Americans for the Arts

The Wing Luke Asian Museum is recognized within the field as a model of community arts programming and engagement for their long-term commitment to exploring issues related to the culture, art, and history of Asian-Pacific Americans. In this conversation with Cassie Chinn, Deputy Executive Director at The Wing Luke Asian Museum, get a taste of the story that staff from the museum, community members, and artists will share at the session in June. Cassie offers listeners perspective on the museum’s programming in June (definitely stop by and check out their new space if you’re able!), and gives listeners a good idea of the museum’s innovative model for partnership and programming through work with communities. Further, she offers listeners interested in replicating this work on the local level a few pointers on how to begin to think through philosophy and mind-set.

Ah, conventions. You know the drill. You arrive, check in to your hotel, head to the opening reception, and stand around sipping bad chardonnay and wait desperately for someone to come talk to you. Maybe you're lucky; you came with a friend or professional acquaintance from your city, so you stand with that person as you nibble dubious shrimp cocktail. But everyone else just looks like they somehow belong; you can just tell they've been coming to the conference for a decade or more and are meeting old friends. And so, after another woeful canape, you head back to your hotel room for some shut-eye before the sessions begin. You're just hopeful that you'll glean something from the next three days of drudgery; something that you can add to your resume under the "Professional Development" category. But let's be honest--aren't there a million other things you could be doing right now.

That is not at all what Americans for the Arts does at their Annual Convention. As an attendee of many national conventions, I was, quite frankly, blown away by my first Americans for the Arts convention.