The Asian American Arts Network of the Bay Area serves individual artists and both fiscally sponsored and tax-exempt non-profit arts organizations located in the Bay Area's 9 County region. We currently provide services to artists and groups located in San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Alameda Counties.

The network will convene meetings to discuss issues facing the Asian American arts community, process and develop strategies towards positive change, and create a safe space for our community to gather and express ourselves.

NEW DATES: Sat, Nov. 12 and Sun, Nov. 13 @ 2PM
Bindlestiff Studio

Pickles! The Bindlestiff Kids Show is pouncing back! After being postponed from May 21-22, the show will now make its debut this November 12-13, 2022.

Filipino American puppeteer Ramon Abad is directing a live, indoor stage show specifically designed for families and kids 5 years old and older called “Pickles! The Bindlestiff Kid Show”. Presented by the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center (APICC) as part of the 25th annual United States of Asian America Festival (USAAF) this will be the first kids' show at Bindlestiff Studio that will be performed entirely with puppets!

Ramon has commissioned three young kids to write original stories that a cast of Bindlestiff artists and puppeteers will bring to life. The playwrights are the children of past Bindlestiff artists and have shown a natural talent for storytelling! This show hopes to engage Bay Area children with the diverse culture and history that Bindlestiff offers and to encourage a new generation of theater artists..which seeks to advance the central theme of USAAF 2022’s “Generation of Power.”

#PicklesTheBindlestiffKidShow #PicklesTheKidsShow

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS

Writers:

Maharlika Soleil Ignacio
Jojo Rosquites
Mayari Duca

Dramaturg:

Li-Leng Au

Puppeteers:

Lindsay Ordesta a.k.a. LO
Nicolette Dionisio
Julie Kuwabara
Yawen Chien
Thomas Paras
Chuck Lacson

Musician:

Joshua Icban

Video Artist:

Paulo Asuncion

ABOUT RAMON ABAD

Ramon Abad is a Filipino American puppeteer, artist, and teacher. Since the mid 1990s he has performed solo puppet shows at Bay Area Fil-Am festivals like UNDISCOVERED. He was a company member of “tongue in A mood” at Bindlestiff Studio and a puppeteer/designer with Larry Reed’s ShadowLight Productions.

EVENT DATES

NEW DATES: Sat, Nov. 12 and Sun, Nov. 13 @ 2PM

Welcome to the online calendar for the 25th Annual United States of Asian America Festival: Generations of Power! In celebration of API Heritage Month and the 25th anniversary of the festival, APICC is excited to present outdoor and virtual programming this MAY-JUNE, 2022.

Festival events listed below are organized by type of presentation. All times are listed in Pacific Standard Time (PST). Events with an asterisk (*) are featured artists of APICC and USAAF 2022. 

ACCESSIBILITY

Please check each event page for specific accessibility options and contact information.

 All in-person programs and events are wheelchair accessible. 
 ASL interpretation available at all festival events. 
• For events hosted at the Asian Art Museum, please check their Accessibility page to see a full list of accommodations.
• For any inquiries about specific programs or event locations, please reach out to [email protected]. 

This online calendar is best viewed on a desktop computer. Click through each link or image for more details on each program.

Click below to skip to a section:

 GROW OUR SOULS   •   25 YEARS OF USAAF   •   GENERATIONS OF POWER SHOWCASE   •   IN-PERSON & ONLINE EVENTS

CALENDAR AT A GLANCE

Click above to view the full calendar of USAAF 2022 events organized by date.

SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER

KICK OFF THE FESTIVAL WITH GROW OUR SOULS 

Kick off the festival with the opening to APICC's annual visual arts exhibition

Celebrating 25 Years of USAAF with Generations of Power

First Voice: Songs for J-Town Sat, Apr 23 @ Presidio Theatre World premiere of Emmy Award-winning jazz innovator, composer and performer Mark Izu’s Songs for J-Town	Generations of Power Showcase Sat, May 14 @ Japantown Peace Plaza Featuring Asian American dance, music and poetry performances. (Scroll down for the full lineup)
KSW50: To Imagine is to Exist Gala Sat, June 11, 5pm @ SF Mint Celebrate Kearny Street Workshop's 50 Year Anniversary!	Expansions // Horizons Thu, June 30, 6pm @ Asian Art Museum Asian Improv aRts' 35th Anniversary Celebration Festival

GENERATIONS OF POWER SHOWCASE

IN-PERSON & ONLINE EVENTS

More programs and events from this year's festival artists!

