Asian Arts Initiative moves into new space (Sep08)

After two years of transition and multiple moves to make way for the Pennsylvania Convention Center expansion, the Asian Arts Initiative is thrilled to be settling into our new space at 1219 Vine Street in Chinatown! (Just in time for the conversation about the controversial location proposed for a casino in the neighborhood.) While we continue to build toward our vision of a multi-tenant arts facility, we have planned a season of programs that resonate with our experience of migration.

This fall, we are looking forward to work by diverse artists featured in the "Transplants" exhibition inaugurating our new gallery, and this year's Artists Exchange learning retreat and performances on the theme of "Community Development and Displacement." We are also proud to be continuing our partnerships with Chinatown Youth Radio Philadelphia and the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program; and serving as the primary venue for the new Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival in its first year of programming!

Asian Arts Initiative Calendar Fall 2008

All activities will take place at the Asian Arts Initiative’s new home at 1219 Vine Street in Chinatown, Philadelphia unless otherwise noted.

EVENTS

Preview Party
Tuesday, September 16
5:30 – 7 p.m.
$10 - $100 Sliding Scale. Donations accepted at the door.

We’ve finally moved to our new home, even though it’s still under construction. Get a sneak peek of our space at this fundraiser for the upcoming Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival. With music, mingling, food, and drink!
Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival
Thursday, October 9 – Sunday, October 12
For full schedule and ticket pricing: www.phillyasianfilmfest.org

Joining the ranks of Asian American film festivals nationwide, the brand new PAAFF plans to entertain a new audience in one of the largest cities nationwide. This is a celebration of films that range from distinctively independent to mainstream—whether introspective, hilarious, action packed, spine tingling, romantic, and always defying categorization and expectations!

Transplants
Opening Reception
Friday, November 7
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
FREE, with donations gladly accepted!

Inspired by the Asian Arts Initiative’s own recent experience of moving multiple times, Transplants examines the life-changing journeys made by artists and communities ‘transplanted’ from one place—whether physical or conceptual—to another, revealing the critical and creative roles that culture, immigration, exile, and home play in our ideas of ourselves and our world. Transplants shows the complexities and particularities of communities’ and individuals’ stories and representations of movement through space and time.

Curated by Sean Stoops, the exhibition will be based at the Asian Arts Initiative with a video art installation at the International House Video Lounge, a space programmed by InLiquid Art & Design Network.

Open Mic
featuring 2008 Artists Exchange performers
Friday, November 14
7:30 p.m.
$5 - $10 sliding scale tickets

Step into the spotlight on the Asian Arts Initiative’s brand new stage! Or come to enjoy the poetry, music, dance, and other performances shared by the creative souls in our 2008 Artists Exchange and anyone who signs up to take a turn at the mic!

Re:location
2008 Artist Exchange Performance Showcase
Friday, December 5
7:30pm
$8 - $15 sliding scale tickets

What keeps communities rooted? Who stands to benefit from economic development and who is exploited? How will gentrification and economic development affect reconstruction of areas where Asian Americans and other communities of color live? How can we make a different in the process? Artists from around the country share creative responses to these questions and more in a showcase of work generated through our 2008 Artists Exchange.

The Artist Exchange is made possible by a grant from the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, Anna H. and Elizabeth M. Chace Fund.

Youth Arts Workshop
Open House
Friday, December 12, 4-5:30 p.m.
FREE, donations gladly accepted!

Come chill with other teens, make art, eat snacks, play games, and discover new ways to get involved in our Youth Arts Workshop! With a special presentation by students from our Big Picture partnership with the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program, and a sampling of programs coming up in the spring!

Cooking Con Karimi
Featuring Robert F. Karimi
(Dates to be decided)
$12 tickets; $8 with a Community Potluck Performance ticket purchase!

Calling all food lovers, dreamers, and community builders! Join us for an interactive theatrical journey with revolutionary “chef” Mero Cocinero Karimi, who blends family stories, humor, and a critique of the current political environment as he prepares recipes live on stage and serves up a tantalizing cultural discussion as well!

Cooking Con Community:
A Community Potluck Performance
(Dates to be decided)
$5 – $10 sliding scale tickets

An enticing menu of stories and food shared with performers from the Cooking Con Community workshop!

Cooking Con Karimi is a National Performance Network Creation Fund Project co-commissioned by the Asian Arts Initiative in partnership with Pangea World Theater and the National Performance Network. Additional residency activities are supported in part by the National Performance Network’s Community Fund and Performance Residency Program. Major contributers of the National Performance Network include the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Ford Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts (a federal agency), Altria, and the Nathan Cummings Foundation. For more information: www.npnweb.org <http://www.npnweb.org/> .

WORKSHOPS

Big Picture Mural Arts Workshop
Tuesdays through Thursdays, 3:45-6:30 p.m.
Fall Session: October 7 - December 12
FREE, donations gladly accepted

The City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program, Big Picture mural-making workshop at the Asian Arts Initiative is open for registration again! Open to all teens 13 – 18 years old, who are interested in learning about the visual arts and creating a mural. Participants will develop basic drawing and painting skills, create a mural design, and complete a group mural by the end of the semester.

Chinatown Youth Radio Philadelphia
Stay tuned for details about dates and times!

Join Chinatown Youth Radio Philadelphia as they embark on their second session of ChYRP programming! Engaging young people with radio production, ChYRP seeks to inspire a new generation of student journalists to think more critically about their community and the world around them and to become more effective and informed leaders of tomorrow, while filling in the longstanding gap of mainstream media’s coverage of the Asian American community.

Cooking Con Community Storytelling Workshop
(Dates to be decided)
$150 registration, scholarships available

Sign up for a week-long workshop with Robert Karimi exploring the process of storytelling through recipe-sharing, theatrical improvisation, and character development. Culminating with a “Community Potluck Performance”. Open to all ages and backgrounds. No prior performance experience necessary!

IN OUR GALLERY

Transplants
October 27 - January 16
Reception: Friday, November 7, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
FREE, with donations gladly accepted!

The Asian Arts Initiative is grounded in the belief that the arts can provide an important political and cultural voice for the Asian American community in Philadelphia. We serve as a community arts center where artists and everyday people are developing means to express our diverse experiences as Asian Americans.

Questions? Email