NOW Live from the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center

The Art of the Golden Venture Refugees

From June through September in 2001, the Smithsonian’s Arts & Industries Building hosted Fly to Freedom: The Art of the Golden Venture Refugees, a traveling exhibition produced by the New York-based Museum of Chinese in America (MoCA).

In June 1993, the ship, Golden Venture, wrecked off the coast of New York City. Among the nearly 300 passengers were many who had left their homes in China to make passage to the United States. Fifty-two of the refugees were sent to York County Prison in Pennsylvania and were held there for nearly four years. During their imprisonment, the refugees made more than 10,000 paper sculptures.

This exhibition featured 25 of these works of folded paper and papier-mâché art. Visitors learned the story of the ship and her passengers, and the outcome of the refugees’ struggles. Five of the artists represented in the show received approval for U.S. residency on the basis of “extraordinary artistic ability.”

The exhibit was supported by funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support was provided by The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, and members of MoCA.

The Museum of Chinese in America in New York City is dedicated to reclaiming, preserving and interpreting the history and culture of the Chinese and their descendants in the western hemisphere.