Current Events
Spring 2024
Join us this April for our Boneyard Arts Festival exhibition featuring Tracey Jen's immersive Food Landscape Exhibit and AACC intern Kelsey Choy's Zine Making Workshop! Experience an artist's talk, immerse yourself in the world of art (with the opportunity to indulge in the depicted cuisine), and create a zine!
When: Saturday, April 13, 2024
Time: 2-3:30 PM
Artist Showcase Details
The AACC's primary exhibit will spotlight and feature Tracey Jen, a second-generation Taiwanese-American artist from Purdue University, hosting an artist talk and showcase of her Asian Food Landscape Paintings. These highly intricate and unique artworks seamlessly blend food with Asian cultural identity, each piece serving as a tribute to Jen's meticulous artistry and the rich tapestry of Asian cultural backgrounds and traditions, offering an immersive experience for attendees.
Our second exhibit will serve as an ancillary showcase, offering vital perspectives and enriching the overall experience of the main exhibition. Kelsie Choy, a UIUC senior and AACC intern, will be leading a zine-making session; guiding participants through an exhilarating journey of self-expression and empowerment.
The AACC's Artist Showcase features works by students and local artists. Themes of art exhibits have varied from international adoption, the environment and sustainability, fabrics and textiles of Asia, and traditional Chinese arts. If you are interested in having an art show at the AACC, please contact us at aacc@illinois.edu.
Previous Showcases
2023 Exhibitions
"Red Thread Reflections"
An art exhibit to elevate adoptee voices and stories.
Curated by Callie Goering
Through letters, photos, and art, learn from transracial adoptees on campus the ways in which we are all connected by a red thread.
February 27, 2023-May 5, 2023
AACC Lounge
2022 Exhibition
In collaboration with Spirit of India and Ascending Art 360, "Fabrics of India on the Silk Road" celebrates and honors our fabric and clothing traditions.
August 15, 2022-September 30, 2022
AACC Lounge
2021 Exhibition
Inspired by Nature Art Show
Co-hosted by Ascending Aesthetics and the AACC
Artist Meet-and-Greet and Reception
Meet our guest artists and hear about their art pieces on display!
- Date: Thursday, December 9, 2021
- Time: 3:30-4:30 pm
- Location: Asian American Cultural Center Lounge (1210 W. Nevada St., Urbana, IL 61801)
2020 Exhibition
"Vaigyanik Bharat/Scientific India" - Celebrating Indian Independence Day 2020
Presented by the Asian American Cultural Center and Spirit of India.
Guest Bios
Dr. Chandramallika Basak, PhD
Associate Professor, Center for Vital Longevity
School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences
University of Texas at Dallas
Twitter handle: @ChandramallikaB
Aadya Joshi
Grade 11 student at the American School of Bombay
Aadya is passionate about restoring native biodiversity and natural ecosystems in urban environments. In 2018, she founded The Right Green, an organization whose mission is to spread awareness about the ecological importance of native plants in restoring urban ecosystems. She has developed a database of plant-insect relationships for over 2,000 plants (and growing) in the Indian subcontinent and ranked them according to their ability to support biodiversity. This will now enable gardeners and landscapers to choose such plants that are not only beautiful, but will also support the most biodiversity for their eco-regions. She regularly conducts workshops for school children, adults and municipal authorities, highlighting the vital ecological links between native plants, insects, and birds that are essential for maintaining healthy ecosystems.
In addition to her work with The Right Green, Aadya is also a budding researcher, a classically trained musician and enjoys the outdoors.
Mrs. Juhi Gupta
MS, RD-N, CDE
Masters in organic Chemistry, India. Masters in Dietetics from Wayne State University, Michigan, 2003. Internship from various hospitals in Detroit area. Over 16 years of work experience at Saint Francis Hospital as outpatient Registered Dietitian ( RD-N) and over 7 years as Certified Diabetes educator at Saint Francis Hospital. Working as consultant at Manchester Memorial Hospital for over 3 years. Also have participated in community events like health fairs, health screening at temple, speaker at lighthouse mission centers in Manchester.
