See what we have coming up from APICC!

“LOW AND SLOW MOVEMENT” Film Premiere
Thursday, September 18, 2025

7:00 PM – 8:30 PM (doors open at 6:30 PM)

Brava Theater 2781 24th Street (at York St.) San Francisco, CA 94110

Join us for the premiere screening of Harvey Magsaysay Lozada’s short documentary “LOW AND SLOW MOVEMENT,” which celebrates the history and culture of San Francisco Lowriding. This film brings stories to life through the voices of cultural leaders and longtime community members who have shaped and sustained the movement. The event program includes an opening blessing led by Xiuhcoatl Danza Azteca, a panel discussion with film participants, and community art displays. Merchandise and beverages are available for purchase for a limited time.

General Tickets: $10 Youth under 17 years old: $5

Buy Tickets Here!

THE 29th ANNUAL UNITED STATES OF ASIAN AMERICA FESTIVAL: COMMON GROUND

APPLICATIONS FOR USAAF 2026 ARE NOW OPEN 

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

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 American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) 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. 

This year’s theme, Common Ground, invites us to reflect on our relationships with each other and with the spaces we move through together as AAPIs in the diaspora by exploring what it means to take up space and practice placemaking for others. The festival will celebrate modes of thinking about solidarity through shared experiences and histories by underscoring how visibility in public spaces can cultivate belonging. 

Thank you to our many partners and funders including the San Francisco Arts Commission, San Francisco Grants for the Arts, California Arts Council, Zellerbach Family Foundation and startsmall. 

THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS AND SPONSORS

San Francisco Arts Commission, California Arts Council, SF Grants for the Arts, SF Office of Economic & Workforce Development, Zellerbach Family Foundation, and SOMArts Cultural Center.

HOW TO APPLY 

Individual artists, art groups, and art organizations are welcome to submit applications for art events occurring in May-June 15, 2026.

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, Common Ground:

• How do API communities continue to create spaces for gathering and community care through arts and culture? How do we use these spaces to act in solidarity with other BIPOC and/or LGBTQ+ communities and work towards collective liberation?
• What does it mean to create and hold space for healing, and how does API cultural expression inform the ways that we are able to expand reflective spaces within ourselves? 
• How do we continue to create spaces to amplify API narratives in the face of injustice and erasure in the United States? How can the arts help us imagine new ways to tell our stories and steward our histories for future generations?   

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).

ELIGIBILITY

In order to be eligible to participate in USAAF:

• Pacific Islander and/or Asian American artists must be centralized within the artistic creation process, and constitute a majority of participating artists.
• Lead producing artist(s) must be based in the Bay Area 9 counties (if outside Bay Area, contact us at [email protected] to assess participation).
• Lead producing artist(s) must be over 18, but artists participating in the program can be all ages.
• Lead producing artist(s) must demonstrate the ability to produce their own event (i.e., including managing and executing all production, creative, technical, promotional, etc. responsibilities).
• Events must occur in May through June 15, 2025.
• Agree to attend APICC’s professional development workshops (it is highly recommended that you attend all workshops, dates listed below).
• Be able to meet all marketing and artistic deadlines (see below).
• Be a legal resident of the United States ([email protected] to assess participation). 

USAAF DOES NOT FUND

• Benefits or fundraisers.
• Events not open or accessible to the general public.
• Events that do not take place in San Francisco county.

LEVELS OF SUPPORT

Our awards support up to $5,000 across 3 award levels. 

Click here to review the AWARD LEVELS & EVENTS that will be supported.

DEADLINE & SUBMISSION FORMAT

ALL SUBMISSIONS ARE DUE AT 12:00PM PST ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2025. No late submissions will be accepted. All files must be submitted through the online submission form.

If you have any problems with the submission form, please contact us at [email protected]. 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.

APPLICATION CHECKLIST

It's recommended you draft your proposal on a separate document on a computer before submitting it through the application. The application is not compatible with tablets or phones.

Click here to view a checklist of important items required to submit through the application.

APPLICATION Q&A SESSIONS  

We have scheduled 2 application Q&A sessions scheduled:

Application Q&A #1 – Tuesday, September 23 @ 6-7PM Online via Zoom - REGISTER HERE 

Application Q&A #2 – Saturday, October 4 @ 10-11AM PST, Online via Zoom - REGISTER HERE 

If you cannot attend these dates and have questions about your application, please contact us at [email protected]

Click to Apply! 

To our community, 

On May 2, we at the Asian Pacific Cultural Center (APICC), alongside other arts and cultural organizations across the country, were devastated to receive the news that our $50,000 NEA grant that went towards supporting our annual United States of Asian America Festival was discontinued. 

We see this defunding as a way to silence the voices, history, and strength of our diverse American tapestry. The arts are a way to lift up voices, pass along traditions, and nurture our soul. Despite having lost this crucial funding, APICC is dedicated to our culture bearers and will move ahead with our commitments including hosting our 28th annual United States of Asian America Festival.

Having this opportunity to expand the festival and to reflect on and include wider AAPI experiences was imperative to holistically addressing this year’s festival theme, Critical Refuge, which prompted our artists to reflect on how they seek necessary sanctuary within ourselves and in our communities in times of unrest and uncertainty. As we continue to find, cultivate, and grow spaces of critical refuge, we encourage readers to engage with the events in this year’s festival dedicated to doing just this. 

• Go to our festival Link here to full schedule.

• Donate to APICC to support our objective of regranting funding to artists.
• Support the Americans for the Arts Protect the NEA Campaign - Link here to the petition.
• Attend arts events that uplift our diverse communities, and stand in solidarity with organizers who continue to do crucial work

With Care, 

API Cultural Center Team 

THE 28th ANNUAL UNITED STATES OF ASIAN AMERICA FESTIVAL: CRITICAL REFUGE

Press Kit Available Here!

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

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 American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) 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. 

This year’s theme, Critical Refuge, asks us to reflect on our journey as immigrants, refugees, and generations of descendents and/or mixed race people in the diaspora as we seek necessary sanctuary within ourselves and in our communities in times of unrest and uncertainty. The festival will honor AAPI arts and culture reflecting on where we have been, where we are now, and what our collective future holds while acknowledging our roots as immigrants, refugees, and mixed-race descendants.

Thank you to our many partners and funders including the San Francisco Arts Commission, San Francisco Grants for the Arts, California Arts Council, Zellerbach Family Foundation and startsmall. 

THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS AND SPONSORS

San Francisco Arts Commission, California Arts Council, SF Grants for the Arts, SF Office of Economic & Workforce Development, Zellerbach Family Foundation, and SOMArts Cultural Center.

CLICK TO VIEW FINAL REPORT

About Asian Improv aRts (AIR):

We are an artist-driven, national cross-cultural community network rooted in social justice and equity. Since our inception in 1987, we continue to advance and sustain artists creating innovative works representing the Asian / Asian American experience as vital voices in the BIPOC movement for collective liberation.

