#asianorth

[asianartsblog]

Short Film Screening + Discussion Watch the short film Āh (2020) by Alex El Dahdah on Saturday, May 13th @ 7PM at The Parlor, meet the filmmaker, and join a conversation to delve into the struggles and challenges historically faced by many gay and queer Asians. In Āh, Malek, a scion of a Lebanese feudal family, endeavors to preserve his homosexual relationship amid the matriarch's disapproval. Her opposition drives him toward sublimation, ultimately leading to the sacrifice of his lover as collateral damage. Delve into the struggles and challenges historically faced by many gay and queer Asians. Consider how these issues have served as catalysts for hate crimes, forced immigration/displacement, and trauma that persists today. The film thoughtfully examines the nuances of experience, exploring intersections with family dynamics, class, and instances of sublimation and repression. It also highlights a single love encounter's profound impact on a family when it conflicts with established traditions. Alex El Dahdah's “Āh” Saturday, May 13, 7pm The Parlor INFO: towson.edu/asianorth

[gravitydefyingtears]

MXTX fans, where are you from?

Asia

North America

Europe

South America

Africa

 pollcode.com

[voaygeverdict]

Guru's (Voyage Verdict) Bucket List

Guru’s (Voyage Verdict) Bucket List

Visit all 7 Continents –Voyage Verdict’s Visit-4 AsiaNorth AmericaSouth AmericaEuropeAfricaAustralia/OceaniaAntarcticaStep in to all 193 Country of World.–Voyage Verdict’s Visit-36Visit 11 wonders of World – (New and Old)–Voyage Verdict’s Visit-8Taj Mahal, Agra, India Machu Pichu, PeruChichen Itza, MexicoChrist the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilGreat Wall of ChinaColosseum, ItalyPetra,…

[asianartsblog]

Who's ready to shop and support local APIMEDA artists this Friday to close out AAPI Heritage Month? Moonchild Market has a variety of items inspired by K-pop and Asian Culture. Some of these items include art prints, handmade jewelry and hair accessories, enamel pins, keychains, stickers, notepads, sticky notes, and more. We are excited to have Moonchild Market join us at the Asia North Makers Night Market this Friday. Feel free to check out their Etsy shop to get a preview!

@moonchildmarket7

moonchildmarket7.etsy.com

MAKERS NIGHT MARKET

Friday, May 31, 5 – 9 p.m.

Egyptian street food by @kosharycorner

Outdoors in front of the Historic North Avenue Market, 12-30 W. North Ave.

INFO: towson.edu/asianorth

Asia North 2024 is co-produced by @central_baltimore_partnership and Towson University’s @asian_arts_and_culture_center

[asianartsblog]

Spike Yee & Proper are a rapper/DJ duo based in Morgantown, WV. Both hailing from east Asian descent, they blend their cultures with modern Hip Hop and Electronic music for an easily digestible set that has been curated for audiences of all walks of life.

Groove & move with Spike Lee & Proper as we conclude an awesome month of APIMEDA pride. They will be playing from 8:30-9:00pm at the Asia North 2024 Closing Event at the Motor House on Friday, 5/31.

INFO: www.towson.edu/asianorth

[asianartsblog]

Steve Hung is a fingerstyle guitarist and one-man band who was born and raised in Texas, but is now one of Baltimore's own. He has been compared to Shakey Graves, another one-man band act who stomps on foot percussions while simultaneously picking the guitar and singing a mixture of folk, blues, and old country. His guitarwork has been compared to Chet Atkins, and highlights his speed, accuracy, and intricacy.

Check out Steve's incredible playing as we conclude an awesome month of APIMEDA pride. Steve will be playing from 6:30-8:30pm in at the Asia North 2024 Closing Event + APIMEDA Maker's Market in front of Baltimore's Historic North Avenue Market 12-30 W. North Ave., Baltimore on Friday, 5/31.

INFO: www.towson.edu/asianorth

[asianartsblog]

It is almost here - Asia North 2024 APIMEDA Makers Night Market is this Friday 5-9 pm! We are thrilled to have 14 vendors from across the Asian Diaspora sharing local and handmade goods. Join us for a night of festivities with Flowerhands Korean Natural Dye Workshop, Ethiopian food by @kosharycorner, Live Music by Steve Hung, Closing Event Performances & Festivities, last chance to see the 2024 Asia North Exhibit, and more!

