Celebrating Asian creativity at 825 Art

On Aug. 16, 2026 from 2-6 p.m., 825 Arts is celebrating incredible Asian artists within and beyond Frogtown and Rondo. With food, art, performances, vendors and talks, it’s a full day of culture, laughter, learning and fun, according to organizers.

On the day’s activities 825 Arts’s Community Engagement Director, Mercedes Yarbrough says, “Rondo and Frogtown are home to a vibrant and diverse Asian community, and we believe it’s important to create a space where artists and families can experience the arts through their own cultural lens. Our vision is to make 825 Arts a welcoming home where Asian artists feel seen, valued, and inspired to share their creativity with the community. We have an amazing lineup of artists, performers, and cultural experiences planned, and we’re excited to make this inaugural celebration one that reflects the beauty and richness of our neighborhood.”

Join a talk by Patti Kameya on comedic storytelling as a practice of truth telling and community empowerment, as well as a panel between Tou SaiK Lee, Hmong artist, spoken word poet and community educator, and MAYDA, a force in the theater scene, a musician, singer, lyricist and an advocate for social justice. Enjoy a performance by The Umamies, a Minneapolis-based band of Asian American musicians with Filipino and Japanese backgrounds, and explore your creativity through a puppetry workshop led by Oanh Vu, a puppeteer and educator who uses humor and the playfulness of puppetry to tell stories of healing and social change for her community.

There will also be food made by Chef Blong, who brings together traditional Hmong cooking, food education, food justice and youth empowerment.

Attendance is free. If you can’t wait for the celebration to get involved with 825 Arts, you can follow 825 Arts on Facebook, or find 825 Arts at @825arts on
Instagram to see their full lineup of community programming.

If you’re curious about the Asian Artist Celebration, or want to get involved as a vendor or volunteer, check out 825arts.org or email mercedes@825arts.org for more information!