Columbia City Gallery has been awarded a $10,000 Challenge America grant to support two exhibits exploring arts and the healing process in the Asian American and immigrant communities of Southeast Seattle. The project, Healing through the Arts, includes two exhibits in the community gallery space: Unbound: Beautiful 2020 and The Resting Place.

“The arts are at the heart of our communities, connecting people through shared experiences and artistic expression,” said Arts Endowment chairman Mary Anne Carter. “The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support projects like Healing through the Arts.”

Unbound: Beautiful 2020 features artwork created by participants of the behavioral health art therapy program at Asian Counseling & Referral Service (ACRS), which offers culturally appropriate curricula to support recovery. Vietnamese artist Chau Huynh of the ACRS art therapy program curates Unbound: Beautiful 2020, which runs from February 19 to March 29, 2020.

The Resting Place examines the intersections of grief, migration, and cultural identity among Filipino Americans. The project includes artist talks, a poetry reading, and a Filipino padasal ritual in addition to the gallery exhibit. Filipino artist Derek Dizon curates The Resting Place, which runs from April 1 to May 10, 2020.

“Columbia City is changing like the rest of Seattle and part of the mission of the community gallery is to help preserve the cultural heritage and to engage the community with exhibits that are meaningful to them. We present works by underserved artists, giving them a place to share their voices,” said Betsy Fetherston, Columbia City Gallery manager.

Challenge America grants offer support to small and mid-sized organizations for projects that extend the reach of the arts to populations that have limited access.

For more information about the Arts Endowment grants, visit arts.gov/news.