Corpus Christi, Texas
Archaeology, Art, Culture, History, Library, Science, Specialized
The Billie Trimble Chandler Arts Foundation, Inc. dba, The Asian Cultures Museum, was founded as a nonprofit organization in 1974. The Museum represents the vision of one woman-Mrs. Billie Trimble Chandler. Beginning in the late 1950's, Mrs. Chandler lived and taught English in Japan for over seventeen years. During this period, she collected thousands of artifacts and commissioned numerous works of art. Upon her return to Corpus Christi, these objects became the core of the Museum's collections. The collection was later expanded to include items from other Pacific Rim nations and the Indian subcontinent. Reflecting this broader scope, in 1982, the institution became The Museum of Oriental Cultures.