The month of May is Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Heritage Month and at New Art Center, we celebrated with a series of workshops led by APIDA instructors. As part of our Cultural Access Program, we were able to offer some of these workshops completely free of charge.
Stephanie Li, a Newton native, led teens through a free zine workshop, exploring how zines can be powerful vehicles for storytelling and self-expression. Using a mixture of collage, illustration, and paperfolding, participants were able to connect with each other, as well as use zine-making to voice opinions and share interests.
Pieces of colorful paper, markers, pencils, and zine examples spread across a work table.
We were delighted to welcome back Ren Li Song after having worked with her for both our 2023 and 2024 Lunar New Year celebrations. She led 11 participants through a workshop that highlighted the history and significance of Chinese calligraphy, demonstrated her techniques, and taught participants how to transform a delightful line from Li Po’s poem into a calligraphy art piece.
Manisha Trivedi, the artist behind “Hennacafe” is a Boston-based professional henna artist with over 20 years of experience with henna body art and has been doing art since a very young age. She is known for her unique style of blending traditional and contemporary henna designs, intricate artistry and speed. She led a Henna workshop at New Art Center on May 29 and did complimentary designs for the participants.
