DEVIANTART-Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month 2023

 

Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month with featured exhibits, resources, and a new Profile Skin created by TsaoShin !

Observed annually in May in the United States, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month is a celebration recognizing the contributions and achievements of people of Asian, South Asian, and Pacific Islander heritage. The observation has been in place since 1979, when it was first observed as Pacific/Asian American Heritage Week, and in the 1990s it was expanded to the full month of May.

For AAPI Heritage Month, DeviantArt is highlighting cultural events, exhibits, online features, and activities you can participate in to enjoy and appreciate some of the wide variety of cultural contributions from Asian, South Asian, and Pacific Islander communities.

Observing AAPI Heritage Month

There are many distinct cultures celebrated during AAPI Heritage Month, and we welcome you to use this journal as a starting point on ways you can observe AAPI Heritage Month. If you have additional resources or references you’d like to share, include them in a comment on this journal!

Asian Art Museum Online

The Asian Art Museum in San Francisco offers a number of online art collections and virtual tours to explore historical and contemporary Asian artwork.

Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art

The National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, D.C. features online galleries and exhibits, including a number of previous events held in person.

Wing Luke Museum Videos

The Wing Luke Museum in Seattle offers a variety of in-person exhibits, and their YouTube channel features footage of cultural stories, ceremonies, and more.

Museum of Chinese in America

The Museum of Chinese in America focuses on Chinese culture in American history. As they recover from a 2020 fire, they are providing free access to their digitized archives.

Legends From The Pacific

A podcast focusing on the legends, folklore, and traditions of Pacific Island cultures, "Legends From The Pacific" offers over 100 free episodes of historical and mythical stories.

The Smithsonian Care Package

In addition to the museum offerings linked above, the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center has compiled a collection of creative resources they’ve named the Care Package, which helps address uncertainty, anxiety, and grief through vision, reflection, and healing. This collection of creative expression and support ranges from a short film to guided meditations to an illustrated zine, and more. Explore these resources to learn about cultural differences, and ideally find a moment of peace.

In the Smithsonian’s own words, “While this body of work may not hold the solutions for everything, we hope that it helps you find some calm amidst the chaos.”

somewhere on a cliff

in the himalayas

you smelled the fragrance

of your own mortality.

found your reflection in the mud

Sham-e-Ali Nayeem, “Between You and You”

Sharing Heritage With Style

While you explore resources to learn more about AAPI Heritage Month, you can also celebrate by decorating your profile with this AAPI-inspired Profile Skin designed by TsaoShin!

Share Your Thoughts

• Did you explore any of the virtual exhibits linked above? If so, what exhibit(s) did you explore, and what about them did you find interesting?

• How do you use art to explore your own heritage or culture?

• What are some of your favorite artworks depicting Asian, South Asian, or Pacific Islander culture?

Please note: DeviantArt staff may remove comments on this journal if a deviant's contributions don't demonstrate the spirit of AAPI Heritage Month.