A Special Message from AAWAA Director, Diana Li
Dear AAWAA Community,
It comes with tremendous pride and gratitude for me to announce that I will be transitioning out of my role as Director of AAWAA and continue on as a fellow artist, member and advisor to the organization. I leave AAWAA in the capable and collective hands of our staff and board in this transitional period and look forward to witnessing AAWAA grow in its efforts to bring visibility and recognition to Asian American women in the arts.
It’s been a tremendous honor to work in service of this incredible community, one I will continue to consider home for as long as I am an artist. In my 4 years as Director, AAWAA has resiliently overcome various challenges and produced monumental exhibitions and programs. I took the helm at the height of the pandemic in 2020 when racial unrest and anti-Asian hate arrived at the forefront of our collective consciousness. The overwhelming violence against Asian women and our communities, however, only catalyzed our efforts to continue centering Asian womens’ voices in solidarity with QTBIPOC (Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, People of Color) struggles against whiteness, sexism and patriarchy.
Diana Li (left), Ivy Chen (middle), and Melanie Elvena (right) in front of a banner honoring AAWAA co-founder Flo Oy Wong at the Asian Women Are Strong event on March 3, 2024 at the Ferry Building in San Francisco.
I am grateful to have taken part in a 35 year legacy that will go on to strengthen AAWAA’s foundational role in our creative ecosystem. Amongst the many milestones, it grounds me to know that during my tenure, we were able to develop fundraising efforts that would grow and sustain our staff, even fostering a new Membership Coordinator position to serve our expanding membership. The passion Melanie (Programs Manager) and Ivy (Membership Coordinator) bring to the table is tantamount to AAWAA’s engaging events, art salons and membership platform. I am also proud to see AAWAA’s Board of Directors begin to develop internal structures to further cultivate avenues for mentorship and leadership at AAWAA.
Artists gather for a group photo at the opening of Jade Wave Rising: Portraits of Power exhibition on April 27, 2023 at SOMArts Cultural Center, San Francisco.
We follow in the footsteps of artists who became influential arts organizers, like Bernice Bing, who’s art and impact we recently got to see at the Asian Art Museum, 10 years after AAWAA and Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project released the documentary, The Worlds of Bernice Bing. In my time as Director, AAWAA also produced a new oral hxstories program, Pass It On, inviting a few of AAWAA’s founding members to reflect on our collective past, present and future. In addition to our Emerging Curators Program and large group exhibitions at SOMArts, AAWAA got its first historical survey exhibition at the Berkeley Art Center. We also gained significant press in the New York Times, Daily Californian, and Hyperallergic. Of course, none of this would be possible without the support of all our volunteers, community partners, funders and supporters.
AAWAA artists, members, staff gather for a group photo with Berkeley Art Center staff and curator Christina Hiromi Hobbs at the opening of In the Presence of: Collective Histories of the Asian American Women Artists Association exhibition on January 27, 2024 at Berkeley Art Center.
As I shift priorities to nourish my own artistic practice among other personal goals, I leave AAWAA feeling emboldened and inspired that uplifting the work of underrecognized artists is a powerful way to bring people together in advocating for the accessibility, equity and representation our communities deserve.
Thank you to everyone who has shown up for AAWAA, and a special thanks to my mxntors, coaches, friends, family, my loving partner Abe and unrelenting matriarchal ancestors.
Everything we do today has an impact for generations to come.
With much love, power and gratitude,
Diana Li
Director
Asian American Women Artists Association
The Board and Staff appreciate your engagement and patience as AAWAA shifts in leadership this year. More information about next steps and channels for community feedback will be shared soon. Please stay tuned for an in-person gathering in the near future!