Graphics by Kalaya'an Mendoza, co-founder of Across Frontlines

Dear Community,

We are grateful for the privilege to create spaces and opportunities for Asian Pacific Islander artists and cultural workers. As we have the opportunity to celebrate our art and culture, we stand in solidarity with the lives of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, George Floyd, along with their families and communities. It is important for our community to recognize the historical violence and injustice inflicted upon black, brown and indigenous communities and call ourselves in to dismantle racist and oppressive systems. While there will always be much more to do, every act of engagement can open up possibilities to create a more just world. As non-black people of color we must take ownership of our participation in working towards anti-racism, in support of Black Lives Matter.

Welcome to the online program listings for the 23rd Annual United States of Asian America Festival: FINDING KINSHIP! In celebration of API Heritage Month, APICC is excited to present virtual programming originally set to occur MAY-JUNE at various locations in San Francisco and Oakland.

Need a break from the screen, but still want to feel connected? Listen to the FINDING KINSHIP playlist on Spotify, including songs, poetry and music recommended by USAAF 2020 artists. Featuring songs by Jon Jang, Boondock Squad, Sammay Dizon and Ruby Ibarra. 

Festival events and our selected producing artists are listed below and best viewed on desktop.
Click through each link for more details on viewing or attending each program online

This page is to be updated weekly.

UPDATE: Productions by Virada Chatikul, Gay Asian Pacific Alliance and Asian Prisoner Support Committee have been canceled.

ONLINE RELEASES

LIVE STREAMED EVENTS

#USAAF2020 #FINDING KINSHIP

USAAF 2020 JURORS

Eddie Wong, activist, filmmaker and editor/publisher of East Wind Ezine. 
Tatiana Chaterji, performing artist, writer, co-founder of Subcontinental Drift Easy Bay
Sami Schilf, San Francisco Bay Area based visual artist and muralist 

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Dear Community,

In light of the rapidly changing circumstances regarding COVID-19 prevention, APICC’s staff and board have been in earnest discussion about the orders and advice coming from local, state, and federal authorities on how best to protect those who could have the worst outcomes from the virus. As of last Friday, March 13, the City & County of San Francisco issued a Public Health Order prohibiting non-essential gatherings of 100 people or more and recommending to cancel meetings of 10 or more people with vulnerable populations until April 30. As of today, an article has also just been released notifying the public of a shelter-in-place order to be in effect in 6 Bay Area counties until April 7.

Over the course of the past few weeks, many other businesses, places of entertainment, worship, and educational institutions have already made the decision to halt non-essential activities, to limit the risk of close contact with potential carriers of the virus. Our community's health is very important to us, so we are postponing any upcoming major events until further notice. Seeing our friends at performances and art openings while presenting our amazing artists are the highlights of our year.  We will miss seeing all of you during the spring, but we know we’ll be back together again.

In regards to the upcoming United States of Asian America Festival: FINDING KINSHIP, we are working with this year’s producing artists to find creative alternatives and opportunities to bring API stories to the public.

Amidst racist and xenophobic profiling in relation to the virus, we recognize that presenting art and culture by API artists is most important during moments like this. We encourage our community to stay up to date using accurate information from reliable resources such as those linked below. 

During this time of reflection we will be working with our funders to find ways to help mitigate the economic and professional losses our artists will be facing.  We thank our major funders such as SF Grants for the Arts, SF Arts Commission, California Arts Council, Cal Humanities, and Zellerbach Family Foundation for taking leadership in trying to understand the impact this is going to have on small cultural nonprofits and community artists.  We also thank our civic leaders who have been tireless in gathering information, making historically difficult decisions and keeping us informed.

RESOURCES & FACTS

• Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s info on the virus
• Official Guidelines from the State of California
• Coronavirus Facts from the San Francisco Department of Public Health
• Friday, March 13 Public Health Order, prohibiting gatherings of 100 or more persons issued by the City & County of San Francisco until April 30, 2020
• Monday, March 16 San Francisco Chronicle article on the shelter-in-place announcement

Every member of our community deserves to be safe and although these are difficult decisions, they are the right ones to take. Please remain vigilant in social distancing and look out for your loved ones.  

