The Asian American Arts Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening Asian American artists and arts/cultural groups in New York City through funding, promotion and community building.
They're currently planning for Locating the Sacred, a twelve-day, city-wide festival that "howcases artists as agents of change, demonstrating the power of art and culture to unleash imagination, break down barriers, and connect communities together for the greater good." But they can't do it alone.
Producing this kind of event costs a fair chunk of cash. That's where you come in. They've launched a Kickstarter campaign, and are asking for your help in getting this grassroots effort off the ground. Here's a video with more details:
Here's some more information from the Kickstarter page:
Locating the Sacred is a 12-day festival produced by the Asian American Arts Alliance (a4) that will feature dance, music, film, visual arts, readings and high-level panel discussions in venues that are traditionally and non-traditionally considered sacred.It sounds really cool. And considering that at one million strong, Asians are a bigger part of the New York City than ever, there is an important need for Asian Americans to engage and thrive in the arts of the city. For more information about Locating the Sacred, and to make a pledge, go to Kickstarter. And for further information about the Asian American Arts Alliance, go here.
The festival is inspired by the events of 9/11 and brings attention to the challenges faced by Asian Americans since then, including the economic devastation of Chinatown in Lower Manhattan and racial tensions that have arisen due to fears and misunderstanding. Asian American artists are among those best placed to explore these challenges and explore ways forward.
By creating fresh and innovative avenues for critical civic dialogue about our collective experience and shared history as citizens of New York, Locating the Sacred aims to promote Asian American artists as brokers of the creative capital required for lasting change.