Spotlight | Asian American Arts Alliance

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Throughout the month, Broadway Stages will feature and celebrate exceptional people, businesses, and organizations of Asian and Pacific Island heritage. We invite you to join us in recognizing their accomplishments and contributions! Today, we present to you the Asian American Arts Alliance and its work to unify, promote, and represent Asian American artists across all disciplines.

Asian culture has cultivated diverse expression in the arts, from painting and music to textiles and performances. Given New York City’s fertile ground for artistic expression, it only makes sense that the Asian American Arts Alliance (A4) makes its home right here in the Big Apple!

In the 60s and 70s, several pioneering Asian American groups began supporting and promoting Asian American arts in New York City. These efforts were propelled both by a shift in immigration and by the powerful influence of the Civil Rights movement.

However, the Asian American arts community lacked a collective body to represent the interests of its talented yet under-recognized members. Established in 1983, A4 is a diverse, pan-ethnic, multidisciplinary alliance. In fact, they are the only service organization in the country dedicated to the professional development of Asian American artists in all disciplines.

A nonprofit organization, A4 is dedicated to ensuring greater representation, equity, and opportunities for Asian American artists and cultural organizations. A4 offers a variety of events and programs including community gatherings, discussions, and professional development opportunities.

A4 community gatherings, called the Town Hall, offer bi-monthly presentations, pitches, and power networking! Since 2009, A4 has offered the Town Hall to share ideas, promote creative projects, learn about opportunities, and find collaborators. The Town Hall serves as a gathering place for arts workers, curators, producers, and professionals from nonprofits and other sectors. The Town Hall on May 23rd will feature artists Ani Liu and Parissah Lin.

The organization also offers a series of community discussions that are a platform for Asian American leaders and creators to inspire, inform, and connect members of our community. These discussions, called ConversAAtions, center around identity and the arts. Conversations range from practical advice and sharing lived experiences to exploring creative concepts and ideas.

A range of workshops and roundtable discussions that help foster professional development, are also offered at A4.. The workshops focus on diverse disciplines and provide opportunities for technical assistance, practical learning, and critical feedback from experts and peers. The roundtable series brings together established creative professionals with aspiring professionals to answer questions, provide advice, and create networking and mentoring opportunities in artistic practice and arts administration.

To stay informed about Town Hall, ConversAAtions, workshops, and round tables, you can visit the A4 calendar of events or follow them on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Because their calendar is so robust, A4 needs volunteers throughout the year. If you’re interested in volunteering, email Danielle Wu at dwu@aaartsalliance.org. And, of course, your financial support is always welcome. You can donate HERE.

lisa gold, executive director, a4

Last year, A4 announced it was launching The Amp, an online magazine celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) arts and culture. Featuring critical essays and reviews, thoughtful profiles, insightful interviews and conversations, and illuminating photo essays, A4 intends for The Amp to serve as an archive of the work being created by the AAPI community on their own terms.

“We are so thrilled to be able to spotlight the incredible, diverse, and vibrant projects being created by our community. Excellent work that is so often overlooked by mainstream publications. We want to serve as a platform for telling AAPI stories from an AAPI perspective,” says Lisa Gold, Executive Director of A4.

Broadway Stages has a front row seat to a rich tapestry of stories told every day. When a variety of perspectives are shared, our ability to celebrate different cultures is nurtured.  A4’s work to advance Asian American culture makes us all a bit richer.