Connie Young Yu
To the Northwest Asian Weekly
Connie Young Yu, daughter of Col. and Mrs. Young, in front of a robe from her parent’s collection displayed in a currently running exhibit at Stanford’s Cantor Art Center. (Photo provided by Connie Young Yu)
Thank you for printing the excellent article, “TAM sale of Chinese treasures upsets donors” in the Northwest Asian Weekly. You reported the story fairly, giving the overall picture of TAM’s policies, while allowing my viewpoint, and that of my brother, to be heard. We feel a responsibility not just to the legacy of our parents, but also to the community in the Northwest, to let the people know what TAM is doing and the Chinese art they are losing.
I attended the auction at Bonhams in San Francisco in December, as did Sue Lee of the Chinese Historical Society of America. It was quite a spectacle, heartbreaking for me, to see the intense bidding for the Qing dynasty robes and antique jades donated by my parents, the very items TAM’s executive director, Stephanie Stebich, considered “not of museum quality.” I’ll be attending the auction on March 11 to witness the sale of the rest of the Young collection. This final deaccessioning of Chinese art and culture by TAM will not go unnoticed by the public, as Sue and I will be informing the San Francisco media, just as Al will be updating you in the Northwest.
A robe from the Young collection currently on display at Stanford. (Photo provided by Connie Young Yu)
Attached are photos taken several days ago at the opening of a new exhibit. “Border Crossings: From the Imperial to Popular Life,” at the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford. I’m standing by a red “birthday robe” donated by my parents to Stanford’s museum. This was one of the dozen robes brought by Stanford to Tacoma in 1979 for a showing of the entire Qing textile collection of the Youngs. Tacoma will no longer have any of these treasures, while Stanford continues to value their collection (yes, it’s museum quality) and showcase it for the benefit and enrichment of the students and the community.
Thanks again, for bringing this story to your readers. (end)
Best regards,
Connie Young Y