Where Passion Meets Service

For more than three decades, Philip Cheong has been an engaging and constant presence at ROM, welcoming visitors, shaping volunteer programs, and championing the Museum’s collections. This June, his remarkable service will be recognized with the Lieutenant Governor’s Distinguished Service Award, the highest honour ROM can bestow upon a volunteer.

Philip’s journey with ROM began in 1991 while completing a master’s degree at the University of Toronto. His interest in East Asian art led him to volunteer in the Museum’s then Far Eastern Department, where he catalogued late Ming bronze Buddhist sculptures. Soon after, he started to volunteer behind the reception desk on late night openings, assisting students at the H.H. Mu Far Eastern Library—now the Bishop White Committee (BWC) of East Asian Art—and began teaching part-time in the Education Department.

Through these roles, Philip found both a professional path and a community. He became deeply involved with the Bishop White Committee, serving twice as Chair and is currently the Vice-Chair. His volunteer leadership has also included a role in the Currelly Legacy Committee, a role in Friends of Textiles and Costume—where he now serves as Chair—and long-standing involvement with Run for ROM.

Professionally, Philip spent over 30 years in Museums and Heritage Services for the City of Toronto, reflecting what he calls having “museums in my DNA.” Yet it is his connection to visitors that brings him back to ROM year after year. Drawn to the Museum’s Asian collections, Philip relishes opportunities to share social and art history with the public and to act as an ambassador for the collections.

One of his favourite memories comes from a program during March Break, when volunteers designed interactive activities linked to their expertise. Philip and fellow committee members displayed Asian objects near the Luohan statue and invited visitors to guess their uses or match them with modern equivalents. Because the objects were from his personal collection, children could handle items more than 2,000 years old—an experience he recalls as “magical” for young visitors.

Looking to the future, Philip believes ROM must continue broadening representation in its galleries by engaging communities not currently reflected in permanent displays and ensuring Toronto’s cultural diversity is visible within the Museum.

Receiving the Lieutenant Governor’s Distinguished Service Award is, Philip says, an unexpected honour. After 35 years of volunteering—and with many more ahead—he hopes his example will inspire others, particularly from diverse and allied communities, to see ROM as a welcoming place to belong, contribute, and connect. 

Congratulations, Philip on this well-deserved award—and thank you.