Photo from EXPANSIONS // HORIZONS, by Robbie Sweeny Dear Friends and Family, This year, Asian Improv aRts turned 35 years old and we are building exciting, new directions for our next 35! Our team has been hard at work launching our inaugural fellowship program and after reviewing a very strong pool of applicants, we are thrilled to announce our 2023 AIR Fellows! Left to Right:  Peekaboo (aka transcriptions), Katie Quan, Scott Oshiro, Lynn Huang, Shantré Pinkney, Erika Oba, Vida Kuang.  These artists moved us not only with their commitment to their respective crafts, but their commitment to creating change in their communities and beyond. Over the course of the next year, we will be supporting these leaders of the next generation in reaching the next level of their careers through one-on-one mentorship, coaching from multiple generations of AIR and affiliated artists, and production support for any projects. Keep an eye on our Facebook & Instagram for daily profiles on each of our fellows starting December 1!  Other highlights from this year include: EXPANSIONS // HORIZONS: A celebration of 35 Years of Asian Improv aRts and Revolutionary Artmaking at the Asian Art Museum which brought together multiple generations of AIR artists from across the country and marked the retirement of our co-founder, Francis Wong Convergent Waves - Boston & SF: A world premiere of multi-city site-specific and immersive performances by Lenora Lee Dance addressing housing injustice and uplifting the voices of residents of Boston’s Chinatown and San Francisco’s Tenderloin In the Movement: A world premiere performance by Lenora Lee Dance in collaboration with the re-entry community and immigration advocates shedding light on the experiences of community members impacted by the double punishment of the prison to deportation pipeline  Within These Walls: The experimental dance film adaptation of the Lenora Lee Dance’s award-winning performance on Angel Island screened at the Boston Asian American Film Festival. Directed by Tatsu Aoki CAGES: A new acclaimed collaboration between the Jon Jangtet music ensemble and acclaimed spoken word artist Paul Flores reckoning with family separation at the Southern US Border, performed at SF Jazz and Oakland Conservatory of Music Unlocked Festival: An evening of experimental, avant garde musical performances marking the return of live performance out of the fog of the pandemic curated by AIR’s Karl Evangelista  Japan Week Festival: A summer cultural festival presented by Genryu Arts featuring performances, workshops, and demonstrations in the heart of San Francisco’s Japantown Patriots All: A six-chapter visual album composed by Francis Wong featuring Lenora Lee Dance honoring the historical contributions of Chinese Americans who served their country and celebrating the contributions of BIPOC communities to peace and justice This all would have not been possible without support from community members like you. With that, we’d like to share a special message from AIR’s co-founder Francis Wong, who has now transitioned into retirement and now holds an emeritus role: “I want to express my gratitude to all of you for supporting AIR over the years. It has been a unique honor to lead the organization these past decades. More than that, it has been a thrilling experience to play a role in the realization of so many fantastic artists’ works in the effort to bring into being a more equitable and beautiful society. And I have so much confidence in the next cohort of AIR leadership to help us all move closer towards that goal. Please continue to extend your extraordinary generosity to AIR in the coming years.” - Francis Wong As we move into the holiday season, we hope you and your loved ones find yourself surrounded by care, connection, and community. Thank you for considering supporting AIR for this next year.

Very sincerely yours,   Francis Wong, Co-Founder Vinay Patel, Administrative Director Lenora Lee, Project Manager Johnny Huy Nguyen, Programs Associate

Photos by Robbie Sweeny, Gary Sexton, Kevin Yuen, Lenore Chinn, Mark Shigenaga, Shantrê Pinkney, David DeHart, Vida Kuang, courtesy of Jon Jang, Karl Evangelista, GenRyu Arts

Asian Improv aRts   Since 1987, Asian Improv aRts (AIR) has built a national cross-cultural, interdisciplinary community rooted in social justice and equity, advancing artists who create innovative works representing Asian and Asian American experiences. AIR’s impact has been far-reaching; building the strength, sustainability and national visibility of Asian American arts and culture, embedded in community-based work with an authentic Asian American voice and grounded in a social justice approach that has deep connections to BIPOC communities. Over its 35 years, AIR has produced more than 100 recordings of Asian American artists, chronicling a legacy of Asian artistic excellence in the U.S. and mentored many artists in their early stages, some of whom are now luminaries in their field, such as Vijay Iyer and Jen Shyu. Today, AIR continues this legacy supporting the next generation of artistic leaders in the field.