Please feel free to contact us via email at info@apiculturalcenter.org if you have any questions or concerns. 

Thank you,
Vinay, Melanie and Diana

Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center Staff

THE UNITED STATES OF ASIAN AMERICA FESTIVAL 2020
FINDING KINSHIP

The Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center of San Francisco announces the 23rd Annual United States of Asian America Festival: FINDING KINSHIP.

About the USAAF 2020

Each year, the United States of Asian American Festival (USAAF) presents up to 20 different programs reflecting the artistic accomplishments and cultural diversity of San Francisco’s Pacific Islander and Asian American communities. USAAF showcases artists representing a diverse range of ethnic and cultural groups and aims to heighten the visibility of Asian and Pacific Islander (API) artists working in all disciplines - theater, music, dance, film, literature, visual arts, and more! Our goal is to nurture and empower these groups to be self-sufficient while providing the support they need to grow. USAAF is funded by the San Francisco Arts Commission and San Francisco Grants for the Arts.

This year’s theme, Finding Kinship, exposes the importance and need for various forms of kinship and empowered community building for Pacific Islanders and Asians living in America - familial, creative and cultural, chosen families, geographical, spiritual, political, and beyond. The festival honors our shared stories, and reveals different parallels and intersections that imagine a future of empathy and solidarity between marginalized communities.

PRESS RELEASE

USAAF 2020 Online

Click here for a full list of online programming happening May-June, 2020!

(Updated Weekly)

COVID-19 RESPONSE

Our community's health is very important to us.

Please read this letter to learn how APICC is responding to the evolving circumstances related to COVID-19.

Workshops are available to USAAF participants every year. Attend some of the workshops that are open to the public before the festival starts:

Relax with Tax for Artists and Creatives (March 5)

Documenting Community Life and Art Work (March 19) - THIS WORKSHOP HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

Festival Artists

The Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center is thrilled to announce the presenting artists for the United States of Asian American Festival (USAAF) coming in May-June 2020!

FEATURED ARTISTS: 

Sami See

Jon Jang

FOCUS ARTISTS

Asian Prisoner Support Committee
Ramon Abad/Bindlestiff Studio
Ranko Ogura Dance
Kearny Street Workshop
jxtheo
Virada Chatikul
Gay Asian Pacific Alliance

SHOWCASE ARTISTS

Rea Lynn de Guzman
Parivar
A Hxstory of Renting

MEMBER ARTISTS

dNaga
Urban x Indigenous
Political Participation Inherited

Juried by Eddie Wong, Tatiana Chaterji and USAAF 2020 Featured Artist Sami See, the selected artists best reflected the festival's goals towards diversity and artistic excellence while also embodying this year's festival theme: Finding Kinship.

Click here to read more about Festival Awards and Levels of Support.

USAAF SUPPORTS | All mediums of art and culture (e.g., theater, storytelling, stand-up comedy, dance, performance art, solo performance, literary, panel discussion, music, visual art exhibition, performance poetry, film, spoken word, variety showcase, multimedia productions, multi-art productions, etc).

USAAF DOES NOT FUND | Benefits and fundraisers. Events not open or accessible to the general public. Events occurring outside of the city and county of San Francisco.*

Online Application

Apply to USAAF 2020 online: Now Closed

Please read the following section completely and carefully.

About the USAAF 2020

Individual artists, arts groups, and arts organizations are welcome to submit applications for events occurring in May 2020.

FESTIVAL THEME | FESTIVAL THEME | Subject(s) of your program(s) and/or event(s) focus on themes related to Pacific Islander and Asian American themes and culture, connecting specifically to this year’s theme of FINDING KINSHIP:

• The importance and need for various forms of kinship and empowered community building as Pacific Islanders and Asians living in America - e.g. familial, creative and cultural, chosen families, geographical, spiritual, political, etc.
• Honoring our shared stories as Asians and Pacific Islanders in America, and revealing different parallels and intersections that imagine a future of empathy and solidarity between marginalized communities.
• The journey of accepting or denying kinship by and between individuals and distinct communities.

