Thanh Thảo Show | Special Guest: Dr Sean O'harrow, President & CEO of the Bowers Museum

Added: 2026-05-28

[00:00:21]Seano CEO President's Museum title.

[00:00:32]>> Um, good evening.

[00:00:34]>> Good evening, >> Dr. Sean O'Haro.

[00:00:36]>> Yes.

[00:00:37]>> You I just introduced you to my viewers as the CEO and president of Bowers Museum >> in Santa Anna.

[00:00:43]>> So, could you please let my viewers know what's so special about Bowers Museum?

[00:00:48]>> Sure. Well, I think the first thing is we're the oldest and largest museum in Orange County. Um, we're always voted the best most popular museum uh by the OC register readers and uh and we uh encompass every culture in the community and around the world uh because we cover all the continents. Uh we have art from uh Europe and California and South America and all over Asia. And uh lately we've been doing um many events related to Vietnamese culture.

[00:01:24]>> I see. But there's something very special at the museum at as of right now.

[00:01:29]>> Yes.

[00:01:30]>> Is about the history of America. Please.

[00:01:32]>> That's right. So we decided to join the celebration of America's 250th anniversary >> by putting together a quilt exhibition because I know people love quilt and sewing. So, we thought we would put that together to tell the story of America through quilts. Starting with a quilt from 1776 from Massachusetts and going all the way through to the uh centenery in 1876 >> and then with the bsentennial which is 1976 which is a year after people from South Vietnam were arriving in the United States and then all the way up to the present day. So tell me a bit about quilting that you just making a little gesture. Is it very close to the Vietnamese culture in your opinion?

[00:02:24]>> Yes. Because uh in my family so my mother is Vietnamese.

[00:02:28]>> Wow.

[00:02:29]>> You don't look half Vietnamese.

[00:02:31]>> Oh yeah. But I am 100% half Vietnamese.

[00:02:33]Okay. Yeah. And then um and my mom would always sew. I mean I think all the women in the family were expected to sew. Uh and in fact my mom's uh sister was a seamstress for Chanel in Paris. So they they they moved to Paris um in the 1950s and um my mother would sew all the time.

[00:02:53]So from my perspective quilting is in the same style and art form as uh dress making and um all the decorative arts in Vietnam. And it looks like embroidery too because it's very very uh >> Oh yeah, it includes everything. So it also includes reusing older materials or repurposing.

[00:03:17]>> So it's again, you know, over many generations, that's what people did. You know, if you had a hole in your uh sock, you would darn the sock and if you had um you wanted a new dress, you would change it.

[00:03:28]>> Yes. Yes. It's it's the same in Vietnamese culture because I'm I'm also I graduate from Viet as a fashion designer. So I know >> Yeah. I know all of the little things that people do.

[00:03:38]>> Um and and it's so endearing that you have your mom who is Vietnamese. Um and then >> you moved to California.

[00:03:46]>> Yes.

[00:03:46]>> From where?

[00:03:48]>> So I moved from Kansas City. Uh I was the director of the museum modern contemporary art museum there. Um, and then when I got here, uh, uh, a couple things occurred to me. You know, the the first thing that occurred to me was now I know why people move to Southern California.

[00:04:05]>> Why?

[00:04:06]>> Because it's the same weather every day.

[00:04:08]It's it it's it's always dry for the most part. And um, the second thing that really like struck me was um, all my life the only Vietnamese people I knew were my family.

[00:04:20]>> Uh, because I was raised in Honolulu.

[00:04:22]So, there weren't many Vietnamese uh in the 1960s. Um, but then I arrived here and it's like millions of Vietnamese people.

[00:04:29]>> And what that means is uh Vietnamese food's everywhere.

[00:04:32]>> Yes.

[00:04:33]>> And and I can have fur and and and and buna and everything I want. Yes.

[00:04:39]Whenever I want. Yeah.

[00:04:40]>> That's wonderful.

[00:04:41]>> Yeah.

[00:04:42]>> Yeah. All Vietnamese food you have.

[00:04:45]>> And and from the south, too, because my mom's from the south, so I can have all the food that my bay would make me.

[00:04:50]Yeah. So what does your mom feel? How how does your mom feel when she visit Mau's museum?

[00:04:56]>> Um well she I think she feels uh very at ease because it's a a very calm soothing place. Uh my mom loves museums and you know she loves uh music and orchestras and uh I I think she was raised in Paris so she has a kind of a European taste but I think that um um the museum is very uh accessible. It's it's um easy to get to. It's um it's it's very representative of many cultures. So I think wherever background you have, you feel very comfortable because you have uh art from every different culture, right?

