Past Exhibition

From Far East to West: The Chinese American Frontier

October 14, 2023 through January 28, 2024

Virtual Exhibition
Members receive FREE admission and exclusive discounts.

Exhibit sign with English and Chinese text: "From Far East to West: The Chinese American Frontier," highlighting Far East immigration, and a graphic of a lantern.

Virtual Exhibition

From Far East to West, on view at The James Museum in 2023–2024, remains available as a virtual exhibition in both English and Mandarin. Below is also a video overview from Chief Curator Emily Kapes, who developed the exhibition.

From the Gold Rush and the Transcontinental Railroad to the development of Chinatowns and Angel Island, and the contemporary paintings of Chinese American artists Hung Liu (1948–2021), Mian Situ, Jie Wei Zhou and Benjamin Wu. The works of art, along with historical objects, transport viewers back in time to gain insight into what life was like for early Chinese immigrants who helped build the American West. The stories of resilience and self-determination from generations ago continue to inspire us today.

Start Here

“This exhibition was an opportunity to expand on the works by Chinese American artists already in The James Museum collection and engage with Chinese American art and culture in a thought-provoking and visually captivating manner. The exhibition also underscores The James Museum’s commitment to fostering a deeper understanding of Western and American art and history.”
Emily Kapes, The James Museum Chief Curator

Video Tour

Explore the Exhibition

A large group of people, mostly men, eat rice and interact inside a crowded wooden building with cooking pots, baskets, and kitchenware visible—capturing a moment in the journey of Far East immigration.

01. IMMIGRATION

The 1860s were the beginning of a large-scale Chinese presence in America.

A group of men examine a small object, possibly gold, in a rocky, sunlit canyon with Far East 02 Mining tools and pack animals visible in the background.

02. MINING

At the peak of the gold rush close to 30% of immigrants to San Francisco were from China.

A worker wearing a broad-brimmed hat stands by railroad tracks near the Far East 02 Mining site, carrying tools and a bundle over his shoulder, with trees and a dirt embankment in the background.

03. RAILROAD

Chinese immigrants made up 90% of the work force for the Central Pacific Railroad.

Four people, including a child, gather by a wall with colorful posters near the FarEast 03 Railroad, displaying and playing with traditional toys arranged on a wooden crate in an outdoor setting.

04. CHINATOWNS

Early Chinatowns functioned as a city within a city and provided social and economic support for Chinese immigrants.

A street scene features performers in traditional costume dancing with a colorful dragon puppet, surrounded by onlookers in an old city setting during FarEast Festivals.

05. FESTIVALS

Festivals were an important way for Chinese immigrants to continue celebrating their traditions.

Three people work in a traditional FarEast 06 Medicine apothecary, surrounded by dozens of drawers and jars; a note reveals the store was destroyed in San Francisco's 1906 earthquake and fire.

06. MEDICINE

Traditional Chinese medicine was used to treat a variety of physical and mental ailments.

Black and white photo of people on a rubble-strewn city street, with smoke rising from buildings in the background after a major disaster, capturing the aftermath experienced in FarEast 06 Medicine emergency response.

07. EARTHQUAKE

About 15,000 people lived in the crowded blocks of Chinatown when the 1906 San Francisco earthquake hit.

A young paperboy stands on a street corner holding up FarEast 08 Newspapers, surrounded by pedestrians and a horse-drawn carriage in a historical city setting.

08. NEWSPAPERS

The Golden Hills’ Newspaper was the first Chinese-language newspaper published in the U.S.

Black and white photo of a coastal settlement, featured in FarEast 08 Newspapers, with several buildings, a pier, and a hill rising in the background along the shoreline.

09. ANGEL ISLAND

Angel Island Immigration Station, in San Francisco Bay, became the port of entry for 300,000 immigrants from 1910 to 1940.

A pair of traditional Chinese embroidered silk shoes with floral patterns, reminiscent of FarEast 09, are displayed on a pedestal in a museum.

10. WOMEN

The few Chinese women who came to the U.S. in the 1800s were typically wives of merchants, mui tsai (indentured servants), or trafficked workers.

Three people stand in front of a museum exhibit titled "ZS Liang: Frontier Artist—An American Immigration Story from The James Collection," highlighting the cultural connections with FarEast 11.

11. Z.S. LIANG

Zhuo Shu Liang was born in China, but moved to the United States in 1982 and became fascinated with Native American culture and history.

A woman with her hair in a bun stands in front of the FarEast 12 Reflections floral painting on a yellow wall, admiring it in an art gallery.

12. REFLECTIONS

Explore visitor responses and images from the exhibition while it was on view at The James Museum.

Exhibition Summary & Acknowledgements

Oct 11 – Mar 22, 2026

Nov 8 – Mar 29, 2026

News & Stories

All News & Stories

A group of people in white robes ride horses across a snowy, open landscape under a cloudy blue sky.

From the Museum & Beyond

A Western American Art Museum … in Florida?

Absolutely! Local museum founders Tom and Mary James have collected American art since the 1960s, often acquiring paintings or sculptures while traveling.

A small basket with geometric patterns in brown, yellow, and green is displayed against a black background—one of our vault highlights that weaves together threads of big history and artistry.

Highlights from the Vault: A Small Basket with a Big History

The James Museum is fortunate to hold in its collection a basket that, in a rare occurrence, was not only signed, but the weaver and date it was made are well documented.

A pair of beaded moccasins with vibrant geometric beadwork in red, green, white, and blue, blue lining, tan leather cuffs, and red tassels—part of the Beaded Legacies collection by Victoria Standing Bear-Conroy—displayed on bubble wrap.

Beaded Legacies: Work from Victoria Standing Bear-Conroy

In one remarkable case, from The James Museum’s collection, we have a rare instance of a set of objects where we know both the creator and the original recipient.