DEADLINE & SUBMISSION FORMAT | ALL SUBMISSIONS ARE DUE AT 11:59PM PST ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2019. No late submissions will be accepted. All files must be submitted through the online submission form.

If you have any problems with this submission form, please contact APICC's Artistic Director Melanie Elvena directly at entries@apiculturalcenter.org. NO phone, post-mail, or in-person submissions will be accepted. Incomplete or incorrectly formatted submissions will also NOT be accepted.

Students and emerging artists are encouraged to apply. The selected and wait-listed artists or groups will be contacted by email the week of Monday, November 18, 2019.

Application Checklist

APPLICATION WORKSHOPS |

One-on-one application workshops are available by appointment between September 30-October 28, 2019. Please schedule an appointment to speak with APICC Staff prior to the submission deadline.
WORKSHOP REGISTRATION

Photo by Lorenz Angelo, Urban x Indigenous 2016

APICC proudly presents the work of USAAF Featured Artist - Irene Tu - during the 2019 Festival.

Irene Tu

Irene Tu is a stand-up comedian, actor, and writer. Named one of the Bay Area’s best stand up comedians and an “artist on the brink of fame,” Irene has performed at numerous festivals and opened for Patton Oswalt and W. Kamau Bell. This is her third USAAF show. 

Rest In Peace Irene

Rest In Peace Irene is a humorous look at one of life’s most serious topics: death. In this solo show, Irene explores what it means to grapple with your mortality while trying to live life to its fullest. Dark subject matter include: what to do in case of an apocalypse, preferred ways to die, how to grieve appropriately, and things to not say in front of your elderly grandparents. If you’re afraid of death, this show is for you. If you love death, see a therapist first, but this show is also for you.

Written & performed by Irene Tu. Directed by Kat Evasco.

Rest In Peace Irene will premiere on 8pm, May 17 & 18, 2019 at Bindlestiff Studio, San Francisco. Buy presale tickets online: https://ripirene.bpt.me/

WHAT IS THE FEATURED ARTIST?

Each year, APICC’s Artistic Director will choose a Featured Artist whose work will be highlighted to represent Asian and Pacific Islander artists in San Francisco’s arts community in its annual United States of Asian America Festival (USAAF). The artist chosen: is committed to API arts in San Francisco and the greater Bay Area; demonstrates leadership in building arts communities; creates high quality and engaging arts experiences for both artists involved and its audiences; and has participated in USAAF and/or has cultivated a deeper, collaborative relationship with APICC.

The Featured Artist not only receives fiscal support for the creation and presentation of their work for the festival, but will also be part of the jury that curates USAAF’s events and programs. The Featured Artist will be a leader and mentor in the festival’s process by leading professional development workshops and providing artistic feedback during the creation process to the other artists participating in USAAF. This level of support aims to fulfill APICC’s festival goals:

• Implement a commissioning program that will function as an artists incubator - creating multiple career pathways for API artists to grow.
• Facilitate community building with and between local API artists.
• Attain flexibility to address production and professional development needs of individual artists.
• Be more directly involved in supporting the artistic creation process.

Each year, APICC presents the United States of Asian America Festival (USAAF) with up to 20 different programs reflecting the artistic accomplishments and cultural diversity of San Francisco’s Pacific Islander and Asian American communities. USAAF showcases artists representing a diverse range of ethnic and cultural groups and aims to heighten the visibility of Asian and Pacific Islander (API) artists working in all disciplines - theater, music, dance, film, literature, visual arts, and more. Our goal is to nurture and empower these groups to be self-sufficient while providing the support they need to grow. USAAF is funded by the San Francisco Arts Commission and San Francisco Grants for the Arts.