Michelle is an American Filipina who delights in vibrant colors, movement, and sass in her often-nerdy art. She is a central Maryland native who takes inspiration from weird creatures, pop culture, and most importantly, her roots in the Philippines. Visit her booth on Friday to get Nerdy, sassy, dynamic art, stickers, paper goods, and accessories.

@martirology

Bijou Sachi is a natural, fragrance forward luxury hand and body care brand specializing in thoughtfully crafted, uniquely blended fragrances delivered via high quality ingredients.

Enjoy naturally fragranced mango seed butter hand and body balms scented in unique, luxurious combinations.

@bijoisachi

Craftstrology by Meredith is a Filipina-American astrologer and embroidery artist living in the Baltimore-Annapolis area and makes delightful handmade plushies and accessories.

@craftsology

Crafts Specialist and Dance Master Sochietah has been teaching at the Cambodian Buddhist Society Cultural Committee since 1999. His expertise is the villain role and Folk Dance. He is not only a dancer but also an expert craftsman innovatively creating beautiful headpieces, costumes, and jewelry for Cambodian Dances. His interest for dancing began when his grandmother told him that his grandfather was a star in Lakhorn Basaac (Khmer Opera). He started dancing in Cambodia in 1970 around the age of fourteen.

MAKERS NIGHT MARKET

Friday, May 31, 5 – 9 p.m.

Egyptian street food by @kosharycorner

Outdoors in front of the Historic North Avenue Market, 12-30 W. North Ave.

INFO: towson.edu/asianorth

Asia North 2024 is co-produced by @central_baltimore_partnership and Towson University’s @asian_arts_and_culture_center

[asianartsblog]

Join us next week to celebrate the closing of Asia North festival and the end of Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage month at the Asia North Makers Night Market!

Read on below and swipe through the photos to meet some of our amazing vendors and their goods. Check out their instagrams and come out to support them on May 31:

Jade Feng Lee is a nonbinary Taiwanese-American printmaker and cartoonist. Jade's work seeks to parse the gauzy boundaries between the read and imagined, inspired by their experiences in nature. They will be vending a variety of prints, keychains, handmade notebooks, comics, and more!

@dumplingowl

DURIANPUNK collects the artmaking of Margaret Huey, a Thai-American artist & educator based out of Baltimore. She strives to make work that is tough, tender, and thoughtful in equal measure, drawing influence from anime, metal music, and heritage. Come see her at the market where she will have screenprinted apparel, prints of various types and knicknacks like buttons, pins, zines, and stickers.

@durianpunk

Sun makes American traditional tattoo inspired designs on clothing, bandanas, tote bags, stickers, prints, patches and more. These designs keep everyone in mind, with the intention create space in traditional tattooing for marginalized people.

@sun.pokes_

Priyanka K is an illustrator and printmaker from Kolkata, India. Enjoy her zines about AAPI food and celebrations like Diwali and Thai mother's day, hand-made sketchbooks, risograph prints, hand block-printed tshirts and apparel, stickers, postcards.

@priyankakay

MAKERS NIGHT MARKET

Friday, May 31, 5 – 9 p.m.

Egyptian street food by @kosharycorner

Outdoors in front of the Historic North Avenue Market, 12-30 W. North Ave.

INFO: towson.edu/asianorth

Asia North 2024 is co-produced by @central_baltimore_partnership and Towson University’s @asian_arts_and_culture_center

[asianartsblog]

THIS WEEK@ASIA NORTH 2024!

Exhibition

Love Letters to Baltimore + the DMV

Friday, May 3-Saturday, June 1

16 W. North Ave. and Motor House

Gallery Hours:

16 W. North Ave: Friday - Saturday 5-8pm

Motor House: Tuesday - Saturday 4-10pm

APIMEDA (Asian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern and Desi American) artists based in Maryland, DC and Virginia creatively express their ideas of love and home, including the meaning of home, how they respond to the question, “Where are you from?” and more. Through research from AA&CC’s Greater Baltimore Asian Community History Project, this exhibit honors the Station North neighborhood's ongoing transformation from a historic Koreatown to a diverse arts district. Curated by Nerissa Paglinauan with Guest Co-curator Ryan Jafar Artes.