[00:05:32]>> Um and and we have these family festivals that happen every month. So we choose a different culture every month.

[00:05:39]It could be um Lunar New Year. So then we have uh East Asian uh community, but then uh the next month we'll have um uh we have Sango de Mayo. It just happened.

[00:05:51]>> Yeah, that's right.

[00:05:51]>> Yeah. So um and then uh we also have the uh um Harvest Moon Festival in October.

[00:05:59]>> Yes.

[00:06:00]>> Which will feature uh Vietnamese performances and others like that.

[00:06:05]>> Yep.

[00:06:05]>> Yeah.

[00:06:06]>> Yeah.

[00:06:06]>> And I'd like to join sometimes.

[00:06:08]>> Oh yeah. I I visited the museum of several times. I I've noticed that beside the museum and the exhibitions, >> there's little gift shop and also outside outdoors. Oh, yeah. There's plenty of places for different festival that you that you hold.

[00:06:24]>> We do. Yeah. And we have a really we have a new restaurant.

[00:06:27]>> Yes.

[00:06:28]>> Called Adah's Table. Yeah.

[00:06:29]>> Yeah. And it's very nice uh tablecloth.

[00:06:32]Uh very nice. They even have a buni.

[00:06:34]>> Oh.

[00:06:34]>> On the on the thing. I think it was a nod to, you know, um to our community.

[00:06:40]Uh so it's a it's a kind of a fusion restaurant.

[00:06:42]>> I see.

[00:06:43]>> Yeah.

[00:06:43]>> I tried some food that is pretty good.

[00:06:45]>> Yeah. Yeah.

[00:06:45]>> And so go back to the exhibition. Yes.

[00:06:47]>> For instance, if the viewers watching this program would like to visit the museum with a group >> or like a a Vietnamese uh culture class for instance. Sure.

[00:06:58]>> Is there any kind of special fall group visit?

[00:07:02]>> Yes. So we have um Vietnamese speaking dosent.

[00:07:06]>> Oh wow.

[00:07:06]>> On the staff.

[00:07:07]>> How nice.

[00:07:08]>> Yeah. And so when people come and visit and they can they can show up. There's no need to book or they can um reserve online. Um then we uh but it's better if you do reserve online because then we can assign uh a Vietnamese speaking dosent to show them around and they can cover the entire museum. We're the largest museum in Orange County. So, we have many things to see all day.

[00:07:33]>> Yes, I know. I've been there. It's it's it's huge.

[00:07:36]>> Yeah.

[00:07:37]>> You spend at least half a day.

[00:07:38]>> Oh, yeah.

[00:07:39]>> Right. Easily.

[00:07:40]>> Yeah.

[00:07:40]>> There's also a beautiful um show. Is this a showroom or a place where you can actually have a banquet?

[00:07:46]>> Oh, yeah. So, we are open for a lot of events. Yes.

[00:07:49]>> Uh so, for example, uh Valla, the Vietnamese American Arts and Letters.

[00:07:54]Arts and letters. Yeah. They had their um uh book festival at the Bowers.

[00:08:01]>> Um we also had the awards for the Viet Film Festival.

[00:08:04]>> Yes.

[00:08:05]>> At the Bowers. Um we've even featured um uh the birthday parties of famous singers. Uh Ki for example had her party. Um so we have a lot of events that um uh in the space uh at the northern part of the building. It's very easy to get to and um and there's a beautiful auditorium that we use.

[00:08:28]>> Yes, it's beautiful.

[00:08:29]>> Yeah.

[00:08:30]>> I would like to ask you to take a second and think about what you would like the viewers to >> help you or to join you in um keeping and preserving and also to um to help grow this museum.

[00:08:46]>> Sure.

[00:08:46]>> How do they do it? Do they volunteer? Do they uh >> donate? What do they do? I think at a at a minimum they should visit the museum >> first. Right. Yeah. Right. And just get themselves accustomed to learn to enjoy it. I think uh coming for a family festival is a perfect time because you can come with your family. We serve uh food outdoors as well as at the restaurant. So you can have a choice. Um and then you can sort of experience the museum in its fullest. Um, and then if you think that's something that you like, we uh can offer a very accessible membership that will give you ex access for the full year.

