Happy New Year! Manuia Le Tausaga Fou! We hope that you are all moving into this new year with a spirit of hope and excitement.
As we enter our second year as a nonprofit, we wanted to take a moment to look back on 2021 (and drop some hints about what we are planning for 2022!).
A Look Back to 2021
While our artists have been creating Samoan art for decades, our organization found its start at the beginning of 2021. With the support of our community, especially the Amerika Samoa Humanities Council, we have been able to grow Fa’asamoa Arts in ways we never imagined!
One of our first big projects as a nonprofit was to create the Children’s Siapo Workshop and the Youth Research Program. With the help of the ASHC, we were able to teach thirteen young people in American Samoa about the art of siapo in a tuition-free program.
These students were able to design their own siapo, and present their work for the community at the Samoan Arts and Research Conference.
We ended our year with a trip to the mainland United States, where we worked with the Pearce Green Gallery to create “MAMANU Patterns: Bringing the Island to the Island.” This exhibition brought a piece of our island to the Upper West Side of New York City.
Sharing Samoan art and culture with others has been the focus of our work in 2021. Being able to educate the public through workshops, classes, and exhibitions has been such a blessing. We are bringing that energy straight into 2022 with some big projects!
Moving Forward to 2022
We have already started off the new year with a bang–we are excited to announce that we have received another grant from the Amerika Samoa Humanities Council!
This grant will help to support two major projects. One project will be an event specific to our island, and the other will bring Samoan art and stories to people around the world!
In addition to these ASHC grant funded projects, one of our artists, Reggie Meredith Fitiao, will be headed to Oahu, Hawaii in July to participate in “Weaving a Network of Care,” a program at the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Museum Institute. This program will help Reggie to expand her knowledge of art preservation and conservation–we couldn’t be prouder of her!
Join Us On Our Journey!
As always, we couldn’t have done any of this without the support of our community, both on and off-island. From neighbors to students to family members to leaders in the global arts community–you have all helped our organization to thrive in its first year! Fa’afetai tele lava to everyone!
Curious about what we are planning for this new year? Keep checking our Blog and follow us on Instagram @faasamoaarts to stay up to date on all of our projects, events, and workshops! We'd love to share this journey with you.