USAAF 2025
THE 28th ANNUAL UNITED STATES OF ASIAN AMERICA FESTIVAL: CRITICAL REFUGE
ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
Each year, the United States of Asian American Festival (USAAF) presents up to 20 different programs reflecting the artistic accomplishments and cultural diversity of San Francisco’s Pacific Islander and Asian American communities. USAAF showcases artists representing a diverse range of ethnic and cultural groups and aims to heighten the visibility of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) artists working in all disciplines - theater, music, dance, film, literature, visual arts, and more! Our goal is to nurture and empower these groups to be self-sufficient while providing the support they need to grow.
This year’s theme, Critical Refuge, asks us to reflect on our journey as immigrants, refugees, and generations of descendents and/or mixed race people in the diaspora as we seek necessary sanctuary within ourselves and in our communities in times of unrest and uncertainty. The festival will honor AAPI arts and culture reflecting on where we have been, where we are now, and what our collective future holds while acknowledging our roots as immigrants, refugees, and mixed-race descendants.
Thank you to our many partners and funders including the San Francisco Arts Commission, San Francisco Grants for the Arts, California Arts Council, Zellerbach Family Foundation and startsmall.
THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS AND SPONSORS
San Francisco Arts Commission, California Arts Council, SF Grants for the Arts, SF Office of Economic & Workforce Development, Zellerbach Family Foundation, and SOMArts Cultural Center.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Festival Opening:
Event Date & Time: Thursday, April 24 from 6-9PM
Venue: SOMArts Cultural Center, SF
Join us to kick off this year's festival and the opening of "Brown Palms, Yellow Balms: Reinventing Caregivers of Color" curated by O.M France Viana and co-presented with AAWAA! This night of celebration will include an artist activation by Kimberly Acebo Arteche and poetry reading by Nellie Wong plus snacks by Tita Pearl and a Malaya Botanicals pop-up shop!
Photos coming soon!
EXHIBITS:
Brown Palms, Yellow Balms: Reinventing Caregivers of Color | Curated by O.M. France Viana
Event Date & Time: April 24 - May 25
Venue: SOMArts Cultural Center, SF & Online
The caregiver—she who opens a newborn's eyes and closes the eyes of the dying—remains overwhelmingly female and disproportionately a person of color as sacrificial figures dissolving self for the sake of society. Asian and Asian American women artists, collectives, and brave souls explore themes of caregiving through the lens of AAPI cultural heritage, history, and the socio-political landscape.
Twin Windows: Papercuts by Beatriz Vasquez and Xiaoqing Shi | Christine Wong Yap
Event Date & Time: May 10 - June 7 (Saturdays 12-3PM, Wednesdays/Thursdays 1-6PM + extra day Sunday, May 25 @12-3PM); Exhibit Reception May 25 @12-3PM
Venue: Kearny Street Workshop at Arc Studios & Gallery, 1246 Folsom Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
This two-woman exhibition features contemporary artworks inspired by Chinese and Mexican paper cutting traditions. Folsom, California-based Xiaoqing Shi uses only scissors to create jianzhi—Chinese paper cuts—rich in symbolism and cultural beliefs. Indianapolis-based Beatriz Vasquez makes papercuts inspired by papel picado—the Mexican craft of punched paper—to honor cultural knowledge and challenge stereotypes. For Bay Area-based curator Christine Wong Yap (who is also a visual artist and social practitioner), “Twin Windows” is a way to acknowledge the impacts of migration and the parallels between Chinese and Latinx histories, while holding fast to cultural pride and belonging.
Refuge Exhibit, Featuring Artists with Asian Heritage | Na Omi J. Shintani
Event Date & Time: Saturday, May 3 - Sunday, June 1 1-5pm, Weekends
Venue: Kitsune Community Art Studio & Gallery, 514B Kelly Ave, Half Moon Bay
Celebrate Asian Pacific Islander (API) culture in Half Moon Bay! May the arts inspire dialogue that honors our shared humanity and resilience. The "Refuge Exhibition: Featuring Artists with Asian Heritage," the Half Moon Bay Make it Main Street fair, and many other events will highlight the talents of visual artists, spoken word poets, performers, a culinary creator, and workshop facilitators. We are dedicated to preserving our culture, language, and community in the face of diaspora and assimilation worldwide. Together, we will expand our understanding of "Refuge" as a transformative space for healing and protection within ourselves and our communities.