In addition to USAAF, APICC also programs, sponsors and presents events and showcases throughout the year.

View a full list of Upcoming Events

See Past Events

THE UNITED STATES OF ASIAN AMERICA FESTIVAL 2019 - COLLECTIVE // MEMORIES

The Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center of San Francisco announces the 22nd Annual United States of Asian America Festival: Collective // Memories. 

See the USAAF 2019 Online Calendar for dates, details and tickets!

About the USAAF 2019

Individual artists, arts groups, and arts organizations are will presents artistic events occurring in May-June 2019 as part of the United States of Asian American Festival (USAAF).

FESTIVAL THEME | Subject(s) of your program(s) and/or event(s) focus on themes related to Pacific Islander and Asian American themes and culture, connecting specifically to this year’s theme of COLLECTIVE // MEMORIES:

• Celebrating and remembering Asian and Pacific Islanders who have made lasting cultural contributions in our communities.
• Empowered community building during times of loss and turmoil to create spaces of sanctuary and healing.
• Honoring our shared histories as Asians and Pacific Islanders in America and how they inform our present and our futures.

Click here to read more about Festival Awards and Levels of Support.

Festival Artists

The Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center is thrilled to announce the presenting artists for the United States of Asian American Festival (USAAF) coming in May-June 2019!

FEATURED ARTIST
Irene Tu

FOCUS ARTISTS
Boondock Squad
Eth-Noh-Tec (Nancy Wang)
GAPA Theatre
Mister REY
Resilience Archives
Sally Wen Mao
Sami See
‘Ulumau Collective

SHOWCASE ARTISTS
JAGAH
Nina Bazan Sakamoto & Maya Fuji
S//M Productions
Rooted Recipes Project

MEMBER ARTISTS
Jason Bayani
Kearny Street Workshop
Kularts
Queer Fuckery
QWOCMAP
SAMMAY

After a very competitive jury process, the selected artists best reflected the festival's goals towards diversity and artistic excellence while also embodying this year's festival theme: Collective // Memories.

USAAF 2019 Press Release

Online Application

Online Applications for USAAF 2019 are now closed. 

USAAF SUPPORTS | All mediums of art and culture (e.g., theater, storytelling, stand-up comedy, dance, performance art, solo performance, literary, panel discussion, music, visual art exhibition, performance poetry, film, spoken word, variety showcase, multimedia productions, multi-art productions, etc).

USAAF DOES NOT FUND | Benefits and fundraisers. Events not open or accessible to the general public. Events occurring outside of the city and county of San Francisco.*

APPLICATION WORKSHOPS |

One-on-one application workshops are available by appointment between October 22-November 2, 2018. Please schedule an appointment to speak with APICC's Artistic Director prior to the submission deadline.

Workshop Registration

Photo: The Round Rock Collective, Keeping, 2019. Image courtesy of artist.

The Round Rock Collective is a participating artist as part of the visual art exhibition Agrarianaa

APICC is proud to fiscally sponsor Lenora Lee Dance. Donations to Lenora Lee Dance projects can be made on this page through APICC as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. 

About Lenora Lee Dance:

The mission of Lenora Lee Dance (LLD) is to create and present large-scale multimedia performance works integrating dance, original music, video projection, text and installation that connect various styles of movement and music to culture, history and human rights issues.

Lenora Lee (artistic director) has been a dancer, choreographer, and artistic director in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York. She has been an Artist Fellow at the de Young Museum, a Djerassi Resident Artist, and a Visiting Scholar at New York University through the Asian/Pacific/American Institute. She is currently an Artist in Residence at Dance Mission Theater.

Over the last ten years, LLD's work has grown to encompass the creation, presentation, and screening of films, museum and gallery installations, civic engagement and educational programming. The company creates works that are both set in public and private spaces, intimate and at the same time large-scale, inspired by individual stories as well as community strength. LLD is weaving together multiple artistic disciplines and socially conscious work, pushing the relevance of arts in various communities throughout the country.