Tanmay Takle
Co-Founder of Degrees of Change, a youth-led community working to demystify climate change and sustainability
Link: www.degreesofchange.org
Tanmay graduated from UIUC with a B.S. in Techincal Systems Management in August 2019, focusing on renewable energy and sustainable development. He has worked on the iCAP2020 and on research aiding community solar development in Illinois. This Fall, Tanmay will pursue an M.S. in Sustainability Management from the Earth Institue at Columbia University. Tanmay is a Student Energy Leaders Fellow.
2011-2019 Exhibitions
One Inch Behind - A B&W Photography Exhibition
Featuring works by Yahsin Chen, Yanyu Xiong, and Ziang Xiao
4 November - 20 December 2019
1210 West Nevada Street, Urbana
Presented by the Asian American Cultural Center UIUC & Urbana Museum of Photography
Windows to the Past - Art Work by Siti Mariah Jackson
August 22-September 30
Reception: Monday, September 16
5:30 pm-7:00 pm
1210 W. Nevada Street, Urbana, IL 61801
Presented by the Asian American Cultural Center
Intricate Treatment, Two Person Exhibition
Jihee Lee & Hyelin Park
July 15-August 2
Reception: July 16, 5pm-6pm
1210 W. Nevada, Urbana 61801
Breaking Barriers Art Exhibit - Boneyard Arts Festival
Asian American Cultural Center
April 1-May 17, 2019
Reception: Thursday, April 4, 2019
5:30 pm-7:00 pm
Featuring artists: Siti Mariah Jackson, Hyeon Jeong Lee, Jihee Lee, Gayathri Menokee, Hyelin Park, AJ Poe, Nada Sweid, Mohan Tracy, Kuldeepa Vatak-Mehta, Huanyan Zhao & Vimin Zhao
Paid for in part by SCPF
Can you Judge An Asian By Its Cover?
The River Flows North
by Ryan Fang
November 1-December 22, 2018
Reception: Monday 6pm-7:30pm, Nov 26
Presented by Asian American Cultural Center & Urbana Museum of Photography
Paid for in part by SCPF
Fighting for Visibility
A Group Art Exhibit
April 3, 2018 - May 12, 2018
Drama of Black and White
Pen and Ink Drawings of Hua Nian
February 2nd, 2018 to March 30th, 2018
Exhibit Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00am-5:00pm
Presented by the Asian American Cultural Center
1210 W Nevada Street, Urbana, IL 61801
Manzanar Art Exhibit
December 18, 2017 to January 31, 2018
Exhibiting Hours: Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm
Presented by the Asian American Cultural Center
1210 W. Nevada Street, Urbana, IL 61801
Paid for in part by SCPF
An Artist Impression of UIUC and Champaign Urbana
June 10, 2017 - July 10, 2017
Opening Reception: Monday, June 19, 2017
4:30pm - 6:00pm
Artist Talk @ 5:00 pm
Presented by the Asian American Cultural Center
Between Reslism & Abstract Conceptualization
A Group Art Exhibition By Chinese Americans On Living Within Cultures
September 1, 2016 - November 30, 2016
Opening Reception: Thursday, September 8, 2016
6:00pm - 7:30pm
Artist Talk: 6:30pm
(En)Gendering Culture
A Dual-Site Exhibition of Collective Works
The Asian American Cultural Center invites you to
Living History: Our Stories from 70s to Now
August 24, 2015 - December, 1, 2015
Tenth Anniversary
The Asian American Cultural Center invites you to
Flower in the Mind
Artwork by Su Sen | Curated by Ian Wang
The Asian American Cultural Center invites you to
A Community of Immigrants
A Group Art Exhibit
Art Reception: November 6th, 2014
5:00 - 6:00 pm
Exhibit Dates: November 3, 2014 – January 30, 2015
Many Voices. Single Story. #WeAreIllinois
More student narratives at the Asian American Cultural Center's art exhibition: July 14 - October 17, 2014
#WeAreIllinois by the Intercultural Horizons Interns
this voice of mine
photography and artwork by Puja Patel
On display at the Asian American Cultural Center
January 29 - March 31, 2014
Child of the World
Paintings and Photography by Jessica Lee Rojas
November 5, 2013 - January 28, 2014
Opening Reception: November 7th, 2013 5-6:30pm
Exhibit Hours at the AACC: Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm
Asian American Cultural Center
1210 West Nevada Street, Urbana, IL 61801
Paid for in part by SCPF
What Do You Care About? An APA Voice Project
Be Seen. Be heard.
