Review this year's Submission Guidelines below:
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Press 2022
Press Content for the United States of Asian America Festival 2022
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
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Artist Spotlight
Lenora Lee
See all posts
Posted by Anony Mous · January 22, 2024 10:57 AM · 1 reaction
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Lenora Lee
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 2pmVisit https://LenoraLeeDance15years.eventbrite.com for tickets
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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
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USAAF 2024
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.comShow 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 AnnexPURCHASE 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.comShow 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 PalestineVenue: 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 OFFApril 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 RECEPTIONSIGN 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.
- 4/25/2024 USAAF 2024 Festival Kick Off Event and Where Is Your Body Exhibition Opening
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Anony Mous published USAAF 2023 - Recap in USAAF 2023 - Reimagining Horizons 2023-09-17 11:31:28 -0700
USAAF 2023 - Recap
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
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CANE Archive Project
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 94103for more information about CANE's events please visit: https://cane50.org/
Donate
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REALSOUL
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.Our work aims to:1) Explore and share movements of solidarity between communities to create intentional discussion2) Develop safe spaces for intergenerational lifelong learning3) Empower and advocate through art and activism.Donate
About DirectorBorn and raised on Ramaytush Ohlone land (now known as San Francisco), Katie Quan (she/her) is a third generation Chinese American. She is an artist, community advocate, curator, storyteller, and educator. Her comics and illustrations capture the multidimensionality of Asian America, exploring themes like self identity, mental health, and family. Her work has been exhibited at SF Zinefest, Kearny Street Workshop’s APAture, A PLACE of Her Own, and Chinese Historical Society of America.
In 2017, Katie co-founded Ithaca’s first Pan Asian American Film Festival, accompanied with panels, performances, and a diverse array of films. In 2022, she founded REALSOUL, a curriculum based organization that focuses on making Asian American stories intersectional and accessible to learners of all ages. She currently serves on the advisory board to the AAWAA and newsletter editor to the Square and Circle Club. In her free time, you can find her drawing, bouldering, or swatting gnats away from her indoor plants.To learn more about REALSOUL, please visit www.realsoul.us or follow on social media @realsoul.us - thank you!Support REALSOULFor check donations, please write checks to 'Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center' with 'REALSOUL' 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
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Francis Wong
About Francis Wong
Few musicians are as accomplished as Francis Wong, considered one of "the great saxophonists of his generation" by the late jazz critic Phil Elwood. A prolific recording artist, Wong is featured on more than forty titles as a leader and sideman. For over two decades he has performed his innovative brand of jazz and creative music for audiences in North America, Asia, and Europe with such with such luminaries as Jon Jang, Tatsu Aoki, Genny Lim,William Roper, Bobby Bradford, John Tchicai, James Newton, Joseph Jarman, Don Moye and the late Glenn Horiuchi.
But to simply call the Bay Area native a musician would be to ignore his pioneering leadership in communities throughout Northern California. Wong's imaginative career straddles roles as varied as performing artist, youth mentor, composer, artistic director, community activist, non-profit organization manager, consultant, music producer, and academic lecturer. Key vehicles for his work are Asian Improv aRts, the company he co-founded with Jon Jang and as a Senior Fellow at the Wildflowers Institute. In addition, Wong was a California Arts Council Artist in Residence from 1992 through 1998, and a Meet The Composer New Resident in 2000-2003. In 2000-2001 he was a Rockefeller Next Generation Leadership Fellow. He has also been a guest member of the faculty at San Francisco State University (1996-98) and at University of California at Santa Cruz (1996-2001).
”I choose for my work to build community and to seek out how I, as an artist can meet the challenges that our community faces. In the Asian American community, the biggest challenge is continuity of culture and the impact of assimilation. Through music, I envision a way to create continuity through the integration of tradition and innovation.
Francis Current project you can support!:
Remembrance Rising: In Tribute to the World War II Comfort Women is an interdisciplinary work featuring poetry, dance, and music in dialogue with the public art piece Comfort Women Column of Strength Memorial in St. Mary’s Square in San Francisco Chinatown.
Featuring composer/saxophonist Francis Wong, dancer and poet Lynn Huang, dancer Flora Hyoin Kim Han, tuba performer William Roper, violinist Sandy Poindexter, and multi-percussionist Karen Stackpole. Parallel to the performing arts work is a companion zine set, created and illustrated by Katie Quan, focusing on the experiences of comfort women, Jan Ruff-O’Herne and Maria Rosa Henson.
Both projects are made possible through the inaugural Comfort Women Research and Creative Scholarship Small Grant Awards program. Presented by Asian Improv aRts, API Cultural Center, and Lenora Lee Dance.
