The Bay Area's Hub for Asian Pacific American Community Arts Since 1972
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APAture 2016 Recap: Here and Gone
WEEKEND ONE
Visual Arts / Opening Reception
Week One was off to a wonderful start at our Visual Arts Showcase and Opening Reception! Over 200 attendees stopped by Arc Gallery & Studios to view artwork, mingle with artists, and listen to the tunes of musician Layla A.
Music
The Music Showcase at Bindlestiff Studios had diverse line up that ranged from a multimedia experience by Jyun Jyun Show to the soulful pop sounds of Rosendale. Featured artist Ruby Mountain played a solo set and then brought out her bandmates to finish of her set as Los Sirenas.
Comics & Illustration
Comics & Illustration always attracts countless visitors and this year was no different! Alice Yang lead a graphic design workshop and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund presented on censorship issues concerning comic book writers and artists. Featured artist and actual angel Trinidad Escobar was in conversation with Colin Kimzey on her upcoming graphic memoir CRUSHED and her artist practice.
We made it! Another APAture is in the books. Over three weekends we presented six showcases featuring a diverse array of over 65 emerging Asian Pacific American artists from the Bay Area. The fact that we can continue to do this year in and year out and continue to find new artists we haven't had the chance to work with before keeps us excited about the arts in our communities and we hope it does for you, as well.
Thank you to everyone involved! Thank you to everyone who attended! Thank you to everyone who has helped APAture up and running since 1999. Until next year!
WEEKEND THREE
Closing Reception
APAture closed with a "Bring Your Own Silog" brunch and artist discussion facilitated by GPC members, Diana Li and Kazumi Chin. Titled A contingent of APAture artists and attendees engaged each other in conversation around the issues APA artists are facing today that move beyond visibility and representation.
WEEKEND TWO
Literary Arts
Week Two began with a beautifully curated Literary Arts Showcase that was co presented by Lantern Review. Featured artist Jade Cho read selected poems from her new book, In the Tongue of Ghosts. Showcasing artists such as Shivani Narang, Bel Poblador, and others reminded the us about the power the spoken and written word. As one attendee shared, “I left feeling nourished.”
Performing Arts
Our Performing Arts Showcase was held at the beautiful Samsung Hall in the Asian Art Museum and was a wonderful stage for a variety of performances and experimentation. Johnny Nguyen started his performance outside of the museum and transitioned it onto the stage, and Caroline Calderon read from her piece “To Pinays Who Have Considered Suicide” that shed light on mental health in the Filipino community.
Film
Held at the San Francisco Public Library, the Film Showcase capped off an amazing festival. Huimeng Wang’s film was a play on 1940’s instructional films that referenced China’s growing middle class while Diana Li’s work explored the reclaiming of language as it is one of the first markers lost under colonization. The filmmakers panel looked into the ideas and themes investigated in each of their works as well as their process of storytelling. The showcase culminated in a series of Viet Le’s shorts with a one on one artist discussion with APAture curator Naureen Virani.
Community Partners
Festival Sponsors