For more information on Asian Improv aRts works and collaborators, see www.asianimprov.org

*For check donations, please write checks to 'Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center' with 'Asian Improv' or 'AIR' 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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joanna Cayanan, Communications Assistant
[email protected]

Where Is Your Body Opening Reception (Photographer: Joyce Xi)

BE(LONG)ING HERE: AAPI ARTISTS EMBRACE HERITAGE, IDENTITY, AND A FUTURE WITH DIGNITY

Honoring the rich cultural contributions of the Asian American community while highlighting the city's vibrant creative scenes

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, March 14, 2024 - In honor of Asian Pacific Heritage Month, Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center (APICC) proudly presents the 27th annual United States of Asian America Festival (USAAF), a two-month showcase highlighting the rich cultural contributions and diversity of San Francisco’s Pacific Islander and Asian American communities. USAAF features artists from a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds, highlighting the work of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) artists across all artistic disciplines including theater, music, dance, film, literature, visual arts, and beyond.

This year’s theme, Be(long)ing Here, turns to AAPI artists to express what belonging means for themselves and their communities. The festival will honor the diverse histories, present impacts, and future visions of AAPI artists with roots connected to diverse immigrant, refugee, and mixed-race experiences.

“Our festival is coming to us after collectively experiencing major shifts and changes - so many beloved art spaces and local businesses have closed or are struggling and “doom loop” narratives of our city’s decline permeate the media all while a crucial presidential election looms, says Artistic Director Melanie Elvena, “We must continue to provide platforms for arts and culture to meet these pressing challenges, expanding San Francisco AAPI arts across communities creating spaces of belonging that bridge our differences. In our commonalities, we might find that this city and our communities still have so much life and abundance to offer.”

Since 1998, USAAF has garnered the attention of thousands of viewers by featuring groundbreaking artists including celebrated pianist and composer Jon Jang, award-winning San Francisco-based dancer and choreographer Lenora Lee, and SFJAZZ poet laureate, Genny Lim. Rising stars like rapper and music producer Ruby Ibarra and comedian Irene Tu have delivered some of their earliest performances at USAAF before skyrocketing to fame, demonstrating the festival's ongoing commitment to showcasing emerging talents.

Meeting the Moment: Transforming Struggle into Beauty
With inflated costs of living in the San Francisco Bay Area, many people are questioning where and how communities of color, families, and artists can remain living and working in San Francisco. Yet, it’s San Francisco’s artists of color that have always met the region’s challenges with spirited community efforts to organize for a dignified future where everyone can belong.

Featured Artist Ramon Abad’s show Duck Soup is a welcoming haven for families and youth to gather for growth and exploration through dynamic puppetry. This show, alongside many others, breathes life into the intergenerational essence of San Francisco and ensures safe spaces remain for all ages to come together to exchange stories, wisdom, and experiences, enriching the city's cultural diversity.

The rhythm of joy is key in a year that continues to deliver grief and sorrow as the ongoing genocide in Palestine spurs global social unrest. Moreover, the loss of key members in the AAPI arts community, whether due to COVID-19 or other factors, extends beyond individual grief, impacting the community's collective creativity and cohesion. That’s why Megan Lowe’s presentation of Just a Shadow, a dance performance that ritually celebrates the lives of loved ones who have passed on, is right on time. “Our performance aims to recognize and celebrate our individual and collective resilience, acknowledging the inevitable challenges of death while embracing the miracle and beauty of life,” she says, “It welcomes diverse perspectives, cultures, and backgrounds, recognizing that the narratives surrounding death and processing grief are multifaceted and deeply personal.”

AAPI Successes, Triumphs, and Milestones
Already 2024 has seen AAPI representation reach new heights with artists making an indelible impact on the world’s pop cultural landscape. A shining example is the 81st Golden Globe Awards, where Ali Wong (a San Francisco native and past APAture/KSW collaborator) won Best Actress and Steven Yeun won Best Actor for their outstanding performances in the limited series BEEF.

As Asian American representation continues to become a norm on the silver screen, USAAF artists are ushering in generations of nuanced stories that deepen audiences' connection to who Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are today, where they have been, and why future generations’ well being depends on the arts, culture, and community that comes from festivals like this.

Attendees are invited to the premier of the visual art exhibition Where is your Body, curated by Delaney Chieyen Holton, which gathers women/trans/queer artists of the AAPI diaspora who are engaging with practices of the body to explore questions of labor, memory, and desire. This show highlights the body and its needs as the lowest common denominator for solidarity.

“The exhibition I’m organizing at SOMArts, Where is Your Body, invites community members to think about their bodies — what we use them for, and how they mediate relationships or the ways we move through the world,” Delaney Chieyen Holton says, “We are living in historic times, politically, and I want folks in our community to be equipped to engage meaningfully. I curated the show with the hopes that it could give our communities a chance to think about identity beyond representational politics, to see the ways our bodies are all vulnerable to, and thus dependent on, one another.”

Building solidarity across the Bay Area’s diverse communities is central to USAAF, which is why APICC continues to support its artists to produce free, accessible events that encourage connection, conversation, and intercultural dialogue.

The San Francisco Bay Area stands out as a hub for rising talent within the Asian American community, courtesy of ongoing initiatives like APICC's annual United States of Asian America Festival. This festival has played a crucial role in nurturing an environment for both emerging and established AAPI artists to innovate and contribute to their communities. Spanning from intergenerational stories to the creation of supportive and imaginative spaces, the festival's diverse programs unfold throughout San Francisco from May to June. This year’s festival calendar can be found at www.apiculturalcenter.org/usaaf2024.

HIGHLIGHTED FESTIVAL EVENTS

Where is Your Body | Curated by Delaney Chieyen Holton (art exhibition)
SOMArts Cultural Center opens on April 25 from 6 PM - 9 PM. On view April 26-May 24. This year's festival features an art exhibition Where is Your Body that explores questions of labor, memory, and desire through practices of the body by women/trans/queer artists of API diasporic experience. Through a range of approaches, from abstract to figurative, and through durational embodied processes, they explore the boundaries of the body and efforts to transcend towards a future, or each other.

Just a Shadow | Curated by Megan Lowe Dances (dance performance series)
The Joe Goode Annex on May 31- June 2 & June 7-9 from 7:30 PM - 9 PM. Join us in celebrating life and honoring our lost loved ones. Just a Shadow brings together 7 powerful artists in a process that nourishes the soul, supports healing, acknowledges resilience, celebrates life, and honors the memories of loved ones. Megan Lowe Dances aims to provide a platform for catharsis, empathy, and collective understanding, fostering connections that transcend individual stories and unite us in a shared journey toward solace and healing.

Duck Soup | Ramon Abad (puppetry)
Bindlestiff Studio on June 8-9 from 1-2 PM and June 15 from 1-2 PM. Embark on an enchanting journey through an immersive theater experience designed for children and families where you will witness short stories come to life through captivating puppet performances. Join us for an unforgettable adventure filled with wonder and imagination.

USAAF: BE(LONG)ING HERE Outdoor Showcase
Co-Presented by Sunday Streets and Livable City
Sunday Streets Tenderloin on June 23 from 1-5 PM. Join us for a day of music, dance, stand-up, poetry, performances, and more! Featured APICC artists include dNaga Dance Co., Sun Park, Johnny Huy Nguyễn w/ Tim Kim, Swetha Prabakaran Productions, and Preeti Vangani w/ Shikha Malaviya and Maw Shein Win. More artists and performers will be announced.