EVENTS:
Portals | SanSan Kwan
Event Date & Time:
- Fri, Apr 25 @ 8-10PM
- Sat, Apr 26 @ 8-10PM
- Sun, Apr 27 @ 7-9PM
Venue: Dance Mission Theater
Portals is a multi-bill evening of dance, showcasing the work of six Asian American femme choreographers. Centered around the theme of transition, this mixed program highlights varied stories, each piece probing what it means to be at the crossroads of change. The program is anchored by the piece, Two Doors, a choreographic study of the aftermaths of anti-Asian violence, first mounted in 2024 at the Mondavi Center in Davis. Two Doors ushers us on a journey towards relational vulnerability, opening the portal into an array of explorations on liminality.
ImprovisAsians! Festival | Francis Wong
Event Date & Time:
- April 29, 2025 | 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
- April 30, 2025 | 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
- May 1 2025 | 12:00 - 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Venue: Knuth Hall, Creative Arts Building, San Francisco State University,
1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA 94132
ImprovisAsians is an annual series of performances and discussions exploring the connection between the performing arts and community-building. The performances will feature local artists with collaborations with SFSU students and staff. Presented by San Francisco State University with Asian Improv Arts and API Cultural Center.
In My Feathered Pajamas: Women’s Stories of Critical Refuge | Badri Valian
Event Date & Time:
- Saturday, May 3 @ 11-2 (Space between Japantown Osaka Way/ Buchanan Mall)
- Sunday, May 4 @ 11-2 (Ferry Building)
- May 10 @11-2PM (41 Ross)
This May, In My Feathered Pajamas transforms public spaces into interactive storytelling experiences, exploring migration, sanctuary, and community through fiber art. Participants will gather crocheted feathers—symbols of displacement and strength—to create a communal nest, which will evolve into a wearable robe representing collective care and resilience. Featuring historical narratives and participatory creation, this event honors the role of women in migration stories.
Join this immersive art experience and be part of a living archive of sanctuary and solidarity.
Additional details, including updated event times and locations available here!
Journey of 1000 Miles | Insight Chamber Players and Angela Han Art LLC
Event Date & Time:
- Saturday May 3rd, 7:30pm – Lumina Salon, 201 Folsom St. San Francisco, CA
- Saturday May 10th 7:30pm – Clocktower Salon is 461 2nd St. San Francisco CA
- Saturday May 17th 7:30pm – Piedmont Center for the Arts, 85 Magnolia Ave, Piedmont CA
Insight Chamber Players and Angela Han Art LLC will present "Journey of 1000 Miles," a series of three multimedia chamber music concerts spotlighting compositions by immigrant Asian women. The concert cycle will include three evening concerts at unique venues across the Bay Area including the Lumina Salon and Piedmont Center for the Arts. The programs will culminate in a live panel and artwork presentations with the composers, musicians, and artists.
Wong Wei’s Legacy | Francis Wong
Event Date & Time: May 4 @3-4:30 pm
Venue: Monkey Brains 933 Treat Ave SF, CA 94110
Wong Wei’s Legacy, a new work integrating music, text, and movement, by saxophonist Francis Wong exploring three generations of the Wong family through war and flight as refugees in the latter half of the 20th Century. Artists: Francis Wong, William Roper, Karl Evangelista, Deszon X. Claiborne,and Lynn Huang.
Pacific Islander Cultural District Inaugural Celebration | Legacies of the Pacific
Event Date & Time: May 17, 9AM-5PM
Venue: Starting at Visitacion Valley Middle School, 1971 Visitacion Ave, San Francisco, CA 94134
This May 17th, the city will come out to celebrate and honor San Francisco's Pacific Islander Cultural District with an Inaugural Celebration and festival. It will take place in the streets of the District itself with a processional parade that leads to the final celebration at the Cow Palace. The procession will mobilize in the morning and start promptly at 10am to lead to the Cow Palace where the festival takes place from 11am to 5pm.
LOW & SLOW MOVEMENT | Harvey Magsaysay Lozada
Event Date & Time: Thursday May 22, 6pm-8pm
Venue: Cultura y Arte Nativa de las Americas (CANA), San Francisco
Join us for an immersive celebration of "Low and Slow Movement" a project by visual storyteller, filmmaker and photographer, Harvey Magsaysay Lozada. This special gathering will feature a panel discussion, zine release, and film preview, offering a comprehensive look at the rich history and enduring legacy of San Francisco lowriding.
