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Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience 

Description

The Wing is a multidisciplinary arts and cultural anchor within the Chinatown-International District serving a broad public audience that includes refugees as well as low-income students and families. Through our community-driven programming, The Wing works to empower the Asian Pacific American (APA) community, comprised of over 26 ethnic groups, to tell their own stories, build community and significantly, share their experience with others. 

Mission Statement
The mission of the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience (The Wing) is to connect everyone to the rich history, dynamic cultures and art of Asian Pacific Americans through vivid storytelling and inspiring experiences.
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Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience
719 S King St 
Seattle 
WA
98104-3035 
(206) 623-5124 

Ms. Beth Takekawa 
Executive Director 

Programs

Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience Programs

Community-driven Exhibits & Public Programs
Our exhibits are developed in partnership with community members and present a range of thought provoking topics. Recent exhibitions include From Fields to Family: Asian Pacific Americans and Food which highlighted the diverse foods of APAs through interactive activities while Inside/Out: APA Girls and Suicide raised awareness of the high suicide and depression rates among APA young women and girls. We offer free admission days and free family activities to ensure all visitors have the opportunity to experience the stories, themes and cultures explored by The Wing.

Education Resources & Youth Programs
We reach 10,000 students annually through school tours and provide free tours for students qualifying for free/reduced lunch. Our curriculum resources for K-12 teachers and students focus on topics such as Asian Immigration and fill a void for APA instructional materials in classrooms. The Wing’s nationally recognized after school youth programs are offered year-round for refugee, immigrant, and/or low-income APA youth; through art-based activities, students build leadership skills, participate in service learning and explore their creative voices.

Neighborhood Revitalization
As a core anchor of the Chinatown-International District, which has been our home since 1966 and is Seattle’s lowest income tract, The Wing is committed to community revitalization efforts that connect visitors with the historic and cultural vibrancy of our neighborhood.

Recent Successes and Current Challenges

The Wing is the only museum in the nation to share stories of our multi-ethnic, pan-APA communities. The Museum is the Pacific Northwest’s first Smithsonian affiliate and recently received the honor of being designated as a National Park Service affiliate. Since opening in this facility five years ago, we have welcomed over 185,000 visitors and presented 54 exhibits. In 2012, we opened 13 new exhibits, including: Asian American Arcade: The Art of Gameplay, which invited visitors to partake in the gaming industry and question how it affects our experience of identity, community, and cultural values; George Nakashima: A Master’s Furniture and Philosophy which celebrated the work of the luminary mid-20th century designer with vintage furniture, architectural sketches, and drawings; and Vietnam in the Rearview Mirror which provides an intergenerational exploration of the Vietnamese American experience (from immigration to settlement to the contemporary community) and focus on voices from younger generations.

Funding supports The Wing’s exhibitions, public programs, after school youth programs, and educational resources.


Evaluation


Wing Luke Asian Museum (The Wing) offers effective and culturally relevant programs that promote understanding of different cultures through engaging people of all ages and backgrounds. The Wing is building youth engagement and participation in the museum by focusing on leadership development opportunities.

Best Practices
Over the past 20 years, The Wing has developed and refined a community-based approach to all of its exhibits and projects. The Wing offers critical community space to residents of the International District and effectively engages the community in advisory levels and planning committees. Community Advisory Committees help determine museum themes, storyline, content and design and members range in background and age, resulting in multicultural, intergenerational dialogue. The new museum space boasts a community room, where community groups can gather and celebrate.

Accessibility and Cultural Competency
Their work engages populations who are less portrayed and represented in cultural majority arts organizations. The museum is the only organization of its type, serving a broad and multifaceted Asian Pacific American (APA) community which encompasses over 26 ethnic groups. They provide free tours for students who qualify for free and reduced price lunch. Also, by taking their education programs directly to schools, the museum makes learning about the history of Asian Pacific Americans easily accessible to youth.

Proven Success
As the only organization of its type, the Wing is frequently asked for advice from organizations trying to replicate pieces of its model around the country. Its community-based exhibit process has become a national model. The museum’s you programming has received special recognition- in October 2010 YouthCAN, their out-of-school high school program, was one of 15 youth programs in the country to receive an award from the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. The Wing was named “2010 Best Museum” in an online poll of over 400,000 voters in King5.com’s Best of Western Washington contest.

Grant History with The Seattle Foundation:

Grants Awarded through The Seattle Foundation Grantmaking Program:

DateAmountPurpose
9/10/2012 $10,000.00support general operating expenses.
9/10/2011 $12,500.00support general operating expenses.
9/10/2009 $30,000.00support general operating expenses.
9/22/2005 $100,000.00support the How You Keep a Story Going Capital Campaign.
9/18/2003 $50,000.00support general operating expenses.

Financials

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