Asian Community Fund Announces AAPI Arts & Culture Collaborative
New collaborative launched ahead of the 2nd Annual AAPI Arts & Culture Summit
October 31, 2024
Boston – Today, The Asian Community Fund (ACF) at The Boston Foundation announced the formalization of the AAPI Arts and Culture Collaborative, an initiative anchored by ACF and led in partnership with a steering committee of 13 prominent Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) arts and culture leaders from across Massachusetts.
The Collaborative first came together in fall 2023 alongside the region’s first-ever AAPI Arts and Culture Summit, headlined by Mayor Michelle Wu and attended by over 100 local and national AAPI artists and leaders. The convening sparked initial dialogue about promoting AAPI leaders across the arts and culture sector and developing a regional strategy to advance narrative change for the AAPI community.
Since then, the network has grown to more than 250 AAPI creatives, arts administrators, community leaders, and partners across Massachusetts. In the year ahead, the Collaborative will work on continuing the critical work of supporting AAPI voices, advocating for increased capacity for the sector, and raising the visibility of AAPI artists and arts workers in Massachusetts. The work of the AAPI Arts and Culture Collaborative is made possible through generous seed funding from the Barr Foundation, Phi Lambda US Charitable Trust / Phi Lambda Boston Subchapter, and the Asian Community Fund.
"Establishing the AAPI Arts and Culture Collaborative marks a significant milestone in ACF’s efforts to ensure that the contributions and needs of AAPI artists and cultural leaders are recognized and supported statewide," said Jobelle Mesa, Program and Development Manager at the Asian Community Fund. “With the collaboration from our partners and the leadership of the Steering Committee, we are building a stronger, more resilient arts and culture ecosystem that centers AAPI voices."
"Strength comes from diversity, and the AAPI Arts and Culture Collaborative is a testament to the power of coming together to create lasting change,” said Kara Elliott-Ortega, Chief of Arts and Culture at the City of Boston. “The conversations and connections sparked at last year’s summit have paved the way for the Collaborative’s important work, ensuring that AAPI stories and contributions are not just celebrated, but woven into the fabric of our city and our state."
The Collaborative is designed to raise AAPI visibility and unify the AAPI arts and culture sector in Massachusetts through three strategic levers:
Asset Mapping: Conducting a comprehensive landscape scan of the AAPI arts and culture sector in Massachusetts to identify strengths, challenges, and opportunities for growth, commissioning a public report and hosting community briefings across the state.
Narrative Change: Developing a plan for an AAPI narrative change campaign and corresponding initiatives that integrate AAPI art and stories into the mainstream and uplift the often-underrepresented stories of AAPI communities.
Advocacy and Funding: Facilitating capacity-building workshops and advocacy trainings to equip AAPI artists and cultural leaders with the tools needed to increase resources and sustain their impact.
A 13-member Steering Committee provides strategic guidance on the vision and implementation of the Collaborative’s initiatives. In addition to this governing body, 64 arts & culture leaders have volunteered to serve on a working group aligned with one of the strategies listed above. The working group members reflect the rich diversity and range of ethnic backgrounds and artistic mediums across the AAPI community in Massachusetts – spanning theater, performance, music, visual arts, small and large nonprofits and funders – all with a collective vision for supporting and elevating AAPI arts and culture.
“The Collaborative represents a powerful community-driven effort to ensure that AAPI voices are heard and valued in our cultural landscape,” said Giles Li, Senior Program Officer of Arts & Creativity at the Barr Foundation. “Creativity and cultural expression are essential to thriving communities, and the Collaborative’s vision for elevating AAPI visibility and belonging exemplifies what it looks like to build a vibrant and representative arts ecosystem.”
The Asian Community Fund and the Collaborative, in partnership with the City of Boston, the Barr Foundation, and Mass Cultural Council, will host the 2nd Annual AAPI Arts & Culture Summit on Friday, November 15th, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute. The summit will once again bring together AAPI artists and cultural leaders to continue building on last year's progress and discuss the future direction of the Collaborative.
"The annual summit and ongoing work of the Collaborative are critical pieces in how we elevate the contributions and stories of diverse artists and stories across Massachusetts,” Michael J. Bobbitt, Executive Director of Mass Cultural Council. “The Collaborative not only amplifies the rich cultural tapestry of AAPI communities statewide, but it also serves as a model for advancing a more inclusive and equitable arts and culture sector."
AAPI Arts & Culture Collaborative Steering Committee Members:
- Anna Yu, Artists for Humanity
- Bora Chiemruom, Angkor Dance Troupe
- Connie Chin, Global Arts Live
- Cynthia Woo, Pao Arts Center
- Gabrielle Niu, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
- Jay Wong, Mass Cultural Council
- Jobelle Mesa, Asian Community Fund
- Karthik Subramanian, Company One
- Ming Min Hui, Boston Ballet
- Pallavi Negasha, Bhūmikā Art, LearnQuest
- Pradeep Shukla, LearnQuest
- San San Wong, Barr Foundation
- Susan Chinsen, Boston Asian American Film Festival, ArtsEmerson
To learn more about the collaborative and this year’s summit visit: 2nd Annual AAPI Arts and Culture Summit. For inquiries on how to support the collaborative’s ongoing work, please contact Jobelle Messa Program and Development Manager at jobelle.mesa@tbf.org.