There will be one indoor performance at the Manilatown Heritage Center on Friday 7-8pm 5/19 and one outdoor performance at the site of the Comfort Women Memorial in St. Mary’s that will be video recorded at 2pm-3pm on Saturday 5/20.
Admission free!
Please register here on EventbriteFriday, May 19, 7-8pm, at Manilatown Heritage Foundation (868 Kearny St., SF)
Saturday, May 20, 2-3pm, at St. Mary’s Square
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Anony Mous published USAAF 2023 Calendar at a Glance in USAAF 2023 Calendar 2023-03-30 10:23:45 -0700
USAAF 2023 Calendar at a Glance
APRIL EVENTS
April 27, April 28-May 21
Jade Wave Rising
Curated by Yeu Q Nguyen
Opening/Festival Kick-Off: Thu, April 27, 6pm
April 28-May 21 @ SOMArts Cultural CenterApril 28
Genny Lim
Memory, Meaning and Memoir Workshop
Fri, April 28 @ 5pm
Virtual EventMAY EVENTS
May 5
Leslie Damaso
SIRENA
Fri, May 5 @ 8pm & Sat, May 6 @ 2pm
Bindlestiff StudioMay 6
Genny Lim
The Diaspora Writers' Group
Sat, May 6 @ 4pm
Virtual EventMay 12
Family Style Collective
Shoes Off
Opening Reception: Fri, May 12, 7pm
Concert: Fri, May 26, 7pm
Night Market: Sat, June 3
Closing: Mon, June 12, 7pm
Fri, May 12-June 12 @ 475 Haight StreetMay 12
When Eyes Speak
Ft. Duniya Dance and Drum and
Radical South Asian History Tour
Space, Place and Ancestry
Fri, May 12 & May 13 @ 5pm
May 14 @ 2pm
Dance Mission Theatre and Mission District
May 14
Being, Belonging & Beyond -
SF Bay Area AAPI Dance Film Festival*
Co-Presented by 500 Capp Street & CAAM
Sun, May 14 @ 2-8 PM
Kapwa GardensMay 15
VC Tang
New Ingredients: A Virtual Storytelling
Curry Tamale Cook-Along
Mon, May 15 @ 5:30pm
Virtual EventMay 19-20
pateldanceworks
fault lines
Fri, May 19 @ 6pm
Sat, May 20 @ 2pm & 6pm
Fort FunstonMay 21
Lena Chen
Hidden Histories, Radical Reimaginings
Sun, May 21 @ 11am
Virtual EventMay 21
Jade Wave Rising*
Film Screening of "Manilatown Manang"
Sun, May 21 @ 2pm
SOMArts Cultural CenterMay 25
Harvey Lozada
“Son of Samoa” Community Film Screening
POSTPONED; NEW DATE & LOCATION TBA
May 26
Ava Koohbor
ffff: A Noise Cappella
Fri, May 26 @ 6pm
SPACE 124May 26-28
Johnny Huy Nguyễn*
No Country For Mother
Fri, May 26 & Sat, May 27 @ 7:30pm
Sun, May 28 @ 2:30pm
Joe Goode AnnexMay 28
Eth-Noh-Tec
Strong Like Bamboo: Stories of Resilience
for Healing in the Era of Anti-Asian Violence
Sun, May 28 @ 2pm
Oakland Asian Cultural CenterJUNE EVENTS
June 2
King LOTUS BOY, Hennessy Williams,
OBSIDIENNE OBSURD
TRANSformASIANS: A Transgender & Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander Showcase
Fri, June 2 @ 7pm
OASISJune 2-3
Josh Icban
To Cross- Agnake Tatang Ko
POSTPONED; NEW DATE & LOCATION TBA
June 4
REIMAGINING HORIZONS SHOWCASE
Featured APICC artists:
Caroline Cabading
Parivar Bay Area
SPULU
Shikha Malaviya
Maw Shein Win
Preeti Vangani
Terry Lily Hwang
Sun, June 4 @ 12:30pm
Sunday Streets TenderloinJune 9
Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project**
19th Annual Queer Women of Color Film Festival
Opening Night - Fri, June 9 @ 7pm
Featured Screenings: Sat, June 10
@ 1pm, 3pm, & 8pm
Sun, June 11 @ 1pm
Closing Night: Sun, June 11 @ 5pm
Online Encore Screening - TBD
Presidio Theatre
June 11
Theresa Calpotura
Musikang Halo-Halo: Starting to Mix
Sun, June 11 @ 5pm
Virtual EventJune 15
Hella Pinay
Hella Pinay Radio IRL: Pride Edition
Thu, June 15 @ 6pm
Virtual Event
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Anony Mous published USAAF 2023 Calendar in USAAF 2023 - Reimagining Horizons 2023-09-26 19:17:37 -0700
USAAF 2023 Calendar
Welcome to the online calendar for the 26th Annual United States of Asian America Festival: REIMAGINING HORIZONS! In celebration of API Heritage Month, APICC is excited to present in-person and virtual programming this APRIL-JUNE, 2023.
