What Can We Do?: AAPI Community Care Project Share Out
What Can We Do? (WCWD?) presented by the Asian American Arts Alliance (A4) is a micro-grant opportunity for artists looking to support the AAPI community in NYC with engaging, creative projects rooted in care. Honoring the power of art as healing, WCWD? invites artists with a desire to affect change in their communities to carry out a project, however small, within a two-month period, planting a seed that may grow beyond the program.
This program is made possible with support from the Asian American Federation.
Project: A six-week training in Wing Chun, a Chinese self-defense form, open to community members. The training takes place from August 6-September 10, 2022 in the backyard of Baxter St. Camera Club.
Photo by Tommy Kha
Project: A two-part Zen meditation workshop – the first part of the workshop introduces the basics of meditation, the second part deepens the practice and offers participants time to reflect on how practice has helped them. The workshop will be organized for the staff of Communities Resist in Brooklyn, NY.
Photo by Beowulf Sheehan
Project: “Untitled Landscape” is an ongoing human-connecting project that invites people to come together, respond to prompts about their lives, and collaborate on various exercises, in order to map out the landscape of a human life.
Photo by Tom Matthew Wolfe
Project: “The Blu Room” is a one-man multi-lingual, multi-cultural theatrical act presented in a late-night talk show format on topics like the generational gap, anti-Asian hate crimes, beauty standards, mental health, and empowerment.
A live performance of the show is happening Friday, September 23, 2022 at 7:00 pm at Prime Produce (424 W 54th St.) You can RSVP here.
Photo by Dennis Kwan
Project: A sketch/short film in Hoisan and Cantonese, subtitled in English, around emotional/mental health; there will be an in-person viewing party for folks to engage with the material and each other on Sunday, September 25, 2022 from 11am-12:30pm ET at The Market Line on the lower level of Essex Market, entrance at 220 Broome St.
This project is made possible with support from The Market Line.
Photo by Peter Konerko
Project: A 1.5 hour dance workshop for the AAPI community exploring community and self care through dance and play. This workshop welcomes participants of all experience levels. Let’s dance!
Tuesday, September 27, 2022 from 6-7:30 pm
Brooklyn Arts Exchange (421 5th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215)
16 spots available
Email audreythao99@gmail.com to secure your spot!
Accessibility Note: BAX is on the second and third floors of the building with stairwells that extend from the ground floor entrance to the building’s third floor. There is no elevator or ramp at this time. Please email Audrey (audreythao99@gmail.com) with any accessibility needs.
Photo by CONFIDANZ
Project: A 3-hour pottery workshop open to the AAPI community to experience the malleability of clay and the joy of making. No experience necessary. Partcipants do not need to bring tools; materials will be provided.
The workshop will be happening on Sunday, September 18, 2022 from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm at the 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10128. Registration is limited to 14 people one a first-come-first-serve basis. Register by emailing dirtyapron918@gmail.com.
Update: The workshop has reached capacity. Thank you for your interest.
Project: A public workshop of Buried Ruins, a full-length play with a cast of all Vietnamese and/or AAPI artists, centered on healing and processing generational trauma, as well as, living in a society that fetishizes and enacts violence against women and femme bodies. The workshop is scheduled for Friday, September 30, 2022 at 3pm ET at the 59E59 Theatre (59 E 59th Street, Manhattan). More details soon.
Photo by Sub/Urban Photography
Project: “Start with My Name.” Names carry meaning, culture, and strength. Join us in sharing your name through embroidery onto a community quilt, so we as Asian Americans can be seen and known by one another. The sewing workshop happened on Thursday, September 15, 2022 from 6:30-8:30pm at Museum of Chinese in America.
This project was made possible with support from Fiskars.
Project: A ‘zine of photographs taken over the past year capturing the joy of community members coming together for various events in Chinatown, Manhattan. Follow Cindy on Instagram for updates on where you can find the 'zine.
Photo by Michael Stewart
Project: A letter writing workshop inviting community members to write letters to loved ones happening at the ROAR Festival at Sara D. Roosevelt Park (at Rivington St.) on Saturday, August 27, 2022 from 12-3pm ET.
Photo by David Straange
Project: “All That We Hold” is a piece choreographed by Noah and his collaborator, Audrey, that explores the longing to understand our ancestors through movement, narrative and music. They performed this piece at Arts on Site on August 19 and 20, 2022, and invited the audience to reflect on the same questions they pondered when creating the work.
Photo by RJ Lewis
Project: An interactive piano performance and workshop for the senior community at Hamilton-Madison House in Lower East Side, Manhattan.
Photo by Douglas Gorenstein
Project: A TEKTONIKmusic.org led, healing music session for the AAPI community affected by domestic and public acts of violence in partnership with Womankind.
Photo by Zoe Zhang
Project: Presented in partnership with the Mott Street Girls and Asian American Arts Alliance, DRAWN TOGETHER by graphic designer and illustrator Sammy Yuen is an array of exquisitely detailed line drawings depicting historical New York City Chinatown businesses, landmarks and community organizations.
A portion of the proceeds from this exhibition goes back to these Chinatown businesses and to the Chinatown Mural Project, a not-for-profit dedicated to bringing culturally appropriate large-scale murals to the NYC Chinatown area and beyond.
The drawings will be shown at Pearl River Mart Gallery in SoHo from September 10 – December 28, 2022. There will be an opening reception on Saturday, September 10, 2022 from 1-3pm ET. RSVP here.
Project: A custom quadriptych mural project painted in partnership with SAYA in Elmhurst, Queens. The mural will represent timeless themes highlighting the diverse communities and unique qualities around Queens that SAYA calls home. This project aims to provide a visual identity of their own through joyful positive art in their headquarters space.
Photo by Louie Herman
Project: Giving Space/Changing Space – In the busy immigrant neighborhood of Jackson Heights, how do we give space with, to, and for each other? How do we change public spaces to support community wellness? In this interactive art experience, Anjali Deshmukh and Purvi Shah will explore how, we – as children, as women, as new immigrants, as life-long New Yorkers – give and change space, how we are part of a larger whole, and how we change the whole through the light of our presence and participation.
The workshop is happening on Saturday, September 17, 2022 from 6-7:30pm at Travers Park in Jackson Heights, Queens (near 34th Avenue sidewalk benches).
Project: “Embodying Pleasure as Resistance” is a workshop focused on nurturing our inner child through play and community care. The workshop is happening on Friday, September 30, 2022 from 6-8:30pm at A4 (20 Jay St. Suite 740, Brooklyn, NY 11201). Please RSVP here.
Photo by Justin Kim