WHAT/WHO
27TH ANNUAL UNITED STATES OF ASIAN AMERICA FESTIVAL: BE(LONG)ING HERE
Presented by Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center as part of Asian Pacific Heritage Month. Featuring events in music, dance, puppetry, theater, literature, visual arts, and more showcasing Asian and Pacific Islander artists.

WHEN
May-June 2024

WHERE
Various venues throughout San Francisco

FOR MORE INFO
See the full calendar and register for events at www.apiculturalcenter.org/usaaf2024

###

ABOUT USAAF
Each year, the United States of Asian American Festival (USAAF) presents around 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, etc. Our goal is to nurture and empower these groups to be self-sufficient while providing the support they need to grow.

This year’s USAAF is funded by the San Francisco Arts Commission, San Francisco Grants for the Arts, California Arts Council, Zellerbach Family Foundation, and startsmall.

ABOUT APICC
Our mission at the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center (APICC) is to support and produce multidisciplinary art reflective of the unique experiences of Asians and Pacific Islanders living in the United States.

APICC was founded in 1996 by representatives of five nonprofit arts groups: Asian American Dance Performances, First Voice, Asian Improv aRts, the Asian American Theater Company, and Kearny Street Workshop. Since 1998, the center has promoted the artistic and organizational growth of San Francisco’s API arts community by organizing and presenting the annual United States of Asian America Festival as well as commissioning contemporary art for and by the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.

Press Content for the United States of Asian America Festival 2024

USAAF 2024 Press Release

FEATURED ARTISTS SHIFT THE SCRIPT INTERVIEWS

The Art of Puppetry with Ramon Abad - May 15, 2024

Just a Shadow: Meeting Grief through Art and Community - May 22, 2024

FEATURES/REVIEWS

APEX Express – 5.2.24 – Celebrating AAPINH Month!
KPFA APEX Express, Miko Lee - May 2, 2024

Exploring Identity and Solidarity Through Art: Where Is Your Body Exhibition at SOMArts
East Wind Ezine, Stephanie Gancayco - May 13, 2024

A Mother and Child Connect to the Past Through Dance
SF Classical Voice, Aimée Ts'ao - May 14, 2024

Mother and Daughter Duet in Multi-Disciplinary ‘flowers and fog’ Show
KQED, Ariana Proehl - May 14, 2024

Review: Melissa Lewis Wong & Joy ChenYu Lewis, flowers and fog 花和霧 Gateway Theater, San Francisco, May 17 – 26, 2024
Jen Norris Dance Reviews, Jen Norris - May 19, 2024

Megan Lowe Dances | Quinteto Latino | A Chance to Harmonize book | Mads Men
KALW, Janice Lee - May 20, 2024

Chinese artist mother and daughter perform "Flowers and Fog"
World News Network, Yang Yichen - May 20, 2024

A Cultural Mission: Megan Lowe Explores Loss
Mission Local, Andrew Gilbert - May 23, 2024

Review: Megan Lowe’s ‘Just a Shadow’ showcases spectacular duets of grief, lacks subtlety
SF Chronicle Datebook, Rachel Howard - June 1, 2024

"Pravaasi" - A view from the audience
India Post, Jyoti Angresh - June 7, 2024

Pravaasi - A feast for the eyes and the soul
Narthaki, Baishali Raychaudhuri - June 8, 2024

Artist and teacher Ramon Abad brings stories to life through puppetry 
Mahalaya, Faith Alexandria Remollino - June 10, 2024

LISTINGS

FLOWERS AND FOG Created By Melissa Lewis Wong To Premiere May 18 In San Francisco
Broadway World, A.A. Cristi - February 5, 2024

'Just a Shadow' (World Premiere)
Patch - April 11, 2024

27th Annual United States of Asian America Festival: Be(long)ing Here
Patch - April 23, 2024

SOMArts Cultural Center: APICC presents Where is Your Body
Mission Local - April 24, 2024

USAAF: Be(long)ing Here
ArtsEarth - April 25, 2024

27th Annual United States of Asian America Festival: Be(long)ing Here
KRON4 Calendar - May 7, 2024

Megan Lowe Dances presents "Just a Shadow"
SF/Arts, Heather Desaulniers - May 6, 2024

Silk Road to San Francisco
SF/Arts - May 7, 2024

Going Out, May 9-17, 2024
Bay Area Reporter, Jim Provenzano - May 9, 2024

Going Out, June 6-14, 2024 arts and nightlife events
Bay Area Reporter, Jim Provenzano - June 6, 2024

Melissa Lewis Wong: 花和霧 flowers and fog
Dancersgroup

“Pravaasi” @ San Francisco International Arts Festival
IndiaCurrents 

Gray Area: Born a Problem - A Multimedia Exhibition by Paula Te & Edward Gunawan
Mission Local

Z Space: Echoes in the Diaspora
Mission Local

27TH ANNUAL UNITED STATES OF ASIAN AMERICA FESTIVAL: BE(LONG)ING HERE
Do The Bay

ANUPAMA SRIVASTAVA AND THE INSYNCKATHAK DANCERS WITH SARADA KALA NILAYAM
Do The Bay

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tj Basa, Office & Communications Manager
[email protected]

Jade Wave Rising: Portraits of Power Opening Reception (Photographer: Diana Chen)

Reimagining Horizons: API Artists Envision Our Collective Futures

San Francisco’s Asian American art festival showcases the city’s innovative creatives during Asian Pacific Heritage Month

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, May 11, 2023 - The Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center of San Francisco announces and celebrates the 26th Annual United States of Asian America Festival, beginning April 27 - June 30 at various locations in San Francisco. Each year, the United States of Asian American Festival (USAAF) presents up to 20 different programs reflecting the artistic accomplishments and cultural diversity of the city’s Pacific Islander and Asian American communities. Since 1998, 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.

This year’s theme, Reimagining Horizons, asks us to reconstruct the bridges between before and beyond, embracing abundance and celebrating our expansiveness. In our critically transformed, “post-pandemic” world, we must acknowledge the uncertainties and processes that arise as we question the horizons of possibility for ourselves, our communities, and our dreams. The festival honors the constant negotiation of the past and present to build towards a generative future in solidarity with our BIPOC communities.

“AAPI communities have experienced so much through the last few years— from the lows of the pandemic, anti-Asian violence, and political turmoil to the highs of major representation in mainstream media and national leadership roles, as well as being billed the fastest growing racial group in the US,” Artistic Director Melanie Elvena says, “In light of these events, AAPI artists are seizing this momentum, frenzied with inspiration and creative energy. They're looking to their cultural heritages to express themselves, grapple with the present, and carve out space for what's next. It's so exciting. Our dynamic festival lineup this year really reflects that.”

San Francisco has been an epicenter for Asian American cultural productions, with brilliant creatives gracing the USAAF stage, like muralist and visual artist Sami See, pianist and composer Jon Jang, award-winning poet Genny Lim, and comedian Irene Tu. This year, the festival continues this artistic legacy with incredible featured performances by Johnny Huy Nguyễn and Caroline Cabading. Attendees can also immerse themselves in a new multimedia exhibition entitled Jade Wave Rising: Portraits of Power, in collaboration with the Asian American Women Artists Association. In addition, APICC co-presents Being, Belonging & Beyond - SF Bay Area AAPI Dance Film Festival with 500 Capp Street and Center for Asian American Media (CAAM). We are working with Sunday Streets and Liveable City to present our Outdoor Showcase in the Tenderloin, helping to provide resources to the neighborhood’s Southeast Asian communities and to support economic recovery in the city.

