New Project Studio artists Shani Shih and Michelle Chen present In Our Eyes, an interactive workshop series centered on the power of the arts to express identity, values, and personal/collective histories and visions. Through these workshops, the artists will 1) lead participants in reflection on the stories and experiences that have shaped who we are and who we are becoming, and 2) guide participants in the use of visual language to tell their stories. Mediums of exploration include: painting, collage, pen and ink. Each workshop is in collaboration with a separate non-profit or activist group committed to uplifting individuals in the DC/Alexandria area.
Join Chinatown Art Studio for a special session for middle/high school youth, centered around visualizing the self with painting, poster art, and pen & ink drawing.
Saturday, August 18
2 pm – 3:30 pm
In partnership with Chinatown Art Studio
The workshop is FREE but limited spaces are available.
Register Now
About Chinatown Art Studio
Chinatown Art Studio is a community arts program and arts space for Asian & Pacific Islander American (API) youth in DC, centered around multimedia arts education and creative development. Free of charge to participants, the program will provide art instruction in an incredible range of arts techniques and mediums, and guided exploration of traditional and contemporary art cultures. The Art Studio provides youth access to materials and creative guidance; it is a space for free self-expression, practice in desired mediums, and spontaneous collaboration with friends and peers. Ultimately, by providing tools, skills, API-oriented creative mentorship, and opportunities for creative engagement in DC, the Chinatown Art Studio will encourage and empower all of its participants to shape their personal identities and voices through art and creativity, as well as establish and build connections with local communities through art.
About Shani Shih
Shani Shih is a multidisciplinary visual artist in Washington DC. Her personal artwork speaks at a visceral level; it features bold linework, gritty textures, and expressive human figures intertwined with harsh industrial structures, and represents everyday social and bodily experience in the stratified landscapes of the modern world. Through her creations, she aims to communicate a shared experience of suffering and endurance, as well as everlasting love and hope – providing comfort, strength, and acknowledgement to all.
Shani is also dedicated to supporting communities in need through public art, teaching and community arts, with a focus on serving underrepresented Asian Pacific American communities. During the 2016 primaries, Shani co-curated Bern the System!, a street art showcase that featured 70+ regional artists and uplifted messages of social change. She then served as a lead organizer for a four-city mural campaign centering the message of the indigenous-led Water is Life movement—which led to the 2017 founding of the 411 Collective, a graffiti/street art collective that supports local and national community advocacy initiatives with public art. In 2018, with the help of 1882 Foundation/Chinese American Citizens Alliance, she founded the Chinatown Art Studio, a youth art space servicing Asian Pacific American youth through multimedia art instruction and creative empowerment programming.
About Michelle Chen
Working primarily in acrylic, oil, and spray paint, Michelle Chen explores identity, belonging, and transformation with an eye to how these emerge from shared stories and symbols. She studied traditional Chinese calligraphy and painting as a young child growing up in Maryland, and later had the opportunity to begin her study of Arabic calligraphy while on a U.S. Department of State-sponsored exchange program in Egypt. Between 2013-2014, she assisted master artists in the creation of several works of public art as part of the Murals DC program, and recently painted her first independent mural in 2017. As a member of the Sanctuaries and former member of the 411 Collective, Michelle has worked to support social transformation through the arts. Michelle earned a B.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, where she studied Culture and Politics. Michelle lives and works in the Washington, D.C. area and is a 2018 New Project Studio Artist-in-Residence at the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, VA.
About the New Project Studio
This community-focused arts incubator space inside the Torpedo Factory Art Center offers a short-term location to test new program ideas, spotlight underrepresented voices, and enhance community engagement. Projects will rotate on a regular basis and are considered based on the following goals:
- Support new creative collaborations with neighboring organizations and partners
- Strengthen the connection between our resident artists and the greater creative community
- Provide opportunities for new audiences to engage with our building and artists
- Inspire the next generation of artists, innovators, arts supporters, and diverse voices
