Downtown Heritage

This past Friday, the Lower Manhattan museum community was enriched with the re-opening of the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) at its new location at 215 Centre Street (between Howard and Grand Streets one block north of Canal Street). The opening coincided with the launch of MOCA's 2009 summer program of independent films, pop culture, guided tours, book events, and family activities. (Click here to learn more.)

The new building was designed by renowned artist/designer Maya Lin and juxtaposes the past with the present, creating new spaces while paying tribute to the original structure by leaving the historic courtyard untouched. Visitors during the summer will be able to access sections of MOCA's new core exhibition With a Single Step: Stories in the Making of America, which will be on view in its entirety on September 22.

Since 1980 MOCA has been dedicated to promoting dialogue and understanding among people of all cultural backgrounds and bringing 160 years of Chinese American history to life for all people. This new space will allow them to reach more visitors and create more exciting new exhibitions. We’re so pleased to have another heritage Museum downtown (you could even visit both us and MOCA in the same day) and wish our colleagues at the Museum of Chinese in America all the best as they embark on this next step.

For more information, visit http://www.mocanyc.org/.