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Kris Parke
ANTH 34501
Chinese Culture in the Midwest
The Chinese-American Museum of Chicago gives a spectacular insight into the Chinese culture during
times of seasonal festivities with the exhibit: Traditional Chinese Festivals – A Celebration of Culture. Color
and frivolity tickle your senses as you view the objects in this large space, with much pride detailed in historic
traditions. This is the message within the exhibit, which is quite breathtaking, but there is no clear American
aspect visible, as the title and mission statement of the museum promises. To help this exhibit better mirror the
mission statement of this enchanting museum, I will illustrate possibilities to incorporate the ‘American’ aspect
into the already Chinese culture enriched exhibit.
Assessment Criteria
Mission Statement:
“The mission of the Chinese-American Museum of Chicago (CAMOC) is
to promote the culture of history – through exhibitions, education, and research –
of Chinese-Americans in the Midwest.” (ccamuseum.org)
“Museum professionals should keep in mind that the very act of placing
another culture on display reinforces the idea of ‘different.’ There is no way
around this. There are no easy solutions, nor is there a catchall formula for
avoiding conflict in portraying the ‘Other.’ (Genoways).

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As stated above, this museum tackles the substantial task in recognizing the world’s largest population
and their culture in relation to American culture. Making sure that the Chinese and American aspects are both
fairly represented within the exhibit is critical to my assessment in order to uphold the museum’s mission
statement.
Continuity:
“All of the elements of an environment are interconnected within the
experience of learners who cannot help but perceive those environmental
elements through unique lenses formed by a combination of background
experiences and inherent aptitudes.” (Lankford)
The CAMOC caters to those who wish to learn about Chinese-American culture, therefore, those that
are visiting tend to not have the same knowledge that those within the culture have. Keeping visual continuity
within the exhibit is critical for those learning about the various festivals that are showcased. Understanding the
conceptual and physical layout of the space is the ultimate goal for this section of assessment.
Accessibility:
“An educational mission implies a relationship with visitors akin to that
of ‘hosts’ and ‘guests,’ in which museums not only are more accommodating to
visitors but also take some responsibility for what happens to them.” (Doering)
As established in the Mission Statement section, the CAMOC has a mission to educate patrons through
their exhibits. Based off of Doering’s statement, I plan to critique accessibility within the exhibit for those with
mobile disabilities to ensure that all visitors can be accommodated.

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Existing Exhibit
Figure 1 – Looking North from Entryway
Figure 2 - Facing South, looking at Entryway from Mid-Exhibit

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Figure 3 - New Year’s Festival Dragon
Figure 4 - Banner Draping Over Display Figure 5 - Banner In Front of Drinking Fountains

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Strengths of this exhibit include; Visually Appealing, Historically Enriching, and an Educational
Video with seating. The vibrant colors and items hanging from the ceiling definitely make the effect of being in
a festival, which is not only a stimulus but enhances the cultural experience. The information on the placards
and within the video does an excellent job in educating the patron on festivals within China. Also video with the
audio being heard throughout the exhibit is an added benefit that not only educates but adds to the ambiance of
the space. Lastly, provided seating for the video is a genuine invitation to not only welcome visitors to learn
about the Chinese culture, but is also a caring gesture to those with possible mobility issues.
Weaknesses include; Lack of ‘American’ Chinese culture, Unclear Sections, and Vulnerable and
Awkward Layout. While Chinese history is clearly represented within the origins of the festivals, there is a
distinct lack of Chinese-American history of festivals that make a patron wonder how the exhibit is unique to
the Midwest. Another issue is that the chronological layout of the exhibit is not clearly defined and can be
confusing for peoples without prior festival knowledge. Lastly, the cramped layout of the exhibit allows patrons
to touch larger objects (such as the festival Dragon and –houses-), causing the items to be damaged easily, is a
concern, not only for the preservation of the artifacts, but also for those with mobility issues to navigate.

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Improved Exhibit
Each festival represented within the exhibit is color coded within the diagram. The diagram is viewed
from above. Colors are for diagram visuals only; Black = Structural, Grey = Banners. From bottom right,
counter clockwise: Red = Chinese New Year Festival, Green = Lantern Festival, Brown = Ching Ming &
Chung Yeung Festival, Light Blue = Dragon Boat Festival, Pink = Cow Herd & Weaver Girl: Chinese
Valentine Festival, Purple = Yu Lan Festival (Ghost Festival), Orange = Mid-Autumn Festival, and Blue =
Winter Solstice Festival.
Figure 6 - New Layout

