Murals: September 1 - October 27, 2024
Live Performances, Activities, and Exhibits: Saturday, September 28
Rain Date: Sunday, September 29
This fall, see, hear, create, and connect. Together, celebrate the rich cultural fabric of Boston Chinatown through free creative activities.
Map | Murals | Muralists | Performers | Program | Parking | Sponsorship
Overview
September 1 - October 27
Mural Installations
Various businesses across Chinatown
Saturday, September 28 | 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Performances, Activities, and Exhibits
Auntie Kay & Uncle Frank Chin Park on The Greenway (near Chinatown Gate)
Drop-in for creative and family-friendly activities
Exhibit
Pao Arts Center | 99 Albany Street
Visit the exhibit The Inventive Brush: Calligraphic Echoes from China, Japan, and Korea
BCNC Acorn’s 50th Anniversary Celebration
38 Ash Street (10:00 AM -12:00 PM)
Reconnect with fellow alumni, beloved teachers, and supportive parents.
Key Sites
Murals
On view from September 1 - October 27
Enjoy lively murals that respond to this year’s question, “What collective actions can we take for a healthy Chinatown?” Our muralists respond to this theme with their installations across seven sites in Chinatown.
APM coffee: 99 Kneeland Street |Community Garden | Katelyn Lipton
WakuWaku: 2 Tyler Street | Connected by Fate| Dana Balletta
Sasaki: 68 Essex Street | The Beginning is Always Today | ponnapa prakkamakul
Shojo Boston: 9A Tyler Street | A Breath into the Future | Sam Lê Shave
Q Restaurant: 660 Washington Street | Hot Pot: Balance in the Myriad | Yuko Okabe
Happy Lamb Hotpot Boston: 693 Washington Street | Clean Air for Chinatown | Fu’una
Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC): 38 Ash Street | Chinatown's Glowing Lanterns| Nell Valle and BCNC Youth Center
Muralists
Credit: Faith Nguyen
Dana Balletta (she/her)
Dana Balletta (she/hers) is a Boston-based graphic designer. A transracial adoptee, Dana is interested in exploring her biological culture and what it means to be Chinese and Asian American. She aims to use design as a way to connect individuals and communities together. Dana graduated with a BFA in Graphic Design and a minor in Art History from Lesley University. She is currently a Graphic Designer at CBT Architects and Assistant Graphic Designer at the American Repertory Theater. Additionally, she is the co-chair of the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center's Bamboo Circle.
Credit: Fu'una
Fu'una (she/her)
In the creation story of i taotao tåno (the ancient Chamoru), Fu’una is the being that created the universe. At her brother Puntan’s request, she used his body to create parts of the universe and the earth. She then used her powers to bring sunshine and blooms, and then added her body to the earth. The current incarnation of Fu’una is descended on her maternal side from an indigenous Chamoru village displaced by the United States military; on her paternal side, she is descended from a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. She is an embodiment of United States colonialism and militarization. Her illustrative works attempt to process the interrelated influences of history, power, and heritage on the environment and the psyche.
Credit: Mel Taing
Katelyn Lipton (she/they)
Katelyn Lipton is a Korean American artist rooted in community building. She is a printmaker, illustrator, sculptor, and muralist and creates artworks that weave themes of her diasporic Korean identity with her background in environmental studies and regenerative farming. Katelyn is a freelance illustrator and collaborates with farms, community organizations, and small businesses to uplift their work.
Credit: Mel Taing
ponnapa prakkamakul (she/her)
ponnapa is a Thai-American multidisciplinary artist and landscape architect based in Massachusetts. Her work explores the relationship between humans and their environment, focusing on cultural displacement and sense of belonging. ponnapa holds a master’s degree in Landscape Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design and currently is a landscape architect at Sasaki.
Credit: Bob Packert
Yuko Okabe (she/they)
Yuko Okabe is a Japanese-American illustrator and cultural worker playing at the intersection of youthful whimsy and community engagement. She likes making characters, stories, curriculums, murals, and other colorful things.
Credit: Sam Lê Shave
Sam Lê Shave (she/they)
Sam Lê Shave is a Vietnamese-American multidisciplinary artist from Dorchester, MA. They work in various mediums ranging from painting, embroidery, mixed media, etc. They’re best known for blending storytelling through bold, colorful patterns or motifs, portraits, and obscured text. Their creative influences are informed by their Vietnamese identity, care for mental health, family, community, and organizing experience. Their works are intuitive and process-led and are used to channel and promote healing and restorative practices for themselves, collaborators, and viewers alike.
Nell Valle (she/her) and BCNC Youth
The BCNC Youth Center provides opportunities for youth to build connections, explore and understand their community, and to put leadership skills into action. Led by artist Nell Valle, this year's mural responds to the Experience Chinatown theme, "What collective actions can we take for a healthy Chinatown?"
