Evanston Asian, South Asian, Pacific Islander American hosted Nine Muses Benefit, a fundraiser showcasing Asian American creativity across the city, at Evanston SPACE on Thursday.
A gallery of artwork by ASPA artists filled the walls, and attendees explored culinary art from several local Asian restaurants. The event featured a wide range of creative expression, including live music and dance performances.
Surinder Martignetti, a local professional dancer and cultural arts producer, moderated the event.
“Art is a vibrant way to bring the community together,” she said. “It’s placemaking, it’s spacemaking, it’s acceptance.”
Evanston ASPA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Evanston’s Asian American community and increasing its visibility and representation through the arts. Founding Director Melissa Raman Molitor recalled organizing the group during the pandemic.
At the time, Molitor explained she was in search of a supportive community amid increased anti-Asian racism.
“What we realized during those gatherings was that people were not only seeking support during the crisis, they were seeking visibility, connection, and belonging,” she said. “From that circle of care, Evanston ASPA was born.”
The city honored the organization with a Evanston Cultural Heritage Award in November for its work in uncovering and preserving Asian American histories.
Mayor Daniel Biss was among the attendees of Thursday’s event.
“I think the truth that matters is that the Asian community in Evanston has been a critical, pivotal and core part of our cultural fabric for a long time and frankly, invisible and ignored,” Biss said. “I take that very seriously as mayor.”
One of Evanston’s ASPA’s major initiatives is the Placemaking Project, an ongoing effort to research and document the experiences of the city’s ASPA residents.
In 2021, Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History Act, which mandates the implementation of Asian American history education in public schools.
A year later, Evanston ASPA started the project to compile local resources related to Asian American history in Evanston. The project aims to ensure that Asian Americans find a sense of belonging by helping students “integrate local history” and “contextualize the curriculum,” according to the Evanston ASPA website.
The organization also presents community events celebrating Asian American arts and culture. Its largest annual gathering is the Umbrella Arts Festival, which brings together performances across Asian American traditions, such as martial arts demonstrations and South Asian dance performances.
The organization’s members now aspire to establish an Asian American arts and culture center in Evanston. The center would serve as a place to house archival resources, as well as provide a gathering place for Asian American youth.
The proceeds from the benefit will contribute to the group’s existing programming and toward the center’s construction.
“Through creative placemaking, storytelling, festivals, exhibitions and partnerships, we ensure Asian American narratives are not footnotes in history, but living parts of our shared story,” Molitor said.
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Related Stories:
— Evanston ASPA’s Placemaking Project researches historical Asian American, current residents’ stories
— Fifth annual Umbrella Arts Festival celebrates Asian Pacific Islander American Heritage Month
