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Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center presents “Sightlines: Chinatown and Beyond” at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, opening September 7

The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center (APAC) presents its first museum exhibition in a decade, “Sightlines: Chinatown and Beyond.” The exhibition opens September 7 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The exhibition looks at Washington, DC’s Chinatown as both a geographic center and a historical hub, inviting audiences to take a closer look at the contributions of Asian Americans to the cultural and built environment of the nation’s capital.

The exhibition’s opening festival will take place on Saturday, September 7, from 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Kogod Courtyard. It will include martial arts performances, fine arts demonstrations, hands-on craft activities, a discussion with local Asian American chefs, and music and dance performances, including DJ sets. Representatives from local Asian American community organizations will speak to visitors about their work and history in the region. This event is co-presented by APAC and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

“Sightlines” features more than 120 objects, including photographs, architectural drawings, sketchbooks and ephemera from the Smithsonian and local private collections. The exhibition examines creative practices and civic engagement, efforts to preserve and reinterpret heritage and tradition, and community and coalition building across racial and ethnic lines in Washington from the 1970s to the present.

“The exhibition highlights the critical role Asian Americans have played in shaping the communities, landscapes and cultures of Washington, DC,” said Yao-Fen You, deputy director of APAC. “We are grateful to the Smithsonian American Art Museum for providing the venue to showcase some of these compelling and often overlooked stories. The museum’s location in DC’s Chinatown is the perfect starting point for visitors who want to experience our capital from different perspectives.”

Guest curator is Sojin Kim of the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, with support from Adriel Luis, curator of digital and emerging practices in the Asia Pacific, and Mia Owens, curatorial assistant. Sightlines offers new perspectives on the cultural influence of Asian Americans on the city through three narratives explored in the show’s three main sections:

“Make space” highlights efforts to promote Chinatown in the 1970s and 1980s when its continued existence was threatened. Architectural drawings by Alfred H. Liu, who designed the Friendship Arch that marks the entrance to Chinatown, and archival material on the Eastern Wind Collective, a grassroots movement dedicated to building pan-ethnic solidarity among Asian ethnic groups, are highlights of this section. While Liu sought to protect Chinatown by creating a newly built environment that would highlight its Asian heritage and attract international visitors, Eastern Wind’s strategy looked to the past to foster a sense of community.

“Tradition in transition” examines Asian martial arts as a means of self-expression and community building. In the 1970s, several schools and martial arts styles flourished in Washington, resulting in the formation of a racially and ethnically diverse lineage of practitioners that continues to this day. This section highlights clothing, badges, trophies, photographs, and artwork that document the fascinating rise, spread, and influence of martial arts in the city and beyond. It also tells the story of Simba Dojang, a taekwondo school whose successes earned it the “most winning team” award.

“Visualizing identity” The focus is on the work of MISS CHELOVE (aka Cita Sadeli), a contemporary Washington-based artist who draws inspiration from her Indonesian mother’s heritage and uses the tools and methods of graffiti and street art to create space for multiple communities. Throughout the city, MISS CHELOVE’s vibrant murals celebrate her multicultural identity and deep community connections, designed to inspire reflection on personal and communal obligations to cultural traditions. Original artwork and objects from the artist’s private collection offer insights into how she connects the dots between the communities she identifies with.

The exhibition, designed by award-winning firm TSKP x IKD and running through November 30, 2025, will have a companion website with educational resources and a digital “atlas” of content on a range of other perspectives on the history and experiences of Asian Americans in the city. Recurring public programs will be produced in conjunction with the exhibition over its life.

“Sightlines” is supported by a grant from the Henry Luce Foundation and made possible by support from the Terra Foundation for American Art and the Surdna Foundation. The exhibition also received federal funding from the Asian Pacific American Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center; the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative Pool, administered by the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum; and the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative Pool, administered by the National Collections Program.

About the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center (APAC)

Founded in 1997, APAC ensures comprehensive representation and inclusion of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in the Smithsonian’s collections, research, exhibitions, and programs. Through educational initiatives, publications, and public programs, APAC provides new opportunities to document, celebrate, and share the rich and diverse history, art, and culture of Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander communities. “Sightlines: Chinatown and Beyond” and upcoming exhibitions at other Smithsonian museums will pave the way for a dedicated APAC gallery on the National Mall. For more information about the center, visit its website and follow it on Instagram, Facebook, and X.

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SI-173-2024

By Olivia

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