Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center

Smithsonian Asian Pacific American (APA) Program staff along with over 4,000 attendees from across the nation and forty-three different countries convened at the American Association of Museums (AAM) Annual Meeting and Museum Expo on May 22-25, 2011, in Houston, TX. Conference headquarters was located in the urban center of downtown at the Georgia R. Brown Convention Center that hosted countless conversations, educational sessions, and speakers for building a foundation of new ideas, skills, and collaborations. Evening events and tours highlighted the city of Houston’s cultural, visual, and performing arts.

The Museum of Tomorrow marked this year’s theme:

Often we think of the future as a destination. A journey is required to reach it, fueled by a need or instinct to control our own destiny, to make discoveries, unravel mysteries, adapt to the unexpected in order to survive and prosper. But in a universe of infinite possibility—the universe that museums represent—the future is an aspiration, and not always a destination. And taking meaningful action in the present will help to shape the future.

Smithsonian APA Program staff enjoyed a variety of experiences (click photos to enlarge):

Dinner at Houston’s Little Saigon. From left: Jun Francisco (Director of Collections Management at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum), Gina Inocencio (APA Program), An Duong (Houston-based Lawyer), Sandra Vuong (APA Program), and Steve Y. Wong (Curator for the Chinese American Museum of Los Angeles).	“I have been attending the AAM Conference for the last eight years and I have always enjoyed helping to organize the annual meeting and reception for the Asian Pacific American Professional Interest Committee (APAPIC). I love seeing old friends and meeting new ones and discussing museum work and opportunities for collaboration. I’ve been seeing more APA faces at the last conferences and it’s always heartening to see young APAs entering the field of museum.” — Gina Inocencio, Program Specialist
Krista by a Portable On Demand Storage (PODS) container, a unique public art exhibition designed especially for AAM at Houston’s Discovery Green. Krista outside of the Georgia R. Brown Convention Center.	“AAM Houston was a remarkable experience—I had the opportunity to attend a variety of sessions on museum education and programming; collecting and interpreting visitor data; museum diversity; and managing internship and volunteer programs. In addition to training and professional development, I had the chance to network with museum professionals from across the country and to exchange ideas for best practices. Tours and evening events featured experiential learning opportunities at the city’s main attractions. From Space Center Houston to The Museum of Fine Arts Houston, the inviting and exciting atmosphere of this city will be one that I will always remember!” — Krista Aniel, Program Assistant (Outreach)
Fine Arts Museum dinner reception. From left: Krista Aniel, Krishna Aniel, and Pawan Dhingra.	“At AAAS I shared the HomeSpun initiative and connected with scholars whose research expertise involves Indian Americans. Such connections are central to the academic integrity of the project. In a similar vein, it was helpful in learning also the latest books in the field. At AAM I attended panels on curating exhibitions and reaching out to immigrant communities. It was a wonderful opportunity to explore the details of museums and exhibition planning.” — Pawan Dhingra, HomeSpun Curator
Conference exhibitor’s hall.	“The big focus at AAM Houston this year centered on the ‘Museum of Tomorrow’ and how people from all over the world can utilize technology and social media to broaden their educational reach. I attended panel sessions hosted by museum leaders who told stories and recalled experiences about the challenges and opportunities involved with implementing technology to increase museum awareness.” — Sandra Vuong, Multimedia Producer

We are happy to announce that Konrad Ng will be joining the APA Program as the new Director this spring.

Dr. Konrad Ng is Director of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center.  As Director, Dr. Ng is responsible for leading the development of national exhibitions and public educational programs about Asian Pacific American history, art and culture.  Dr. Ng’s professional and scholarly work examines the politics and practice of Asian and Asian American cinema and digital media.  Under Dr. Ng’s leadership, the Asian Pacific American Center is engaged in multiple innovative national initiatives, including The National Asian Pacific American Digital Archive: #apa100 – 100 Moments in APA History; the Smithsonian Indian American Heritage Project; the W.K. Kellogg Foundation I Want the Wide American Earth exhibition; the Asian-Latino Project, a partnership with the Smithsonian Latino Center; the 2010 Smithsonian Folklife Festival Program, Asian Pacific Americans: Local Lives, Global Ties; and Portraiture Now: Asian American Portraits of Encounter, a groundbreaking exhibition of contemporary portraiture about the Asian American experience in partnership with the National Portrait Gallery.

Prior to joining the Smithsonian Institution, Dr. Ng was a professor in the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Academy for Creative Media where he taught courses about film and film theory, and published research about Asian American digital media.   From 2007-2008, Dr. Ng was an advisor for Asian American and Pacific Islander constituency outreach for the Obama Presidential Campaign and was the curator of film and video at the Honolulu Museum of Art from 2004-2006.  From 2002-2004, Dr. Ng was a film programmer for the Hawaii International Film Festival.  Dr. Ng serves on the boards of several nonprofit arts and culture organizations: the A3 Foundation, the Center for Asian American Media, the Global Film Initiative, the Asian American Literary Review, and the Honolulu urban arts collective, Interisland Terminal. He is a member of the Association for Asian American Studies and Australia’s Academy of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

Dr. Ng earned his doctorate in political science from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, his master’s degree in cultural, social and political thought from the University of Victoria, and his bachelor’s degree in philosophy and ethnic studies from McGill University.

Related Links

• Smithsonian’s official press release

APA Program Welcomes Sameen Piracha

Sameen Piracha is the newest member of the APAC. As Development Specialist, Sameen will take the lead on all fundraising activities at the Center and will support development goals for the Smithsonian Indian American Heritage Project, an initiative focusing on South Asian American history, art, and culture. Sameen brings new energy and experience to the Center and we are excited to have her on board.

An introduction from Sameen:

I am delighted to join the Asian Pacific American Center at the Smithsonian Institution as the development specialist. I look forward to supporting the development goals for IAHP and APA Center Initiatives. Before coming to the Smithsonian I was working with the United Nations Association of the National Capital Area. I was responsible for their development efforts and coordinated the Embassy Concert Series for Global Classrooms D.C.

The series provides local elementary and middle school students with the opportunity to learn about other cultures and global issues through cultural exhibition and musical diplomacy. I hold a J.D. from Nova Southeastern University and a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Florida.

APA Program Welcomes New Multimedia Producer

Sandra Vuong, multimedia producer, joined the staff of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program at the beginning of the year. She will take the lead in maintaining an online presence for the APA Program through websites and social media by providing frontline digital, media, technological, and communications support. Sandra’s skills and talents in multimedia production are a most welcome addition to the APA Program.

The following is an introduction from Sandra:

It is my pleasure to join the APA Program as the new multimedia producer.  I am eager to expand our online presence, produce new content, and meet everyone in the community.  I have new ideas and exciting plans in using multimedia as a powerful tool to expand the Program’s outreach.  My immediate tasks include strategizing new designs for the APA Program websites and blogs to have a stronger brand identity and enhancing our collection of videos and photographs.

I graduated from the University of Maryland with a BA in Visual Communications and certificate in East Asian Studies. As a student, I worked on campus as a graphic designer for the Department of Resident Life and the Asian American Studies Program.  After graduating, I worked for the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage as a web designer. Working alongside the technology director, I maintained the front-end design and development for three websites, two of which include the Folklife Festival and Folkways Recordings.