#USAAF2022 #GenerationsofPower

APICC STAFF

Vinay Patel, Executive Director
Melanie Elvena, Artistic Director
Diana Li, Programs & Communications Manager
TJ Basa, Programs & Communications Assistant

APICC BOARD

Janey Madamba, Board Member
Yukiya Jerry Waki, Board Member
Pamela Wu Kochiyama, Board Member

USAAF 2022 JURORS

Aureen Almario, educator, artist and Artistic Director for Bindlestiff Studio
Ravi Chandra, San Francisco based M.D. psychiatrist, writer and compassion educator
Yukiya Jerry Waki, spoken word artist, writer, creator and host of The Buffet Show podcast

USAAF 2022 Designs by ARC & TYPE

Stay Up to Date

Sign up for our NEWSLETTER and follow us on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, TWITTER

UNITED STATES OF ASIAN AMERICA FESTIVAL 2022

GENERATIONS OF POWER

 
The Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center of San Francisco announces and celebrates the 25th Annual United States of Asian America 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 USAAF is funded by the San Francisco Arts Commission, San Francisco Grants for the Arts, California Arts Council, Zellerbach Family Foundation and startsmall. 

In celebration of USAAF and APICC's 25th Anniversary, this year’s theme, Generations of Power, explores the following:

• How can we harness the legacies of power that have been built to (re)tend the soil, seeds of yesterday and tomorrow for AAPI communities?
• How is AAPI power rooted in cultivating solidarity among our BIPOC communities and how do our communities intersect?

Photo by Marie Fontejon: Singers on the TNT SideCaraoke mic belt out the last song of the evening at the USAAF 2021 event at Kapwa Gardens. 

Click below to skip to a certain section:

USAAF 2022 CALENDAR   •   FESTIVAL ARTISTS   •   WORKSHOPS   •   CALL FOR PROPOSALS (NOW CLOSED)

USAAF 2022 CALENDAR

Click to view the FULL CALENDAR or the full list of events organized by date on the CALENDAR-AT-A-GLANCE and sign up to volunteer!

FULL CALENDAR   •   CALENDAR-AT-A-GLANCE   •   SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER

FESTIVAL ARTISTS

APICC is proud to announce the names of the artists participating in the 25th annual United States of Asian America Festival:

Artists and programs in this year's festival were selected by a panel of jurors including:

Aureen Almario, educator, artist and Artistic Director for Bindlestiff Studio
Ravi Chandra, San Francisco based M.D. psychiatrist, writer and compassion educator
Yukiya Jerry Waki, spoken word artist, writer, creator and host of The Buffet Show podcast

Stay tuned for program and events produced by these artists to take place in celebration of API Heritage, this May-June 2022!

PUBLIC WORKSHOPS

Available to all artists and producers participating in USAAF 2022, workshops are also free and open to the public to register.
Click each workshop link below to register and learn more (all times are Pacific Time):

Budget & Fundraising
Wednesday, January 19 @ 6pm

Marketing & Publicity
Monday, January 31 @ 6pm

Hybrid Programming
Monday, February 14 @ 6pm

Taxes for Artists
Monday, March 14 @ 6pm

Land Acknowledgements
(Formerly the Indigenous Protocol workshop, postponed from February)
Monday, March 28 @ 6pm

ASL interpretation and live automatic captions will be available via Zoom for all remaining workshops.

CALL FOR PROPOSALS NOW CLOSED

 
SUBMISSION DEADLINE
Monday, November 22, 2021 at 11:59PM PST

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Individual artists, art groups, and art organizations are welcome to submit applications for art events occurring in May-June 15, 2022.

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, Generations of Power:

• How can we harness the legacies of power that have been built to (re)tend the soil, seeds of yesterday and tomorrow for AAPI communities?
• How is AAPI power rooted in cultivating solidarity among our BIPOC communities and how do our communities intersect?

