AAPI Arts and Culture Collaborative
The AAPI Arts & Culture Collaborative – a key initiative of the Asian Community Fund – convenes and catalyzes the AAPI arts and culture community across Massachusetts to take collective action and drive policy and systems change. Since its formalization in the summer of 2024, the Collaborative has engaged 250 AAPI arts leaders, creatives, and allies across the state, and mobilized 70 individuals to participate in working groups focused on three strategic pillars:
- Asset Mapping
- Narrative Change
- Advocacy & Funding
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 Chapter, and the Asian Community Fund. Together, we’re helping to elevate AAPI belonging, strengthen connections across the sector, and fuel a thriving statewide AAPI arts & culture ecosystem.
"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," - Jobelle Mesa, Program and Development Manager at the Asian Community Fund.
Highlights from the 2024 AAPI Arts and Culture Summit
On November 15, 2024, AAPI artists and leaders from across Massachusetts gathered to share on the status of the sector, strategize about ways to advocate for increased resources and narrative change, and start developing a regional asset map and calendar capturing the breadth of the statewide AAPI arts and culture ecosystem.
Program Leadership
For inquiries on how to get involved in the Collaborative or support our work, please contact ACF’s Program and Development Manager Jobelle Mesa at jobelle.mesa@tbf.org.
Anna Yu, Artists for Humanity
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
Alison Yueming Qu
Alyssa Wang
Amy Advocat
Anita Yip
Arthurina Fears
Audrey Lopez
Aurora Bautista
Bradley Vernatter
Brissa Hunter
Burhan Azeem
Cerise Lim Jacobs
Christina Chan
Christopher Huang
Cynthia Yee
Denise Turner
Dev luthra
Elizabeth Moy
Erika Chen
George Yip
Heidi Shin
Hortense Gerardo
Jamie Lin
Java Joshi
Jaya Aiyer
Jennifer Lin-Weinheimer
Jenny Huang
Kara Elliott-Ortega
Kathy Eow
Khanh Aiden Nguyen
Kolika Chatterjee
Leslie Condon
Leslie Wu Foley
Lisa Wong
Liz Cheng
Mai Du
Maria Kathleen Bernadette N. Puente
Mel Taing
Melissa Teng
Michelle Aguillon
Mina Kim
Mu-Chieh Yun
Myra Liwanag
Nate Shu
Ngoc-Tran Vu
Nina Yoshida Nelsen
Priya Desai
Razia Mashkoor
Revati Masilamani
Sangha Kang-Le
Sara O'Brien
Siddhartha V. Shah
Soo Park
Sothea Chiemruom
Stephanie Li
Stephanie Tung
Stewart Ikeda
Sue Kim
Timothea Pham
Trinh Nguyen
Yagnaseni Datta
Yasmin Padamsee Forbes
Ying Ye
Yolanda Yang
Yoo Sun Na
Yooree Losordo
Yu-Wen Wu
Yuhan Zhang
Yuko Okabe
Yully Cha