Asian American resilience & excellence
Still struggling with anti-Asian violence and living in a critically transformed world, Asian American artists pave the path to excellence. Most recently, the 95th Academy Awards was an incredible night for Asian creatives across the globe. RRR became the first Indian feature film to win an Oscar with the Best Original Song “Naatu Naatu.” Of course, Everything Everywhere All At Once’s Oscars sweep gave accolades to Ke Huy Quan’s Hollywood comeback and Michelle Yeoh’s trailblazing work, becoming the first Asian to win Best Actress. We are witnessing history in the making— and this is just the beginning.

Through the theme of Reimagining Horizons, featured artist Caroline Cabading brings together the past and present, exploring pre-colonial artistry as a way to forge new possibilities for community engagement and cultural connection. “USAAF has provided me with the opportunity to teach the tribal culture I study in the Philippines to my local Bay Area community,” she says, “therefore helping me reimagine what the horizons of ancestral practice can be in the diaspora.”

The San Francisco Bay Area is a hotspot for emerging talent in the Asian American community, in part because of sustained programming like APICC’s annual United States of Asian America Festival. The festival has long fostered an ecosystem for API artists, emerging and established alike, to create something new and very much needed. In this momentous year, the festival is a celebration of Asian Pacific Islander memories and futures in the making. Ranging from intergenerational histories to cultivating spaces to thrive, care and imagine, the festival’s programs take place throughout San Francisco from April 27 to June 30. This year’s festival calendar can be found at www.apiculturalcenter.org/usaaf2023.

HIGHLIGHTED FESTIVAL EVENTS
Jade Wave Rising: Portraits of Power | Curated by Yeu Q Nguyen and Co-Presented by Asian American Women Artists Association (multidisciplinary art exhibition)
SOMArts Cultural Center’s Main Gallery through May 21st. As the AAPI community reels from the ongoing waves of hate and violence, Jade Wave Rising celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander women’s voices and pays homage to overlooked historical figures and community leaders. Inspired by the gemstone’s various metaphysical and cultural meanings in its association with power, jewelry and crowns, Jade Wave Rising establishes new legacies of leadership to imagine a more equitable future for AAPI women everywhere.

Being, Belonging & Beyond - SF Bay Area AAPI Dance Film Festival | Curated by APICC and Megan Lowe Dances
Co-Presented by 500 Capp Street and Center for Asian American Media (CAAM)
Kapwa Gardens on May 14. Screenings will include dance films by Lenora Lee Dance, Alleluia Panis,
Sammay Dizon, and culminates in the world premiere screening of HOME(in)STEAD, a site-specific dance work by 500 Capp Street artists-in-residence Megan Lowe and Johnny Huy Nguyen - a performance that utilizes the historical David Ireland House as a visceral canvas for exploring means of feeling, finding, creating, and healing home through dynamic architecture-oriented movement and intimate contact partnering supported by live music, text, and installation. The finale screening will be followed by a panel discussion and audience Q&A, celebrating the lineage of AAPI performing artists and creating conversations about AAPI experiences. *This film festival is also part of CAAMFest.

No Country For Mother | Johnny Huy Nguyễn (USAAF 2023 Featured Artist / dance, theater)
Joe Goode Annex on May 26. Exploring personal histories, matriarchal myths, and Vietnamese mother goddess religion, No Country For Mother is an autobiographical reckoning and reconciling toward an embodied masculinity untethered by dominant narratives of manhood.

USAAF: REIMAGINING HORIZONS Outdoor Showcase
Co-Presented by Sunday Streets and Liveable City
Sunday Streets Tenderloin on June 4. Join us for a day of music, poetry, fashion, art-making, performances and more! Featured APICC artists include Caroline Cabading, Parivar Bay Area, SPULU, Shikha Malaviya, Maw Shein Win, Preeti Vangani, and Terry Lily Hwang. More Tenderloin artists and performers will be announced.

WHAT/WHO
26TH ANNUAL UNITED STATES OF ASIAN AMERICA FESTIVAL: REIMAGINING HORIZON

Presented by Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center as part of Asian Pacific Heritage Month. Featuring events in music, dance, film, food, theater, literature, visual arts, experimental media, and more.

WHEN
April–June 2023

WHERE
Various Venues, San Francisco / Online

FOR MORE INFO
See the full calendar and register for events at www.apiculturalcenter.org/usaaf2023

###

ABOUT USAAF
Each year, the United States of Asian American Festival (USAAF) presents around 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, etc. Our goal is to nurture and empower these groups to be self-sufficient while providing the support they need to grow.

This year’s USAAF is funded by the San Francisco Arts Commission, San Francisco Grants for the Arts, California Arts Council, and Zellerbach Family Foundation.

ABOUT APICC
Our mission at the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center (APICC) is to support and produce multidisciplinary art reflective of the unique experiences of Asians and Pacific Islanders living in the United States

APICC was founded in 1996 by representatives of five nonprofit arts groups: Asian American Dance Performances, First Voice, Asian Improv aRts, the Asian American Theater Company, and Kearny Street Workshop. Since 1998, the center has promoted the artistic and organizational growth of San Francisco’s API arts community by organizing and presenting the annual United States of Asian America Festival as well as commissioning contemporary art for and by the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Contact: Diana Li
[email protected]
650.703.8361

Generations of Power: Asian Americans Artists Celebrate Creative Resilience and Resistance in 25th Annual Festival

San Francisco’s Asian American art festival brings city’s cultural legacies to the forefront

The Last Hoisan Poets and Del Sol Quartet performs in Japantown Peace Plaza. Image courtesy of the artists.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, April 15, 2022 - Now in its 25th year, the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center (APICC) presents the annual United States of Asian America Festival (USAAF), dedicated to highlighting the artistic accomplishments and cultural diversity of San Francisco’s Pacific Islander and Asian American communities. In celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, this year’s crop of events commemorates the creative resilience of San Francisco’s Asian American arts community, under the theme Generations of Power.

Celebrating “Generations of Power” in the midst of continued anti-Asian hate

“Amidst increased violence against Asians and Asians Americans and a year since the Atlanta spa shootings, so much of media has been focused on portraying our communities as helpless victims, piling on the trauma of loss and fear from living in the pandemic,” says Melanie Elvena, APICC’s Artistic Director. “This year's theme, Generations of Power, is a direct response to anti-Asian violence by highlighting the long history of strength, resilience, agency, and resistance among AAPI artists here in the US.”

Since 1998, USAAF has made waves in featuring a dynamic line up of events ranging from visual art, music, film, theater, dance, literary art and more. Over the years, the annual festival has showcased a number of revolutionary artists like pianist and composer, Jon Jang and award-winning poet, Genny Lim. In the last five years alone, comedian Irene Tu, and rapper and music producer, Ruby Ibarra graced USAAF with some of their earliest performances before getting on the brink of fame, and it doesn’t stop there.