JINSHAN: Seams of Gold & AAPI Dance Film | Megan Lowe and Rose Huey
Event Date & Time: Saturday, May 24 @7:30PM
Venue: BANDALOOP Studio, 1601 18th St, Oakland, CA 94607
This will be a very sweet and casual dance film screening event where audiences will have the chance to view a filmed version of JINSHAN: Seams of Gold, an outdoor vertical dance duet performance and community gathering by Megan Lowe and Rose Huey exploring how we create spaces for refuge, healing, and connection for ourselves and our communities in the natural world. Using rock climbing gear, Megan and Rose transformed a rock wall into a performance site, creating awe inspiring dances that incorporate ideas of homeland/home, uncertainty, and the power of human connection. This will be followed by other short films representing dance by Bay Area creators!
RUMAH | Azalina’s
Event Date & Time: Sunday, May 25 @ 5-8 PM
Venue: Azalina’s (499 Ellis St)
Join us at Azalina's for a Kamayan Dinner Pop-Up. Chef/ Beloved Tita Rosie, from West Bay Center, will be sharing her delicious Filipino cooking! Come with friends and meet new ones! Be ready to eat communally, surrounded by banana leaves and sweet aromas. May 25th at Azalinas (499 Ellis St), there are two seatings at 5 or 7:30. Tickets are first come first serve, get them while they are cheap! As part of the annual United States of Asian America Festival, we are so excited to share such a special meal with you all.
Fresh Filipino Folklore: Marichin Marukoy! A Sneak Peak | Ara Chawdhury
Event Date & Time: Sun, June 1 @ 3:00-5:30PM
Venue: Koret Auditorium, San Francisco Public Library
Catch this exclusive sneak preview of Filipino filmmaker Ara Chawdhury’s stop motion film-in-progress, "Marichin Marukoy!" About the adventures of a plucky little shapeshifter with a penchant for stealing eggs and annoying her neighbors in the jungles of Punta de Bulalacao, Isla de Panamao. Follow her down to the village at the foot of her mountain home to fetch some salt, before the humans catch her! The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the animation team and a reading of the book, "Marichin Marukoy, Mangayo Ko'g Asin (May I Have Some Salt)"
Workshop: Compositional Process of Jon Jang’s Reparations Now! Concerto for Large Ensemble and Taiko | Jan Jang
Event Date & Time: Thur, June 5 @ 6pm
Venue: Virtual
Jon Jang will reflect on what his compositional process was in the making of Reparations Now! Concerto for Large Ensemble and Taiko during 1987. A new version of Reparations Now!, which is also the same name of the third movement, will be revivified as part of History, Memory, Circumstance - A Japanese American Story. Instead of the taiko that was originally highlighted, Deszon Claiborne will be featured on trap set drums to symbolize the struggle for Black Reparations and the “real-life” solidarity with Japanese Americans. During that time when Jang could be considered an activist, Jang has described his work as a musical diary of the Asian American Movement.
Composer and pianist/flutist Erika Oba who will be performing on piano and flute in the new work by Jang, will also reflect on her compositional process of particular examples that may or may not relate to the project. We all don’t sound alike! Audience participants interested in music are encouraged. No music background is necessary.
RSVP for the webinar - June 5 and check out the second workshop on June 12!
HOME IS NOW(HERE): Vietnam War x 50 Years x III | REALSOUL X JHN//hands&feet
Event Date & Time: Sat, Jun 7 @ 3-5pm
Venue: Tenderloin Recreation Center (570 Ellis St, San Francisco, CA 94109)
HOME IS NOW(HERE): Vietnam War x 50 Years x III is a collaborative multidisciplinary performance showcase meditating on relationships to identity, family, and home in the wake of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. It will feature new works by 3 contemporary Vietnamese American artists accompanied by a zine release from REALSOUL. Learn more and RSVP here!
Sacred Hands: A Jugalbandi Dance Dialogue Between Bharatanatyam and Igal | MPWRD Collective and the Panchakanya Project
Event Date & Time: Sat, Jun 7 @ 12-6PM - Performances at 1PM and 5PM
Venue: 34007 12th Street Union City CA, 94587, Kennedy Park Amphitheater
Join us for a mesmerizing jugalbandi performance, where the expressive hand gestures of Bharatanatyam and the fluid movements of the Sama dance form Igal come together in a unique artistic dialogue. This performance explores how cultural knowledge is preserved and reshaped through forced and voluntary migration, bridging traditions across time and space. As part of a vibrant day-long event, enjoy a diverse marketplace featuring local vendors celebrating heritage, artistry, and community. Don’t miss this powerful intersection of movement, history, and storytelling!
