Tacoma's Asia Pacific Culturan Center Showcases Women Artists While Facilitating On-Going Goal of Meaningful Cultural Exchanges

Above: Watercolor and Chinese ink artist, Patsy Surh O'Connell by one
of her own exquisite compositions. Photo by Mizu Sugimura, copyright
2007.

(This earlier blog was orginally posted on Wednesday, December 5, 2007 at a reader-generated site maintained by The News Tribune of Tacoma, WA.)

How the practice of art facilitates meaningful cultural exchanges between South Sound residents and China was the topic of conversation at Tacoma's Asia Pacific Cultural Center, 938 Broadway, in the heart of the downtown theatre district. Members of a group of local residents who toured China last October with a group led by the center's Patsy Surh O'Connell and Amy Sie have been part of such a dialogue.

One of the highlights of the tour included a five-day exhibition of art by women artists from Washington State and their counterparts in China organized by the center. Both China travelers and participating artists were invited to gather at an informal welcome home reception this evening from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. to enjoy stories and photos from the journey to Yangzhou, China.

Above: The crowd at tonight's opening show at APCC gathers for a
presentation. Photo by Mizu Sugimura, copyright 2007.

Above: Chinese ink artist Amy Sie, poses with her lyrical
painting "Water Beauties". Sie was co-leader of the recent tour
to China. Photo by Mizu Sugimura, copyright 2007.

Above: Randy and Aya Clark were among the
night's crowd who attended the welcome
home reception.

What wind and rain fell last weekend was no where to be seen on this beautiful night and certainly encouraged the good-sized and amiable group who came together to enjoy art, stories, sweet bean cake, sparkling cider, wine, cheese and light hors d'oeuvres. APCC executive director Philip Chang was on hand to make a short address and expressed pleasure at the numbers of people who turned-out for the event.

Above: Full-color program
produced for the international
artists exhibition organized by
the APCC last October in
Yangzhou, China. Photo by
Mizu Sugimura, copyright
2007.

APCC tour members included: Jade Choe, Jan Karroll, Kim Shuckhart Gunns, Koomja Docter, Nola Tresslar, Pamela Gunn, Tauni C. Taber, Darrell L. Willits, Kathy Thurston, Amy Sie and Patsy Surh O'Connell.

Artists included in the China exhibition included: Patsy Surh O’Connell, Amy Sie, Ashley Wells, Barbara Stout, Becky Frehse, Bee Shyuan Chang, Bill Broderick, Evelyn Yee Yuen Chan, Faye Clerget, Jade Choe, Jan Karroll, Kim Shuckhart Gunns, Koomja Docter, Laurie Herrick Westdahl, Mizu Sugimura, Nola V. Tresslar, Pamela Gunn, Susan Paredes and Teresa K. Owens.

APCC is a non-profit 501 (C)(3) organization which was called into being over ten years ago by the vision of a group of area citizens of Asian-American and Pacific Islander heritage who desired to build an interactive cultural crossroads in the South Sound between the local and international communities bridging the gap between East and West through with programming covering the arts, culture, education and business.

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For more details about viewing hours for this show contact the center at (253) 383-3900 or go to their website. Additionally, local reporter Matt Nagle wrote a fine piece about the journey the group from APCC made to China entitled "Washington artists "treated like rock stars" in China" which was featured in the November 29, 2007 issue of The Tacoma Weekly.