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 Director

THANK YOU

JURORS

Aureen Almario
Ravi Chandra
Yukiya Jerry Waki

GENERATIONS OF POWER 
SHOWCASE CREW

Sound Innovations
ToneOnTop Productions
Susie Kagami

ASL INTERPRETERS

Nicole Carlos Watson
Rob Merino
Kristen Del Rosario
Mitchell Perilla

PUBLIC RELATIONS

Paloma Concordia
PapaLoDown Agency

DOCUMENTATION

Diana Chen
Jason Chew
Lenore Chinn
Mark Shigenaga

APICC STAFF

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

APICC BOARD

Yukiya Jerry Waki
Janey Madamba
Pamela Wu Kochiyama
Vinay Patel

"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, 2022