Learn more and get tickets here!
Veera (“Courage”) | The Modern Natya Company
Event Date & Time: Wednesday, Jun 11 @ 6-8PM
Venue: Central Park Performance Pavilion (Located Next to: 40204 Paseo Padre Parkway Fremont, CA 94538)
Join us for the extraordinary premiere of Veera (“Courage”): the world’s first Carnatic-Baroque fusion dance opera. Set against the tranquil backdrop of Lake Elizabeth, Veera explores how bravery and resilience evolve in the face of hardship and community support.
Woven with the words of famed Indian social reformers and pioneering female Opera composers, brought to life by breathtaking live musical accompaniment…this is not your average Bharatanatyam performance; it's an immersive experience, a conversation under the open sky.
The Modern Natya Company presents this thoughtful, family-friendly exploration of how cultural traditions teach us about equitable leadership in service of others.
Workshop: History, Memory, Circumstance – A Japanese American Story | Jan Jang
Event Date & Time: Thur, June 12 @ 6pm
Venue: Virtual
Sansei activist Joyce Nakamura will share her early drafts from History, Memory, Circumstance that will include stories about her family’s incarceration in a concentration camp behind barbed wire in Poston, Arizona during World War II to becoming an activist in the Asian American Movement. There will be an open and interactive discussion with Jon Jang who will compose the music for this text. Audience participants are welcome and encouraged to be part of the conversation and talk back.
RSVP for the webinar on June 12!
Vernaculars Plays Wong Works | The Vernaculars
Event Date & Time: June 12 7-9PM
Venue: Wyldflowr Arts, 809 37th Street, Oakland, CA 94706
The Bay Area quartet Vernaculars explores the intersection between jazz, improvised music, and Filipino tradition. This special performance centers on Wong Works - a lengthy exploration of the music of Asian Improv aRts cofounder Francis Wong.
Learn more and get tickets here!
2025 Queer Women of Color Film Festival | QWOCMAP
Event Date & Time:
- Friday, June 13, 7pm – Opening Night Screening: JUNETEETH Doors open at 6:30pm
- Saturday, June 14, 12pm – Saturday Centerpiece: HYPERLOCAL Doors open at 11:30pm
- Saturday, June 14, 3pm – Panel: UNSHAKEABLE LEGACY: Queer Women of Color Filmmakers Doors open at 2:30pm
- Saturday, June 14, 5pm – Featured Screening: STANDING ABOVE THE CLOUDS Doors open at 4:30pm
- Saturday, June 14, 7pm – Centerpiece Screening: ZANY Doors open at 6:30pm
- Sunday, June 15, 12pm – Sunday Centerpiece Screening: Ancestors Doors open at 11:30pm
- Sunday, June 15, 3pm – Sunday Featured Screening: Climate Stories Doors open at 2:30pm
- Sunday, June 15, 5pm – 25th ANNIVERSARY RECEPTION Doors open at 4:30pm
- Sunday, June 15, 7pm – Closing Night Screening: GAYBIES Doors open at 6:30pm
Venue: Presidio Theatre (99 Moraga Avenue, San Francisco, CA)
QWOCMAP will present the 21st annual International Queer Women of Color Film Festival (QWOCFF2025) on June 13-15, 2025 at San Francisco’s historic Presidio Theatre in the Presidio National Park! From the ancestral traditions of Mauna Kea to historic Black legacies within the Deep South, 51 films in 7 screenings illuminate fierce determination and imagine liberatory futures born from radical queer artistry, collective care, and resistance. Upholding our long-standing commitment to disability justice, we ensure inclusivity with subtitles for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing, audio descriptions for the Blind and Low Vision, and ASL interpretation at all screenings.
Learn more and get your tickets here!
feed that which dreams us, seed that which frees us | seh-reum tom
Event Date & Time: Sat, Jun 14 @ 12-7PM
Venue: The Collapsible Institute, Oakland address provided upon RSVP
feed that which dreams us, seed that which frees us is a personal and collective prayer. A living altar, ritual performance installation, and mobile healing sanctuary weaving our spiritual solidarities as Queer & Trans API & QT2SBIPOC/PGM (People of the Global Majority) reclaiming our ancestral practices to show up in solidarity and kinship with one another here in Ohlone territory. Centering artists born & raised in the Bay directly impacted by colonization, housing displacement & gentrification, we ask: what are we creating & building in the midst of systemic collapse that will sustain us beyond it? What is returning?
