March 28, 2017

Dear Journalists,

Four African American artists— Julien Terrell, Malik Seneferu, Danielle Wright, and Lorraine Bonner– will be participating in a thought provoking art exhibition, SHIFTING MOVEMENTS: Art Inspired by the Life and Activism of Yuri Kochiyama (1921-2014) opening on May 4, 2017 and continuing through May 25, 2017 at SOMArts Cultural Center, 934 Brannan Street, San Francisco. These artists are available for interviews and photos are available by request.

The Yuri and Malcolm Mural Project 
“From Harlem With Love: A Mural for Yuri and Malcolm” is a mural project led by a collective of community organizers and artists to fight for justice and liberation. Through this project, and inspired by the lives, legacies, and deep friendship between Yuri Kochiyama and Malcolm X, aspired to both honor, uplift, and learn from the two revolutionary visionaries. Members include Sophia Dawson, Lehna Huie, Luke Patterson, Frances Perez Rodriguez, Christine Peng, Shaun Lin and Julien Terrell. Throughout the project, the team was guided by members of both Yuri Kochiyama and Malcolm X's family as well as Tomie Arai.
Julien Terrell lives in Philadelphia, PA.

Malik Seneferu • maliksart.com
Malik Seneferu is an award-winning self-taught painter, draughtsman, muralist, sculptor, illustrator and instructor. He has traveled internationally and adorned books, magazines and newspaper covers to New York’s Schomburg Center, Smithsonian to London, Durban South Africa's “War against Racism” even GOOGLESF through his travels to Italy, Haiti and Kenya. Seneferu is also becoming well known for his live-painting performances with his ArtMagnet invention.
Malik Seneferu lives in Richmond, CA.

Danielle Wright • www.daniellewright.info
Danielle Wright is a visual artist based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her work investigates the language of materials and the delineation between artist and viewer/participant. In addition to her studio practice, she teaches at Creativity Explored, a nonprofit art studio in the Mission District of San Francisco.
Danielle Wright lives in San Francisco, CA.

Lorraine Bonner 
Lorraine Bonner was born and raised on the East Coast, moving to California in 1970. Her work in clay began in the early 90’s in response to trauma, but soon evolved to embrace the larger political and spiritual themes of dominationism and the mutually reflective processes of the political and personal.
Lorraine Bonner lives in Oakland, CA.

Please let us know if you are interested in an interview or article with any of these dynamic artists.



Sincerely, 

Larsen Associates
 

For Immediate Release
Media contact: Larsen Associates at (415) 957-1205 orpublicity@larsenassc.com
This is not the public information number. Please do not publish it.
 

SHIFTING MOVEMENTS
Art Inspired by the Life & Activism of Yuri Kochiyama (1921-2014)

SAN FRANCISCO, CA –  Co-Presented by the Asian American Women Artist Association (AAWAA) and Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center (APICC), Shifting Movements: Art Inspired by the Life and Activism of Yuri Kochiyama (1921-2014) is a multimedia exhibition illuminating the legacy of intersectional revolutionary activist Yuri Kochiyama through artworks that highlight the values and themes that guided her, and the incredibly diverse people, struggles, and movements that inspired her throughout a lifetime dedicated to fighting for a more humane and just world.
 
The exhibition will take place May 4th to 25th, 2017 at SOMArts Cultural Center in San Francisco and is currently still open for additional entries until December 16th, 2016. Artists of all mediums are invited to submit artworks that address key values, themes and milestones from Kochiyama’s prolific and galvanizing life – and how it relates to today’s contemporary context.
 
The exhibition is open to artists of all color and any gender identification in the United States, 18 years and older.
 
Shifiting Movements is curated by AAWAA Curator & Exhibitions ManagerMichelle A. Lee (Eating Cultures, Hungry Ghosts) and features a jury including Independent Curator Melorra Green and Artist/Visiting Professor from the University of Oregon Margaret Rhee.
 
                  Dates: May 4th – May 25th, 2017
                  Location: SOMArts Cultural Center,
                                   Main Gallery, 934 Brannan Street, San Francisco, CA
 
                  Opening Reception: May 4th, 2017, 6pm – 9:00pm
 
Admission to the exhibition is free and open to the public, with a suggested donation for the Opening Reception. For more information please visitwww.aawaa.net or email info@aawaa.net.
 
 
About Yuri Kochiyama
A Japanese American internment survivor who was later instrumental to the Japanese American redress and reparations movement, Yuri Kochiyama was one of the few Asian/Pacific Islander American (API) women activists to achieve national prominence. Living in Oakland and Berkeley from 1999 until her death in 2014, Kochiyama cultivated deep relationships with local academics, activists, artists, incarcerated individuals, and community members through her organizing, speaking, and prolific letter writing, particularly to political prisoners. After moving to Harlem after WWII, Kochiyama immersed herself in the history of Black Resistance, learning from leaders such as Malcolm X, and developing a holistic and intersectional understanding of the civil rights struggles against racism, sexism, and economic disparity. As a result Kochiyama was not only a seminal figure in API history, but was also deeply engaged in African American, Latino, and Native American movements. Although Kochiyama is highly regarded within many activist circles, her story and the breadth of her influence is not generally known, even among Japanese Americans. Kochiyama’s story is part of an overlooked history of cross-cultural activism  and serves as an inspirational model at a time of great cultural and socio-political upheaval.
 
 
About the Presenter:
Asian American Women Artists Association  
The Asian American Women Artists Association (AAWAA) is a national non-profit arts organization dedicated to ensuring the visibility and documentation of Asian American women in the arts. Since 1989, AAWAA has been a resource for the arts and academic communities, working to further the recognition of Asian American women artists. Through exhibitions, literary readings, speakers' bureau, publications, and educational programs, AAWAA offers thought-provoking perspectives that challenge societal assumptions and promote dialogue across cultures and generations. For more information on AAWAA and its mission and programs, please visit www.aawaa.net. Contact AAWAA at 1890 Bryant Street, Suite 302, San Francisco, CA 94110, (415) 252-7996, orinfo@aawaa.net.
 
Co-Presented By:
 Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center
The Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center’s (APICC) mission is to support and produce multi-disciplinary art reflective of the unique experiences of Asian Pacific Islanders living in the United States. Since 1998, the Center has promoted the artistic and organizational growth of the City’s Asian/Pacific arts community by organizing and presenting the annual United States of Asian America Festival. For more information on APICC and its mission and programs, please visit www.apiculturalcenter.org. Contact APICC at 934 Brannan Street, San Francisco, CA 94103, (415) 829-9467,info@apiculturalcenter.org.
 
Shifting Movements is also funded in part by: National Endowment for the Arts, the RJL Memorial Fund, San Francisco Arts Commission, and Grants for the Arts.