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 2023.
ACCESSIBILITY
Please check each event page for specific accessibility options and contact information.
All in-person programs and events are wheelchair accessible.
This icon indicates which festival events will have ASL interpretation.
• 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:
JADE WAVE RISING • REIMAGINING HORIZONS SHOWCASE • IN-PERSON & ONLINE EVENTS
CALENDAR AT A GLANCE
Click above to view the full calendar of USAAF 2023 events organized by date.
SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER
Kick off the Festival with JADE WAVE RISING
Kick off the festival with the opening to APICC's annual visual arts exhibition
Jade Wave Rising
Curated by Yeu Q Nguyen
Co-Presented by AAWAA
April 27-May 21 @ SOMArts Cultural Center
Opening/Festival Kick-Off: Thu, April 27, 6pm
Screening & Closing: Sun, May 21, 1 PM
As the AAPI community reels from the ongoing waves of hate and violence, Jade Wave Rising: Portraits of Power 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.
Healing Home with 500 CAPP Street and CAAM
500 Capp Street, Asian Pacific Cultural Center (APICC), and Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) co-presents
Being, Belonging & Beyond - SF Bay Area AAPI Dance Film Festival.
Being, Belonging & Beyond
SF Bay Area AAPI Dance Film Festival
Curated by Curated by APICC and Megan Lowe Dances
Co-Presented by Megan Lowe Dances, 500 Capp Street, and CAAMSun, May 14
Kapwa Gardens
2pm: Lenora Lee Dance
3:45pm: Sammay Dizon, Yayoi Kambara, Alleluia Panis
6pm: Megan Lowe and Johnny Huy Nguyen with World Premiere of HOME(in)STEADScreenings will include dance films by Lenora Lee Dance, Alleluia Panis, Sammay Dizon, Yayoi Kambara 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.
Cultivating Possibilities with USAAF: REIMAGINING HORIZONS
APICC is partnering with Sunday Streets and Livable City to host the REIMAGINING HORIZONS Showcase
at Sunday Streets Tenderloin on June 4, 2023.Join us for a day of music, poetry, fashion, art-making, performances and more!
RSVP HERE
This showcase is free and open to the public.
Featured APICC artists include:
Caroline Cabading
Parivar Bay Area
SPULU
Shikha Malaviya
Maw Shein Win
Preeti Vangani
Terry Lily Hwang
*More Tenderloin artists and performers will be announced.PROGRAM SCHEDULE TBD
19th Annual Queer Women of Color Film Festival
QWOCMAP will premiere 30 films in 6 screenings at the FREE
19th annual International Queer Women of Color Film Festival, June 9-11, 2023.
From the lush sageness of memory, movement, and Indigenous traditions of environmental stewardship,
to the transformation of grief, and the mycorrhizal relationships between love, collective care,
and disability justice, these films liberate spores of sovereignty and survivance.Friday Opening Night Screening - Fri, June 9 @ 7PM-9:30PM
Saturday Featured Screening - Sat, June 10 @ 1PM-2:30PM
Saturday Featured Screening - Sat, June 10 @ 3PM-6PM
Saturday Centerpiece Screening - Sat, June 10 @ 8PM-10PM
Sunday Centerpiece Screening - Sun, June 11 @ 1PM-3:45PM
Sunday Closing Night Screening - Sun, June 11 @ 5PM-7:45PM
Online Encore Screening - TBD
All films are Subtitled for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing and
Audio Described for the Blind and Low Vision, and ASL interpretation
will be provided along with many other forms of accessibility.
IN-PERSON & ONLINE EVENTS
More programs and events from this year's festival artists!
