Our mission is to provide resources and support for the local Asian, South Asian, Pacific Islander American community, and increase the visibility and representation of the Asian American diaspora in Evanston’s civic, cultural and community spaces.
Umbrella Arts Festival
The Umbrella Arts Festival is a celebration of Asian, South Asian, Pacific Islander (ASPA) culture and art. The event is designed to increase visibility and representation of the ASPA community and to engage the community-at-large in collective experiences that work to dispel harmful myths and narratives about the ASPA community. It provides opportunities to raise awareness, educate and engage people in dialogues that counter the rise in anti-Asian hate and violence that continues throughout the country. The Umbrella Arts Festival invites people into these experiences and conversations through the arts. The umbrella symbolizes the ASPA diaspora which includes a diversity of ethnicities from over 40 countries around the world, and is inclusive of the many intersections of identities that exist in our communities. The festival is free and open to all ages!
Thank you to everyone who
participated in the 2023
Umbrella Arts Festival!
Randy Kim is a queer 2nd generation Viet-Khmer American from the Chicagoland area. He is the producer and host of “The Banh Mi Chronicles” podcast. The Banh Mi Chronicles Podcast was recognized by National Geographic Society as one of the recommended Asian American podcasts in April 2021. In May 2021, Apple Podcast named "The Banh Mi Chronicles Podcast" as part of the "Never Voiceless, Moving Forward" playlist to celebrate Asian Pacific Islander Month. Notable guests included: 2016 Pulitzer Prize Winner, Viet Thanh Nguyen, award-winning author Cathy Park Hong, Loung Ung, best-selling author of the childhood memoir turned Netflix film, "First, They Killed My Father", activist and journalist Helen Zia, recording artist MILCK, and many more. Randy currently serves as a board member with the National Cambodian Heritage Museum . He recently received his Masters in Nonprofit Management at DePaul University and works for a nonprofit organization
Thank you to our MC Randy Kim, Host and Creator of The Banh Mi Chronicles Podcast!
Special Guest Speakers:
Mayor Daniel Biss
Cook County Commissioner Josina Morita
State Representative Jen Gong-Gershowitz
Evanston/Skokie District 65 Board Member Donna Wang Su
Participating Vendors:
Inspired Indian Cooking
Booked
Japan Karate Association of Evanston
Nice Lena
Pink & Tan
Madison Grace
Tealicious Bubble
Mt. Everest
Khmai
Koi
Japan Karate Association of Evanston
JKA-E is offering free self-defense classes at the festival!
Performances By:
Mandala Arts
Flying Fairies
Hana Center's Pungmul Group
Kaibigan - Northwestern University's Filipino Student Group
Burmese Peacock International
Treblemakers - Northwestern A Cappella Group
Mandala Arts
Participating Artists & Arts Organizations:
Studio 3
Evanston Made
Lucky Henna
Sinag Art Collective
Sarita Kamat
Mandy Yom
Qun Yu
Pranali Goyal
Regin Igloria
Lucky Henna
Participating Community Organizations:
Evanston ASPA
Hana Center
McGaw YMCA
Evanston Public Library
Evanston Lighthouse Rotary Club
Evanston Participatory Budgeting
City of Evanston Clerk's Office
Asians and Pacific Islanders with Disabilities of California (APIDC)
Illinois Department of Child and Family Services
Hana Center
The 2023 Umbrella Arts Festival is grateful for our generous sponsors & donors!
