Oakland Asian Cultural Center

The API Cultural Center, better known as the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, is a community center dedicated to exploring, teaching, and presenting the arts and culture of diverse local Asian and Pacific Islander communities. In a typical year, the organization serves more than 7,500 people through festivals, performances, classes, workshops, screenings, exhibitions, and lectures. This grant to API Cultural Center supports the Performing Arts Program’s Communities strategy.

API Cultural Center, doing business as Oakland Asian Cultural Center, fosters intergenerational and cross-cultural dialogue and strengthens the cultural identities that are the underpinning of the vibrant East Bay Asian community. The organization’s programming includes three annual festivals celebrating Asian and Pacific Islander traditional and contemporary artistic practices, weekly classes for all generations and families, an artist-in-residence program, visual arts exhibitions, in-school education residencies, and a host of community collaborations. With continued support, this cultural hub would improve its financial stability, plan for capital improvements, and deepen and expand its thriving programs.