Genny Lim
Memory, Meaning and Memoir Workshop
Fri, April 28 - Virtual Event
Leslie Damaso
SIRENA
Fri, May 5 & Sat, May 6 @ Bindlestiff StudioGenny Lim
The Diaspora Writers' Group
Sat, May 6 - Virtual Event
When Eyes Speak: Indian Choreography Festival
Space, Place and Ancestry
Fri, May 12-May 14 @ Dance Mission Theatre
and Mission District
VC Tang
New Ingredients: A Virtual Storytelling
Curry Tamale Cook-Along
Mon, May 15 - Virtual EventFamily Style Collective
Shoes Off
Fri, May 12-June 12 @ 475 Haight Streetpateldanceworks
fault lines
Fri, May 19 & Sat, May 20 @ Fort FunstonLena Chen
Hidden Histories, Radical Reimaginings
Sun, May 21 - Virtual EventHarvey Lozada
“Son of Samoa” Community Film Screening TBD @ Roxie TheaterAva Koohbor
ffff: A Noise Cappella
Fri, May 26 @ SPACE 124Johnny Huy Nguyễn*
No Country For Mother
Fri, May 26, Sat, May 27 & Sun, May 28
@ Joe Goode AnnexEth-Noh-Tec
Strong Like Bamboo: Stories of Resiliencefor Healing in the Era of Anti-Asian Violence
Sun, May 28 @ Oakland Asian Cultural CenterKing LOTUS BOY, Hennessy Williams,
OBSIDIENNE OBSURD
TRANSformASIANS: A Transgender & Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander Showcase
Fri, June 2 @ OASISJosh Icban
To Cross: Aganakake Tatang Ko
TBD (This event has been postponed. Please check back for updates!) @ Bindlestiff StudiosQueer Women of Color Media Arts Project
19th Annual Queer Women of Color Film Festival
Fri, June 9 - Presidio TheaterTheresa Calpotura
Musikang Halo-Halo: Starting to Mix
Sun, June 11 - Virtual EventHella Pinay
Hella Pinay Radio IRL: Pride Edition
Thu, June 15 - Virtual Event
#USAAF2023 #ReimaginingHorizons
APICC STAFF
Vinay Patel, Executive Director
Melanie Elvena, Artistic Director
Jo Alvarado, Program Manager
TJ Basa, Office Manager
Angelo DelArte, Program Intern
Den Legaspi, ARC and TYPE Design, Graphic Designer
USAAF 2023 JURORSJohnny Huy Nguyen, dancer/choreographer
Susie Kagami, KOHO SF Japantown
Raj Rao, Parivar Bay AreaUSAAF 2023 Designs by Den Design
Thank you to all of APICC's partners:
Thank you to all of APICC's funders:
Stay Up to Date
Sign up for our NEWSLETTER and follow us on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, TWITTER
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Anony Mous published USAAF 2023 Award Levels & Eligibility in USAAF 2023 - Reimagining Horizons 2022-11-03 13:17:05 -0700
USAAF 2023 Award Levels & Eligibility
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, 2023.
- 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 2023 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 EVENTFor 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
$3000 total award in artist and tech/production fees to selected producing artist
SELF-PRODUCED IN-PERSON EVENTFor 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
$5000 total award in artist, tech, venue and production fees to selected producing artist
CO-PRESENTED OUTDOOR PERFORMANCEArtists, 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
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Anony Mous published USAAF 2023 Application Checklist in USAAF 2023 - Reimagining Horizons 2022-11-03 13:01:40 -0700
USAAF 2023 Application Checklist
When filling out the USAAF 2023 online application, please make sure to have prepared:
ARTIST/GROUP INFORMATION
- Name of Artist/Group
- Contact Name (If different from Artist/Group name)
- Pronouns
- Phone Number
- 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
- 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:
- Describe the public event or program that you plan to showcase and your plan to promote and publicize it
- 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
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Explain how this work is connected to this year’s theme - Reimagining Horizons:
- How can we (re)discover and (re)construct the horizons of possibility for our selves, our communities, and our dreams?
- As we reckon with newfound insights and intentions post-pandemic, what does it mean to embrace abundance and celebrate our expansiveness?
- How can AAPI visionaries imagine a future where we arrive beside, and in solidarity with, our BIPOC communities?
- How do we harness and honor our collective power socially and politically as AAPIs?
BUDGET- Please provide a budget for your event/program outlining proposed income and expenses. Feel free to use this Budget Template and Sample Budget.
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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 STATEMENTIn 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.
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USAAF 2023
UNITED STATES OF ASIAN AMERICA FESTIVAL 2023
REIMAGINING HORIZONS
The Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center of San Francisco announces and celebrates the 26th 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.
This year’s theme, REIMAGINING HORIZONS, asks us to reimagine and reconstruct the bridges between before and beyond. It acknowledges the questions, uncertainties, and processes that arise as we create new ways of being and belonging in a critically transformed world. The festival honors the constant negotiation of the past and present so that we may build towards our collective and generative futures. Artists are invited to explore the following:
- How can we (re)discover and (re)construct the horizons of possibility for our selves, our communities, and our dreams?
- As we reckon with newfound insights and intentions post-pandemic, what does it mean to embrace abundance and celebrate our expansiveness?
- How can AAPI visionaries imagine a future where we arrive beside, and in solidarity with, our BIPOC communities?
- How do we harness and honor our collective power socially and politically as AAPIs?