Exhibition

Forest Haven: Trisha Gupta Solo Exhibition

Friday, May 3 – Saturday, June 1

Gallery Hours:

Thursday & Friday, 4 – 8 p.m.

Saturday, 11:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Night Owl Gallery

What happens when the treatment is worse than the disease? Trisha Gupta’s solo exhibition at Night Owl Gallery is a collection of research, documentation, and classification of 3 years of study centering around Forest Haven Asylum in Laurel, Maryland. It has come to light that in the 1960s-70s, the staff there criminally abused, tortured and murdered over 387 patients that were then unceremoniously buried in unmarked graves on the campus.

Visioning Session

Baltimore AAPI Learning Community: A Visioning Session

Monday, May 20, 6 – 8 p.m.

16 W North Ave

Free Registration

The Baltimore AAPI Learning Community, an emergent collaboration among Baltimore-based AAPI organizations, is committed to helping create stronger engagement between AAPI organizations and a deeper sense of place and belonging among AAPI folks in the Baltimore area. Come to our first visioning session, where we will chat in large and small groups about what it would take for AAPI individuals, organizations, and community to be seen, heard, and valued in Baltimore. Dinner will be served. Co-sponsored by Critical Responses to Anti-Asian Violence (CRAAV) and the National Association of Asian American Professionals Baltimore Chapter (NAAAP Baltimore).

INFO: www.towson.edu/asianorth

Location Information:

16 W North Ave, Baltimore, MD 21201

Motor House, 120 W North Ave, Baltimore, MD 21201

Night Owl Gallery, 1735 Maryland Ave, Upstairs Unit A

Asia North 2024 graphic by Mika J. Nakano.

Asia North 2024 partners and sponsors include TU Asian Arts & Culture Center, Central Baltimore Partnership, Station North Arts District, Motor House, Maryland State Arts Council, William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, Citizens of Baltimore County, TU-BTU Presidential Priority, Baltimore Changwon Sister City Committee, Korean American Foundation – Greater Washington, Barangay Baltimore, Baltimore Xiamen Sister City Committee, Baltimore Kawasaki Sister City Committee, NAAAP Baltimore, Baltimore Imrpov Group, Night Owl Gallery, Johns Hopkins Medicine Asian & Pacific Islander Employee Resource Group & Allies, and Critical Responses to Anti-Asian Violence (CRAAV).

[asianartsblog]

Discover the Power of Words: Guided Writing Workshop & Open Mic Event

Love Letters to Baltimore + the DMV

Join us for an evening of creativity and connection! Engage with fellow participants and explore the essence of home through a guided writing workshop led by Ryan Jafar Artes and Mohammad Rohaizad Suaidi. Together, we'll embark on a journey of self-expression, delving into conversations with ourselves and each other to reimagine our homes.

Following the workshop, step into the spotlight during our open mic session! Share your freshly penned thoughts, stories, and love letters to Baltimore and the DMV. Let your voice be heard and your words inspire.

.

Date and Time:  Wednesday, May 29th, 7-9 pm

Location:  16 W. North Ave.

For more Info: www.towson.edu/asianorth

[asianartsblog]

Experience the diverse narratives of APIMEDA artists in 'Love Letters to Baltimore + the DMV'. Explore notions of home, belonging, and heritage in the vibrant Station North neighborhood. Curated by Nerissa Paglinauan and Ryan Jafar Artes. Join us from May 3 to June 1 at 16 W. North Ave. and Motor House.

.

Gallery Hours: Friday, May 3-Saturday, June 1

Location: 16 W. North Ave. and Motor House

16 W. North Ave: Friday - Saturday 5-8pm

Motor House: Tuesday - Saturday 4-10pm

For more Info: https://www.towson.edu/asianorth

[asianartsblog]

Asia North 2024 Kicks-off Tonight!

The #AsiaNorth LED Board is looking great on N Charles St!

Thank you LED Baltimore for the constant support of the art and artists of Baltimore!

Co-produced by @asian_arts_and_culture_center and @central_baltimore_partnership

www.towson.edu/asianorth

[asianartsblog]

Asia North 2024 Exhibition

Love Letters to Baltimore + the DMV

May 3 - June 1

Celebrate Baltimore’s Charles North -- Station North --neighborhood’s constantly evolving identities as a Koreatown, arts district, and creative hub.

