2022 WINTER YOUTHCAN MURAL PROJECT
NOW ON VIEW
Now on view in Historic Canton and Maynard Alleyways
Photo by Eugene Tagawa
ABOUT THE EXHIBIT
Students in Winter 2022 concentrated on learning about historic and current issues the Chinatown-International District (CID) neighborhood faces, culminating in two mural art installations in the CID neighborhood.
Students worked with local artists Monyee Chau, Erin Shigaki, and Lourdez Velasco, to explore mural paintings as modes of collaborative expression and storytelling. This program encouraged participants to bring a critical lens to how they engage with the communities and histories of the CID neighborhood.
HUMBOWS NOT HOT DOGS, DUMPLINGS NOT DEMOLITION, 2022
Artists: Maddie Tanabe, Mika Semke, Mordy Brown, Laela Johnson, Zereen Gesmundo, Blake Nakatsu
Acrylic on board
ARTIST STATEMENT
Humbows Not Hot Dogs, Dumplings Not Demolition was created out of the students’ desire to draw on our place-based curriculum and address the history of displacement in the neighborhood. Connecting to the activism of past and present in the CID, students used the iconic phrase “Humbows Not Hot Dogs”, coined during protests against the construction of the Kingdome in the 1970’s, and put their own spin on the alliteration to create modern phrases.
Students used eye-catching colors and symbolism to draw the eye and invite viewers to take a closer look into the messages. The I-5 freeway, represented by a leering insect, represents the destruction and displacement caused by the construction. Even today, the environmental and noise pollution that affects the surrounding homes and businesses is undeniably detrimental. Through different images and styles, students explored the complex issues of gentrification that the neighborhood is currently experiencing with developments such as ST3.
Special thanks to Susu Bakery for hosting our mural!
Photographs by Eugene Tagawa
ROOTED IN MEMORIES, 2022
Artists: Christian Basilio, Anthony Bouzek, Henry Jensen, Meilani Mandery, Violet Pody
Mural canvas, acrylic, yarn, photographs; Photograph by Eugene Tagawa
ARTIST STATEMENT
Rooted in Memories honors the legacies of our ancestors and celebrates the vibrant communities and relationships we hold. Historic photos of the neighborhood and community members are paralleled with contemporary images. From the King Dome protests in 1972 to the Wing Luke Museum’s Lunar New Year Fair fifty years later, the CID is home to collective power and joy. Located here in the window of a Canton Alley apartment, this mural reflects the residents of the neighborhood, past and present.
The CID is more than a tourist destination or a business district; people have called this neighborhood home for generations.
As we come out of a turbulent winter, we mourn the loss of Christina Yuna Lee, Michelle Go, and all of the community members whose names we don’t know. These individual acts of violence point to a larger picture of white supremacy in this country.
Daily threats of displacement, gentrification, and disinvestment in communities of color are a continuation of racial capitalism that we have fought for generations. Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pasifika histories begin to look very different from the “model minority” stereotype we’re all often lumped into when analyzed through the lens of American Imperialism. The cherry blossoms and photos presented in this mural are representative of our community’s power, beauty, and future.
Photographs by Eugene Tagawa
ABOUT YOUTHCAN
YouthCAN is the Wing Luke Museum’s free, afterschool arts program for high school students designed to provide exposure to arts professions, increase knowledge and familiarity with the Chinatown-International District, and connect with the museum, its mission, and its programs.
Students work with teaching artists to explore identity and culture through art and produce creative work that culminates into a group exhibit displayed in the Frank Fujii Youth Gallery at the Wing Luke Museum.
The program is free to participate in and open to anyone aged 13-19.
All levels of artistic experience are welcome.
All materials are provided by the museum.
YouthCAN students receive a museum membership.