WORKSHOP SLIDES
FAQ
FESTIVAL ARTISTS
APICC is proud to announce the names of the artists participating in the 26th annual United States of Asian America Festival:
Ava Koohbor
Caroline Cabading
Dame Drummer & Black Daddy: The Experience
Duniya Dance & Drum & Radical South Asian History Tour
Eth-Noh-Tec
Family Style
Harvey Lozada
Hella Pinay
Johnny Huy Nguyen
Josh Icban
King LOTUS BOY, Hennessy Williams, & OBSIDIENNE OBSURD
Lena Chen
Leslie Damaso, Ben Ferris, Jon Irabagon,
Mike Koszewski, Jason Kutz, & Sandy Poindexter
Parivar Bay Area
pateldanceworks
Shikha Malaviya, Maw Shein Win, & Preeti Vangani
SPULU
Terry Lily Hwang
Theresa Calpotura
VC Tang
Yeu Q Nguyen (AAWAA)Artists and programs in this year's festival were selected by a panel of jurors including:
Johnny Huy Nguyen, dancer/choreographer
Susie Kagami, KOHO SF Japantown
Raj Rao, Parivar Bay AreaStay tuned for program and events produced by these artists to take place in celebration of API Heritage, this April-June 2023!
USAAF 2023 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
CALL FOR PROPOSALS NOW CLOSED
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, Reimagining Horizons:
- How can we (re)discover and (re)construct the horizons of possibility for our selves, our communities, and our dreams?
- As we reckon with newfound insights and intentions post-pandemic, what does it mean to embrace abundance and celebrate our expansiveness?
- How can AAPI visionaries imagine a future where we arrive beside, and in solidarity with, our BIPOC communities?
- How do we harness and honor our collective power socially and politically as AAPIs?
USAAF SUPPORTSAll 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 SUPPORTThis 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 SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 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
Application Q&A #1 – Wednesday, November 9, 2022 at 5:30-6:30 PM PST
Application Q&A #2 – Sunday, November 20, 2022 at 3:00-4:00 PM PST
Application Deadline – Wednesday, November 30, 2022 at 11:59PM PST
Artists Notified – December 17, 2022
For selected producing artists:
Mandatory Orientation – Early January (Specific Date TBD)
Contract Deadline – Friday, December 30, 2022
Marketing Copy Deadline – Friday, February 24, 2023
Workshop Dates – January-March 2023 (Specific Dates TBD)
Festival Kick-Off – Friday, April 28, 2023 (Open to the public)
APPLICATION WORKSHOPS & FAQWe have scheduled two application workshops:
WORKSHOP #1: Wednesday, November 9, 2022 at 5:30-6:30 PM PST.
WORKSHOP #2: Sunday, November 20, 2022 at 3:00-4:00 PM PST.Missed our Application Workshops? Check out our Presentation Slides and our FAQ.
If you still have questions about your application, please contact Artistic Director Melanie Elvena at [email protected]
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Expanding the APICC Community: Apply to be our next Program Manager
Graphic containing image of the APICC team: Vinay Patel, Melanie Elvena and Diana Li.
(Photo by Joyce Xi)The Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center is seeking a passionate individual interested in fulfilling the roll of our next Program Manager! We're grateful to Diana Li, who, for the last FIVE years, has coordinated artists and supported the production and promotion of APICC's programs and events, including the annual United States of Asian America Festival. As Diana moves on to further her role at the Asian American Women Artists Association, APICC looks forward to expanding our community in meeting new candidates to join our team.
Read more
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Anony Mous published USAAF 2022 Recap in USAAF 2022 - Generations of Power 2022-07-16 00:25:33 -0700
USAAF 2022: Generations of Power
Festival Recap
Dear Community,
Now that our festival has come to a close, I am feeling energized and so grateful to have witnessed what our artists have been able to achieve while APICC celebrated 25 years of presenting and promoting AAPI art and our unique experiences living here in the US. AAPI art and artists are truly part of the core that uplifts our communities! This year, in the spirit of Generations of Power, we are not only healing in the shadow of an ongoing pandemic and recent anti-Asian violence, but we are withstanding and ultimately thriving! I’m so proud that we were able to produce mostly in-person events with safety in mind as we hosted 2 PCR testing sites with Molecular Matrix at our opening and outdoor showcase. We also distributed more than 9,000 free rapid antigen tests to artists and community members.
Some of this year’s highlights included:
- APA Heritage Foundation honoring APICC with one of its AAPI Organizations Awards in honor of our 25th anniversary year.
- Our first in person opening reception in almost 3 years at Grow Our Souls! Special guests who came out to support included Director of Cultural Affairs Ralph Remington, District Supervisor Gordon Mar, and many of SF Arts Commission’s program officers.
- Our Japantown Peace Plaza Generations of Power Showcase in partnership with Japantown Task Force and SF Recreation and Parks truly celebrated the richness of our intergenerational cultures with music, dance, and poetry.