32 APIMEDA Artists

Kurt Astudillo * Hannah Atallah * Nancy Berson * Katherine Broadwater * Rieko Chacey * Yunkyoung Cho * Anna Davinagracia * Barbara Han * Jahru * Annette Wilson Jones * Priyanka K * Adele Yiseol Kenworthy * Heejo Kim * Myungsook Ryu Kim * Paige Dasol Kim * Jinyoung Koh * Anthony Le * Nipun Manda * Tayyab Maqsood * Sushmita Mazumdar * Gabriel Pilac Melendres * Adrianna Morgan * Kat Navarro * Nadia Nazar * Josh Nguyen * Lynn Nguyen * Sookyung Park * Syeda Rahman * Yeeve Rayne * Hannah Shaw * Asma Shikoh * Amelie Wang

INFO: www.towson.edu/asianorth

Images clockwise: Asia North 2024 graphic by Mika J. Nakano,

Unspoken Familiarity in an Orange Hiểu (Triptych) by Anthony Le, Acceptance by Syeda Rahman, Part of what is something you always wished i had asked and knew about you?/당신에게꼭물어봐줬으면하는것있다면무엇인가요 by Adele Yiseol Kenworthy, Detail of Flower Power Cityscape by Nancy Berson.

[asianartsblog]

Celebrate Baltimore’s Charles North – Station North – neighborhood’s constantly evolving identities as a Koreatown, arts district, and creative hub!

Co-produced by Asian Arts & Culture Center and Central Baltimore Partnership.

INFO: towson.edu/asianorth

Flier design by Mika Nakano.

[asianartsblog]

Asia North 2024 Exhibition

Love Letters to Baltimore + the DMV

May 3 - June 1

Celebrate Baltimore’s Charles North -- Station North -- neighborhood’s

constantly evolving identities as a Koreatown, arts district, and creative hub.

32 APIMEDA Artists

Kurt Astudillo * Hannah Atallah * Nancy Berson * Katherine Broadwater * Rieko Chacey * Yunkyoung Cho * Anna Davinagracia * Barbara Han * Jahru * Annette Wilson Jones * Priyanka K * Adele Yiseol Kenworthy * Heejo Kim * Myungsook Ryu Kim * Paige Dasol Kim * Jinyoung Koh * Anthony Le * Nipun Manda * Tayyab Maqsood * Sushmita Mazumdar * Gabriel Pilac Melendres * Adrianna Morgan * Kat Navarro * Nadia Nazar * Josh Nguyen * Lynn Nguyen * Sookyung Park * Syeda Rahman * Yeeve Rayne * Hannah Florence Shaw * Asma Shikoh * Amelie Wang

Images clockwise: Asia North 2024 graphic by Mika J. Nakano,

Boundless Family by Barbara Han, Aggregation of Space detail by Tayyab Maqsood, The Baltimore I Remember by Anna Davinagracia, wEASTern Baltimore by Rieko Chacey

Asia North 2024 partners and sponsors include TU Asian Arts & Culture Center, Central Baltimore Partnership, Station North Arts District, Motor House, Maryland State Arts Council, William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, Citizens of Baltimore County, TU-BTU Presidential Priority, Baltimore Changwon Sister City Committee, Korean American Foundation – Greater Washington, Barangay Baltimore, Baltimore Xiamen Sister City Committee, NAAAP Baltimore, and Baltimore Improv Group.

www.towon.edu/asianorth

[asianartsblog]

Exhibition & Festival Asia North 2024  May 3 – June 1 Various locations throughout the Station North Arts District, Baltimore, MD

INFO: towson.edu/asianorth Celebrate Baltimore’s Charles North – Station North – neighborhood’s constantly evolving identities as a Koreatown, arts district, and creative hub. Co-produced by Asian Arts & Culture Center and Central Baltimore Partnership

Exhibition Love Letters to Baltimore + the DMV Friday, May 3-Saturday, June 1 16 W. North Ave. and Motor House Gallery Hours: 16 W. North Ave: Friday - Saturday 5-8pm Motor House: Tuesday - Saturday 4-10pm APIMEDA (Asian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern and Desi American) artists based in Maryland, DC and Virginia creatively express their ideas of love and home, including the meaning of home, how they respond to the question, “Where are you from?” and more. Through research from AA&CC’s Greater Baltimore Asian Community History Project, this exhibit honors the Station North neighborhood's ongoing transformation from a historic Koreatown to a diverse arts district. Curated by Nerissa Paglinauan with Guest Co-curator Ryan Jafar Artes.

