The Asian American Art Centre

The Asian American Art Centre was founded as the Asian American Dance Workshop (later, the Asian American Dance Theatre, or AADT) in 1974 by Eleanor Yung and her brother Danny N.T. Yung. The siblings were integral members of the Basement Workshop, where D. Yung served as the organization’s founder. Under E. Yung’s vision, AADT celebrated and promoted Asian American dance through original productions and educational classes in New York City’s Chinatown until 1990.

In 1990, Yung and her husband, Robert Lee, changed the name of AADT to the Asian American Art Centre (AAAC) to better encompass a growing interest in the visual arts within the organization. As one of the first organizations in the country devoted exclusively to Asian American art, the goals of the AAAC were to promote Asian American artists and their work through community-oriented exhibitions and events. Lee served as curator and director of the Centre, a role he still holds. Lee’s curatorial approach often creatively pointed to folk art influences within Asian American art. Additionally, he centered politically-engaged exhibitions that spoke to the featured artists’ concerns. At its height, AAAC held upwards of four exhibitions and multiple programs per year. Notable exhibitions included CHINA: June 4, 1989 (1989), And He Was Looking For Asia: Alternatives to the Story of Christopher Columbus Today (1992), Eviction Blues (2005). Today, the AAAC’s collection contains over 300 works of Asian American art, alongside a robust collection of folk art. Additionally, AAAC manages artsasiaamerica.org, an archive of Asian American artists, and artspiral.org, which hosts a blog containing posts on the topic of Asian American arts. With the help of Think!Chinatown, a community arts-based intergenerational nonprofit, the collection continues to inspire and educate young artists and curators in Chinatown.