- One of our Featured Artists, Macro Waves, gave us space to relish in our breath again with workshops and installations during breath.io.
- We had some meaningful partnerships and co-presentations with ODC Dance Commons for Megan Lowe and Sammay’s presentations as well as with the Legion of Honor that hosted GAPA Theatre and GAPA Chorus’s variety showcase.
- We even had 2 world premieres of films honoring the history and resilience of Filipino Americans with Searching for Kapwa and Sa Amin.
- Celebrating milestone anniversaries for San Francisco’s AAPI community with Kearny Street Workshop (50 years), Asian Improv aRts (35 years) and APICC’s United States of Asian America Festival (25 years)
Amidst all the joy and celebration, I am also reminded by our communities that as political forces attempt to reduce our rights and silence our voices, we must continue advocating for ourselves and each other. Next year, we will take up space and tell more of our stories, and I look forward to further supporting our local AAPI artists and communities.Sincerely,
Melanie Elvena
Artistic DirectorTHANK YOU
JURORS
Aureen Almario
Ravi Chandra
Yukiya Jerry WakiGENERATIONS OF POWER
SHOWCASE CREWSound Innovations
ToneOnTop Productions
Susie KagamiASL INTERPRETERS
Nicole Carlos Watson
Rob Merino
Kristen Del Rosario
Mitchell PerillaPUBLIC RELATIONS
Paloma Concordia
PapaLoDown AgencyDOCUMENTATION
Diana Chen
Jason Chew
Lenore Chinn
Mark ShigenagaAPICC STAFF
Vinay Patel, Executive Director
Melanie Elvena, Artistic Director
Diana Li, Program Manager
TJ Basa, Programs & Communications AssistanceAPICC BOARD
Yukiya Jerry Waki
Janey Madamba
Pamela Wu Kochiyama
Vinay PatelPRESS & PUBLICATIONS
"Free arts and entertainment events and performances to enjoy in the S.F. Bay Area"
Anne Schrager, SF Chronicle Datebook, May 12, 2022"As Marcos Rises to Power, a Dance Ritual Helps Filipino Americans Process Grief, Fear"
Rayanne Piaña, KQED Arts, June 13, 2022"AAPI heritage month: festivals, fine art, fun, fashion and more"
Bay City News, San Francisco Examiner, May 10, 2022"San Francisco celebrates Asian heritage through community bonds"
Tomo Hirai, Nichi Bei Weekly, May 12, 2022"Piece of Peace Reflections"
Vera Yin, Megan Lowe Dances"CAMP Podcast Special Edition: Angela Han"
Eunmi Ko, Contemporary Art Music Project, June 27, 2022"Mark Izu’s reflective journey through music with ‘Songs For J-Town’ April 23"
Nichi Bei Weekly Report, April 14, 2022"Mark Izu’s ‘Songs for J-Town’ evokes memories and hopes"
Tomo Hirai, Nichi Bei Weekly, April 28, 2022WATCH ONLINE
USAAF 2022 YouTube Playlist
Including videos from the Grow Our Souls opening, Generations of Power showcase performances, Realms of Courage Composers Panels and Wise Women:
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Anony Mous published Spring Quarterly Gathering in Asian American Arts Network of the Bay Area 2022-06-23 20:52:51 -0700
Spring Quarterly Gathering
Join us for a late afternoon get together on April 7th at SOMArts Cultural Center1) Just be around each other again2) Create a safe space for us to come together and talk3) Re-establish a collective voice4) Find out best ways to keep us all informed of things that affect us at the federal, state and local levelsPlease RSVPApril 7 2022SOMArts Cultural Center4pm - 5:30pm
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Asian American Arts Network of the Bay Area
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.
Bay Area API Arts Spotlight: Macro Waves Collective
In this segment, we shine a spotlight on the talented members of the Asian American Arts Network of the Bay Area, a group formed to elevate AAPI visionaries, storytellers and cultural organizations shaping the AAPI artistic landscape of the Bay Area’s 9 county region.
Macro Waves, co-founded by AAPI artists Robin Birdd David and Jeffrey Yip, is an Oakland-based artist collective that produces experiences focusing on social equity through conceptual art, new media, and design.In their latest exhibition entitled “Make this Last Forever”, created during the Artists in Residence Program at Recology San Francisco, the collective utilizes the framework of archiving to make sense of the intergenerational stories of movement and transition held in the objects we inherit–whether the things passed down directly by immigrant elders or our collective responsibility to contend with the growing mass of consumer waste.
They explore: Who is responsible for your things after you’re gone? And how do we honor and contend with the belongings of previous generations–especially when they’ve felt the need to hold onto everything as a means of survival?