Through year-round programming centered on leadership development, education, and workforce readiness in Boston and Quincy, BCNC supports youth to thrive in school and beyond. This summer participants from Youth Center and Pao Arts Center worked with artist Nell Valle on creating their murals.
Performers
Credit: BUIC 2024 Spring Show
BU Bhangra
BU Bhangra is Boston University’s premier all-inclusive bhangra team. They are dedicated to raising awareness about South Asian culture through a folk Indian dance form, bhangra. The team fosters a safe space for members of all backgrounds to become not just skilled dancers, but moreover, confident artists. They perform at events, such as festivals and weddings, and compete in national competitions.
Credit: Chinatown Project
The Flavor Continues
The Flavor Continues is Massachusetts’ first community-led nonprofit serving the Street and Club dance communities.
Credit: Zeroeriko
JC Alula + her band
JC Alula + her band bring the energies of jazz, R&B, and rock together for audiences to enjoy. JC Alula is a Taiwanese artist based in Boston who is also the music director, singer, and arranger for the Taiwanese Music Festival. Be sure to check out their set, which will feature upbeat Mandarin songs!
Credit: Jireh Calo
Kapatid Kud
Kapatid Kud is proud to present their multicultural collective including third culture artists hailing from Bahrain, India, and the Philippines. Their playful music is grounded in community and joy. They also strive to explore music as a way to process trauma, bring to light stories of those in the margins, and connect with those around them.
Credit: Krispy Pic
Kold Kwan
Kold Kwan is a Chinese-American hip-hop artist raised by Cantonese speaking immigrants from Guandong. Inspired by lyricists and storytellers such as Lupe Fiasco, Nas, and Kendrick Lamar, Kwan makes music authentic to his personality and lived Asian American experiences and aims to represent Asian Americans in a positive light.
Credit: Kwong Kow Chinese School
Kwong Kow Chinese School Lion Dance
Kwong Kow Chinese School's Youth Lion Dance Team unites teens from their community to positively impact schools, organizations, and AAPI communities by showcasing traditional Chinese culture. With more than two dozen members, the team is uniquely driven, led, and governed by its members and its elected youth executive board. Since its formation in 2021, the team has performed traditional lion dance at nearly a hundred festivals and events throughout Greater Boston.
Program
Saturday, September 28 | 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Auntie Kay & Uncle Frank Chin Park on The Greenway (near Chinatown Gate)
Performances
Kwong Kow Chinese School Lion Dance Troop, BU Bhangra, Kapatid Kud, Kold Kwan, The Flavor Continues, and JC Alula + her band
11:00 AM | Kwong Kow Chinese School Lion Dance | Dance
11:15 AM | BU Bhangra | Dance
11:30 AM | Kapatid Kud | Music
12:30 PM | Kold Kwan | Music
1:30 PM | The Flavor Continues | Dance
2:00 PM | JC Alula + her band | Music
Activities
Passport to Experience Chinatown
Look for the Pao Arts Center yellow tent and pick up your passport to visit the mural sites in Chinatown. Collect your stamps to redeem a special prize!
Imagine Safety with Joanna Tam
Share what safety means to you in this project which amplifies the voices of Chinatown community members.
The Thousand Bloom: A Chrysanthemum Grows in Chinatown with Anita Yip
Contribute to a collaborative puzzle that celebrates Chinatown’s rich legacy and enduring spirit.
Sprouts of Resilience: A Journey from Seed to Tofu with Ying Ye
Explore gardening, food, and healing in her communal project.
Flower-Crown Making
Celebrate the end of summer and show off your creativity by making your own decorative headpiece.
Chinatown StoryCart with Maria Fong and ACDC
Fold paper fans and learn about heat resilience in Boston Chinatown. Share what open space and public parks mean to you.
SaturPLAY with ACDC’s A-VOYCE Youth | 1:00 - 3:00 PM
Family friend activities at Mary Soo Hoo Park celebrating this month’s theme Back to School!
Pao Arts Center | 99 Albany Street
Enjoy the current exhibit: The Inventive Brush: Calligraphic Echoes from China, Japan, and Korea
BCNC | 38 Ash Street
BCNC Acorn’s 50th Anniversary Celebration | 10:00 AM -12:00 PM
BCNC’s Acorn program turns 50 years old! Reconnect with fellow alumni, beloved teachers, and supportive parents. It's a perfect opportunity to relive cherished memories and create new ones.
Parking
Thanks to our official parking partner, SP+ Parking, we can offer a discounted rate at the Beach Street Garage (40 Beach Street Boston, MA 02111).
From September 1 - October 27, you can book a parking reservation at $10 for 4 hours and $19 for 8 hours. Click the link below to get started.
Sponsorship
Show your support for community arts and become a sponsor of Experience Chinatown. Learn more about supporting Experience Chinatown with a sponsorship.
THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR SPONSORS & PARTNERS FOR MAKING THIS EVENT POSSIBLE! (last revised 9/12/24)
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