Volume 2, 2003PAGE 6

Peabody Place Museum Celebration of Chinese Culture Still Strong After Five Years

The Peabody Place Museum celebrated its fifth year this month by opening up to the public for free on October 10. The region's only museum dedicated to Chinese art is located on the concourse level of the Pembroke Square Building in downtown Memphis.

The museum is home to one of the country's largest collections of 19th Century Chinese art. The permanent exhibit at the museum includes objects created for the Chinese nobility during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The collection includes intricately carved jade sculptures, beautifully crafted enamelware pieces and rare objects carved in ivory. The museum also has smaller collections of fossils and minerals, contemporary European art glass, Russian lacquer boxes, and Judaic art.

The museum became a foundation through the donation of pieces of art from the collection of Jack and Marilyn Belz, who began accumulating Chinese art in 1968.

"When we began this project more than five years ago, it was our hope that Memphians and visitors to the city would be able to enjoy the collection as much as Marilyn and I have over the years," said Belz. "Now, more than ever, the museum is actively involved in teaching the community about Chinese history and culture."

This fall, the museum is hosting a Pagoda Design Competition in partnership with the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Architect-advisors will assist art students in public and private schools with designing and building their pagoda projects. The projects will be judged and the winning projects will be on display at the Peabody Place Museum from November 25 through December 29.

According to museum director Nancy Knight, the museum actively sponsors public programs that showcase Chinese art, culture and heritage. This year, the museum held a welcome reception for 14 national travel journalists visiting Memphis to explore the cultural arts facet of the community. The museum also welcomed guest artists as part of the Chinese Cultural Festival, and helped celebrate the arrival of the pandas with a reception called "Pandas, Paintings and Pagodas: A Weekend of Chinese Culture."

In order to continue the tradition of strong community outreach, Knight recently added Marianne Pak to her staff. Pak, who has more than five years of experience in curriculum development and museum education, will be the Peabody Place Museum's Curator and Education coordinator.

Museum hours are Tuesday through Friday, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5:00 p.m. For more information contact the museum at 901-523-ARTS, or on the Web at: www.belz.com.