Opening Event Asia North 2024 Friday, May 3, 5-9 pm 16 W. North Ave. and Motor House Celebrate the kick-off of Asia North 2024. Meet the artists featured in Love Letters to Baltimore + the DMV. Enjoy performances by Ami Dang, Soo Kyung Jung, Somapa Thai Dance Company, and the Yong Han Lion Dancers. Savor dishes provided by the Baltimore Xiamen Sister City Committee. Hosted by Joyce Liang. 

Improv Free AAPI Improv Jam Led by A++  Saturday, May 4, 5-6 pm Baltimore Improv Group All experience levels from novice to experts are welcome.

Improv All AAPI Performer Improv Comedy Show ft. A++  Saturday, May 4, 7-8 pm Baltimore Improv Group

Social Hour  NAAAP Baltimore 2nd Thursdays AAPI Meet-Up Thursday, May 9, 6-8 pm 16 W. North Ave.  $10 NAAAP Members, $15 Non-Members Registration Required: https://baltimore-members.naaap.org/.../second-thursdays...

Celebrate artists who are exhibiting in the Love Letters to Baltimore + the DMV exhibit while bringing people together for Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Enjoy food from a local AAPI-owned business, covered by your registration fee.

Discover & Dine Kamayan Feast Friday, May 10, 6-9 pm 16 W. North Ave.  Enjoy a communal Filipino feast where food is artfully laid out atop banana leaves in the middle of a long banquet table. "Kamay" literally translates to "hand" in this traditional Filipino practice of eating with your hands. Presented with Barangay Baltimore.

Walking Tour Koreatown & Lunch with NAAAP Baltimore Saturday, May 11, 11 am-1 pm Meet at 16 W. North Ave. INFO & RSVP: https://baltimore-members.naaap.org/.../baltimore...

Join us for a guided stroll around Baltimore's first unofficial Koreatown. We will explore parts of Baltimore's Charles North neighborhood and the Station North Arts & Entertainment District to discover an area several Korean-owned businesses and families have called home as early as the 1960s. From landmarks to people, the Asian Arts and Culture Center will facilitate an engaging tour that will compel conversations about Koreatown's past, present, and future. We invite participants for lunch at Kong Pocha following the walk. 12 pm lunch at Kong Pocha. The tour is free. Participants are asked to pay for their own dishes during lunch. Presented with NAAAP Baltimore.

Panel Discussion Love Letters to Baltimore + the DMV Tuesday, May 14 Motor House

Performance The Set List – Live Music Series ft. Shonay K., Silver City, and The Honest Thief Thursday, May 16, 7:30-9:30 pm (doors at 7) Motor House Price: $10  Tickets: https://thesetlist.eventbrite.com/ Motor House celebrates the abundant musical creativity of Baltimore in this monthly music series called The SET LIST! Each month, enjoy the vibes and tunes of Baltimore's most vibrant musical acts that feature artists who are diverse in terms of style and genre. Come groove with us!

Walking Tour Historic Koreatown & Landmarks with Baltimore Changwon Sister City Committee & Korean American Foundation – Greater Washington Saturday, May 18, 2-4 pm Meet at 16 W. North Ave. Join Joy Kim for a walking tour of the Charles North neighborhood’s historical Koreatown landmarks and favorite food spots. Learn stories behind dishes such as Korean BBQ, bibimbap, and rice cakes through a presentation by Joanna Chang. Enjoy and assortment of complimentary Korean snacks and win a gift card for a local Korean eatery. Presented with the Baltimore Changwon Sister City Committee and Korean American Foundation – Greater Washington.

Visioning Session Baltimore AAPI Learning Community: A Visioning Session Monday, May 20, 6-8 pm 16 W. North Ave. 

