Current Community Programs
Peace Movements
Peace Movements will be pursuing “The Year of the Tiger” project, a series of workshops for youth across 13 weeks integrating traditional Kung Fu, contemporary dance, set and costume design, leading to a live performance. Each workshop session will include martial arts practice and creative art making. The conceptual approach is to introduce contemporary/traditional art making while supporting cultural identity. The current celebration of the Year of the Tiger, makes the Tiger a good symbolic object for artworks. There are stories to be told about the Tiger in the Chinese Zodiac scheme. There are four tigers in a year, one for each season with different energies and attributes. Participants can identify with one based on their birth month, creating figurative and abstract art based on the different energies and attributes.
WHEN: Every Sun from Feb 13, 2022 to May 22, 2022, Excluding Mar 20 and 27. 1:00PM-3:00PM.
WHERE: Cameron House Basketball Court on Joice St.
PARTNERS/COSPONSORS: Chinese Historical Society of America (CHSA), Chinatown Community Development Center, Cameron House, SFAI City Studio, San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development, California Arts Council, Grants for the Arts
CONTACT:
Amy Berk (415) 420-1267. aberk@sfai.edu
Kimberly Szeto (732) 829-0156. kimberly@chsa.org
Artivate
Welcome to ARTIVATE: DANCING ON THE ROOF! (2022). Artivate is a collaboration between SFAI City Studio, Collective Action Studio, Project Artivism, the Chinese Historical Society of America, the Haight Street Art Center and YOU. Over the next 12-weeks, we will examine San Francisco Chinatown’s historical and present day musical groups, their cultural and social justice impact, and their contributions to the social fabric of the neighborhood. We will create a series of original silkscreen posters, a series of community events, and an exhibition that will be used to highlight these historical and present day bands in Chinatown and their lasting impact on their community. We will work with CHSA, the Chinatown community, and the Haight Street Art Center, in the co-creation, amplification, and celebration of the contributions of these musicians, while CHSA will house the Artivate classes, community events, and a final exhibition of the work.
Artivate will work with CHSA in the examination of the contributions of historical Chinatown bands like C.P Salt and Jest Jammin to contemporary musicians who have followed in their footsteps in either sound, spirit or both. Artivate will look at historical objects and documents that are in CHSA’s collection to understand the significance and impact of these bands and their legacy. Artivate and CHSA will also look to connect with important figures in the past and present music scene in Chinatown, interviewing and charting their historical presence and relevance for the creation of student artwork.
WHEN: Every Sun from Feb 13, 2022 to May 22, 2022, Excluding March 27 & April 3. 1:00PM-4:00PM.
WHERE: Chinese Historical Society of America at 965 Clay St.
PARTNERS/COSPONSORS: Chinese Historical Society of America (CHSA), SFAI City Studio, Haight Street Center, San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development, Grants for the Arts.
CONTACT:
Amy Berk (415) 420-1267. aberk@sfai.edu
Kimberly Szeto (732) 829-0156. kimberly@chsa.org
Past Community Programs
MandoMeet
Interested in learning Mandarin language abilities? CHSA & educator Kathy Yang invite Mandarin learners of all levels and abilities to attend our monthly Mandarin meetings! Whether you are an advanced speaker or just want to learn Mandarin for fun, Kathy has an activity and lesson for you. Learn more about upcoming events and find free resources.
Interested learners can email info@chsa.org. Subject line: MandoMeet for more information.
Community Roundtable
Engage with the CHSA community by discussing topics and issues that impact the Chinese American community, as well as how the community is dealing with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Click here to learn more about upcoming discussions.
CantoMeet
Improve your Cantonese skills with CHSA and linguist Patrick Chew, and build community. Cantonese speakers of all abilities and levels are welcomed. Learn more about our next event and free resources.
Note: CantoMeet is on a pause at the moment. We will contact CantoMeet members when lessons resume.
CHSA’s Book Club
Join CHSA’s Book Club! Once a month, we will read and discuss books such as Edmund Wong’s Growing Up in San Francisco’s Chinatown and Russell Low’s Three Coins. You can find these books in your local library or purchase at CHSA’s Bookstore!
Have any book recommendations? Email info@chsa.org.
Brown Bag Lunch Program Series
Bring your lunch to CHSA for some afternoon entertainment. Check back soon for more information about our next Brown Bag Program! This event is free with museum admission.
Chinese American: Health Legacy Series
Chinese American: Exclusion/Inclusion (CAEI) is the largest and most comprehensive exhibition about the experience of Chinese in America to date. CAEI immerses visitors in a broad sweep of history, including the impact that health and drug policies had on Chinese populations in China and the United States. This important aspect of Chinese exclusion needs to be explored more broadly and we have created ongoing programming that highlights the health legacies of Chinese exclusion whether its state-sponsored detention of immigrants (that requires immigrants be medically inspected) to the development of Chinese American foodways. Our goal is to showcase the multilayered impact that Chinese exclusion had and continues to have on Chinese American communities and the larger American society. Learn More.
Towards Equality Women Artists Series
Women have played a vital role in the course of human civilization, but much of their accomplishments and contributions have been excluded from history. Throughout California’s history, Chinese American women have contributed to the economy of our state. CHSA’s exhibition Towards Equality: California’s Chinese American Women highlights their accomplishments in education, politics, finance, business, and their pivotal role as matriarchs. Lectures, cultural performances, educational programs and panel discussions in connection with the exhibition will be presented at CHSA and around the San Francisco Bay Area, including a program series led by local women artists exploring personal and family history through art. Learn more.
Mayor Ed Lee Documentary Film Screenings
The Chinese Historical Society of America (CHSA) is proud to present the documentary film Mayor Ed Lee, directed by Rick Quan, which chronicles, documents, and preserves the memory of Ed Lee for future generations. Discover the life and character of this seemingly ordinary man, the son of working-class immigrants who grew up in Seattle’s public housing, became a San Francisco Chinatown lawyer, champion of civil rights and equal opportunity, and the first Chinese American mayor of a major U.S. city. Learn more.