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Representing Local Culture:
The Chinese festivals represented within the exhibit do an impeccable job in relating the history of the
festivals as celebrated in China. However, since the CAMOC’s mission is to represent Chinese-American
Culture within the Midwest, I’d like to add a few modifications to better represent this.
First, have a separate placard spelling out that the dragon was used within the Chicago Chinatown New
Year’s Festival, using large and bolded font, next to the Dragon on the west wall. Additionally, a collage of
photos with the dragon being used within an actual celebration would help to emphasize the importance of the
dragon within the Chinese-American culture. Also, if available, video footage can be added to the educational
video that showcases the dragon being made/used. The main goal for this is to make sure the patrons know that
this dragon was used and made in Chicago.
Secondly, Altering the DVD or make an additional clip to show how the Chinese festivals are
incorporated into Chicago/Midwest life. This can feature local artisans preparing for a festival and/or local
people enjoying festivities in iconic Chicago settings.
Figure 7 - Screen capture of 2014 Dragon Boat Race

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Figure 8 - Chinese New Year Parade
Lastly, featuring local artisans for displays will help to reinforce the partnership between Chinese-
American as well as between the museum and the local community. A specific example would be the Chiu
Quon Bakery. This bakery is the oldest in Chinatown and would engage the museum patron by featuring their
Lotus Bean Mooncakes in the Mid-Autumn Festival area of the exhibit. Ideally, Chiu Quon would make pre-
packaged sample sizes of the mooncakes with ingredients from local producers, which would then be open for
each patron to sample. By doing this, the museum will add taste to the list of senses that the patrons are invited
to experience within the exhibit.
Figure 9 - Lotus Bean Mooncakes

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Continuity:
Specifically, continuity in relating with the presentation of the exhibit. The chronological flow of the
different festivals is not clear to patrons that are unfamiliar with the various celebrations within the Chinese
culture. In order to clearly define the separate festivals, I propose to relocate the existing banners, to the center
of the space and by staggering the placement to reflect individual festival location within the exhibit. The
banners would hang parallel to the East and West walls and be suspended with existing wires. By hanging the
banners in this way, we can create a solid visual and comprehensive barrier between the various festivals and
their unique objects which represent that particular celebration. Banners would not be obscured or touch any
object to ensure a professional atmosphere and a clear understanding of which area is designed for each festival.
Lastly, the TV structure would be moved to the back of the room which will block the line of sight to the
employee’s only access area and the patron facilities. The T.V. will face the visitors as they enter the exhibit
hall and be greeted with the sounds of Chinese festivals. A path of sorts will be made in conjunction with the
banners to aid in visual and physical cues to partake in the educational video. Not only will this direct patrons to
enjoy the exhibit as an educational experience, but it will form a continuity of the museum without the
displeasing affect of drinking fountains next to the exhibit.
Accessibility:
This last modification will pull together both the ‘American’ and ‘Continuity’ aspect of the exhibit.
Starting with mounting the festival dragon in the south-west area (designated for the New Year’s festival) will
enable more space to navigate and eliminate narrow walkways that could damage the pieces. The dragon would
be mounted using the bottom of support posts on the east wall, then using cable to support the upper section of
the post, hung on the ceiling. By doing this, it will also allow an expanded section for the New Year’s festival
and ample room for the Lantern, Ching Ming/Chung Yeung, and Dragon Boat festival areas.

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The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal civil rights law that prohibits exclusion of
people with disabilities from everyday activities including leisure activities (ada.gov). Thus, by rearranging the
objects within the exhibit (as illustrated above), the CAMOC will affirm its support for an American movement
and access for more patrons while complying with national laws.

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Works Cited
About Us. Chinese-American Museum of Chicago, 2015. Web. March 2015.
Genoways, H. (2003). “The Working Museum.” In Museum Administration, 315.
Lankford, L.E. (2002). “Aesthetic Experience in Constructivist Museums.” In Journal of Aesthetic Education,
145
Doering, Z. (1999). “Strangers, Guests, or Clients? Visitor Experiences in Museums.” Curator 42:
74-86.
Parke, Kris. Chinese-American Museum of Culture Photos. 2015. JPG.
iFly Media Productions. “The Grainger Dragon Boat Team in Chinatown.” Online video clip. YouTube.
YouTube, 1 Jul. 2014. Web. March 2015.
Sharyne Moy Tu. “2015 February 22, 2015 Lunar New Year Parade.” Chicago Chinatown Chamber of
Commerce, 2014. Web. March 2015.
Chiu Quon Bakery. Chiu Quon Bakery, 2013. Web. March 2015.
Americans With Disabilites Act of 1990, As Amended. United States Department of Justice – Civil Rights
Division, 25 March 2009. Web. March 2015.