Autumn is when we take time to consider the past year’s achievements and share our vision for the year ahead. The last 18 months have been like no other for our museum, tinged with sacrifice, but also excitement and joy, making it more important than ever to express our deep gratitude and enthusiasm for all we have accomplished. Our museum family truly has much to be thankful for and to celebrate.
Please take a moment to enjoy an exclusive peek at our annual video highlighting our achievements — from opening the new Akiko Yamazaki and Jerry Yang Pavilion, to debuting the wildly popular teamLab: Continuity exhibition, to hitting new milestones in our digital strategy, to deepening the diversity and inclusivity of our community.
Our annual gatherings are one of our favorite events in the Asian Art Museum calendar. They are a chance, as our video says, to reconnect, reflect, and rejoice — to feel that much-needed sense of joy and togetherness that the crowds visiting teamLab: Continuity are experiencing every day.
These successes were all possible thanks to your dedication, from your financial support of the Sustainers Fund to your unflagging enthusiasm for our mission. This passion has illuminated a path forward that will allow us to continue to connect with an ever-growing number of visitors — the main goal of our transformation — and to serve new audiences around the globe through digital platforms and tools.
A heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped us overcome the obstacles of these past months, including our incredible museum staff, who secured an already-forgiven Paycheck Protection Program loan, won the amazing Mellon Foundation grant, devoted countless hours to producing new online programs, ensure our galleries are a safe and comfortable place to spend a day, and who make the museum a place of inspiration and care for Asian art and culture.
These successes were not easily achieved. We must acknowledge the sacrifices required to navigate the unprecedented challenges of the past 18 months and the uncertainty a “new normal” brings. Yet the same sacrifices, resilience, and commitment that fueled our success are also helping us fulfill our promise to develop greater understanding and empathy for a broadening spectrum of Asian and Asian American identities and experiences. Our commitment to living the principles of Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion across the museum is invigorating and clarifying, serving as a compass to guide us through whatever comes our way.
Thank you everyone for helping make this year a success.
