Heritage Museum is fundraising
Help Keep Chicago’s Asian Art Museum Free
Heritage Museum of Asian Art is a nonprofit museum and research library that houses an unparalleled collection of Asian art, with artifacts dating to as early as the Neolithic Age. We are proud to announce that as of September 24, 2019, admission to this Museum is free to all.
We are hopeful that this new policy will generate more visitors to and interest in our museum, especially from local Chicagoans. To support this mission, we are launching a fundraising campaign with the goal of raising a year of operating costs, in one year!
Funding the museum
For most museums, admission fees rarely cover operating costs, which include necessities like utilities, payroll, and insurance. This is also true for the Heritage, which has always relied on the generosity of donors to keep its doors open.
Our goal
The museum has relatively low operating costs. Meeting our goal of $250,000 in one year would help us by covering a year of these basic expenses while we continue to fundraise for the future through annual drives, support from our members, and generous benefactors. Your donations will help us preserve and promote the tradition of Asian art for the enrichment of present and future generations.
Our art
Heritage Museum of Asian Art showcases a wide range of art forms from East and Southeast Asia in our permanent and rotating exhibition galleries. Our first-floor space hosts Chinese art from the Neolithic Period to the Qing Dynasty, including exquisite jades, pottery, ceramic tomb sculptures, imperial porcelain, bronze vessels, and classical wood furniture. The second floor features a gift shop and temporary exhibits that have previously included a display of miniature Japanese sculptures known as netsuke and a survey of dogs in art from the Han to the Qing dynasties. On the third floor is an event area for dance performances and movie screenings; we are currently preparing it for future exhibition space.
Our history
Heritage Museum of Asian Art was founded in 2014 by Chicagoan and third-generation Chinese-American, Jeffrey Moy. Originally located in a small rented storefront on 23rd Street in Chicago’s Chinatown, it quickly grew as collectors offered loans and donations of artifacts. Two years later, the museum moved a few blocks south to its current location after Jeffrey purchased and refitted an 18,000-square-foot building that tripled its size. It officially re-opened in January 2018, offering enhanced access for public and school tours as well as researchers. Many of our educational materials are in English and Chinese.
Our research library
Located on the second floor, our library holds nearly 10,000 titles on China, India, Japan, and Southeast Asia. It is open during normal museum hours to local Chicagoans, as well as scholars and academics from institutions around the world. Books cannot be checked out of the library, but patrons can browse our holdings online and reserve texts for future visits.
Our role in the community
To maintain active engagement with our Chicago community, the museum hosts workshops on art forms like Chinese paper-cuts and ink painting. We also present events throughout the year like film screenings, and musical and dance performances.
Other ways to support Heritage
Museums also need funding beyond basic operating expenses for things like new exhibitions and improvements. Heritage would like to give recognition to substantial donors in ways such as naming rights and corporate sponsorship. If you are interested in learning more, please contact the museum directly.
Thank you so much for your support!
Want to keep up with our progress? Follow us on Facebook and Instagram , or sign up for our email announcements. For more information about the museum, please visit our website.
We are hopeful that this new policy will generate more visitors to and interest in our museum, especially from local Chicagoans. To support this mission, we are launching a fundraising campaign with the goal of raising a year of operating costs, in one year!
Funding the museum
For most museums, admission fees rarely cover operating costs, which include necessities like utilities, payroll, and insurance. This is also true for the Heritage, which has always relied on the generosity of donors to keep its doors open.
Our goal
The museum has relatively low operating costs. Meeting our goal of $250,000 in one year would help us by covering a year of these basic expenses while we continue to fundraise for the future through annual drives, support from our members, and generous benefactors. Your donations will help us preserve and promote the tradition of Asian art for the enrichment of present and future generations.
Our art
Heritage Museum of Asian Art showcases a wide range of art forms from East and Southeast Asia in our permanent and rotating exhibition galleries. Our first-floor space hosts Chinese art from the Neolithic Period to the Qing Dynasty, including exquisite jades, pottery, ceramic tomb sculptures, imperial porcelain, bronze vessels, and classical wood furniture. The second floor features a gift shop and temporary exhibits that have previously included a display of miniature Japanese sculptures known as netsuke and a survey of dogs in art from the Han to the Qing dynasties. On the third floor is an event area for dance performances and movie screenings; we are currently preparing it for future exhibition space.
Our history
Heritage Museum of Asian Art was founded in 2014 by Chicagoan and third-generation Chinese-American, Jeffrey Moy. Originally located in a small rented storefront on 23rd Street in Chicago’s Chinatown, it quickly grew as collectors offered loans and donations of artifacts. Two years later, the museum moved a few blocks south to its current location after Jeffrey purchased and refitted an 18,000-square-foot building that tripled its size. It officially re-opened in January 2018, offering enhanced access for public and school tours as well as researchers. Many of our educational materials are in English and Chinese.
Our research library
Located on the second floor, our library holds nearly 10,000 titles on China, India, Japan, and Southeast Asia. It is open during normal museum hours to local Chicagoans, as well as scholars and academics from institutions around the world. Books cannot be checked out of the library, but patrons can browse our holdings online and reserve texts for future visits.
Our role in the community
To maintain active engagement with our Chicago community, the museum hosts workshops on art forms like Chinese paper-cuts and ink painting. We also present events throughout the year like film screenings, and musical and dance performances.
Other ways to support Heritage
Museums also need funding beyond basic operating expenses for things like new exhibitions and improvements. Heritage would like to give recognition to substantial donors in ways such as naming rights and corporate sponsorship. If you are interested in learning more, please contact the museum directly.
Thank you so much for your support!
Want to keep up with our progress? Follow us on Facebook and Instagram , or sign up for our email announcements. For more information about the museum, please visit our website.
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