The Resilience Archives blends visual and performance arts, community archiving, and free artistic educational opportunities to lift up the stories and histories of California’s LGBTQ Asian Pacific American experiences.

The Resilience Archives began as community and artistic collaboration between Oakland based artist Mia Nakano, SF based community organizing group APIENC and intern Anna Lei. We created a series of free artistic workshops open to the LGBTQ APA community to empower individuals to share their stories through the artistic practices of archiving, storytelling, and filmmaking.

Art + Community + History + Storytelling

Through a digitizing service bureau, Nakano worked with LGBTQ APA individuals and organizations to digitally archive photos, newsletters, and other ephemera. With key support from APIENC’s interns Nancy Phalom and Katie Hahm, disparate images were woven into a living digital online archive.

Visibility is Resilience

Our work has grown to include multiple workshops, guest artists, and expansive public programs that feature interdisciplinary dynamic showcases.