This year’s calendar of events include a Grace Lee Boggs inspired exhibition, Grow Our Souls (opening show), multi-sensory installations by Macro Waves, poetry and music by The Last Hoisan Poets and Del Sol Quartet along with galas and performances from the organizations that started the festival 25 years ago.

A shared anniversary for San Francisco’s API arts community

This year, APICC highlights the original nonprofit arts groups that came together to organize the first USAAF, including Asian American Dance Performances, First Voice, Asian Improv aRts, the Asian American Theater Company, and Kearny Street Workshop. While a couple of these organizations are no longer operating, the artists that rose out of them have been instrumental to the powerful movement of Asian and Asian American arts, culture and activism.

As APICC celebrates 25 years of the festival, 2022 also marks the 35th anniversary of Asian Improv aRts and the 50th anniversary of the country’s oldest Asian Pacific American multidisciplinary arts organization, Kearny Street Workshop, each hosting their own anniversary galas and art showcases this June.

With the collective organizing that formed the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center, the organization's annual festival is a center of gravity for artists to innovate, produce and present their work, and in recent years, it’s become a space for communities of color to heal, create joy during moments of despair and fuel movements for representation in the ongoing fight against racism.

Asian American representation & activism
San Francisco has long been a hub of Asian American activism with artistic production central to each cultural movement. From the Third World Liberation Front, to the fight for the I-Hotel, to the struggle against anti-Asian rhetoric and violence today, each defining moment has catalyzed artists into claiming Asian American identity as one with deep rooted cultural histories and legacies, often intersecting and building solidarity with other BIPOC community cultural groups.

In the midst of anti-Asian racism, Asian American artists continue to be on the rise in mainstream media. Most recently, the Grammy’s featured the most Filipinos nominated in all major categories, including Bruno Mars, Olivia Rodrigo, Saweetie and H.E.R. (born and raised in the Bay Area). With their headquarters in Emeryville, Pixar’s latest, Turning Red, is turning heads toward Chinese American coming of age stories, and there’s no overlooking Michelle Yeoh in A24’s latest hit, Everything Everywhere All At Once.

The San Francisco Bay Area is a hotspot for emerging talent in the Asian American community, in part because of sustained programming like APICC’s annual United States of Asian America Festival. The festival has long fostered an ecosystem for API artists, emerging and established alike, to create something new and very much needed. In this momentous year, the festival is a celebration of Asian Pacific Islander memories and futures in the making. Ranging from intergenerational histories to cultivating spaces to thrive, care and imagine, the festival’s 20+ programs take place throughout San Francisco from April 29 to June 30. This year’s festival calendar can be found at www.apiculturalcenter.org/usaaf2022

Highlighted Festival Events

• Grow Our Souls (Opening April 29) - This year’s festival kicks off with Grow Our Souls, a multidisciplinary arts exhibition inspired by the wisdom of Grace Lee Boggs, featuring artists who are reimagining labor in an era of climate change and late-stage capitalism
• Generations of Power Showcase (May 14) at Japantown Peace Plaza featuring Asian American dance performances along with a number of poetry, dance and music artists in this year's festival. As one of this year's featured artists, Genny Lim will also perform with Last Hoisan Poets and Del Sol Quartet in the same showcase.
• breath.io (June 10) produced by Macro Waves at SWIM Gallery will take visitors on a multi-sensory journey with installations serving as a futuristic community healing space. Through sound, visual, and movement therapy, breath.io celebrates the power of collective care through the practice of guided meditation.

Highlighted Anniversary Events

• KSW50: To Imagine is to Exist Gala (June 10) - Celebrate Kearny Street Workshop’s 50 years
  as a force and home for empowering APA communities.
• Expansions // Horizons (June 30) - For 35 years, Asian Improv aRts (AIR) has been at the forefront of the Asian and Asian American movement – advancing artists, activism, and culture on a national level. Celebrate this historic milestone and look forward to the future with radical imagination.

WHAT/WHO
25TH ANNUAL UNITED STATES OF ASIAN AMERICA FESTIVAL: GENERATIONS OF POWER Presented by Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center as part of Asian Pacific Heritage Month. Featuring events in music, dance, film, puppetry, theatre, literature, visual arts, and more showcasing Asian and Pacific Islander artists.

WHEN
April-June 2022

See the full calendar and register for events at www.apiculturalcenter.org/usaaf2022

 ###

ABOUT APICC
Our mission at the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center (APICC) is to support and produce multidisciplinary art reflective of the unique experiences of Asians and Pacific Islanders living in the United States.

APICC was founded in 1996 by representatives of five nonprofit arts groups: Asian American Dance Performances, First Voice, Asian Improv aRts, the Asian American Theater Company, and Kearny Street Workshop. Since 1998, the center has promoted the artistic and organizational growth of San Francisco’s API arts community by organizing and presenting the annual United States of Asian America Festival as well as commissioning contemporary art for and by the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.

ABOUT USAAF
Each year, the United States of Asian American Festival (USAAF) presents around 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.

This year’s USAAF is funded by the San Francisco Arts Commission, San Francisco Grants for the Arts, California Arts Council, Zellerbach Family Foundation, and #startsmall.

Press Content for the United States of Asian America Festival 2020

USAAF 2020 Press Release

Character Media (May 15, 2020) - "Bigger And Even Better: Here’s 7 More APAHM Festivities Coming Your Way," Linh Nguyen

East Wind EZine (May 24, 2020) - “'Dance is the Hidden Language of the Soul' – Martha Graham," Eddie Wong

Mother Jones (June 26, 2020) - "Jon Jang Speaks Out About His Recent Album, Amiri Baraka, and Malcolm X," Daniel King

Press Content for the United States of Asian America Festival 2023

USAAF 2023 Press Release

Sunday Streets Tenderloin Community Block Party published in Sunday Streets SF 

Jade Wave Rising Exhibit Demonstrates the Power and Beauty of Asian American Women published in East Wind Ezine by Eddie Wong (April 30, 2023)

SF Choreography Festival Celebrates South Asian Activism published in IndiaCurrents by Ashwini Gangal (May 8, 2023) 

A story of resistance told through dance: The Indian revolutionary who immigrated to S.F. published in SF Chronicle Datebook by Rachel Howard (May 10, 2023)

At SOMArts, 'Jade Wave Rising' Is a Love Letter to AAPI Women published in KQED by Kristie Song (May 12, 2023)

LOWER HAIGHT ART EXHIBITION PAYS TRIBUTE TO AAPI FOOD, FAMILY, AND BELONGING published in Broke-Ass Stuart by Paolo Bicchieri (May 15, 2023) 

Strong Like Bamboo! May 28, 2-5p Oakland Cultural Center published by Emil Guillermo (May 18, 2023) 

Storytellers look to heal from sting of anti-Asian hate published in AsAmNews by Randall Yip & Jessica Xiao (May 24, 2023)

Emil Guillermo: ‘Strong Like Bamboo’ Stories of AAPI Resilience at Oakland Asian Cultural Center published by Post News Group (May 27, 2023)

Press Content for the United States of Asian America Festival 2022

USAAF 2022 Press Release

Grab a seat as the Bay Area dance scene springs back to life published in SF Chronicle Datebook by Rachel Howard (March 16, 2022)

