In the United States, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month is officially observed in May. The idea for this commemoration came from Jeanie Jew, a former Capitol staffer intent on recognizing the contributions and culture of Asian-Pacific Americans. Jew’s great-grandfather, M.Y. Lee, came to the United States from China in the 1800s. Lee found work building the transcontinental railroad but was later killed during a period of anti-Asian sentiment. Following the U.S. Bicentennial celebration in 1976, Jew shared her idea with Rep. Frank Horton. In 1978, the first joint resolution was signed by President Jimmy Carter, setting aside the first 10 days of May, later to be expanded to the full month.

At the GVSU Art Museum, AAPI Month allows us to highlight some of the amazing artists and artwork in our collection, representing countries and cultures from the Asian continent and the Pacific islands of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Many of these artists and artworks also illustrate important connections between GVSU and AAPI countries. Artists with ties abroad include Hoon Lee, who came from South Korea and is currently an associate professor of ceramics at GVSU, and Khoi Tran, an international student from Vietnam who graduated from GVSU in 2022. The Fish Bearing Tree of Ngibtal by Ling Tebang was a gift of the President of Palau, Tommy Remengesau, to GVSU President Thomas Haas, while Ganesh by Babulal Marotia was acquired by GVSU members on a cultural exchange visit to India. Finally, other works, such as Celebrate People’s History: The International Hotel by Claude Moller, remind us of the spirit behind the AAPI Month, the legacy of Jeanie Jew and her great-grandfather, and the need for Asian Pacific Activism. 

Depictions of Ganesh (also spelled Ganesha, Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar), one of the best-known and worshipped deities of Hinduism, are found throughout India. Readily identified by his elephant head and four arms, this god is believed to bring good luck. The painting by Babulal Marotia is one of over 200 contemporary Indian works in the collection.

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In Contemporary Art, Does ‘Regression Of Subject,’ Discoursed Especially After Postmodernism, Have Any Correlation With ‘The Craftsman’ (R. Sennett, 2008) As Subject?, Hoon Lee, an accomplished ceramist and GVSU associate professor, blends contemporary and traditional Korean approaches in his work, using a variety of unexpected materials and techniques. Lee has also helped foster a relationship between GVSU and SEOULTECH (Seoul National University of Science & Technology), resulting in several exchanges between students and faculty of the two institutions.

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This work by artist Ling Tebang is a modern storyboard depicting an ancient Palauan Legend of Meduu Ribtal (The Breadfruit Story). The people of Palau have long been both good storytellers and skillful woodcarvers. Storyboards were introduced into Palau by a Japanese artist and quickly adapted by Palauan artisans to their own traditions. This storyboard and another two-sided work by artist Linter Dismas were gifts to GVSU President Thomas Haas.

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In Vietnamese mythology and culture, there are four sacred animals (the dragon, unicorn, tortoise, and phoenix) that often appear in art and architectural decorations on palaces, temples, pagodas, and tombs. In this piece, we see artist Khoi Tran take inspiration from this long history of Vietnamese artists depicting the dragon, here embellished with a floral background in blue ink.

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Claude Moller’s work is titled after The International Hotel in San Francisco, a low-income residential hotel that was at the center of a Filipino neighborhood next to a growing financial district. It would become the site of a dramatic Asian American housing-rights battle in the 1970s, an important social justice event that is celebrated in this poster.

Moller's poster is also part of the Celebrate People's History poster collection. These posters embody democracy, inclusion, and group participation in the writing and interpretation of the past. Unlike most political posters, the posters part of the Celebrate People’s History series tell the stories of the underdogs, those individuals and groups helping to move forward the collective struggle of humanity to create a more just world. Since 1998, over 130 different posters have been displayed on the streets of over a dozen cities, representing over 150 artists and writers. 

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