In January of 2020, a fire destroyed 70 Mulberry Street, the location of MOCA’s Collections and Research Center. In the aftermath, we scrambled to recover and stabilize our collection of 85,000+ artifacts chronicling the Chinese American experience.

Thankfully we were able to retrieve 95% of our collections but the artifacts no longer had a home. After nine long months MOCA was able to secure a space at 3 Howard Street, a block away from the museum. This space is now the MOCA Workshop! It will not only house our collection but serve as a new and improved space for our visitors to interact and explore the materials.

While we will continue providing the research services previously offered at 70 Mulberry street this newly renovated and outfitted space will allow for a more streamlined experience. Our guests will be able to digitally search through our online database, listen to and view audio visual materials (including hundreds of oral histories), and capture and preserve their own Chinese American experience through oral histories.

Due to the current pandemic MOCA Workshop will remain closed until further notice but in the meantime we will continue to think of new and innovative ways to provide a more hands-on experience for our visitors when we officially open the doors to the public in 2021.