Guided Writing Workshop & Open Mic Love Letters to Baltimore + the DMV Wednesday, May 29, 7-9 pm 16 W. North Ave. Participants will engage with each other and themselves by way of a guided writing workshop, during which we will explore easy conversations with each other and ourselves. The aim of the evening is to engage with and generate dialogue around what we consider to be our homes, as a way of understanding our individual and collective power to change our homes into what we desire them to be. Directed by Ryan Jafar Artes and Mohammad Rohaizad Suaidi. The writing workshop will be followed by an open mic, during which audience members will have the opportunity to share their just-written work. 

Closing Event Asia North 2024 Friday, May 31, 5-9 pm Motor House, 16 W. North Ave., and Sidewalk in Front of the North Avenue Market Celebrate the conclusion of Asia North 2024. Congratulate the artists featured in Love Letters to Baltimore + the DMV. Enjoy performances by Meki's mure PolynesianArts, Sutradhar Institute of Dance, Steve Hung, Spike Yee & Proper, and 1Pick. 

Makers Market Asia North 2024 Friday, May 31, 5-9 pm On the Sidewalk in Front of the North Avenue Market (30 W. North Ave) and Motor House By us and for us from all over the Asian diaspora, the Asia North 2024 Makers Market highlights and showcases local APIMEDA artists/makers and their goods. Connect and resonate with others in a season of transition through community care, cultural work, and crafts. Goods featured include art prints, jewelry, pottery, home goods, and much more. Curated by WeiAnne Reidy.

Improv All AAPI Performer Improv Comedy Show ft. A++  Friday, May 31, 8-9 pm Baltimore Improv Group

Location Info:

16 W. North Avenue Motor House, 120 W North Ave. Baltimore Improv Group, 1727 N Charles St. Sidewalk in Front of the North Avenue Market (30 W. North Ave)

Performer, Curator, and Host Bios:

Ryan Jafar Artes (he/she/they) is an activist, memoirist, and poet. Ryan’s work calls for a re-imagination of culture via cultural renaissance from their perspective and lived experience as a transracial transnational South Asian Indian American adoptee. Ryan is the host of The Adoptee Open Mic, and hosts virtual writing classes to support their activism and creative work, most of which is self published, including their debut poetry chapbook After Midnight.

Ryan’s work appears in Panorama: The Journal of Travel Place and Nature, and anthologies published by Querencia Press, Moonstone Arts Center, and Capturing Fire Press. Ryan’s poem “8,049 Miles,” was a finalist in the 2021 Prometheus Unbound Competition and is featured in the accompanying anthology published by Prometheus Dreaming. Ryan participated in a DIY MFA program of their own design and implementation, and hosts letter writing workshops to support their creative work and activism.

Joanna (Joohyang) Chang is a first-year pre-med student at the University of Maryland, specializing in Cell Biology and Genetics. As an honors ambassador for the Integrated Life Sciences Honors program, she brings insight to prospective honors students and their families. With a background in volunteering at the annual Korean Festivals and serving as a teaching assistant for Korean schools, Joanna has cultivated a reputation as a hardworking and thoughtful individual who shares her cultural values within her community. Guided by her experiences, she aspires to pursue a career as a clinician scientist, integrating her Korean-American values with her passions for medicine and scientific curiosity

Amrita “Ami” Kaur Dang is a South Asian-American vocalist, sitarist, composer and producer from Baltimore. Her sound blends elements of North Indian classical, noise/ambient electronics, beat-driven psych and experimental dance pop. The work references her hybrid identity as a first-generation South Asian-American, Sikh upbringing, musical education, as well as the chaos and spirituality of the landscapes of both Baltimore and urban India.

Picking up her first sitar when she was twelve years old, Dang has studied North Indian classical music (voice and sitar) in both New Delhi and Maryland, and she also holds a degree in music technology & composition from Oberlin College Conservatory of Music. Following in the footsteps of artists like Ravi Shankar and Philip Glass, she seeks to advance the sound of contemporary experimental, pop, and electronic music with the sounds of South Asia—through vocals and sitar, ragas, and sampling. And vice versa, she aims to bring a broader sound palette to the legacy of South Asian music. These goals are a lifelong mission. To that end, she has collaborated with Animal Collective, William Cashion (of Future Islands), James Acaster, Thor Harris—to name a few. She has provided tour support for Beach House, black midi, Grimes, Lower Dens, Florist and more. 