Realms of Courage: “Celebrating Asian Women Composers” Panel Discussion published in FunCheapSF (March 15, 2022)

Free arts and entertainment events and performances to enjoy in the S.F. Bay Area published in SF Chronicle Datebook by Anne Schrager (May 15, 2022)

Piece Of Peace Reflections published by Megan Lowe Dances (June 2022) 

As Marcos Rises to Power, a Dance Ritual Helps Filipino Americans Process Grief, Fear published in KQED by Rayanne Piana (June 13, 2022)

A summer of classical, experimental and aerial dance performances in the Bay Area, inside and out published in SF Chronicle Datebook by Rachel Howard (June 15, 2022)

Realms of Courage: Celebrating Asian Women Composers – Composers Panel #5 published in FunCheapSF (June 26, 2022) 

CAMP Podcast Special Edition: Angela Han published by Contemporary Art Music Podcast (June 27, 2022) 

USAAF 2022: GENERATIONS OF POWER PERFORMING ARTS SHOWCASE published by Do The Bay

Lenora Lee
Posted by Anony Mous · January 22, 2024 10:57 AM · 1 reaction

Lynn Huang, photo by Robbie Sweeny

Shift The Script with Lenora Lee

Shift the Script is a series that calls on Asian American and Pacific Islander artists in the San Francisco Bay Area to share how their art practice is honoring the needs of a changing world. 

This interview features Lenora Lee, a Chinese American dancer, choreographer, and Artistic Director of Lenora Lee Dance. Lenora is an alumna of APICC’s United States of Asian America Festival where she presented works in 2013, Celebrating 25 Years of Asian Improv ARTS!, and again in 2014 for Lenora Lee Dance's 7th Season. 

Her upcoming 15th Anniversary shows take place Friday, February 2nd @ 8pm, Saturday, February 3rd @ 8pm, and Sunday, February 4 @ 2pm at Dance Mission Theater in San Francisco, CA. She is presenting two groundbreaking pieces of work that confront the realities of U.S. immigration policy and the work toward reform.

Visit: https://LenoraLeeDance15years.eventbrite.com for tickets

* * *

Watch: "In Visibility" promotional video

APICC: Hi Lenora! Thank you for sharing your story with the APICC community and for your long-time collaboration. We want to start at the beginning of the story. Can you share when you began creating artwork and more about what you make?

Lenora Lee: I began creating choreography when I went to City College of San Francisco, finding movement as the truest first language through improvisation, dance composition, and modern dance during that critical period of development. At the same time, I began to study alto saxophone with composer Francis Wong, who encouraged me to find my voice through sound on the horn. I had the opportunity to perform some of my early dance compositions in the San Francisco Chinatown community at Donaldina Cameron House. I had grown up through their youth group and youth leadership programs which provided the foundation for my approach to creating collaborative performance experiences as a professional artist after I received my B.A. in Dance from UCLA.

I am currently celebrating 25 years as a professional in the arts, and 15 years of running a dance company, Lenora Lee Dance (LLD). For the last 15 years LLD has pushed the envelope of intimate and large-scale multimedia, immersive dance performance connecting various styles of movement/dance, film, text, research and music to culture, history, and human rights issues.

LLD’s works are set in both public and private spaces, inspired by individual stories as well as community strength. From the proscenium, to underwater, the company’s pieces are site-responsive and immersive calling audiences into deep engagement with the work and environment. Through partnerships locally and nationally, LLD’s work has grown to encompass the creation, presentation and screening of films, museum and gallery installations, civic engagement, and educational programming signifying the power of art as a movement for change.

APICC: What topics and issues are most present with you right now, and how is your creative work responding to them?

LL: For Lenora Lee Dance's 15th Anniversary Season we are premiering "In Visibility" and "Convergent Waves: EP". Both works utilize dance, narrative, video projection and archival images to impart the lived experiences of migrants, descendants, and justice workers as they push to change the policies that both historically and currently criminalize immigrants and separate families.

Our work integrates contemporary dance, film, music, and research and has gained increasing attention for its sustained pursuit of issues related to immigration, incarceration, global conflict, life-threatening illness, and its impacts, particularly on women and families.

APICC: How has creating this body of work changed you?

LL: I am deeply impacted and inspired by the many individuals and communities I’ve had the honor of working with and getting to know over the last 25 years. I am moved by the generosity and openness with which participants and collaborators have approached our creative processes, and am always wanting to share of the experiences with love and compassion. This platform of immersive performance allows us as dance artists to connect with viewers through movement, energy and visceral dialogue - creating direct pathways to transformation and coming into harmony with one another, our pasts, our truths, and our beliefs.

APICC: What call to action do you hope your artwork inspires?

LL: We are having to make public statements for equity, justice, support for the arts and our work in underserved populations, not only in creating experiences for our individual and communal health, but our survival, to have our voices count, to fight against violence and discrimination, and to have a seat at the table.

Our projects make a collective statement around preservation and expanded resources for communities of color across the country and internationally.

"We, as a nation of all people must move forward embracing our country’s and the global diversity, knowing there is broader power and vision to collaborate across communities and countries to support one another, and that our fight for justice is not mutually exclusive to justice for only some communities, but part of the whole."

- Lenora Lee

APICC: Where can people experience your work next? 

LL: Lenora Lee Dance is celebrating its 15th Anniversary February 2-4, 2024 at Dance Mission Theater, San Francisco, with two performance works confronting the realities of U.S. immigration policy and the work toward reform.

Performances are on Friday, February 2 at 8pm, Saturday, February 3 at 8pm & Sunday February 4 at 2pm

Visit https://LenoraLeeDance15years.eventbrite.com for tickets

* * *

Lenora’s work and longstanding collaborations with artists over the years has made a remarkable contribution to the Bay Area arts community. It is our vision at the Asian Pacific Island Cultural Center to continue co-presenting and elevating the dynamic work of Lenora and the wide community of artists that have have participated in our United States of Asian America Festival since 1999. 
 

Stay tuned to other upcoming events from Lenora Lee Dance: 

• “At the Heart of Capon Barrio Chino: Tusán Perspectives” (Spring 2024) dance documentary film screenings made possible Good Medicine Productions
• “Convergent Waves: NYC” (May 25-27, 2024) an immersive site-responsive performance premiering on South Street Seaport Museum’s 1885 Tall Ship Wavertree (NYC), inspired by history of the international cargo ship, and the seaport as an neighborhood of international trade.
• “A Bridge to Now” a multimedia dance piece premiering in Lima, Peru (September 2024), and in San Francisco (April 2025), focusing on migration from Asia to North and South America, and the impact of migrant communities in the Americas.

Visit http://www.lenoraleedance.com/ for more information

THE 27th ANNUAL UNITED STATES OF ASIAN AMERICA FESTIVAL: BE(LONG)ING HERE

FESTIVAL EVENTS ⚈ SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER ⚈ PRESS KIT

CLICK HERE FOR THE USAAF 2024 RECAP REPORT

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

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. 

This year’s theme, Be(long)ing Here, asks us what being and belonging means for ourselves and our communities. The festival will honor AAPI arts and culture reflecting on where we have been, where we are now, and what our collective future holds while acknowledging our roots as immigrants, refugees, and mixed-race descendants.