For more information on LLD artistic works and collaborators, see www.lenoraleedance.com

*For check donations, please write checks to 'Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center' with 'Lenora Lee' in the memo. Please include a return mailing address or email address to send the donation acknowledgement to.

Send checks to the address below:

APICC
934 Brannan Street
San Francisco, CA 94103

**Photo by Robbie Sweeny 

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, APICC proudly fiscally sponsors a number of local artists and their creative endeavors relevant to our mission and to the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.

Donations can be made to a number of these projects. Please see the list above for more information. 

For inquiry about fiscal sponsorship, please contact APICC staff at info@apiculturalcenter.org

A Statement of Solidarity
Posted by Vinay Patel · June 02, 2020 2:59 PM · 1 reaction

COVID-19 Response
Posted by Vinay Patel · March 16, 2020 12:15 PM

Threading Resilience: USAAF 2017
Posted by Elisa Gyotoku · November 04, 2016 6:06 PM · 1 reaction

APICC gladly announces the talented artists and group that will be part of the United States of Asian America Festival: Threading Resilience!

Stay tuned with APICC online to see the latest updates on what we have to offer later this Spring. 

Presented

ALLELUIA PANIS DANCE THEATER

CYNTHIA LING LEE

DNAGA

IRENE TU

J. THEO

JAQ NGUYEN VICTOR

JASON BAYANI

JYUN JYUN

RE-PRESENT MEDIA

URBAN X INDIGENOUS

Sponsored

APPENDIX COLLECTIVE

KEARNY STREET WORKSHOP

MICHELLE LIN

NANCY WANG

ONENESSBUTOH

OUR STORIES OUR VOICES

SAMMAY

THE PLACE COLLECTIVE

WODC

Supported

GAUTAM TEJAS GANESHAN

LATIFA MEDJDOUB
& HACO

*BAY AREA BURMESE POETS AND WRITERS and MACROWAVES COLLECTIVE are no longer participating USAAF 2017

Donate to Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center (APICC) to directly invest in cultural institutions that present and empower diverse voices in arts and culture. 

Your tax-deductible contribution is a meaningful statement in our community's value and need for organizations like APICC that present premier Asian Pacific Islander works of art in the San Francisco-Bay Area. 

*Please note: If you would like to make a donation specifically towards an APICC fiscally-sponsored project such as Lenora Lee Dance or Trashed: The Lost World of May's Photo Studio, please donate through their specific pages here.

If you have any questions about your donation, please contact us at info@apiculturalcenter.org.

USAAF 2017 - THREADING RESILIENCE

The Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center of San Francisco will present the 20th Annual United States of Asian America Festival: Threading Resilience. 

Selected individual artists, arts groups, and arts organizations for USAAF 2017 will present their full-length arts event productions (i.e., a minimum of 45 minutes of performance time) occurring within the city and county San Francisco during May 2017.

FESTIVAL THEME | Subject(s) of the program(s) and/or event(s) will focus on themes related to Pacific Islander and Asian American themes and culture, connecting specifically to this year’s theme of Threading Resilience:

- How has identity and visibility for APIs in art and politics evolved and where are themes of identity heading?
- What intersections and collaborations in art, identity, and politics have shaped, connected, and strengthened our communities amidst forces of oppression in mainstream culture and media?
- How have we utilized placemaking for our community throughout history and today? What will it take to ensure the collective survival of these spaces for future generations?

USAAF 2017 Calendar

The calendar of programmed events for USAAF 2017 is now live! Go through the program calendar, click the event links and buy your tickets now for our these events.

USAAF 2017 Participants

See this year's festival artists on our USAAF 2017 Participants page. 

QUESTIONS | If you have any questions about this application, the festival, or APICC, please visit our website at www.apiculturalcenter.org or e-mail Artistic Director Melanie Elvena at entries@apiculturalcenter.org.

More information on the festival are upcoming. Keep checking our website or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter to stay up to date on Festival news.