Steve Hung is a fingerstyle guitarist and one-man band who was born and raised in Texas, but has been living in the Mid-Atlantic for over a decade. He has been compared to Shakey Graves, another one-man band act who stomps on foot percussions while simultaneously picking the guitar and singing a mixture of folk, blues, and old country. His guitarwork has been compared to Chet Atkins, and highlights his speed, accuracy, and intricacy. 

Steve has supported internationally acclaimed guitarists such as Mike Dawes and Olli Soikkekli, won the regional Deer Creek Fiddler's Competition, and has been praised by other highly acclaimed guitarist such as Peppino D'Agostino, Toby Walker, and Shaun Hopper. Steve's influences include Chet Atkins, Tommy Emmanuel, Justin Johnson, Shakey Graves, Ry Cooder, John Fahey, and Leo Kottke.

Soo Kyung Jung is Director of DI DIM SAE Korean Traditional Art Institute, in Washington, D.C. who currently teaches Korean dance and drums in Centreville and Chantilly High Schools. She was the winner of the Prime Minister’s Award for the 12th International Asian Art Competition and has been named as Korea’s National Intangible Asset #27 for studying and preserving the Seungmu dance. Ms. Jung will perform Seungmu to kick-off Asia North 2024 on May 3. 

Joy Kim is a first-year student studying marketing at the University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business. As a student at the University of Maryland, she is exploring her growing passion for business, marketing, and international relations. As a member and ambassador of the International Studies Scholars program, she incorporates her interests outside of business, learning about global issues and cultural diversity. In the past, she has served as a teaching assistant for the Korean Education Center, assisting in the planning and leading beginner-level Korean language classes for adult learners. As she learns about the business world and what it means to be a global citizen, she strives to share her culture and voice as a Korean American. 

Joyce Liang (b. 1997, China) is a Baltimore-based curator specializing in uncollectible art mediums in unconventional exhibiting spaces. Completed her B.F.A. in Art History at Maryland Institute College of Art, she now serves as the Gallery Manager for AREA 405 and Arts Operation Coordinator for Central Baltimore Partnership. Her curated exhibitions have been exhibited in the U.S. and China, including Creative Alliance, the Parlor, and Charles Theatre in Baltimore, and Tree Art Museum in Beijing.

Meki’s Tamure Polynesian Arts was founded in 1969 by Meki & JoAnn Toalepai who were performers at Baltimore’s most famous tiki restaurant – The Hawaiian Room in the Emerson Hotel. Meki is an immigrant from Western Samoa performing across the United States in the early 1960s when he met JoAnn who was a Baltimore native that practiced hula as a hobby. They met when Meki’s group had a contract with the Emerson Hotel to provide entertainment. The Hawaiian Room closed around 1970 and the Emerson Hotel was demolished in 1971. The couple had married in 1966 and formed Meki’s Tamure Polynesian Arts Group a few years later. Tamure is a Tahitian term for “dance festival or party”. Meki’s Tamure Polynesian Arts Group is still run by the Toalepai family and continues its mission to use the cultural group to entertain, educate and instruct audiences in Maryland and surrounding states with regards to the art forms of Polynesia. Polynesia is defined as the geographical region within a figurative triangle formed by Hawaii (North), New Zealand (Southwest) and Easter Islands (Southeast). 

Nerissa Paglinauan is Curator of the Asia North Exhibition and Program Manager of the Asian Arts & Culture Center at Towson University where she engages audiences in Asian arts and culture through exhibitions and programs. In 2013, she co-curated AA&CC’s first all-Filipino art exhibit, Art Filipino: Works by Master Artists, featuring works of Filipino American and Filipino National Artists, including Jose Joya, Fernando Amorsolo, Abdulmari Asia Imao, Toym Imao, and Pacita Abad, among others. She previously served as an administrative, editorial and production assistant at National Public Radio and as a Program Director with the Living Classrooms Foundation. She holds B.A.s in Music and Child Development from Tufts University and is active as a choral singer with the Baltimore Choral Arts Society.

1 PICK is a high school K-Pop dance group created by their lead Rachel Lee. Members include Rachel Lee, Min Kim, Janice Chen, Caitlyn An, and Dina Chen.

