Pittsburgh AAPI artist collective returns with "Finding Kin"

It's a brisk and chilly day when a collective of Asian and Pacific Islander artists gather at Schenley Park's Flagstaff Hill for a group photo.

Sara Tang, one of JADED's organizers, says she connected with the Sidewall project to open up the opportunity to showcase an 8-foot photo in the project's space on 608 S. Millvale Ave. The collective debated what to do with the space and decided it would be best to put out an open call to the community and take a photo together, titled 'Finding Kin.'

"It's like a bat signal to our community. We're 'Finding Kin' because it's so hard to do that here in Pittsburgh," says Bonnie Fan, another JADED organizer.

Elina Zhang agrees saying, "I know how intimidating it is to be in a big city and not have community."

She hopes that JADED events, like this one, can help change that. Caroline Yoo shares that they really wanted to use this opportunity to help showcase their community, especially for curators or behind-the-scenes artists that aren't often in the spotlight.

"Growing up in this area and in the 2000s, I just never saw face that looked like mine. Coming together and seeing everyone and elevating that joy is really powerful. The prompt today was wear something that makes you feel beautiful and seen ... I think we are all seen by one another and this is a celebration of that," says Sara Tang.







JADED organizers also say this is event is a signal that their 2023 programming — Kin — is coming soon. "We're really thinking about what makes up a family, what makes up a community, what are the different connections that bring us together," says JADED organizer Elina Zhang. "We're celebrating our commonalities and creating a place where we can learn each others differences."

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JADED PGH. instagram.com/jadedpgh. If you were included in the photoshoot, message JADED on Instagram to access the photos.