Macro Waves was the Featured Artist for the Asian Pacific Island Cultural Center’s 25th Annual United States of Asian America Festival, one of the recipients of the California Arts Council’s 2022 Impact Project Grant, and in 2020 participated in the Youkobo Artist Residency in Tokyo, Japan. The collective has exhibited at SFMOMA, SWIM Gallery, YBCA, SFAC Gallery, SOMArts, ICA SF, Lightbox NYC, and Á Space Hanoi.
Visit the Art Exhibition: on Tuesday, September 19th, 2023 from 5 PM – 7:30 PM, and hear an artist talk by Macro Waves at 6:30 PM.
Location: Recology Art Studios 503 Tunnel Avenue, San FranciscoAdmission is free and open to the public, no reservation required. All ages are welcome and the site is wheelchair accessible.
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Anony Mous published USAAF 2022 Calendar at a Glance in USAAF 2022 Calendar 2022-03-25 12:01:12 -0700
USAAF 2022 Calendar at a Glance
Calendar of USAAF 2022 events organized by date:
MAY EVENTS
April 29, April 30-May 22
Grow Our Souls
Curated by Melissa Wang
Opening/Festival Kick-Off: Fri, April 29, 6pmApril 30-May 22 @ SOMArts Cultural Center
May 1-7
Bindlestiff Studio
Kwento Times Staged Reading Festival
Sun, May 1-7 @ Bindlestiff StudioMay 1-June 26
Angela Han Art LLC
Realms of Courage: Celebrating Asian Women Composers
Sun, May 1-June 26 on Zoom & YouTubeMay 14
Generations of Power Showcase
Sat, May 14 @ Japantown Peace Plaza12:00-12:15 Opening Introductions & Announcements
12:15-1:00PM Sugilanon by Caroline Cabading & The Autonomous Region
1:00-1:50PM Love & Unity: Asian American Choreographer's Showcase curated by Claudine Naganuma
1:50-2:40PM “Seh Kui: Community is In the Heart” by The Last Hoisan Poets & Del Sol Quartet
2:40-2:55PM Return of the Sun by First Voice
2:55-3:20PM Youth Rising by Leela Youth Dance Company
After this, please join us in crossing the street (Post St) to Buchanan Mall for the next performance:
3:30-4:00PM groundwater/chikasui 地下水 by tashi tamate weiss (Across Post St at Buchanan Mall)May 14
Grow Our Souls
Workshop by Trinh Mai
May 14 @ SOMArts Cultural Center
May 21-22Ramon Abad
Pickles! The Bindlestiff Kid Show
Sat, May 21-22 @ Bindlestiff Studio
May 28KKSILOG
Lumayo Ka Sa Araw (Stay Away From The Sun)
Sat, May 28 @ Kearny Street WorkshopMay 14
Vida Kuang & Carmen Chen x AAWAA's Emerging Curators Program
Hella Tender
Sat, May 14 @ SF Chinatown
May 26SF Urban Film Fest x SOMA Pilipinas
World Premiere of “Sa Amin”
Thu, May 26 @ Kapwa GardensJUNE EVENTS
June 3 & 18
Megan Lowe Dances
Piece of Peace
Fri, June 3 @ Studio B, ODC Dance Commons
Sat, June 18 OnlineJune 4
GAPA Theatre + GAPA Men's Chorus
Hearts & Minds
Sat, June 4 @ Gunn Theater, Legion of HonorJune 4
Eth-Noh-Tec
Wise Women
Sat, June 4 on ZoomJune 5 & 10
Macro Waves*
breathe.io
Sun, June 5 Opening @ SWIM Gallery
Fri, June 10 Live Sound Event & Breath workshopJune 9
Alchemy and Twine Productions
Searching for Kapwa: A Work-in-Progress Film Screening
Thu, June 9 @ SF LGBT Center, Rainbow RoomJune 9
Lenora Lee Dance
Convergent Waves: Boston
Thu, June 9 @ Asian Art MuseumJune 10-12
Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project
18th Annual International Queer Women of Color Film Festival
Fri, June 10-12 @ Presidio TheatreJune 10-11 & 17
SAMMAY Productions
ritual for thrivation no. 2
Fri, June 10-11 @ ODC Theater
June 17 OnlineJune 11
Kearny Street Workshop 50th Anniversary
KSW50: To Imagine is to Exist Gala
Sat, June 11, 5pm @ SF MintJune 30
Asian Improv aRts 35th Anniversary
Expansions // Horizons
Thu, June 30, 6pm @ Asian Art Museum
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Anony Mous published USAAF 2022 Calendar in USAAF 2022 - Generations of Power 2022-03-25 12:00:13 -0700
USAAF 2022 Calendar
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
Grow Our Souls
Curated by Melissa Wang
April 30-May 22 @ SOMArts Cultural CenterOpening/Festival Kick-Off: Fri, April 29, 6pm
Workshop: Sat, May 14, 12pm
Inspired by Grace Lee Boggs, whose philosophical call-to-action urges us to think dialectically about working in the service of “a higher Humanity instead of [a] higher standard of living,” Grow Our Souls engages thirteen artists in an ambitious conversation about labor in the context of U.S. imperialism and global capitalism.The opening will feature a panel with Dr. Susette Min, the curator and exhibiting artists.
