American Friends of the Shanghai Museum
American Friends of the Shanghai Museum continues a distinguished history of patron support for China’s foremost art museum and has grown to more broadly support exhibitions, acquisitions, and educational programs in the US related to Chinese and Chinese-American art and artists.
Founded in 1995, as a not-for-profit organization whose original mission was to raise awareness of and financial support for the Shanghai Museum, today the American Friends also supports programs throughout the United States. In addition to support of museums, the American Friends sponsors a bi-annual Distinguished Scholar Award in Chinese Art History recognizing lifetime achievement in the field. To cultivate interest in Chinese art, culture and heritage, the American Friends organizes special events, educational talks and curator-led trips to China and other places of interest. American Friends also funds exchanges of scholars between China and U.S. museums.
The Shanghai Museum is one of the most important ancient Chinese art museums in the world, holding over one million items, 140,000 of which are graded national treasures. Shanghai Museum East, in the Pudong New Area, houses 20 galleries and interactive space, including permanent displays in the Bronze, Calligraphy, Painting, Seal, Ceramics, Numismatics and Jade galleries. The Museum’s long-time home on People’s Square now focuses on special exhibitions on different cultures around the world, which enables dialogue between the Museum’s collection and artworks from museums and institutions abroad.
