Festival celebrates Baltimore’s cultural history with art, music, more

It’s an exhibition and festival that showcases art and culture through immersive experiences, performances and special events throughout May. The galleries and events take place in the Station North neighborhood, part of which was Baltimore’s first unofficial Koreatown and all of which is now a hub for arts, entertainment and creativity. This year we’re showing the work of 25 Asian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern and Desi American (APIMEDA) artists at nine locations and hosting 11 events ranging from improv shows to musical performances, workshops and more.

We have so many big, bold visual works that we’re excited for people to see—from massive origami works by sculptor Sookkyung Park ’23 to a giant hot dog sculpture by artist Andrew Liang taking over a former storefront. This year's exhibition is guest curated by artist Phaan Howng, who envisioned showcasing pieces that defy expectations of works by Asian American artists. That inspiration pushed us to go beyond what we’ve ever done before and led to the exhibition’s name, “EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS.” It’s really immersive and exciting.

TU’s Asian Arts & Culture Center opened its doors amidst the Vietnam War with a goal of bringing people together through art. The Asia North Exhibition and Festival is a continuation of that goal. We work closely with the Central Baltimore Partnership to bring together partners and artists and create opportunities for everyone in our region to experience art, engage with history and explore APIMEDA culture in a really enjoyable and accessible way. It also gives TU students, faculty, staff and alumni opportunities to share their work. For example, professors Sel Hwang and Rieko Chacey are partnering on a workshop on imposter syndrome and authenticity, and professor Paul Koh is hosting a conversation on engaging with Asian American history. 

“Passing through an Open Corridor” is a really interesting hanging sculpture by artist Nova Pan. Her works have previously been shown at the London Design Museum. 

One of our signature events is a Filipino Kamayan Feast, where food is artfully laid out on banana leaves in the middle of long banquet tables. Local caterer Frisco Filipino Baltimore provides most of the food including their delicious pork BBQ skewers and Lumpia Shanghai, and feasters follow the traditional practice of eating with their hands. It's co-presented by Barkada Breads and is one of the few ticketed events at Asia North. It's always popular.

Anyone who likes art, music, dance or learning about the history of Baltimore. There’s something for everyone to enjoy.