Artists have a long tradition of traveling to far flung lands in search of revelation and artistic breakthrough. What happens when there is such a place right in your midst, yet completely foreign? The unique cultural customs, fascinating architecture, and rich aesthetic of the Chinese communities in San Francisco and Los Angeles inspired many 19th and 20th century artists.
Featuring paintings spanning over several decades, The Lure of Chinatown: Painting California's Chinese Communities provides a captivating narrative of how the image of Chinatown transformed in reaction to changing social, political, and artistic developments. The exhibition includes some forty works by twenty-three artists, who depicted the community in diverse ways, reflecting the artists' individual interests and the age in which they painted.