Resonance: From Archive to Art
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Award-Winning Storytelling for AAPI Heritage Month 2026
The Asian American Art & Culture Initiative (AAACI) is pleased to present Resonance: From Archive to Art. Fresh off its honors as the Dallas Shorts Best Music Short and a semi-finalist selection at the Austin International Art Festival, this multi-city program arrives in Dallas, San Francisco, and Houston this May.
Through screenings and conversations, Resonance demonstrates the power of contemporary visual storytelling to bridge the gap between archival research and cultural experience. Join us as we celebrate a project that turned historical fragments into a living, decorated narrative.
This project began with archival fragments and became a living story…
Archives as Living Memory
Across the United States, many Asian American histories remain under-documented and scattered across personal archives, family photographs, and community memory.
Resonance: From Archive to Art explores how these materials—often preserved outside traditional institutions—can become part of a broader public narrative.
By translating archival research into visual storytelling and public programs, AAACI creates new pathways for communities to engage with the histories that shaped Asian American life.
AAPI Heritage Month Programs
2026 AAPI Heritage Month Partner Program
The 2026 AAPI Heritage Month presentation of Resonance will take place across three cities:
Dallas
May 1, 2026 - UT Dallas
Launching the AAPI Heritage Month program, the Dallas presentation introduces the research and artistic process behind Resonance, bringing together students, researchers, and community members to explore how archival materials can be transformed into moving-image works.
San Francisco
May 3, 2026 - San Francisco Main Library
Presented in one of the country’s most historic Asian American cultural landscapes, the San Francisco program reflects on how archives connect generations and shape contemporary cultural identity.
Event details: https://sfpl.org/events/2026/05/03/presentation-resonance-screening-archive-art-panel-discussion
Houston
May 9, 2026 - Houston Central Library
Hosted in partnership with the Houston Public Library, the Houston presentation highlights the role of community archives and oral history in preserving Asian American experiences across Texas and beyond.
Event details:
https://calendar.houstonlibrary.org/event/16413075
Houston
April 16, 2026 – University of Houston Bluff City Chinese Documentary Screening Hosted by the University of Houston, this documentary explores the 150-year history of Chinese immigrants in Memphis, Tennessee. The screening will be followed by a discussion with filmmaker Thandi Cai and Delta elder Emerald Dunn on oral history, archives, and community identity.
Register at: https://BluffCityChinese.eventbrite.com