 Thank you to our many partners and funders including the San Francisco Arts Commission, San Francisco Grants for the Arts, California Arts Council, Zellerbach Family Foundation and startsmall. 

2024 FESTIVAL EVENTS

Click the links below to purchase tickets or RSVP to upcoming festival events! 

WEEK 1

• 4/25/2024 USAAF 2024 Festival Kick Off Event and Where Is Your Body Exhibition Opening 
  Join APICC, the Featured Arts Exhibition Festival Curator Delaney Chieyen Holton and exhibiting artists for a special gathering to celebrate the beginning of the 27th Annual United States of Asian America: Be(long)ing Here from 6:00–9:00 pm at SOMArts Cultural Center (934 Brannan St, San Francisco). 
  
• 4/25/2024 - 5/24/2024 Where is Your Body Art Exhibition is Open to the Public (see below for more details!) 

WEEK 2

• 4/28/2024 BORN A PROBLEM: Opening Reception by HOME MADE 
• 4/28/2024 Shadows & Secrets: Art Exhibition Opening Reception by Eth-Noh-Tec
• 4/28/2024 Shadows & Secrets: Panel and Lunch by Eth-Noh-Tec
• 4/29/2024 Shadows & Secrets: Art Gallery Exhibition by Eth-Noh-Tec
• 4/30/2024 Shadows & Secrets: Art Gallery Exhibition by Eth-Noh-Tec
• 5/1/2024 BORN A PROBLEM: Artist Talk by HOME MADE 
• 5/2/2024 Shadows & Secrets: Art Gallery Exhibition by Eth-Noh-Tec
• 5/3/2024 Shadows & Secrets: Art Gallery Exhibition by Eth-Noh-Tec 
• 5/3/2024 BORN A PROBLEM: Panel Discussion by HOME MADE
• 5/3/2024 Shadows & Secrets: Art Gallery Exhibition (Weekend 2 of 3) by Eth-Noh-Tec
• 5/4/2024 Shadows & Secrets: Art Gallery Exhibition by Eth-Noh-Tec 
• 5/4/2024 Silk Road to San Francisco (Workshop 1 of 4) by Badri Valian
• 5/4/2024 Shadows & Secrets: Performance World Premier by Eth-Noh-Tec 
• 5/4/2024 Where is Your Body Artist Workshop with Chia Amisola curated by Delaney Chieyen Holton 

WEEK 3

• 5/5/2024 BORN A PROBLEM: Craft Poetry Workshop by HOME MADE 
• 5/5/2024 BORN A PROBLEM: Closing Celebration by HOME MADE 
• 5/5/2024 Shadows & Secrets: Performance World Premier by Eth-Noh-Tec 
• 5/5/2024 Shadows & Secrets: Art Gallery Closing Reception / Afterparty  (Final Weekend 3 of 3) by Eth-Noh-Tec
• 5/10/2024 Silk Road to San Francisco (Workshop 2 of 4) by Badri Valian
• 5/10/2024 Shadows & Secrets Art Exhibition by Eth-Noh-Tec
• 5/11/2024 With a Twist: Stories of Her Own Opening Reception curated by Angela Han Art LLC
• 5/11/2024 - 6/8/2024 With a Twist: Stories of Her Own Exhibition on View curated by Angela Han Art LLC
• 5/12/2024 Pravaasi World Premier by Anupama Srivastava and the InSyncKathak Dancers

WEEK 4

• 5/17/2024 花和霧 flowers and fog Preview Picnic by Melissa Lewis Wong and Joy ChenYu Lewis
• 5/17/2024 花和霧 flowers and fog Preview Show by Melissa Lewis Wong and Joy ChenYu Lewis
• 5/18/2024 花和霧 flowers and fog Preview Picnic by Melissa Lewis Wong and Joy ChenYu Lewis
• 5/18/2024 花和霧 flowers and fog Preview Show by Melissa Lewis Wong and Joy ChenYu Lewis
• 5/18/2024 Afro Asian Futures by Scott Oshiro's Deciphering Broken Rhythms Collective
• 5/18/2024 Where is Your Body Artist Workshop with Kelsey Chen curated by Delaney Chieyen Holton 
• 5/19/2024 Islands By The Bay Festival by Legacies of the Pacific
• 5/19/2024 花和霧 flowers and fog Weekend 1 Picnic by Melissa Lewis Wong and Joy ChenYu Lewis 
• 5/19/2024 花和霧 flowers and fog Weekend 1 Show by Melissa Lewis Wong and Joy ChenYu Lewis 
• 5/20/2024 Silk Road to San Francisco (Workshop 3 of 4) by Badri Valian
• 5/20/2024 Queering Biryani Cooking Class and Supper Club by Zara Ahmed 

WEEK 5

• 5/24/2024 Silk Road to San Francisco (FINAL Workshop 4 of 4) by Badri Valian
• 5/24/2024 Where is Your Body Closing Reception curated by Delaney Chieyen Holton 
• 5/25/2024 Understudy: Reviving & Reclaiming AAPI Stories in The Bay Area  by Understudy
• 5/25/2024 花和霧 flowers and fog Weekend 2 Picnic by Melissa Lewis Wong and Joy ChenYu Lewis 
• 5/25/2024 花和霧 flowers and fog Weekend 2 Show by Melissa Lewis Wong and Joy ChenYu Lewis 
• 5/26/2024 花和霧 flowers and fog Weekend 2 Picnic by Melissa Lewis Wong and Joy ChenYu Lewis 
• 5/26/2024 花和霧 flowers and fog Weekend 2 Show by Melissa Lewis Wong and Joy ChenYu Lewis 
• 5/26/2024 Evolved Herstories - With a Twist: Stories of Her Own - Artist Talks curated by Angela Han Art LLC
• 5/26/2024 Philippine Dance in the Bay Area by Pangalay Circle

WEEK 6

• 5/31/2024 Just a Shadow (Performance 1 of 6) by Megan Lowe Dances
• 6/1/2024 Just a Shadow (Performance 2 of 6) by Megan Lowe Dances
• 6/1/2024 Soul of The City by Brenda Wong Aoki and Mark Izu
• 6/2/2024 Just a Shadow (Performance 3 of 6) by Megan Lowe Dances
• 6/2/2024 Soul of The City by Brenda Wong Aoki and Mark Izu

WEEK 7

• 6/7/2024 Just a Shadow (Performance 4 of 6) by Megan Lowe Dances
• 6/8/2024 Just a Shadow (Performance 5 of 6) by Megan Lowe Dances
• 6/8/2024 Duck Soup (Show 1,2 of 6) Ramon Abad
• 6/9/2024 Just a Shadow (FINAL Performance 6 of 6) by Megan Lowe Dances
• 6/9/2024 Duck Soup (Show 3,4 of 6) by Ramon Abad
• 6/15/2024 Echoes in the Diaspora Performance by GLBTQ+ Asian Pacific Alliance (GAPA) / GAPA Fund (Ticket Link Coming Soon!)
• 6/14/2024 - 6/16/2024 20th Anniversary International Queer Women of Color Film Festival by Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project
• 6/15/2024 Duck Soup (Show 5,6 of 6) by Ramon Abad

