YOUTHCAN AND MAXENE OREJUDOS
“We tried in that exhibit to show different Filipino places in the C-ID, and the concept that Filipino Town isn't necessarily a designated place, but what makes it Filipino is really the people."
- Maxene Orejudos
Did you know that every week, young artists convene in the Wing Luke Museum's Learning Studio? Home to YouthCAN (“Youth Community Action Now”), this is a space for teens to explore their artistry, learn from fellow artists and community resources, and express their emerging identities.
Since YouthCAN's beginning in the late 90’s, the free afterschool arts program has been rooted in community advocacy through artistic expression and student leadership. With a collective art project as the goal, Museum staff and student leaders (Youth Leads) brainstorm potential art mediums, plan field trips, and invite teaching artists for weekly workshops. There are no limits—the project could be a zine, an outdoor mural, or an exhibition. Students spearhead the process by collaborating in the design, storytelling, and execution, with Museum staff as support. This year, they created “Portraits of Places”, a dazzling exhibition in the Museum of vibrant murals, extensive collages, and detailed depictions of the Chinatown-International District.
For high school student and Youth Lead, Maxene Orejudos, “Portraits of Places” carries some of her proudest work. The exhibition is a stunning, visual love letter to the C-ID; there are paper cranes and foam bok choi dangling from the walls, sketches of street crossings and apartment life, and homages to local businesses such as Sun May Company and Chu Minh Tofu.
YouthCAN students and staff members proudly display their newest exhibit, Portraits of Places.
A guest gazes at the collage of Seattle’s Filipino businesses in the exhibit.
One of the spaces, centered around Filipino Town, includes conversations around its long history, threats of erasure, and steps taken to ensure its bright future. Everything—from the drawing of Bob Santos, snapshots of Filipino-owned businesses, to the survey and documentary of Filipino Seattle community, all brilliantly anchored by the mural of the golden sun of the Philippines—was solely created by Maxene’s group.
“We tried in that exhibit to show different Filipino places in the C-ID, and the concept that Filipino Town isn't necessarily a designated place, but what makes it Filipino is really the people."
With the community in mind, Maxene and her friends brought an inclusive, thoughtful lens to the project. The students hung posters in several Filipino-owned businesses throughout the city,hoping to survey more Filipino Americans. Questions included: “How do you express your culture?" "What are your experiences as a Filipino person in Washington and not having a specific place dedicated to you?" "What are your hopes for the future of Filipino Town?" The answers displayed in the exhibition speak of preservation, of visibility, of Filipino pride.
This is the true heart of YouthCAN: celebrating identity, reflecting on its intersections, and championing community. It could look like advocating for historic recognition and preservation of places like Filipino Town, joining a mutual aid program like Eggrolls, or engaging in climate justice through groups like Restaurant2Garden. For Maxene, the Wing Luke Museum is a resource that must be “kept open for everyone,” a place for her to learn about the long history of Filipino Americans in Seattle and to center her Filipino American identity in her artwork.
For students like Maxene, learning about community history fuels powerful, thought-provoking art that inspires action and care beyond the Museum. More than ever, your donation affirms the importance of programs like YouthCAN to encourage the next generation of artists to raise their voices for a more equitable, more inclusive, more just future.
Every gift allows us to continue to share stories like Maxene’s and the healing power of creation highlighted in the “Portraits of Places” exhibit. Your support ensures these stories are heard, and that everyone has a voice and a place here.
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