Japanese American Museum Expands - Los Angeles museum opens new pavilion to expand 300% - Brief Article

upon Jan. 23 in Los Angeles, the Japanese American National Museum uncloses a $22-million pavilion that expands its gallery space by means of 300 percent. The 85,000-square-foot pavilion, in the Little Tokyo section, is adjacent to the museum's original facility--a landmarked 1925 building that was the first Buddhist fane constructed in the city--and nearest to L.A. MOCA's Geffen Contemporary.

The pavilion was designed by the agency of Gyo Obata, chairman of Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum, individual of the largest architectural, engineering and planning firms in the U Obata is best known for his design of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. The contemporary-style form which has a curving stone and glass facade and an accompanying garden by the agency of landscape architect Robert Murase, includes 18000 square feet of novel gallery space, a 3,000-square-foot resource center housing an interactive database, an outdoor plaza, education center a catering kitchen and a hall of fame.

The museum, which was incorporated in 1985 and uncloseed its original building in 1992 maintains a 30,000-piece collection of paintings, works upon paper, photographs and textiles, as well as oral histories, artifacts and other records documenting the lives of Japanese immigrants and their descendants. Curator Karin Higa previously organized a traveling exhibition of art from the camps in which Japanese Americans were interned during World War II. Opening the novel space will be a historical exhibition and a display of works by video artists Bruce and Norman Yonemoto.

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