 
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 (if outside Bay Area, contact Artistic Director Melanie Elvena 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, 2022.
• 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 (if you are not a legal US resident, contact Artistic Director Melanie Elvena at [email protected] to assess participation).

 
USAAF DOES NOT FUND

• Benefits and fundraisers.
• Events not open or accessible to the general public. 

 
LEVELS OF SUPPORT

This year's award categories and levels of support have been adapted with consideration of health and safety guidelines around public gatherings at this time. 

Click here to review the new award levels and the types of events that will be supported.

DEADLINE & SUBMISSION FORMAT

ALL SUBMISSIONS ARE DUE AT 11:59PM PST ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2021. 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 APICC's Artistic Director Melanie Elvena directly 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 before submitting it through the application.

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

IMPORTANT DATES

1:1 Application Workshops – Available until November 19, 2021 (sign up below)
Application Deadline – Monday, November 22, 2021 at 11:59PM PST
Artists Notified – Week of December 20, 2021

For selected producing artists:
Mandatory Orientation – Thursday, January 6, 2022
Contract Deadline – Thursday, January 6, 2022
Marketing Copy Deadline – Friday, February 25, 2022
Workshop Dates – January-March 2022 (Specific Dates TBD)
Festival Kick-Off – Friday, April 29, 2022 (Open to the public)

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED 

 
APPLICATION WORKSHOPS 

One-on-one application workshops were available by appointment via Calendly on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays until November 19, 2021. 

When filling out the USAAF 2022 online application, please make sure to have prepared:

ARTIST/GROUP INFORMATION

• Name of Artist/Group
• Contact Name (If different from Artist/Group name)
• Phone Number
• Email
• Mailing Address
• Website
• Links to Social Media Profiles
• Whether or not you have participated as a producing artist in USAAF before
   

EVENT INFORMATION

• Name of Event
• Type of Event (Check all that apply)
• Event Length & Duration
• Event Date(s)
• Award level you would like to be considered for your event (Self-Produced Virtual, Self-Produced In-Person, Co-Presented Outdoor Performance, Co-Presented Outdoor Production, Promoted)
  • Prior to answering, please review a description of all award categories and levels of support here
     

SHORT EVENT DESCRIPTION

In 200 words or less, describe your proposed event including the event title, type of event, topic explored, and number of anticipated artists and audience members. As an example, “This proposal requests $(AMOUNT) to support (TITLE), a (TYPE OF EVENT i.e., performance piece, literary reading, exhibition, etc.) exploring (TOPIC) and featuring (NUMBER OF ARTISTS) artists that will attract an estimated audience of (ESTIMATED AUDIENCE NUMBER).”

PROJECT PROPOSAL

In 500 words or less, please:

1. Describe the public event or program that you plan to showcase and your plan to promote and publicize it
2. Explain how the subject(s) of your program(s) and/or event(s) focus on themes related to Pacific Islander and Asian American themes and culture
3. Explain how this work is connected to this year’s theme - Generations of Power:
   • How can we harness the legacies of power that have been built to (re)tend the soil, seeds of yesterday and tomorrow for AAPI communities?
   • How is AAPI power rooted in cultivating solidarity among our BIPOC communities and how do our communities intersect?

 
BUDGET

• Please provide a budget for your event/program outlining proposed income and expenses. Feel free to use this Budget Template and Sample Budget.
• Include any additional income sources such as current and/or pending grants, fundraising campaigns, etc.
   

GROUP OR ARTIST BIO & RESUME/CV

Please provide relevant proof of capacity to successfully produce a well-organized and well-attended cultural event or performance similar to that which is being proposed in the form of:

• Biography
• Resume/CV including an exhibitions, performances, productions, etc.
• Sizes of Audiences for various past performances

GROUP/ARTIST STATEMENT

In 500 words or less, tell us about your mission, values, philosophy, modes of creation and/or collaboration, artistic inspirations, etc.