Celebrating 25 Years of USAAF with Generations of Power
APICC was founded in 1996 by representatives of five nonprofit arts groups, including Asian American Dance Performances, First Voice, Asian Improv aRts, the Asian American Theater Company, and Kearny Street Workshop, all of which were instrumental to organizing the first United States of Asian America Festival (USAAF) in 1998.
APICC is proud to celebrate 25 years of USAAF with these pivotal organizations, a few of which are also celebrating an anniversary of their own this year:
First Voice: Songs for J-Town
Sat, Apr 23 @ Presidio TheatreWorld 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 PlazaFeaturing 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 MintCelebrate Kearny Street Workshop's 50 Year Anniversary!
Expansions // Horizons
Thu, June 30, 6pm @ Asian Art MuseumAsian Improv aRts' 35th Anniversary Celebration Festival
GENERATIONS OF POWER SHOWCASE
APICC is proud to co-present the following artistic performances as part of the outdoor showcase taking place at the historic Japantown Peace Plaza on Sat, May 14, 12-4pm.
RSVP HERE
This showcase is free and open to the public.
PROGRAM SCHEDULE
12:00-12:15PM
Introductions
12:15-1:00PM
Caroline Cabading & The Autonomous Region
Sugilanon1:00-1:50PM
Curated by Claudine Naganuma
Love & Unity: Asian American Choreographer's Showcase1:50-2:40PM
The Last Hoisan Poets & Del Sol Quartet*
“Seh Kui: Community is In the Heart”2:40-2:55PM
First Voice
Return of the Sun2:55-3:20PM
Leela Youth Dance Company
Youth Rising3:30-4:00PM
tashi tamate weiss
groundwater/chikasui 地下水
(Across Post St at Buchanan Mall)
IN-PERSON & ONLINE EVENTS
More programs and events from this year's festival artists!
Bindlestiff Studio
Kwento Times Staged Reading Festival
Sun, May 1-7 @ Bindlestiff StudioAngela Han Art LLC
Realms of Courage Composers Panels
Sun, May 1-June 26 on Zoom & YouTubeVida Kuang & Carmen Chen x AAWAA's
Emerging Curators Program
Hella Tender
Sat, May 14 @ SF ChinatownSF Urban Film Fest x SOMA Pilipinas
World Premiere of “Sa Amin”
Thu, May 26 @ Kapwa GardensKKSILOG
Lumayo Ka Sa Araw (Stay Away From The Sun)
POSTPONED TO 2023!Megan Lowe Dances
Piece of Peace
Fri, June 3 @ Studio B, ODC Dance Commons
Sat, June 18 OnlineGAPA Theatre + GAPA Men's Chorus
Hearts & Minds
Sat, Jun 4 @ Gunn Theater, Legion of HonorEth-Noh-Tec
Wise Women
Sat, June 4 on ZoomMacro Waves*
breathe.io
Fri, June 5-17 @ SWIM GalleryAlchemy and Twine Productions
Searching for Kapwa: A Film Screening
Thu, June 9 @ SF LGBT Center, Rainbow RoomLenora Lee Dance
Convergent Waves: Boston
Thu, June 9 @ Asian Art MuseumQueer Women of Color Media Arts Project
18th Annual International Queer
Women of Color Film Festival
Fri, June 10-12 @ Presidio Theatre
SAMMAY Productions
ritual for thrivation no. 2
Fri, June 10-11 @ ODC Theater
June 17 OnlineRamon Abad
Pickles! The Bindlestiff Kid Show
Sat-Sun, Nov 12-13 @ Bindlestiff Studio
(Originally postponed from May 21-22)
#USAAF2022 #GenerationsofPower
APICC STAFF
Vinay Patel, Executive Director
Melanie Elvena, Artistic Director
Diana Li, Programs & Communications Manager
TJ Basa, Programs & Communications AssistantAPICC BOARD
Janey Madamba, Board Member
Yukiya Jerry Waki, Board Member
Pamela Wu Kochiyama, Board Member
USAAF 2022 JURORSAureen 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 podcastUSAAF 2022 Designs by ARC & TYPE
Thank you to all of APICC's partners:
Thank you to all of APICC's funders:
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