APICC X SUNDAY STREETS TENDERLOIN ARTIST SHOWCASE 

June 23, 2024 @ 1:00 - 5:00 PM 
Golden Gate Ave (between Jones & Hyde Streets, San Francisco)
RSVP Here

Performing Artists Include: 

• duy-ên-yeon by Johnny Huy Nguyễn & Tim Kim 
• Curve Wrecker by Sun Park
• bound by dNaga Dance Co.
• The Panchakanyas Project by Swetha Prabakaran Productions // Nirmathi
• Between Arrivals and Departures Poetry Reading by Preeti Vangani, Shikha Malaviya, and Maw Shein Win

2024 FEATURED ARTISTS

Megan Lowe Dances

Megan Lowe Dances' production Just a Shadow brings together 7 powerful artists to make 6 distinct duets, in a process that nourishes the soul, supports healing, acknowledges resilience, celebrates life, and honors the memories of loved ones. It welcomes diverse perspectives, cultures, and backgrounds, recognizing that the narratives surrounding death and processing grief are multifaceted and deeply personal. Through dance performance, MLD aims to provide a platform for catharsis, empathy, and collective understanding, fostering connections that transcend individual stories and unite us in a shared journey toward solace and healing. Learn more at https://www.meganlowedances.com

Show Dates and Times:
Fri, May 31 @ 7:30-9PM
Sat, June 1 @ 7:30-9PM
Sun, June 2 @ 7:30-9PM
Fri, June 7 @ 7:30-9PM
Sat, June 8 @ 7:30-9PM
Sun, June 9 @ 7:30-9PM
Venue: The Joe Goode Annex

PURCHASE TICKETS NOW

Ramon Abad

 
Ramon Abad's Duck Soup is an immersive theater experience for children and families at Bindlestiff Studio. The one-hour show will engage the audience by guiding them to various sections of the theater, where they will witness short stories brought to life through captivating puppet performances. "Duck Soup" is Depression-era slang for something that's "easy to do" or a "piece of cake." No actual ducks will be cooked. Tickled perhaps, but not cooked! Learn more at www.ramon-puppetry.com

Show Dates and Times:
Sat, June 8 @ 11AM-12PM
Sat, June 8 @ 3-4PM
Sun, June 9 @ 11AM-12PM
Sun, June 9 @ 3-4PM
Sat, June 15 @ 11AM-12PM
Sat, June 15 @3-4PM
Venue: Bindlestiff Studios (185 6th St, San Francisco, CA 94103)

PURCHASE TICKETS NOW

FEATURED VISUAL ART EXHIBITION 

Exhibition Curated by Delaney Chieyen Holton

Where is Your Body highlights the body and its needs as the lowest common denominator for solidarity. Thinking of the body – in its capacities and vulnerabilities – as a site of both violence and resistance, the exhibition gathers women/trans/queer artists of API diasporic experience engaged in practices of the body to explore questions of labor, memory, and desire. Rather than gesturing towards an identarian collectivity, the racial and gendered angle of the exhibition recognizes how systems of disenfranchisement are interlocked, co-constituting, and mutually sustaining.

Exhibiting Artists:
Nibha Akireddy
Erina Alejo
Sholeh Asgary
Bhasha Chakrabarti
Edi Dai
Theo/Tina Kashiwagi
Private Practices Collection (via Kayla Tange and Hailey Loman)
Thuong Hoai Tran
Kim Ye
Rachel Youn
Learning Palestine

Venue: SOMArts Cultural Center

Event Dates and Times:

Thurs, April 25 @ 6-9PM Exhibition Opening Reception and USAAF 2024 Festival Kick-Off
RSVP FOR THE OPENING RECEPTION AND USAAF FESTIVAL KICK OFF

April 25 - May 24 Exhibition Open to the Public

Sat, May 4, 1:30–3:30 pm
Artist Workshop with Chia Amisola
Chia Amisola will give a hybrid performance and participatory workshop on digital ritualmaking, gathering, and identity. Chris Giang will offer tea service using handmade ceramic teaware during the event.

Sat, May 18, 1:30–3:30 pm
Tattoo Ritual with Kelsey Chen
Kelsey Chen will be performing a tattoo ritual for viewing and visitors will be offered temporary tattoos. Chris Giang will offer tea service using handmade ceramic teaware during the event.

Fri, May 24 @ 6-9PM: Closing Reception
RSVP FOR THE CLOSING RECEPTION

SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER

APICC is seeking for volunteers for USAAF's Opening/Closing Reception and Outdoor Showcase in April, May & June. Please fill out our Volunteer Sign-Up Form to support AAPI artists!

THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS AND SPONSORS

San Francisco Arts Commission, California Arts Council, SF Grants for the Arts, SF Office of Economic & Workforce Development, Zellerbach Family Foundation, APA Heritage Foundation, The Ruby SF,  and SOMArts Cultural Center.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE INVOLVED IN MAKING USAAF 2023 A SUCCESS!

SEE OUR USAAF 2023 RECAP HERE

CHECK OUT OUR MEDIA AND PRESS FROM THIS YEAR'S FESTIVAL.

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!

USAAF 2023 YOUTUBE PLAYLIST

USAAF X SUNDAY STREETS

EAST WIND ZINE: JADE WAVE RISING

USA INQUIRER: REIMAGINING HORIZONS

APEX EXPRESS: YEU NGUYEN - MARISSA MACAYAN

SF CHRONICLE: SUNDAY STREETS TENDERLOIN

SF STANDARD: THE TENDERLOIN SHINES BRIGHTLY

DO THE BAY: REIMAGINING HORIZONS

SF CHRONICLE: A STORY OF RESISTANCE

CANE Archive Project

APICC is proud to fiscally sponsor the CANE 50th Anniversary event and Archive Project aka the CANE Archive Project.

Donations to the CANE Archive Project can be made on this page through APICC as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. 

The Committee Against Nihonmachi Eviction (CANE) formed in 1973 to fight the San  Francisco Redevelopment Agency’s (RDA) plan to  transform Japantown into a tourist trap by destroying the historic community, evicting its residents and shutting down small businesses.  

A grassroots uprising arose in opposition to RDA’s plans, fueled by the Japantown residents and small businesses' stand of “We Won’t Move!”  This stand and determination to fight inspired students and the broader Japanese American community to join CANE and engendered broad City-wide support. CANE was a multi-generational, multi-racial organization composed of Japantown residents and small businesses and the broader Japanese American community.

The CANE 50th Anniversary Planning Committee formed in January 2021, to organize the 50th Anniversary event in 2023; publish the CANE Story from the perspective of those involved; and to collect and archive CANE documents and memorabilia.

Your donation will support the CANE 50th Anniversary Planning Committee to fulfill these goals.

*For check donations, please write checks to 'Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center' with 'CANE Archive Project' 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

for more information about CANE's events please visit: https://cane50.org/

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

Organizational Mission
REALSOUL is a curriculum-based arts organization, founded in San Francisco. We develop creative offerings that shed light on the intersectional stories of Asian America and other BIPOC communities. We believe learning doesn’t stop in the classrooms, but continues in workplaces, living rooms, around campfires, and beyond.