[00:09:28]>> Uh, and if you have a family membership, um, which isn't very much at all. Um, it means that you can visit the museum throughout the entire year with your family.

[00:09:37]>> Wow, that sounds fun. Sounds good.

[00:09:40]>> Yeah, exactly. And we we have everything. Not only we have art, but we have movies. We show movies. We have talks. We have music, musical performances. So, we're we we have a variety of things. And the great thing is also it's not just about um certain cultures. You can learn about many different people.

[00:09:58]>> That's right.

[00:09:58]>> You know, we'll have if we have like uh Persian festival, you can go and eat Persian food or if you go to the Dasis Muertos, you can have really nice tamales, you know. Yes.

[00:10:10]>> So, there's there's so many things that you can visit and experience.

[00:10:14]>> Yeah. And it's a safe place. You don't have to like go out to, you know, drive and go on the freeway to go, you know, places. It's uh in Santa Ana, so it's very central and and the parking is very easy cuz it's right off the museum entrance.

[00:10:31]>> Yes.

[00:10:31]>> So yeah, >> across it's right across, right?

[00:10:34]>> It can be across street or you can park at the north parking lot and it's right connect. You don't even have to cross the street.

[00:10:39]>> I see. I see. That's that's very good.

[00:10:41]>> Yeah.

[00:10:41]>> To know because I park across the street. If you park on the north side of the building, if you have like older family members, it's easy. They don't even have to cross the street. I see.

[00:10:49]>> They can just they walk into the museum.

[00:10:51]>> And so the exhibition for the to celebrate the 250th birthday of America will will last for how long?

[00:11:00]>> Um that'll last for 3 months. Um uh that's the length of most exhibitions.

[00:11:06]And uh so it'll start on May 23rd and then it'll last for about 3 months. And then we have another exhibition on Pablo Picasso.

[00:11:16]>> Wow.

[00:11:17]>> Yeah. And so it's Picasso ceramics. So he everyone knows he's a painter, >> but they don't realize that he made ceramics.

[00:11:23]>> And so we have all of uh a lot of his ceramics on view.

[00:11:29]>> So for for for artists watching this program who would like to have an exhibition at the Bowers Museum, what do they start? Where do they start?

[00:11:38]>> Well, it helps to be famous.

[00:11:40]>> Of course. Of course. I'm talking about people who have different exhibition >> but you know what we also do is that we um often work with art clubs. So we've used to have uh we would have exhibitions with the California art club. Um so there's organizations that actually um uh participate with us and partner with us and then we do a lot of group group projects as well. Yeah. And then we've also featured um young children too. So we're um uh we have some exhibitions where we work with disabled groups and so a lot of the young children will also um display their art. And then also for AAPI month which is uh in May which is this month um we're working with the Asian-American Museum and they are doing a photography project at the museum. So, we're able to display photography um that they're organizing and I would think that you would organize um talk to them and they'll um introduce you to the project.

[00:12:41]>> I see. I also talk about the gift shop.

[00:12:43]I like the gift shop.

[00:12:44]>> Oh, yes.

[00:12:44]>> It's small, but it's it has a lot of items that >> Well, I think there's a reason why you like the gift shop because our um gift shop manager used to work uh for uh Chanel and so and Georgio Armani. So, she understands what people like and also a very high-end uh products, too.

[00:13:05]>> Yeah. And I can I I can imagine that you like high-end fashion.

[00:13:09]>> Yeah.

[00:13:10]>> I'm just guessing.

[00:13:11]>> At my stage in life, >> you want fewer stuff, but but better quality.

[00:13:15]>> Yeah. Yeah. That's right.

[00:13:16]>> And that's that's where you go to museum.

[00:13:18]>> Yes, that's right.

[00:13:19]>> Yeah.

[00:13:19]>> Yeah. So beside all the the special group program at the museum, beside the the uh the celebration of 250th year of un anniversary Yes. of the United States of USA um any special other special um program that people should look for and and enjoy.

[00:13:40]>> Sure. So if you look at bowers.org which is our website, you will see um a program of all of the various events we have. Um, so I'll give you one example.

[00:13:51]Um, soon we have uh game night. So for the night >> I I want to say for the younger people, but actually for all ages because it really is not it's not limited. Okay.

[00:14:01]>> So we will do um open late uh and have the exhibition available for people to visit and then we will set up game tables and so we feature certain games.

[00:14:11]It might be maong but it might be chess.

