Collaborating organizations:

Japanese American
National Museum

California African
American Museum

Chinese American
Museum

Self-Help Graphics

We work together to inspire the public to value diversity, nurture creativity, honor our histories, engage in dialogue and collaborate to build stronger communities within our urban environment

The Japanese American National Museum
California African American Museum
Chinese American Museum
Self-Help Graphics & Art, Inc.

In March 2003, the sixth year of finding family stories culminates with an exhibition at four partner institutions of the works of eight artists chosen by representatives from these institutions: the Japanese American National Museum (the organizing institution), the California African American Museum, the Chinese American Museum and Self-Help Graphics & Art, Inc. finding family stories brings together living artists, ethnic-specific institutions, and the diverse community of southern California. Family stories are the loose thematic link for the project, but the institutions are not only free, but encouraged to think broadly about what and who family is defined and by whom. Unlike collaborative projects whose outcome may be a historically-based exhibition that aims to be (arguable) more objective, finding family stories allows individual artists to be the primary "voices" of the project. In this way, the partnering organizations invite the artists into a collaborative process through which they produce work that can speak to the complexity of families, communities, and the urban environment in which we live. The goal is to foster greater understanding among diverse communities through the interaction of artists and participating institutions, and outreach through educational and public programming.

View the works of art through the gallery below, or follow the links below to learn more about the project. Click on an artist's name to get information about the artist, click on the thumbnail or the title to view a certain piece,or click here to go through the gallery.

Sandra de la Loza Brothers, 2002 Digital Print

Teresa Hagiya Retro-reflective, 2003 Installation (detail)

Patrick "Pato" Hebert Untitled #6, 2003 Lenticular photographic print

Betty Lee Untitled #1, 2003 C-print

Michael Massenburg In Time, 2003 Assemblage

Dominique Moody Tales of a Family Tree, 2003 Assemblage

José B. Ramírez Descend, 2003 Acrylic & enamel on canvas

Steven Yao-Chee Wong Chinatown Stories: Realizing the Imagined, 2003 Installation (detail)

Follow these links to learn more about how this exhibition came into being:

2003 Exhibition Main Page

Curatorial Essay

Project Mission

About the participating organizations

Ackowledgements