APICC x Sunday Streets Tenderloin Showcase Stage | Featured Showcase Artist: Meesha Goldberg
Event Date & Time: Date: Sunday, June 15th 12-4PM
Venue: Golden Gate Avenue between Jones and Hyde Streets
Performance Title: Feral Princess, Sacred Waters
"Feral Princess, Sacred Waters" is a collaborative spoken word ritual based on the Korean shamanic myth The Abandoned Princess, using poetry, drumming, and storytelling to evoke the magic of ancestral lore. This contemporary diasporic interpretation contributes to the many regional variations that invoke this special female deity, Korea's first shaman. "Feral Princess" proposes alternate resolutions and relationships with power, while foregrounding sources of resilience found among the land, ancestors, and spirit of nature. Water from our own Bay Area mountains will be retrieved for the performance, to be honored and offered back to the downtown land.
Learn more and RSVP here!
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.com
Show Dates and Times:
Fri, May 31 @ 7:30-9PM
Sat, June 1 @ 7:30-9PM
Sun, June 2 @ 7:30-9PM
Fri, June 7 @ 7:30-9PM
Sat, June 8 @ 7:30-9PM
Sun, June 9 @ 7:30-9PM
Venue: The Joe Goode Annex
PURCHASE TICKETS NOW
Ramon Abad
Ramon Abad's Duck Soup is an immersive theater experience for children and families at Bindlestiff Studio. The one-hour show will engage the audience by guiding them to various sections of the theater, where they will witness short stories brought to life through captivating puppet performances. "Duck Soup" is Depression-era slang for something that's "easy to do" or a "piece of cake." No actual ducks will be cooked. Tickled perhaps, but not cooked! Learn more at www.ramon-puppetry.com
Show Dates and Times:
Sat, June 8 @ 11AM-12PM
Sat, June 8 @ 3-4PM
Sun, June 9 @ 11AM-12PM
Sun, June 9 @ 3-4PM
Sat, June 15 @ 11AM-12PM
Sat, June 15 @3-4PM
Venue: Bindlestiff Studios (185 6th St, San Francisco, CA 94103)
PURCHASE TICKETS NOW
FEATURED VISUAL ART EXHIBITION
Exhibition Curated by Delaney Chieyen Holton
Where is Your Body highlights the body and its needs as the lowest common denominator for solidarity. Thinking of the body – in its capacities and vulnerabilities – as a site of both violence and resistance, the exhibition gathers women/trans/queer artists of API diasporic experience engaged in practices of the body to explore questions of labor, memory, and desire. Rather than gesturing towards an identarian collectivity, the racial and gendered angle of the exhibition recognizes how systems of disenfranchisement are interlocked, co-constituting, and mutually sustaining.
Exhibiting Artists:
Nibha Akireddy
Erina Alejo
Sholeh Asgary
Bhasha Chakrabarti
Edi Dai
Theo/Tina Kashiwagi
Private Practices Collection (via Kayla Tange and Hailey Loman)
Thuong Hoai Tran
Kim Ye
Rachel Youn
Learning Palestine
Venue: SOMArts Cultural Center
Event Dates and Times:
Thurs, April 25 @ 6-9PM Exhibition Opening Reception and USAAF 2024 Festival Kick-Off
RSVP FOR THE OPENING RECEPTION AND USAAF FESTIVAL KICK OFF
April 25 - May 24 Exhibition Open to the Public
Sat, May 4, 1:30–3:30 pm
Artist Workshop with Chia Amisola
Chia Amisola will give a hybrid performance and participatory workshop on digital ritualmaking, gathering, and identity. Chris Giang will offer tea service using handmade ceramic teaware during the event.
Sat, May 18, 1:30–3:30 pm
Tattoo Ritual with Kelsey Chen
Kelsey Chen will be performing a tattoo ritual for viewing and visitors will be offered temporary tattoos. Chris Giang will offer tea service using handmade ceramic teaware during the event.
Fri, May 24 @ 6-9PM: Closing Reception
RSVP FOR THE CLOSING RECEPTION
SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER
APICC is seeking for volunteers for USAAF's Opening/Closing Reception and Outdoor Showcase in April, May & June. Please fill out our Volunteer Sign-Up Form to support AAPI artists!
THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS AND SPONSORS
San Francisco Arts Commission, California Arts Council, SF Grants for the Arts, SF Office of Economic & Workforce Development, Zellerbach Family Foundation, APA Heritage Foundation, The Ruby SF, and SOMArts Cultural Center.