Changing Tides: Art Gallery
On August 22, 2024, Changing Tides Ambassador Madeline Sugimoto and her friend Raven Lee-Spera organized an art show at Terasaki Budokan. The showcase featured art by Asian American high school and college students on the topic of mental health. Mediums ranged from painting to film to music and more.
Among the display was a sculpture made of wood and found materials that expressed the feelings of migrant workers, and a large canvas painting of a girl resting her head. Poems and short films adorned the walls of the community room, while paintings and a small stage filled the outdoor courtyard. The show also included an art activities section where guests created their own prints, and a table where guests could interact with Egg Squared (an art zine). The night wrapped up with three live musical performances by solo artists and a band.
Seria (she/her, 17) creator of Egg Squared shared, “I'm Asian but I’ve never thought of creating a space like this. It just feels like home, and just meeting people and talking to other Asian people and connecting on past experiences and looking at so much art where you see Asian faces, it’s amazing.”
Showcase artist Katie (she/they, 19) shared a similar sentiment, reflecting, “As someone who is pretty entrenched in art making and surrounded by artists a lot of the time, I think it’s really awesome to be in a space that is all Asian. It’s incredibly rare for me. I didn’t expect it to be heartwarming but I am actually very touched.”
The gallery was organized by Madeline Sugimoto as the final project of her Changing Tides Ambassadorship, aimed to help young activists learn more about mental health advocacy. Reflecting on her project, she said, “Our goal for this art gallery was to showcase the work of young AAPI artists while aligning with Changing Tides' mission: to normalize conversations about mental health in the AAPI community and bring awareness to the stigma towards mental health. From short films to poetry to drawings and paintings, each piece displayed in the art gallery expressed the artists' unique, personal experience with Asian American culture and/or mental health. Exhibiting them all together in one space, a community space in particular, fostered an open-minded, welcoming, and safe space for conversations about the art, and ultimately mental health.”
Thank you to all the participating artists: Jonah, Natalia, Milo the Band, Trinley Tsering, Kevin Yamashita, Audrey Song, Cora Uchida, Caleo Kiyoshi Osorio, Audrey Whang, Brady Sugano, Mingus Jiro Schoffman, Owen Chin-Rust, Zachary Yun, Mia Haneline, and June Oh.