Destinations | Local Discovery
A Home for Posterity The Texas State Museum of Asain Culture and Education Center is ready and waiting to take you on a journey to a different land. By: Kylie Kinnett Photos: Jarred Schuetze
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he story behind The Texas State Museum of Asian Cultures and Education Center starts over 40 years ago with a woman named Billie Chandler. Those who knew her describe her as a tiny, yet powerful, force to be reckoned with, who had a passion for Asian cultures. Chandler spent 17 years in Japan where she collected thousands of dollars worth of artifacts. Her dream was to come to Corpus and start a cultural center in order to share that passion with the rest of the community. Originally named The Japanese Cultural Center, Chandler opened up her doors in 1972 to the public in the Padre Staples Mall. After changing their location a few times, the museum faced a series of financial issues forcing them to close their doors on multiple occasions throughout a ten year time span. “People forgot about us for a while because we weren’t open to the public, but we are still here and really trying to build ourselves back up,”
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Chester Topolski, the General Manager at the museum, says. The museum is indeed alive and thriving with an extensive collection of artifacts that each tell a unique story of their own. About 70% of the museum is made up of Japanese items, however they also represent the cultures of India, Thailand, the Philippines, and other Asian countries. Take a walk around the museum and you will be in awe of the hundreds of artifacts on display. Aside from the original artifacts from Billie Chandler, the entire collection the museum hosts consists of items donated to them over the years. “It’s really through the generosity of people who want to share with us that we have been able to curate such a selection,” Topolski says. One of the main attractions is their 17th century bronze Buddha that was donated to them years ago from a Christian church. Another must-see is their beau-
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A One-of-a-Kind Collection: During the period in which the museum closed its doors, a gentleman caught word of the fact that they had the world’s largest ricotta doll collection. When he finally made contact with a board member, it became known that his grandmother actually would make dolls for Billie Chandler upon her request. This means a significant portion of their collection is one-of-a-kind!