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  • USAAF 2020

    THE UNITED STATES OF ASIAN AMERICA FESTIVAL 2020
    FINDING KINSHIP

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

    About the USAAF 2020

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

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

     


    FESTIVAL RECAP

    The festival is over, but you can still watch online recordings of some of this year's events and programs, including the Legacy & Lineage film series.
    Click here to watch these recordings along with the video recap and read more on everyone we had to thank this year!


    USAAF 2020 Online

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

    (Updated Weekly)

    PRESS RELEASE


    COVID-19 RESPONSE

    Our community's health is very important to us.

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


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

    Relax with Tax for Artists and Creatives (March 5)

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


    Festival Artists

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

    FEATURED ARTISTS: 

    Sami See

    Jon Jang

    FOCUS ARTISTS

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

    SHOWCASE ARTISTS

    Rea Lynn de Guzman
    Parivar
    A Hxstory of Renting

    MEMBER ARTISTS

    dNaga
    Urban x Indigenous
    Political Participation Inherited

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


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

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

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

     


    Online Application

    Apply to USAAF 2020 online: Now Closed

    Please read the following section completely and carefully.

    About the USAAF 2020

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

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

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

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

    If you have any problems with this submission form, please contact APICC's Artistic Director Melanie Elvena directly at [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. The selected and wait-listed artists or groups will be contacted by email the week of Monday, November 18, 2019.

     

    Application Checklist

     

    APPLICATION WORKSHOPS |

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

     

     

     

     

     

    Photo by Lorenz Angelo, Urban x Indigenous 2016


  • Featured Artist - Irene Tu

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

    Irene Tu

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

    Rest In Peace Irene

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

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

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

     

     

     

     

     


    WHAT IS THE FEATURED ARTIST?

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

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

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

     


  • Programs & Events

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

    In addition to USAAF, APICC also programs, sponsors and presents events and showcases throughout the year.
    Click above to see a list of our upcoming events and learn about events we've presented in the past.


  • USAAF 2019

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

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

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

    About the USAAF 2019

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

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

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

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


    Festival Artists

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

    FEATURED ARTIST
    Irene Tu

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

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

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

     

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

     

    USAAF 2019 Press Release

     


    Online Application

    Online Applications for USAAF 2019 are now closed. 

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

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

     

    APPLICATION WORKSHOPS |

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

    Workshop Registration

     

     

     

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

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


  • Lenora Lee Dance

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


    About Lenora Lee Dance:

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

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

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

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

    --

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

    APICC
    934 Brannan Street
    San Francisco, CA 94103

     

    (Photo Credit: Robbie Sweeny)

    Donate

  • Fiscal Sponsorships

    Apply for fiscal sponsorship with us!

     
    We welcome individual artists and grassroots art collectives to apply for fiscal sponsorship by APICC! APICC places special emphasis on incubating emerging Asian American and/or Pacific Islander artists, as well as other artists of color. Your project must relate to arts or culture, be non-commercial in nature, and have a community benefit component. APICC is based in San Francisco, CA, but frequently collaborates with AAPI/BIPOC artists from around the United States.

    Some of APICC’s past and present fiscal sponsorees include:

     
    Applications are currently closed. Please check back at a later date.

    What is fiscal sponsorship?

     
    Fiscal Sponsorship is a partnership in which a 501(c)3 nonprofit sponsors a project so the project can access grants and tax-deductible individual contributions. APICC  provides funds disbursement and limited administrative support to selected artists and groups in return for a 5-12.5% fee on the project’s income. Whether you’re on the path to become a nonprofit, aren’t ready to become a nonprofit, or simply don’t want to, our fiscal sponsorship program equips you with resources to realize your goals.

    Types of Fiscal Sponsorship

    APICC offers two types of fiscal sponsorship: 

    • Project-based:
        • One-time project or event
        • Usually short-term (one year or less)
        • Must reapply with each new project
    • Ongoing:
      • Longer term / indefinite sponsorship status
      • For artists and groups seeking to become their own 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, or are functionally equivalent to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
         

    You will be asked to specify what type of support you are seeking at the time of application.

    For more information, please email: [email protected].

     

    (Photo Credit: Robbie Sweeny)


  • APICC News

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  • USAAF 2017 Participants

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

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

     

    Presented

    ALLELUIA PANIS DANCE THEATER

    CYNTHIA LING LEE

    DNAGA

    IRENE TU

    J. THEO

    JAQ NGUYEN VICTOR

    JASON BAYANI

    JYUN JYUN

    RE-PRESENT MEDIA

    URBAN X INDIGENOUS

    Sponsored

    APPENDIX COLLECTIVE

    KEARNY STREET WORKSHOP

    MICHELLE LIN

    NANCY WANG

    ONENESSBUTOH

    OUR STORIES OUR VOICES

    SAMMAY

    THE PLACE COLLECTIVE

    WODC

    Supported

    GAUTAM TEJAS GANESHAN

    LATIFA MEDJDOUB
    & HACO

     

     

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


  • Donate to APICC

    *Please note: If you would like to make a donation specifically towards an APICC fiscally-sponsored project such as Jon Jang, Unity Archive Project, East Wind ezineLenora Lee Dance or Trashed: The Lost World of May's Photo Studio, Oral Histories of the International Hotel Human Barricade, please donate through their specific pages here.

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

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

    If you have any questions about your donation, please contact us at [email protected].

    Donate


  • APICC Presents the 20th annual USAAF May 2017

    USAAF 2017 - THREADING RESILIENCE

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

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

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

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


    USAAF 2017 Calendar

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


     

    USAAF 2017 Participants

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

     

     

     

     

     

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

     

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


Founded in 1996, APICC supports and produces multi-disciplinary art reflective of the unique experiences of API's living in the United States.