Asian Improv aRts Midwest Arts Initiative Program is thrilled to announce the debut of Nancy Wong (@nancywongphotography)’s ongoing portrait series Noble at Hairpin Arts Center. Featuring photographs of Asian Americans from the Midwest, Noble will be on view from 5/19 – 6/1. The exhibition will open with a reception on 5/19 from 7-9 pm.

Noble is an ongoing portrait series by Chicago-based photographer Nancy Wong. The series seeks to build a diverse, multigenerational archive of contemporary Asian America through portraits of its constituents. Each image acts as a visual acknowledgement of the vast and varied stories – the dreams, the fears, and everything in between – that constitute the Asian American community. Wong’s subjects are invited to select the clothing in which they are photographed, and to bring an object of significance to their Asian American identity to be photographed with as well.

In this way, Noble uses the genre of portraiture – a genre often used to affirm and record one’s place in history – as a tool with which to interrogate the historical invisibilization and marginalization of Asian Americans. The series serves as a platform for this community to be seen and heard on their own terms, issuing a challenge to systems of xenophobia, anti-immigration rhetoric, and racial violence that loom large today.

The Hairpin Arts Center (2810 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60618) is open Mondays from 5-8 pm and Wednesdays from 5-11 pm, by appointment only. Please contact hello@hairpinartscenter.org to schedule a viewing.

Tsukasa will be joining the 2nd Annual Juneteenth Celebration with UCAN:
Come join in for a full day of fun celebrating Juneteenth and Father’s Day! There’s something for everyone, whether you’re interested in music, sports, storytelling and more!

Mai Sugimoto will be playing an improvised set joined by Fred Jackson (reeds) and Isaiah Spencer (drums), presented by Asian Improv aRts Midwest.

From Elastic Arts:

Mai Sugimoto is a saxophonist, composer, and active member of Chicago’s jazz and improvisational music scene. Sugimoto draws inspiration from her upbringing in Japan and her roots in jazz to compose and perform from her unique multicultural experience. Born/Raised, her debut album (Asian Improv Records, 2018), explores this cultural and musical binary, juxtaposing, among others, a jazz rendition of a Japanese children’s song alongside compositions inspired by the American jazz idiom. Sugimoto is also a core member of the quartet Hanami, whose two albums similarly mix Japanese culture into creative music. Mai has performed three times at the Chicago Jazz Festival: in 2015 with Hanami, in 2019 as a leader, and in 2018 with renowned bassist Tatsu Aoki, with whom she frequently plays, including appearances in his Fred Anderson Legacy Band. Her first solo album, monologue (Asian Improv Records) was released in March of 2021.

$15 – Tickets Available at the Door

Here is another feature at WZRD Chicago 88.3FM. This round will be an “Upcoming at AIRMW” series with our very own Tatsu and Rika duo.

Tune in at 9AM on WZRD Chicago 88.3FM.