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT MATERIALS

Please provide minimum 3 additional support materials or work samples that will be useful for the selection committee to get to know your work and your ability to produce well-organized, well-attended events featuring skillful art or meaningful discussion. We will accept:

• High quality images of your work and past events. Please upload up to 3 high resolution images in .jpg or .jpeg format. The images must be at least 4”x6” or 6”x4”. You may also provide a link to your online portfolio.
• An excerpt of your script or literary excerpt. Please upload files in .doc or .pdf format that are no more than 3 pages in length.
• Links to online video clips of your work. Please provide online links to high quality videos that are 3 minutes in length or less. You may also provide video clips with notated time segments in the "Special Instructions" for the selection committee to review. For password protected videos, please provide a guest password in the "Special Instructions".
• Press coverage in the form of full articles about your work.
• Reviews and Testimonials from audience members or other credible sources.

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 (if outside Bay Area, contact Artistic Director Melanie Elvena 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, 2022.
• Agree to attend APICC’s professional development workshops (it is highly recommended that you attend all workshops).
• Be able to meet all marketing and artistic deadlines (see 'Important Dates' on USAAF 2022 page).
• Be a legal resident of the United States (if you are not a legal US resident, contact Artistic Director Melanie Elvena at [email protected] to assess participation).
   

LEVELS OF SUPPORT

Featured Events and the annual visual arts exhibition are proactively selected through internal APICC processes.

Artists or groups are encouraged to apply to USAAF within one of the following four (4) levels of support:

PROMOTIONAL EVENT

For artists, groups, or organizations who primarily (or only) need promotional assistance.

• Artists self-produce virtually broadcasted events
• APICC provides online promotional support only
• Artists eligible for free workshops and 4 hours of 1:1 consultation

 
SELF-PRODUCED VIRTUAL EVENT

For producing artists, groups or organizations who would prefer to produce an online event from their own space.

• Artists self-produce event in their own space to be broadcasted virtually
• Artists responsible for finding their own technical staff
• APICC provides promotional support and virtual account platform upon request (Zoom Pro and potentially other online streaming platforms)
• APICC provides venue for streaming at Bindlestiff upon request
• Artists eligible for free workshops and 4 hours of 1:1 consultation

 
$2000 total award in artist and tech/production fees to selected producing artist

 
SELF-PRODUCED IN-PERSON EVENT

For producing artists, groups or organizations who would prefer to produce an event with an in-person audience and a virtual livestream or recording.

• Artists self-produce event at a physical venue with an in-person audience
• Artist may choose to broadcast event virtually or release a recording following the event
• Artists responsible for finding their own technical staff
• APICC provides promotional support and virtual account platform upon request (Zoom Pro and potentially other online streaming platforms)
• Artists eligible for free workshops and 4 hours of 1:1 consultation

$4000 total award in artist, tech, venue and production fees to selected producing artist

 
CO-PRESENTED OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE

Artists, groups or organizations interested in presenting a pre-produced 15-20 minute performing arts piece at an outdoor showcase presented by APICC may apply for this category.

• Artists produce and present a 15-20 minute performance at an outdoor showcase produced by APICC
• Performing arts piece may involve dance or movement work, literary reading, music or concert set or any other type of pre-produced artistic presentation suited for an outdoor presentation
• Outdoor venue/APICC will provide technical staff and support
• APICC provides promotional, documentation and box office support

$1000 total award in artist fees to selected producing artist
 

CO-PRESENTED OUTDOOR PRODUCTION

Artists, groups or organizations interested in producing their own 45-60 minute program at an outdoor showcase presented by APICC may apply for this category.

• Artists produce and present a 45-60 minute program at an outdoor showcase produced by APICC
• Outdoor venue/APICC will provide technical staff and support
• APICC provides promotional, documentation and box office support
  

 
$3000 total award in artist, tech/production fees to selected producing artist

ABOUT THE WORKSHOPS

Language is not an instrument for exploring the past, but rather a medium.
-Walter Benjamin

The purpose of art is to discover something new in the midst of everyday life. Art creates a space for our human sensibilities to open up and it is the task of the writer to maintain a sense of surprise at what he or she learns in the process of writing. Writing is ritual. It’s the process of summoning up the courage to uncover the elusive truths in our stories, which like stars, are always there, but which often remain hidden, obscured or forgotten, until the spark of our imagination and memory illuminate them. The craft is to clear away the smoke and fog of distracted thinking in order to allow our stories to emerge and speak to us and through us. It is through the archaeology of self-discovery and the moral honesty, clarity and objectivity of our voices that we come to know the past in light of the present. That is the transformative and healing power of writing.