Art Exhibit by University of Illinois Student Leaders
August - November 2013
The Art of India: Through the Eyes of a Child
Artwork by Barkstall Elementary Students
November 5, 2012 - January 31, 2013
Asian American Cultural Center
We are Project A.
We are Asian American Artists.
We are poised to start a Revolution*.
We are going to change the System*.
We have power and we will wield it justly.
We will have you join us**.
March - July 2012 -- Art Blank Activism: 10 Years of Project A
* Revolution and System TBD.
** So long as you self-identify as Asian American. If not, you can support us financially or mystically.
Drama of Black & White
Artist: Hua Nian
December 2011 - March 2012
From Chinese Literati Painting to American Modernism Abstract Expression
Artist: Guoliang Wu
August - December 2011
Asian American and Pacific Islander's Community of Mothers
Images of Motherhood as part of the Boneyard Arts Festival
Champaign-Urbana Asian and Asian American Artists
April - August 2011
ImaginAsian
Artist: Kate Agathon
January - April 2011
2006-2010 Exhibitions
Halmoni's Hanboks
Lena Domyung Choe
October - December 2010
Bridging
Jason Tran
June - October 2010
Celebrating Asian American Heritage Through Artas
Champaign-Urbana Asian and Asian American Artist
April - June 2010
Part of the Boneyard Arts Festival
Sharing with the World
Annie Rong, Wynee Bao, Andrea Bajcsy and Sergio Juan
February - April 2010
commUNITY
Photographer Kate Agathon & William Snyder
November 2009 - February 2010
Not Between But from the East and the West
Yunnan Art Institute, UIUC, and Parkland College
September - October 2009
Infusion
Rajni Shinghal
May - September 2009
"Through an Asian American Lens of Identity and Culture"
Community and Students
featuring mixed media works
April - May 2009
"Vague"
Sarah Seyoung Kim, BFA candidate
featuring mixed media works
April - May 2009
"Knotted Passion Box"
Hyon Joo Kim
featuring mixed media works
December 2008 - March 2009
"To the East"
Lei Zhang Shanbhag
featuring mixed media works
August - November 2008
"My Recollections of the Joy of Art Creation"
Hermia Soo
featuring mixed media works
May - July 2008
Art Exhibit featuring mixed media works
Saemi Yi, BFA candidate
April 2008
Asian American Women Art Show: "Reflections of Who I Am…”
Asian American Women (Community and Students)
featuring mixed media works
February - April 2008
"Devotion and Love in Islamic Art"
Intercultural Friendship Foundation
Student Organization
featuring mixed media works
November 2007 - February 2008
"Kut-Kut—The Lost Art of the Philippines."
Fred DeAsis, International Artist based in Chicago
August - November 2007
"Om. A Creative Goddess Vision's The Mother Essence"
Sujata Dey-Koontz, Champaign resident
featuring watercolors, colored pencil, mixed media works and photography
April - June 2007
"Journeys"
Umeeta Sadarangani, Champaign resident
featuring watercolors, mixed media works and photography
January - March 2007
"Siti's Diary"
Siti Mariah Jackson, UIUC MA 1988, Champaign resident
featured twenty watercolor paintings
September 2006 - January 2007
"Solo Exhibition of Trans-cultural Photography"
Yu Wang, UIUC Spurlock Museum Adjunct Associate Curator of the East Asian Gallery
featured nineteen photographs
May - September 2006
"Paper Tearing Art"
Hua Nian, Urbana resident
featured twelve pieces
March - May 2006
"Displace"
Dan Ma, UIUC MFA 2006
featured eleven photographs
January - March 2006
"Transformation"
Hyon Joo Kim, UIUC MFA 1985, UIUC Undergraduate Library Science Library Specialist
featured six drawings and four paintings
September - December 2005
"Reconstructing Korean Memory"
Areujana Sim, BFA candidate
April 16-27, 2007
"Rice, Chopsticks, and the Melting Pot: Asian American Restaurants in Chicago"
Presented as part of the Filipino American Coming Together Conference by the Philippine Student Association and the Columbia College of Chicago
October 2006
"Constructing the Middle Ground"
Jeannie Chang, Jessica Rubenacker, and Eunji Rhim
all UIUC BFA candidates
May 2006