WeiAnne Reidy is the organizer of Asia North 2024’s Makers Market. She has previously curated Growing Our Gardens living altar and APIMEDA Makers Market during Asia North 2022 and 2023. WeiAnne is particularly invested in amplifying cultural identity and LGBTQ+ experiences across the Asian diaspora. WeiAnne is delighted to continue connecting and highlighting local artists, creators, and makers. 

Shonay K is a Baltimore-based singer & producer. Born in Upstate New York to two Pakistani parents and having lived all over the Northeast, Shonay K’s music is boundless with inspiration and references to his culture and his idols. Shonay K’s music career began in 2014 after starting a production quartet named “PiXELVISION” with three of his close friends. Going solo in 2015, he spent the next years sporadically releasing projects such as the instrumental-only album, “Neon Nights” in 2017. With the release of the album “Lunar Eclipse” in 2021, Shonay ushered in a new era in his musical journey by leaning into more vocal heavy tracks. 2022 and 2023 brought about the release of joint EP’s, “Neon” and “Blacklight”, which explored themes such as fast and obsessive love, heartbreak, making peace, and bad coping habits. Tracks like “Love U Loco”, “All In”, “Too Fast” and “Falling” show Shonay K’s immense love for dance music and romantic lyrics while songs like “Every Night”, “Peace With The Pieces”, and “Blacklight” show a darker, sadder side to his artistry.

Somapa Thai Dance Company, a premier Thai dance and music company based in the Washington DC area, presents traditional Thai music and dances from Thailand. The group has performed at prestigious venues such as the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage and the Reach, Wolf Trap's Children Theater in the Woods, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art, the Walters Art Museum, and the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington DC. The group’s mission is to introduce Thai arts and culture to the public, promote diversity, and encourage understanding and appreciation of the arts between people of different countries, cultures, and ethnicities in the communities in which they are invited.

The music ensemble is directed by the group music director Master Vorayot Suksaichon, the most celebrated string master from Thailand. Other musicians include Kittima Suksaichon, Antiena Nguyen, Suteera Nagavajara, Chad Kladkemthong, and Warin Tepapayone. 

Spike Yee & Proper are a rapper/DJ duo based in Morgantown, WV. Both hailing from east Asian descent, they blend their cultures with modern Hip Hop and Electronic music for an easily digestible set that has been curated for audiences of all walks of life.

Mohammad Rohaizad Suaidi (he/him/his) is a Queer theatre-maker and performer who has directed and conceptualized new devised works in Honolulu, Kuala Lumpur, Micronesia, New York, Singapore, and Baltimore. Rohaizad has taught at institutions of higher learning since 2002 and is currently Adjunct Professor at Towson University and UMBC, where he teaches courses in Acting, Theatre Ensemble, Cultural Diversity in Contemporary Theatre, and Queer BIPOC Theatre. He is also a trained ESL teacher who has been teaching at the Adult Learning Center in Baltimore since 2016, working with adult learners who are refugees and recent immigrants.

In 2018, Rohaizad co-founded the Asian Pasifika Arts Collective (https://baltimoreapac.org/), a non-profit organization that uses art to advocate for more diverse representation of Asian and Pacific Indigenous Americans. As an immigrant, Muslim, brown Southeast Asian, and gay cisgender man, Rohaizad is committed to creating platforms and opportunities for AAPI artists to make and present works that explore intersectionality and the community’s complex diversity.

The JHU Yong Han Lion Dance Troupe was founded in 2003 by a group of students who wanted to learn more about the culture and performance of Lion Dance. Since then, they have been performing all over the East Coast, from NYC to Raleigh. From performance experience in martial arts and lion dancing techniques at a variety of events including weddings, parades, and cultural events; the troupe offers many opportunities to share the blessings of Chinese lion dance and good luck!

Asia North 2024 partners and sponsors include TU Asian Arts & Culture Center, Central Baltimore Partnership, Station North Arts District, Motor House, Maryland State Arts Council, William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, Citizens of Baltimore County, TU-BTU Presidential Priority, Baltimore Changwon-Sister City Committee, Korean American Foundation – Greater Washington, Barangay Baltimore, Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee, NAAAP Baltimore, and Baltimore Improv Group.