Many types of people and organizations are involved in the process of empowering their communities to tell their own stories. We are not alone. Yet, sometimes in the midst of day-to-day struggles, isolation sets in. Here, we share with you who we are and some ways in which we have applied our community-based exhibition model, with the hope that you will see some connections between you and us, that you know you are not alone in your work, and find encouragement to press on in building community through new and creative ways.

Our Mission
Our mission is to engage the Asian Pacific American communities and the public in exploring issues related to the culture, art and history of Asian Pacific Americans. We are about getting our communities involved in their own stories but also building bridges to other communities. We also span incredible diversities. There are over 26 different ethnic groups within the Asian Pacific American communities. Our mission includes culture, art and history. We balance not only working with all of our diverse communities but this breadth of scope too.

Our Physical Space
We currently lease a remodeled 7,200 square foot historic garage in one of Seattle’s oldest historic neighborhoods and one of its most economically distressed neighborhoods, the Chinatown-International District. Our onsite public areas include:

• 1,000 square foot Permanent Exhibition Gallery
• 750 square foot Main Gallery changed approximately two times per year
• 300 square foot Gallery of Contemporary Art and Issues changed approximately three times per year
• One Classroom for school tours, public programming and community and staff meetings

While some of our public programs are held in our Classroom or Permanent Exhibition Gallery, many occur in rented offsite locations.

We are currently rehabilitating the East Kong Yick Building, a historic hotel built in 1910, for our permanent home. Built with the pooled resources of 170 Asian Pacific American pioneers settlers, the East Kong Yick Building serves as a key physical and social cornerstone in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District.

The new facility will include approximately 10,000 square feet of exhibition spaces:

• Kong Yick Immersion Exhibitions through preserved historic hotel rooms, hotel manager’s office, import-export store, family association room and communal kitchen, and family apartment
• Permanent Exhibition Galleries including Community Exploration Gallery, Community Portrait Lab, Chinatown-International District Exhibition, and Wing Luke and the Museum Exhibition
• Changing Exhibition Galleries including Special Exhibition Gallery, George Tsutakawa Art Gallery, KidPLACE Exhibition, and New Dialogues Initiative Exhibition

Additional public spaces include:

• Community Hall with 121 person occupancy
• Story Theater with 59 fixed raked seats
• Museum Marketplace
• Two Learning Studio Classrooms
• Board and Community Conference Room
• Governor Gary Locke Library and Community Heritage Center

The building is scheduled to open in May 2008.

Our Organizational Structure
We are a nonprofit organization with 501c3 status. We have a volunteer-run Board of Trustees currently with 20 members. Each board member is a member of one of the following committees: Capital Campaign, Development, Finance and Capital Project Advisory. When we first started experimenting with our community-based exhibition model, Museum staff included our Executive Director and one Education staff. We currently have 16 full-time and 11 part-time staff.