Founded in 1995, it is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to raise awareness and financial support of the Shanghai Museum. Located on People's Square, the Shanghai Museum is the city's cultural centerpiece. Housing collections of incomparable breadth and and depth, it is a world-class institution for the exhibition, study and preservation of Chinese art and artifacts. American Friends of the Shanghai Museum supports exhibitions, acquisitions, education programs at the Shanghai Museum, and in an early initiative, raised funds for the landscaping of the new museum's grounds. In order to cultivate interest in the Shanghai Museum in the United States, American Friends organizes special events in New York City, educational talks and curator-led trips to China.