USC Pacific Asia Museum honors AAPI Heritage Month with free admission, new mural

USC Pacific Asia Museum is celebrating AAPI Heritage Month with free admission throughout the month of May, and on Saturday, May 18, the museum is hosting a family-friendly celebration in honor of its new mural, “A Momentous Moment in Time of Passage and Landing,” created by artist Dave Young Kim. The event will feature cultural dances and performances, crafts, food trucks, an artist talk, and more.

Kim’s mural for USC PAM visually encapsulates the impact of migration from Asia and the Pacific Islands in shaping the distinctive cultural fabric of Los Angeles. The mural portrays 41 birds in harmonious flight, each representing a sovereign Asian or Pacific Islander nation and its official national bird. The collective imagery symbolizes the universal search for home, a commonality that connects all humankind and all species. 

“Traditionally, the king and queen would sit in front of a painted screen that had the sun and the moon on either side; it denoted yin and yang, the perfect balance, principles that make the universe work, along with dignity, heaven’s favor, and mandate for the king, essentially each time they sat down publicly in front of the imagery, it evokes the idea that it’s a momentous moment in time,” said Kim. “With the mural, I’m taking that idea and placing that perfect balance above the depiction of birds, each representing a Pacific Asian nation in migration, moving from one homeland to another, and saying this is a momentous moment, all the forgotten stories, challenges, struggles of that journey and they should be elevated to the same level of royalty.” 

The May 18 event will feature:

• Drop-in bird mobile and mural workshops and the L.A. Zoo booth from 1 to 5 p.m. 
• Lion Dance-Northern Shaolin Kung Fu Association at 1 p.m. 
• Opening remarks and ribbon cutting at 1:10 p.m. 
• Performance by Katherin Ho at 1:30 p.m.
• Rangeela Dance Company-Bollywood dance performance at 2 p.m. 
• Kayamanan Ng – Filipino Cultural dance performance at 2:30 p.m. 
• Hansori – Traditional Korean drumming performance at 3 p.m. 
• Hālau Hula Moaniʻaʻala Anuhea at 3:30 p.m. 
• Conversation with artist Dave Kim and Haven Lin Kirk, dean of Roski School of Art and Design from 4 to 5 p.m.

USC Pacific Asia Museum is located at 46 N. Los Robles Ave. in Pasadena. Learn more at pacificasiamuseum.usc.edu.