Facilitated by Genny Lim, these weekly workshops provide a communal and open space for the mutual sharing, encouragement and support of our workshop participants’ stories and poems with respect and discretion for confidentiality. Weekly writing prompts and exercises will be given to initiate the writing process and to keep the creative juices flowing. All levels are allowed. The main requirement is that you be open to the organic approach and nature of the class, given the technical limitations of online classes.

ABOUT GENNY LIM

Genny Lim is San Francisco Jazz Poet Laureate emeritus. Her most poetry-music collaboration, Don't Shoot! A Requiem in Black, dedicated to Black Lives Matter premiered at SF Jazz Center in April 2018 with musicians Marshall Trammell, Francis Wong, and rap artist, Equipto. Lim has collaborated with such jazz legends as Max Roach, Herbie Lewis, Olatunji, Eddie Marshall and Bay Area musicians, Broun Fellinis, John Santos, Anthony Brown and the Asian American Orchestra, Francis Wong and Jon Jang. She has appeared at U.S. jazz festivals in the U.S. and toured Venezuela, Italy and Bosnia as a visiting international poet and performer.

Lim's award-winning play Paper Angels, was the first Asian American play aired on PBS’s American Playhouse in 1985 and has been produced throughout the U.S. and in Canada and China. She is author of five poetry collections, Winter Place, Child of War, Paper Gods and Rebels, KRA!, La Morte Del Tempo, and co-author of Island: Poetry and History of Chinese Immigrants on Angel Island (Lai, Lim, Yung), which won the American Book Award. In 1990, U.C. Santa Cruz dedicated Oakes Hall to be renamed (Maxine)Hong-Lim Hall for Cultural Contributions to the Asian American Community. As SF Arts Commissioner from 1991-1995, Lim helped establish Writers Corps and Grants for the Arts under the auspices of SFAC. She is a current board member of Before Columbus Foundation, which presents the annual American Book Awards.

She has taught writing and performance classes for over forty years from SF State University, UC Berkeley, University of Creation Spirituality and New College of California to Japanese Community and Cultural Center of Northern California, where she has taught the Seniors Asian American Writing classes for over ten years, producing two class anthologies, From Both Shores and the upcoming, Window: Glimpses From Our Storied Past, soon to be released this fall with Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center.

SF Sends $1,000 in Monthly Relief to Artists, Critics Say Process ‘Inequitable’
Chloe Veltman, KQED Arts - May 21, 2021

Conflict over S.F. and YBCA’s guaranteed income for artists shows tension in movement for racial equity
Lily Janiak, SF Chronicle Datebook - June 1, 2021

Press Content for the United States of Asian America Festival 2020

USAAF 2021 Press Release

SF CHRONICLE DATEBOOK

Asian Americans forge the future in annual San Francisco festival
Brandon Yu - April 29, 2021

‘Sowing Agency’ pays homage to Bay Area Asian Americans fighting climate change
Jessica Flores - April 30, 2021

Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in the Bay Area
Yoshi Kato - Updated May 5, 2021

LOCAL TV NEWS

Honoring Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
News Segment (Watch at 10:00) - May 30, 2021

Documentary honors San Francisco community heroes who stepped up during pandemic
KTVU FOX 2, Debora Villalon - June 11, 2021 

FEATURES

What Can the Environmental Movement Learn From Asian American Art?
Aaron Mok, Sierra Magazine - May 18, 2021

Kim Requesto Explores the Possibilities of Philippine Folk Dance in YUGTO
Stephanie Gancayo - May 27, 2021

CAAMFest 2021 - Legacy and Lineage with Director Laura Paule and Producer Melanie Elvena
BitchTalk, EP 573 - May, 2021

New ‘Lunchbox Moments’ Zine Offers One Antidote to Anti-Asian Racism
Luke Tsai, KQED Arts - June 3, 2021

‘Sowing Agency:’ Uplifting AAPI voices in the Environmental Justice Movement
Zoe Binder, San Francisco Foghorn - May 6, 2021

LISTINGS

Arts Forecast: Holy smokes, I went to a show. And ate inside a restaurant!
Marke B., 48 Hills - May 4, 2021

Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month with dance, music, zines and the history of sugar
Amelia Williams, Bay City News Foundation, Local News Matters Bay Area - May 11, 2021

22 Fun Things to Do This Week (5.17.21)
Chloe Saraceni, 7x7 - May 15, 2021

Sights and Sounds: Rachel Lastimosa, SOMA Pilipinas Art and Culture Administrator
Jenee Darden, KALW - May 20, 2021

Arts Etc.
Alan Chong Lau, International Examiner - May 21, 2021

Artists Create Virtual Gallery to Inspire Climate Joy
Maz Ali, EarthJustice - May 28, 2021

24th Annual USAAF
SF/Arts - May, 2021

Invisible Traces: SF Chinatown
SF/Arts - June, 2021

***CONTENT HERE IS DRAFT ONLY. PAGE IS USING HTML CODE FROM TEMPLATE***

FUNDING SPONSORS

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

PRESS HIGHLIGHTS

SF CHRONICLE DATEBOOK

"Asian Americans forge the future in annual San Francisco festival"
Brandon Yu - April 29, 2021

"‘Sowing Agency’ pays homage to Bay Area Asian Americans fighting climate change"
Jessica Flores - April 30, 2021

"Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in the Bay Area"
Yoshi Kato - Updated May 5, 2021

LOCAL TV NEWS

Honoring Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
News Segment (Watch at 10:00) - May 30, 2021

Documentary honors San Francisco community heroes who stepped up during pandemic
KTVU FOX 2, Debora Villalon - June 11, 2021 

48 HILLS

"Arts Forecast: Holy smokes, I went to a show. And ate inside a restaurant!"
Marke B. - May 4, 2021

SIERRA CLUB

What Can the Environmental Movement Learn From Asian American Art?
Aaron Mok - May 18, 2021

Organizational Mission

Director Bio

Calendar of USAAF 2021 events organized by date in descending order.

MAY EVENTS

JUNE EVENTS

Welcome to the online calendar for the 24th Annual United States of Asian America Festival: Forging Our Futures - SoMa & Chinatown! In celebration of API Heritage Month, APICC is excited to present outdoor and virtual programming this MAY-JUNE.

Festival events and our selected producing artists are listed below. All times are listed in Pacific Standard Time (PST). Events with an asterisk (*) are featured and commissioned artists of APICC and USAAF 2021.

This online calendar is best viewed on a desktop computer. Click through each link or image for more details on each program.

Event pages may be updated with more info as each date approaches.

CALENDAR AT A GLANCE

Click above to view the full calendar of USAAF 2021 events organized by date.

SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER

APICC PRESENTATIONS

CHINATOWN: OUR FUTURE IS NOW!

Portsmouth Square, May 30 @ 1-6PM

REGISTER HERE

SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER

APICC is proud to co-present the following programs as part of the outdoor showcase in San Francisco's Chinatown

KAPWA GARDENS OUTDOOR SHOWCASE

Kapwa Gardens, June 5, 2021

REGISTER HERE

SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER

APICC is proud to co-present the following programs as part of the outdoor showcase in San Francisco's South of Market Area

FEATURED & CO-PRESENTED VIRTUAL PROGRAMS

APICC is proud to co-present the following virtual programs

Genny Lim* Memory, Meaning and Memoir Sunday, May 16 @ 2pm	Kim Requesto YUGTO Saturday, May 29 @ 2pm	The Rooted Recipes Project* Rooted Recipes Project x Forging Our Futures Wednesday, June 9 @ 7pm
Johnny Huy Nguyen Minority Without A Model Friday, June 11 @ 6pm	Eth-Noh-Tec* If We Only Knew Saturday-Sunday, June 12-13 @ 5pm	Vida Kuang* Scattered Home Releasing Sunday, June 13

ONLINE PROGRAMS

Save the date for these artist produced online events!

