with a garden, a small pool, and decorative carvings.[5]

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ Building and Garden Archived 2011-01-01 at the Wayback Machine, USC Pacific Asia Museum, 2011
  3. ^ Boehm, Mike (2013-11-19). "USC absorbs Pasadena's Pacific Asia Museum in friendly takeover". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2014-08-10.
  4. ^ [1], USC Pacific Asia Museum, 2017
  5. ^ Brewer, Polly (November 10, 1976). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Grace Nicholson Building". National Park Service. Retrieved August 5, 2013. Accompanied by photos.