Lynda Roscoe Hartigan: Hi, everyone. I'm Lynda Roscoe Hartigan, the Rose Marie and Eijk van Otterloo Executive Director and CEO of the Peabody Essex Museum. Welcome to another episode of Fireside Chats. In this series, I am speaking from our historic structures and special places across PEM's campus to provide updates and insights about the museum.

In each episode, I welcome a special guest to share their ideas and perspectives on specific topics. Today, we're here in PEM's Cotting–Smith Assembly House at 138 Federal Street in Salem's McIntyre Historic District. Built in 1782, the Cotting–Smith Assembly House was originally a Federalist clubhouse and home to public lectures, dances and concerts. Here's a fun fact: George Washington attended a dance here in 1789. Today, the house is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

This past summer, we refreshed the property's driveways and walkways, restored the portico and repainted the entire house. In the spirit of the house's original intent, we are looking forward to holding special events like weddings here.

I'm also really pleased to share that PEM has been reaccredited by the American Association of Museums. Through an intensive review of PEM's operations, reaccreditation confirms PEM's position as a leader in the field, continuing to meet national standards and best practices. This process holds PEM publicly accountable and affirms our commitment to excellence in all areas, from collection care and programmatic offerings to community partnerships and staff development.

Now, I'm pleased to welcome Dr. Jiyeon Kim, PEM's Curator of Korean Art. Jiyeon joined PEM's curatorial team about a year and a half ago to develop the museum's new Korean Art gallery, which opens in May 2025. Jiyeon and I have just returned from a trip to Seoul, South Korea. We met with leaders at numerous museums, especially the National Museum of Korea and the Korea Foundation, and the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Group. These are all organizations lending critical support to our gallery project.

Welcome, Jiyeon. It was so great to travel to Korea with you. Of course, I'm wondering how you're doing with jet lag, because that 13-hour time difference is a real challenge.

Jiyeon Kim: I'm surprisingly feeling good. I think filming this is helping. We’ll stay awake!

Lynda: I'd like to start with the fact that there is a long relationship between the museum and Korea. What can you tell us about that?

Jiyeon: PEM is the first museum in the United States to intentionally collect Korean art and culture. It was initiated by Edward Sylvester Morse, who was the director of our predecessor organization, the Peabody Academy of Science. He was always interested in Korea and its people. In 1883, he imported more than 200 objects from Korea.

Lynda: That's about the time when the two countries started interacting with each other.

Jiyeon: Exactly.

Lynda: It's really an important historical moment. The new Korean gallery is dedicated to Yu Kil-Chun, a very distinguished figure in Korean history, and really important to the opening of U.S. and Korean relationships. What would you like people to know about him?

Jiyeon: As you just described, Yu Kil-Chun was a prominent reformist scholar. He came to the U.S. as a member of Korea's first delegation, and he decided to remain here to learn more about the American system. He stayed in the Salem area for a little over a year.

Actually, Morse, the director, was his mentor and supporter. When Yu Kil-Chun left, he donated many of his belongings to the museum. One of the objects that he left with us is this wide brimmed hat made of horsehair, now on display in Salem Stories. It is called a gat, and it’s a typical Korean upper-class man's hat from the time. He also left us so many other things, but one of my favorites is a roll of paper, beautifully dyed in red, blue and purple.

Lynda: A number of those objects are going to be in the gallery. I love that hat, and I was actually fascinated as we looked at all the paintings, at all the different styles of hats to designate who was who.

This was my first trip to Korea, so that was a very life-changing and memorable experience for me. We did have this very special experience together. I'd really love it if you'd tell people what that was.

Jiyeon: Of course. We actually met the great-granddaughter of Yu Kil-Chun, and her husband, and that was a really enlightening experience for all of us. Then they gave us wonderful stories about Yu Kil-Chun's later life. They were very touching.

They said they were grateful that we preserved his legacy in our collection and they are very excited about this opportunity to share his legacy with so many of our visitors.

Lynda: I'm really hoping that they're going to come for the opening of the gallery. When we were in Korea, I was definitely struck by how deeply Koreans revere and celebrate their history and their culture. I'm particularly eager to know what you think Koreans and Korean Americans will take away from the gallery experience we're providing.

Jiyeon: Koreans have always been very proud of their history and culture. Through the recent success in the K-pop industry and the culture industry, they want to discover more about their heritage.

When we had our wonderful meeting with the Korea Foundation and the National Museum of Korea, they shared that they want to learn more about their history and culture through our exhibitions and through our unique collection.

I also believe that our gallery and its historical focus will broaden the perspectives of Korean Americans in terms of how they see their heritage, see their roots, cultural roots, and how all of these are related to their present lives.

Lynda: The gallery opens in May 2025, and it's not all that far away, but I'm betting there's a lot of work still to be done. What's going on?

Jiyeon: I'm working with this wonderful team of colleagues from all across the museum. We are in the process of a thorough interpretation and design. We are also actively planning Korea-related programming. I'm also very pleased to share that a professional fellow is coming to help us with the support of the Korea Foundation.

Lynda: That support from the foundation has been meaningful for years, and it's great that it's continuing. In addition to the Korean and Korean American communities, what do you hope our visitors in general will learn from the gallery? What are they going to see? What are they going to experience?

Jiyeon: I really hope the visitors to our new gallery will reflect upon the human experiences behind the artworks on display, be inspired and celebrate life and creativity.

Lynda: That’s right in line with our wanting to be a human-centered museum. I can't wait to welcome all of the visitors to the new gallery. It was fantastic to travel with you, and I'm just really glad that we can have this conversation today.
Thank you so much, Jiyeon.

Jiyeon: Thank you for having me.

Explore our May programming celebrating the Korean Art gallery opening — including musical performances, artist talks, art making workshops and a K-pop dance party — at pem.org/events.