Offering Gratitude for 30 Years of AAWAA!

A Special Message from the New Board President

Michelle A. Lee (3rd from the left) presents AAWAA Leadership Award to Susie Kagami, Cynthia Tom and Shari Arai Deboer at PEARLS IN THE FIRE: AAWAA’s 30th Anniversary Event.

Michelle A. Lee (3rd from the left) presents AAWAA Leadership Award to Susie Kagami, Cynthia Tom and Shari Arai Deboer at PEARLS IN THE FIRE: AAWAA’s 30th Anniversary Event.

Dear AAWAA Family,

I started AAWAA as a volunteer in 2013, just in time to help out with the exhibition underCurrents and the Quest for Space, curated by Inson Choy. I had just finished a master’s program in Art History at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, but I was already burned out on the art world and the limited opportunities I could see for artists and curators of color. Finding the AAWAA sisterhood and seeing APA women create space for ourselves at underCurrents gave me a renewed sense of possibility. Shortly after, Cynthia Tom encouraged me to propose an exhibition of my own - what would eventually become my first large-scale exhibition, Eating Cultures. Thank you Cynthia for your incredible dedication to AAWAA, and the years of giving many fledgling artists and curators that little push they need to soar. 

Seven years later, I still believe there are endless possibilities for AAWAA and APA women, and I’m incredibly honored to share that I’ve accepted the position of AAWAA’s new Board President. I look forward to stepping into this new leadership role, with the help and guidance of the AAWAA community, fellow Board members, staff, and volunteers -- including the amazing Shari DeBoer, Melanie Elvena, Diana Li, Kimi Taira, Diana Chen, and Jenny He.

For the past 30 years, AAWAA has been a home for artists and our communities where we can express our creative visions, and share our stories. As 2019 comes to a close, we’ve had a chance to reflect on the incredible impact Asian American Women Artists Association has had over the years.

Since becoming a nonprofit in 2007, AAWAA has:

  • Staged over 150+ events and exhibitions

  • Exhibition and presentation opportunities for over 300+ artists

  • Reached 25,000+ audience members with our culturally relevant, educational, and engaging programs

Of course, it’s not just about the numbers, but the experience of everyone involved in each project: 

“The people involved in the exhibition were so deeply impacted by it - I heard people describe it as a critical moment, a gathering that was important beyond the walls of the gallery.” - Sita Bhaumik, Artist, Writer, Educator, and AGRARIANAA Juror

Michelle A. Lee speaks at the opening reception for Agrarianaa at SOMArts Cultural Center.

Michelle A. Lee speaks at the opening reception for Agrarianaa at SOMArts Cultural Center.

As we comb through our archives with the help of master art conservator and volunteer, Kimi Taira, I’m sure we will discover the scale and depth of our contributions is even larger than we realize.

To help document our impact and history, our latest project is a completely revamped AAWAA website. We’ve secured funding through a National Endowment for the Arts matching grant. Through your generous donations, we’ve already raised $17,900. To meet the conditions of the grant, we still need to raise $4,100. Please help make sure we can keep the grant!

I hope that you’ll join us to support AAWAA and ensure we can continue to create space for APA women artists, affiliates, and our communities for the next 30 years and beyond. 

Sincerely,

Michelle A. Lee
AAWAA Board President

Diana Li