[00:14:14]It might be um Magic the Gathering. Um, we're doing a Dungeons and Dragons night coming up. So, this is a a very uh multigenerational uh evening. Um, and then during these game nights, we sell like, you know, kind of food that people want to eat, you know, like chips or pizza, you know, something that is easy for them to play a game and eat at the same time.

[00:14:38]>> But is it is how late is the late night?

[00:14:40]Because I know the museum goes early.

[00:14:42]>> Yeah. So, our late night is 9:00.

[00:14:44]>> Oh, that's that's late.

[00:14:45]>> Yeah. And we open and for game night we open at 5.

[00:14:48]>> So it's a long period to play games >> and then sometimes what we'll do is we'll do game day. So sometimes we'll do in the middle of the day maybe Saturday in the middle of the day.

[00:14:57]>> Yeah.

[00:14:58]>> So so it's actually a place of gathering gathering place. It is >> for for family for friends for a lot of different activities not just the museum.

[00:15:06]>> Absolutely. Eating playing uh watching listening. Yeah. All the senses. That's what we're about.

[00:15:13]>> Yeah. What's your views? What your your hopes for the museum?

[00:15:18]>> Yeah.

[00:15:18]>> In the next few years. Well, I would like to see u more members of the Vietnamese community come because I think that this institution is there to serve the whole community and I know that um uh it's often hard to get people to travel and and visit new experiences, but I I can assure you that uh if uh if uh members of my Vietnamese family come and they love it so much, I know that this community will love it very much because um the food is good. I even um tested the banmi on um several friends of mine who are members of the Vietnamese community and they said they gave it thumbs up. So and they're and they're a tough audience. So um so I think that would be important. Um and then the the other thing about the museum is that um we're going to be 100 years old in in about 10 years time. So, um, one thing that we're trying to work on is making sure that we reflect the community. And, um, if you look at a lot of museums, not a lot of museums incorporate a subject matter that's, um, from the Vietnamese community. So, this would be something that we like to bring in. So, for example, we will um, maybe show a um, from, you know, certain fashion designers. um we might be able to display other works of art. So I think it's it's um it's important to kind of broaden the scope of the museum >> and and I' I've seen some of your exhibition and they are very very well done.

[00:16:57]>> Thank you.

[00:16:58]>> Yeah. Thank you.

[00:16:58]>> Really well sourced and well done and beautiful.

[00:17:01]>> Yeah.

[00:17:01]>> Not the Vietnamese. The one that I saw was textile on something else.

[00:17:04]>> Yeah. Yeah. We work with other museums internationally and and we also tour our exhibitions internationally. So people know about Orange County and the Bowowers Museum because we have our exhibitions out there in countries all over the world from Poland to China to um uh across the United States.

[00:17:26]>> So let's call on to the viewers, please come visit Bowers Museum.

[00:17:31]>> Yes, please.

[00:17:32]>> Yeah. And then experience it for yourself and hopefully become a member >> and bring your family so that Dr. Sean Harlo could feel proud of his achievement trying to reach out to all the different communities especially Vietnamese community.

[00:17:47]>> So can I end with a a story?

[00:17:49]>> Yes. Come on.

[00:17:50]>> Yeah. So uh we're going to book a exhibition on Picasso and it's going to open in October.

[00:17:56]>> Yes.

[00:17:56]>> Yeah. So um I remember I was uh having uh lunch with the grandson of Pablo Picasso. Um, and we're talking about things and he shows me a picture of his wife because her wife is a famous um, art expert, art dealer.

[00:18:12]>> And I said, "Wow." I I in my mind I said, "She's very beautiful. I mean, really um, striking woman." And he said, "Yes, because she's half Vietnamese."

[00:18:22]>> Wow.

[00:18:23]>> And I said, "Of course.

[00:18:24]>> Of course I'm half Vietnamese."

[00:18:25]>> Yeah. Right. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. Yeah.

[00:18:28]>> That's so sweet. That's very, very So that means all the Picasso um uh relate you know children everything are going to be part Vietnamese.

[00:18:36]>> Wow that's how wonderful.

[00:18:37]>> Yeah >> it's really wonderful. Yes. What a story to tell. So again please come to visit um museum Bas Museum in Santa Ana. The address is on the screen and if you have question go on to bow museum.org. Right.

[00:18:50]>> Yes please.

[00:18:51]>> And um book your group or just just just spend some time there. You will be impressed. Thank you for your time here.

[00:19:01]>> Thank you. Thank you.