Celebrate Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage

Storrier Sterns Japanese Garden

The Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden was created by Kinzuchi Fujii between 1935 – 1940 for Charles and Ellamae Storrier Stearns. It is also the only intact example of a major Japanese-style garden created before World War II for a residence in Southern California. A variety of events are curated monthly, including sound baths, evening access, tea ceremonies and more.

Japanese Garden at The Huntington

The Japanese Garden is one of the oldest gardens at The Huntington, started over a century ago. Stroll through the koi-filled ponds, the moon bridge built by Japanese craftsman Toichiro Kawai, the impressive bonsai collection, the Zen garden, the Japanese House built in Japan around 1904, and ceremonial tea house that was built in Kyoto and donated to The Huntington.

Chinese Garden at The Huntington

Liu Fang Yuan 流芳園 is one of the finest classical-style Chinese gardens outside of China. Designed through an international collaboration with designers and artisans in Suzhou and American construction workers, this garden is filled with plants of literary or cultural significance. Enjoy soloist musicians in the garden every Wednesday.

Japanese Garden at Descanso Gardens

Enjoy the stroll garden, the stream-and-pond garden, the tea garden, and the raked-gravel garden (karesansui), often called (incorrectly) a Zen garden. Designed by Eijiro Nunokawa, the garden's teahouse was operated by Japanese American restauranteurs who commissioned architect Kenneth Masao Nishimoto to build a giftshop that emulates a Japanese farmhouse.

USC Pacific Asia Museum
Global Asias: Contemorary Asian and Asian American Art
Now - June 25, 2023

Combined, the works in Global Asias suggest the plurality and fluidity of “Asia” as cultural construct and creative practice. Organized by the Palmer Museum of Art in association with the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation, Global Asias was guest curated by Dr. Chang Tan, Assistant Professor of Art History and Architecture.

USC Pacific Asia Museum
Dismantling Orientalism
Now - September 3, 2023

See the student-led pop-up exhibition inspired by the program, “Dismantling Orientalism: This is Not a True Story.” Featuring digital media pieces, portraits, posters, production stills, and scripts, this exhibition highlights artists and works of art that remind us of the strides made toward humanizing the representation of Asian and Asian American stories.

Norton Simon Museum
South and Southeast Asian Paintings and Sculpture
Permanent Collection

The Norton Simon Museum houses a world-renowned collection of art from South and Southeast Asia that includes examples of the rich sculptural and painting traditions that developed in this region over the course of more than 2,000 years.

Descanso Gardens
SHIKI: The Four Seasons in Japanese Art
Now - May 21, 2023

This exhibition from the Scripps College collection in Claremont explores the aesthetic values of Japan that reach beyond philosophical ideas about art and beauty, where seasonal motifs found their way into everyday life, embellishing clothing, accessories, and other objects used daily. Enjoy poetry, artifacts, printed works, and traditional art forms.

The Huntington
Nathan Wang Presents: "Shanghai's World Emporium"
May 20 & 21, 2023

This new musical set in Shanghai, 1937, explores immigration stories with original music, developed by Chinese American composer Nathan Wang in the Chinese Garden. Xing Xing Department Store launches Shanghai into the modern age while its employees and customers attempt to maintain normalcy, despite the ominous threat of war with Japan. But one calamitous day in August changes their lives, and China, forever.

The Huntington
Music in the Chinese Garden
Wednesday afternoons

A different solo musician performs each week, playing unamplified melodies on classical instruments including the dizi 笛子, pipa 琵琶, and erhu二胡. Let the music transport you to another time and place as you stroll through one of the most magical landscapes in Southern California. Generous support for this music series is provided by the Justin Vajna Memorial Fund for Educational Programs in the Chinese Garden.

The Huntington
Chinese Brush Painting: Dragon Boat Festival
May 20, 2023

Join Chinese brush painting instructor Peifang Liang for a family event. This hands-on workshop is inspired by the Dragon Boat Festival, an annual Chinese celebration in which brightly colored, dragon-shaped boats are raced in rivers across China. Learn about this exciting holiday while using traditional Chinese brush painting materials to create a masterpiece of your own!

Armory Center for the Arts
Exposure: Native Art & Political Ecology
Now - June 11, 2023

Explore the indigenous artists from Australia, Canada, Greenland, Japan, French Polynesia, and the United States combine tribal knowledge with visual art to address nuclear exposure issues in their communities and globally. The works tell personal stories of illness, struggle, and resilience in the face of corporate willfulness and government complicity.

Storrier Sterns Japanese Garden
Pasadena Festival of Tea
May 14, 2023

The three-session festival will feature six local tea vendors representing Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and contemporary fermented and herbal tea traditions. Guests will receive a custom-made tasting cup at check-in, and the tea specialists will offer samplings of their teas, along with expert knowledge and advice. Additional experiences available with limited seats, including tea service, demonstrations, and more.

Art and Speaker Presentation
Jackie Robinson Community Center
May 4, 2023 | 4-6:30 p.m.

Celebrate AAPI month with the City of Pasadena. Create an AAPI fresh flower craft project and learn about the Chinese American experience from a historic perspective, with dynamic speaker and Pasadena native Kaz Doi. Registration is required for the free event.

City of Pasadena AAPI Month Celebrations
Pasadena Libraries

Learn about the Executive Order 9066 with Dr. Susan H. Kamei, enjoy a story and teatime with arts and crafts, create your own miniature Zen garden, create Japanese floral arrangements with a workshop on Ikebana with instructor Jessica Tang, and more.