abundance among us, Sheila Novak and Cass Li, 2021 Photo Credit: Christopher Rucinski, 2021
The "abundance among us" table installation first created spaces for intergenerational gatherings in Boston's Chinatown in 2021. Co-designed by artist Sheila Novak and Chinatown resident Cass Li as part of Residence Lab, this functional artwork ensures that children and elders all have a seat at the same table, illustrating the abundance in community and emphasizing how individuals contribute to community power, regardless of their age. As folks gather, a golden dragon spans the entire table evoking the group's strength.
Joining the team this year, artist Wen-hao Tien’s new activity book for the Year of the Dragon called “dragons and friends” will guide the projects community event in mythical storytelling. Inspired by Chinese fairytales, this project honor and celebrate the cultural vibrancy that persists over thousands of years. These activity books will not only include coloring and drawing games but will also evoke cultural legacies alive in the community, invigorating the relationship between generations and centering environmental thought! Teaching artist and collaborator Maria Fong will support many aspects of the programming, including leading the drawing activations at these events.
It is part of the Un-monument initiative presented by Pao Arts Center, curated by Lani Asunción, in collaboration with the City of Boston Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture. It is brought to you by a grant from the Mellon Foundation.
Sheila Novak (she/they)
Sheila Novak is an interdisciplinary artist and curator living and working on Gayog̱hó:nǫ́ (NY) and Massa-adchu-es-et (MA), & Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (MN) land. Currently enrolled at Cornell University, Sheila is pursuing her Master of Fine Arts Degree in Visual Creative Arts. Sheila's honors include a Fellowship with the Mellon Collaborative Studies in Architecture, Urbanism, and the Humanities (2024) and a Creative Community Fellowship with National Art Strategies (2018). Sheila has served as an Artist in Residence with Pao Art Center (2021), the Urbano Project (2020), Hennepin County Medical Center (2015-2017), and Holden Village (2014).
Photo credit: Kurt Hager
Wen-hao Tien (she/her)
Born and raised in Taiwan, Wen-hao Tien has been residing along the Charles River, Massachusetts, since 1996. As an interdisciplinary artist, her career includes teaching, speaking, and community services. Wen-hao’s practice is rooted in her curiosity about self-expression and civic engagement in multicultural societies. Her recent solo exhibitions experiment on the interplay between art exhibitions, visual history, and public humanities. As the 2020 Artist-in-Residence at Boston’s Pao Art Center, she produced a body of work during a pivotal time in Asian American civic movements on Boston Chinatown local history.
Photo credit: Jaclyn Poeschl
Maria Fong (they/them)
Maria Fong is a Boston-based artist and youth worker from Berkeley, CA.
A graduate of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University, Maria's enthusiasm for popular education and ethnic studies have led to an interactive and community-based art practice; their workshops provide opportunities to visualize emotions, advocate for housing justice, or strengthen confidence through expression, among other topics.
Maria uses drawing to create animations, comics, and zines that explore themes of home, justice, gender, and playful participation.
Photo credit: Maria Fong
