By elevating members’ stories and connecting them to issues, APANO aims to advance a long-term cultural strategy to impact beliefs, actions and policies through centering the voices of those most impacted and silenced, resisting and shifting harmful narratives and ideas, and moving beyond defensive strategies to envisioning alternatives.
APANO believes that telling our stories, speaking truths, imagining alternatives and shifting social narratives matters as a strategy for cultural change, and as an area of emerging work, this strategy has captured the interest and excitement of our members. We are working to create a vibrant space where artists and communities are shifting perceptions and re-envisioning an equitable world through the tool of creative expression.
For information about APANO’s cultural work, contact Cultural Work and Development Coordinator, Candace Kita, at candace@apano.org
AMP is a group of Asians and Pacific Islanders that identify as artists and creatives and believe that the platform of art and media can be used as tools for social change. AMP seeks to increase capacity and provide a vibrant space for arts and media activism to thrive. AMP holds monthly general membership meetings and plans the annual cultural event series, “MicCheck!”, a series of events, workshops, and performances that take place in late summer and fall.
We also work on special projects often commissioned and requested from the community for specific events or time periods. These projects cut across themes and medium. Past examples include: “We Carry Oceans” oral storytelling [Reproductive Rights], APANO Vote 2016 comics & voting guides [Civic Engagement], Oceans Rise artwork [Climate Justice], Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month values illustration, among others.