#USAAF2021 #ForgingOurFutures

USAAF 2021 JURORS

Frances Wong, musician, composer and Creative Director of Asian Improv aRts
Aureen Almario, educator, artist and Artistic Director for Bindlestiff Studio
Erika Gee, educator, administrator, and cultural worker

Stay Up to Date

Sign up for our NEWSLETTER and follow us on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, TWITTER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Contact: Christina Leilani Campbell
[email protected]

FORGING OUR FUTURES: ASIAN AMERICAN ARTISTS HEAL COMMUNITY

Asian American artists center hope in face of anti-Asian violence in San Francisco’s 24th Annual United States of Asian America Festival

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, March 26, 2021- Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center (APICC) presents the 24th 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. USAAF is making waves within the Bay Area, with a lineup featuring rising artists in visual art, podcast, music, theatre, and dance scenes throughout San Francisco and beyond. The festival includes innovative art productions and events including Sowing Agency (opening exhibition), art by Vida Kuang (artist and educator), Liwanag 3 (SOMAPilipinas) and Eth-Noh-Tec (Asian American kinetic storytelling), as well as many more locally grown artists and programs. 

Forging our Futures Through Art Amidst Anti-Asian Hate

“For Asian Pacific Islander communities, this past year has been mired in such immense pain and tragic loss - countless lives taken by COVID-19, numerous legacy businesses closing with others struggling to survive, social and cultural hubs left barren, and the frightening rise of anti-Asian violence here in the SF Bay Area and nationwide,” says Melanie Elvena, Artistic Director of APICC. “I want this year’s festival to be a sanctuary where art becomes the channel through which our communities hold our grief, tell our stories, and collectively imagine futures of hope and recovery where we can thrive beyond this moment.” Under the theme of Forging Our Futures, USAAF gives AAPI artists the opportunity to build platforms and tell stories that empower AAPI communities of San Francisco.

Using Our Voices to Increase AAPI Representation and Awareness

2021 has been a pivotal year for AAPI representation, specifically in the San Francisco Bay Area. This includes film stars Daniel Wu and Ali Wong, dance company director Lenora Lee, visual artist Bernice Bing and well-known comedians Margaret Cho and Hasan Minhaj. In light of the countless anti-Asian hate crimes that have directly impacted the AAPI community on top of the pandemic, many of these artists have spoken out to condemn the violence that is happening across the country. Similar to what these artists are doing, USAAF provides a space to foster hope and resiliency for the AAPI community. 

The United States of Asian America Festival has long been a space for API artists, emerging and established alike, to create something new and very much needed. This year, positioned in a poignant moment of looking back, the festival is a cultivation and celebration of Asian Pacific Islander memory and future-making. Ranging from renewing intergenerational histories to cultivating community care, spanning grief, revival, nourishment, and everything in between, the festival’s 20+ programs take place throughout San Francisco from April 30 to June 26. A comprehensive festival schedule can be found at www.apiculturalcenter.org/usaaf2021 

HIGHLIGHTED FESTIVAL EVENTS

Sowing Agency (Opening April 30) - This year’s festival kicks off with Sowing Agency, a multidisciplinary arts exhibition activating our AAPI communities to engage in the issues of today’s climate crisis. Artists include muralist and painter Priya Kaur Handa and long time community organizer Pam Tau Lee. Presented in partnership with the Asian American Women Artists Association.

Liwanag 3 (June 5) - SOMA Pilipinas presents the Liwanag 3 book launch, a showcase of Filipino readings in genres ranging from poetry, fiction, playwriting, comics/graphic novels and featuring paintings, prints, illustrations and/or photography.

"If We Only Knew" (June 12) - Eth-Noh-Tec presents their 40th anniversary concert as an Asian American kinetic storytelling group, examining how much the ‘then’ they chose created the ‘future’ we now live.

Dear Community,

We are devastated by the shootings in Atlanta, Georgia that led to the murder of 8 people, 6 victims who were targeted as Asian women, by a white domestic terrorist. The further mistreatment by the police and media who have not officially deemed this a hate crime is racist and abusive to the victims’ families and all Asian American Pacific Islander communities already severely impacted by the pandemic. We know that many of you are feeling emotions of fear, anger, frustration, and grief over these events as we have been witnessing the anti-Asian violence rise in the San Francisco Bay Area and across the nation. Also coupled with the shooting in Boulder, Colorado this week resulting in Islamophobic rhetoric, we condemn these plagues of racism, sexism and xenophobia. We resist the white supremacist systems and institutions that are embedded in American society that suppress Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities.