Two free celebrations this weekend spotlight St. Paul’s Asian-American artists
Visual arts and performances from St. Paul’s diverse Asian-American community will take center stage this weekend in two different corners of the city.
As a kid growing up under China’s one-child-only policies in the 1980s, Suyao Tian had no siblings, few friends and wasn’t allowed pets. To pass the time, she caught a variety of small bugs and put them in jars, speaking to them, playing with them and treating them as her sole confidantes.
Fragments of those childhood memories still pepper her dreams at night and inform her colorful, abstract watercolor and mixed-media paintings, which she lines with pen to give greater layers and definition.
‘BEFORE AND AFTER’
Located next to the popular Groundswell coffee shop in Hamline-Midway, Tian’s new Viewpoint Gallery at 591 Hamline Ave. N. will debut with an opening reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday. Her inaugural gallery show, entitled “Before and After,” will feature her signature whimsical watercolors, which are informed by her experiences as a Chinese immigrant, designer, independent curator and adjunct faculty member at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.
Tian, one of four muralists chosen this year to live paint a mural at the Minnesota State Fair, will present her paintings alongside the tools, shoes and photographs of longtime shoe cobbler Gene Hartsock, who operated the space for about 35 years before being injured in an icy fall last winter and suffering other unrelated health issues.
“I live two blocks from his shop, and we often talked to Gene while walking the dog,” said Tian on Wednesday, who is dedicating her opening show to Hartsock. “The Midway doesn’t have any galleries whatsoever. Personally, I consider him an artist because he’s hands-on.”
Friday’s reception, which is free, kid-friendly and open to the public, will feature two professional artists as outdoor vendors, a professional cello player and food and drinks from Groundswell, Master Noodle and Pho Pasteur.
It will also feature a children’s activity organized by the creative arts after-school youth mentoring program Art Buddies, a nonprofit whose board Tian serves upon. In the future, she plans to host workshops, art exhibits and other programs.
More information is online at suyaotian.com.
SOLIDARITY STREET FESTIVAL
Stephan Kistler, a former 3M executive turned manager of the studios and art gallery at 967 Payne Ave., is a lead organizer of the outdoor “Solidarity Street Gallery” festival, which will stretch for five or six blocks along Payne Avenue on Friday night and all day Saturday.
Chosen by a working group, this year’s theme — “Resilient Generations” — is meant to evoke the resilience of Southeast Asian immigrants, among other immigrant groups and communities of color living in and around Payne Avenue.
The art-driven festival, now in its third year, will feature 20 outdoor vendors, live performances on a stage at Payne and York avenues and studio and storefront art prepared by more than 50 artists, many of them Hmong and Karen.
Southeast Asian dance troupes will perform between 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday at Payne and York. Throughout the festival, other performances will include live music at Caydence Records and Coffee and the Treasury, a poetry reading at the East Side Freedom Library and outdoor movie showings by Trilingua Cinema at 967 Payne Ave.
Kistler said at least 21 participating shops will showcase juried art works in their storefronts while promoting their own wares. Curated works will be on display at 967 Payne Ave. and the Second Shift Studio Space at 1128 Payne Ave.
The Payne-Phalen Community Council will use the opportunity to host its annual meeting, albeit with an artistic bent — think of a formal meeting deconstructed, moved outdoors into the parking lot next to Anderson Shoes at Payne and Case and turned into a design workshop for street and neighborhood improvements.
Activities related to district planning will take place from 1 to 4 p.m., followed by a free meal and community conversation from 5 to 7 p.m.
The Solidarity Street Gallery festival will take place from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and 12 to 10 p.m. Saturday. More information is online at solidaritystreetgallery.org.
