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CMAC Presents: Neon Was Never Brighter 霓虹閃爍愛華埠


霓虹閃爍愛華埠: 展望未来 Neon Was Never Brighter: A Glimpse Into the Future April 30, 2022 | 3pm-10pm 三藩市華埠都板街 800 號 800 Grant Avenue



Chinatown Media & Arts Collaborative (CMAC) is proud to present its inaugural event, Neon Was Never Brighter, the first-ever contemporary art festival in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Offering a glimpse into the future of a historic neighborhood, multiple blocks will engage with visitors through unique art activations created specifically for this spectacular event. Come dream with us.


The genesis of Chinatown Media & Arts Collaborative, a collective platform anchored in San Francisco that celebrates, explores, and supports leading and pioneering creative expressions at the intersection of community, culture, contemporary art, and media, is vital during this period in Chinatown’s history. The organization’s event, Neon Was Never Brighter, reflects on Chinatown's resilience and fortitude—by honoring its unique history and diverse cultural landscape—whilst affirming an initiative of optimism and hope for the future. Neon is a metaphor for Chinatown’s brightness and strength; a light fully aglow embodied and represented through its people.

As such, Neon Was Never Brighter focuses on the notion of Chinatown personified. It celebrates this unique neighborhood identity by symbolically giving it a face, body, and voice. Through its people and place, Chinatown breathes and lives. We seek to feel its pulse, still beating as a testament to longevity and posterity. The artists’ activations are guided by the theme of Chinatown personified: See Me, Hear Me, Sense Me, Know Me, Remember Me and Join Me. The participating artists are Autonomous Region, Bijun Liang, Billy Ola Hutchinson, Brian Singer, Chet Canlas, Corey Tong, Danny Clay, Dorothy Quock, Haoyun Erin Zhao, Felicia Lowe, Fernanda D’Agostino, Heesoo Kwon, James Q. Chan, Knxout, Laura Hyunjhee Kim, Lauren Lee McCarthy, Lin Yilin, Mark Baugh-Sasaki, Miche Wong, Mike Arcega, Paolo Asuncion, Penelope Wong, Rice Rockettes, Summer Mei Ling Lee, Theresa Wong, Tony Remington, Victor Tung, Yosh Han.

Altogether, the activations included in the event are embedded in broader social practices and speak to the intersection of visual arts, media, history of Chinatown, AAPI narratives and cultural traditions, rituals and ceremonies, and community-oriented activities that remark on new beginnings and future prosperities.

Curated by Candace Huey

 

This event, presented by Chinatown Media & Arts Collaborative (CMAC), harnesses the power of art and culture to contribute to the social and economic recovery of Chinatown as well as the shaping of a more inclusive and just society. “霓虹閃爍愛華埠”通過藝術創作 和免費表演,與社區探討未來, 老幼咸宜,合家統請


CMAC is an unprecedented partnership that was formed to establish Edge on the Square. Its founding members include Chinese for Affirmative Action, the Center for Asian American Media, the Chinese Culture Center & Foundation of San Francisco, the Chinatown Community Development Center, Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation, and the Chinese Historical Society of America. The collaborative sees the new platform as a transformative addition to Chinatown, complementing the area’s existing restaurants and businesses and spurring economic development. The six founding organizations represent best practices in their field and each contributes their expertise to ensure a successful launch of Edge on the Square, which is slated to open in Spring 2025.


 

Press

 


SUPPORTED BY
California Assemblymember Phil Ting
California State Library
California Legislature and Governor Newsom
San Francisco Mayor’s Office
San Francisco Board of Supervisors
San Francisco Arts Commission

COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Community Youth Center
Chinese Progressive Association
Cameron House
Chinatown YMCA
Mister Jiu's
Chinatown Merchants Association
Be Chinatown
I-Hotel
Manilatown Heritage Foundation
Self-Help For The Elderly
SF Central Station Police Station
San Francisco Recreation & Parks
Kadist Foundation San Francisco
Far East Cafe
LionDanceME
Lion's Den
CatchLight
Shared Spaces Program (JAM)
May Fu Beauty Center
Waverly Services and Print
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