No Public Asian American Arts Space in SF?
Asian American Women Artists Association Has an Answer!

SAN FRANCISCO, October 10, 2015 – San Francisco has long been the epicenter of Asian American life and culture. The oldest running Asian American arts nonprofit was founded here, the city has the nation’s largest yearly Asian film festival, it is the birthplace of Asian American studies, and Asians make up about one third of the city’s population. And yet, there’s no Asian American public art space in San Francisco. In addition, the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center functions as a virtual center that programs arts events at various venues throughout the city.

When Asian American Women Artists Association (AAWAA) embarked upon celebrating its 25th anniversary, it pondered the same question. And now, the organization has an appropriate response…

This summer, AAWAA plans to unveil its first mural honoring Asian American women artists in San Francisco’s Richmond District. For AAWAA, it’s a way to commemorate its jubilee year, while claiming a physical and visual public space. We ultimately want to raise the visibility of a community that has made so many historical contributions to this city.

They have teamed up with local and well-respected Asian American women muralists Cece Carpio and Erin Yoshi (who just finished curating and painting a series of murals at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts). With their expertise, AAWAA artists and community members will envision, craft, and paint a mural befitting of our organization’s legacy with hopes to inspire many generations of artists to come.

AAWAA is currently raising funds for the project. Check out the campaign at Mura lMuses .

WHAT/WHO
MURAL MUSES
Asian American Women Artists Association commissions the first mural honoring Asian American women in the arts. Slated for summer 2016 in San Francisco’s Richmond District to be painted by artists Cece Carpio and Erin Yoshi.

WHEN
Summer 2016

WHERE
The Richmond District, San Francisco

FOR MORE INFO
Mural Muses

PHOTOS
Excellent large, high-resolution mural mockups (300dpi photos) available at:
Flicker

PRESS CONTACT
Melanie Elvena
melanie@aawaa.net
650.580.7818

ABOUT AAWAA
Asian American Women Artists Association is the leading organization representing Asian American women in the arts for social change. Its mission is to ensure the visibility, documentation, and well-being of Asian American women artists. Visit AAWAA for more information.

ARTISTS BIOS
Cece Carpio – From the islands of the Philippines and now back in the Bay Area,Cece Carpio paints people and places working towards a more dignified existence. Using acrylic, ink, aerosol and installations, her work tells stories of immigration, ancestry, resistance and resilience. She documents evolving traditions by combining folkloric forms, bold portraits and natural elements with urban art techniques. She has produced and exhibited work in the Philippines, Fiji Islands, Cuba, Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Italy, Norway and throughout the United States. She has previously been awarded the New York Foundation of the Art Immigrant Artist Fellowship, a teaching resideny at Café R.E.D & La Botica Espacio Cultural at Xela, Guetemala, and recently was awarded a residency with KulArts at SOMA San Francisco– the premier presenter of contemporary and tribal Pilipino arts in the United States–. She has also guest lecture at New School in New York, California College of the Arts in Oakland, and produced work for the Multicultural Community Center at UC Berkeley. Cece Carpio is currently working with Juana Alicia in the True Colors Mural Project at Berkeley City College sponsored by Earth Island Institute and teaching arts education at East Oakland School of the Arts. She can often be found collaborating with her crew, Trust Your Struggle, teaching, and traveling around the world in pursuit of the perfect wall.

Erin Yoshi – Born in Los Angeles and now residing in Oakland, CA, Erin’s artwork goes beyond the easel. Her artwork is a reflection of her journey through the contradictions of life amplifying the beautiful, the raw, and the downright ugly. The work is rooted in her historic cultural memories and informed by current global conditions. She uses her creative practice to inspire, engage and transform space. Yoshi’s work encompasses abstract color vibrations with figurative storytelling. Through her practice, she strives to create hope and lines of camaraderie. Yoshi is a member of The Trust Your Struggle Collective (US), COI (LA), and APC (Colombia). She holds an MBA in International Sustainability. She previously managed two public art non-profits as the Executive Director of the Estria Foundation and the Interim Director of the Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles. Yoshi has left her imprint creating murals in: Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, Colombia, Chile, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands and across the United States.

AAWAA’s Jubilee Project – #MuralMuses: The First Mural Honoring Asian American Women in the Arts

AAWAA Celebrates its 25th Anniversary on 11.14.15 – Tickets Now on Sale! #AAWAATurns25