Welcome to Edge on the Square, the contemporary art hub located at the heart of San Francisco Chinatown. Our year-round programming is designed to bring together creators and educators for a well-rounded cultural experience. Our space welcomes Asian American artists for our twice annual art exhibitions and our signature annual contemporary art festival, as well as music events and community gatherings that foster cultural exchange and understanding.
We are passionate about providing a platform for Asian American artists to showcase their work and we are proud to support local merchants in the process. Our goal is to inspire and engage visitors through our diverse range of events and programming. Come and explore Chinatown with us through art!
AAPI Heritage Month
Edge on the Square is gearing up to celebrate the rich and diverse tapestry of Asian American and Pacific Islander culture. During the month of May, we're presenting three unique, multidisciplinary events that honor the heritage, traditions, and contributions of the AAPI community. Discover the beauty and depth of our community's stories and more.
At Edge, we're excited to showcase the talents and voices of AAPI artists, creators, and community leaders. From dynamic cultural showcases to thought-provoking workshops and engaging panel discussions, our upcoming events are designed to foster connection, understanding, and celebration. Whether you're looking to immerse yourself in Asian American and Pacific Islander arts and culture or simply expand your horizons, we invite you to join us in honoring AAPI Heritage Month at Edge.
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Corky Lee Book Talk & Panel
Saturday, May 18th | 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
800 Grant Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94108
Edge presents Corky Lee's Asian America: Fifty Years of Photographic Justice book event, celebrating the work of iconic late photographer Corky Lee with a conversation with Mae Ngai, Cathy Park Hong, John Lee, and Mabel Teng.
Corky Lee's Asian America traces Lee’s decades-long quest for photographic justice, following Asian American social movements for recognition and rights alongside his artistic development as an activist social photographer. Iconic photographs feature protests against police brutality in New York in the 1970s, a Sikh man draped in an American flag after 9/11, and a reenactment of the completion of the transcontinental railroad of 1869 featuring descendants of Chinese railroad workers, and his last photos of community life and struggle during the coronavirus pandemic.
Join us for a peek at the photographs and thoughtful dialogue from our panel of speakers.
Live Sound Bath
For the closing of Within Others exhibition, Edge on the Square presents an experimental live sound bath by Jeffrey Yip x Macro Waves and a Tai Chi workshop by Chinatown elders on Friday, May 31, 6:00 - 7:00 PM. In the act of re-gathering, we reimagine and remember the transformative power that lies within ourselves and within others, letting the forces of collective care draw us towards each other and towards Collective Futures.
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Our Theory of Change
Edge shifts the dominant narrative of the immigrant experience by:
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Expanding knowledge and awareness of a “critical” immigrant story
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Being a strong voice for immigrants with an uplifting narrative
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Being the touchstone that holds the brand and a welcoming space to spark dialogues
Edge will become a sustainable socio-economic engine for Chinatown by:
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Providing stellar programs that motivate the public to visit, explore, and experience Chinatown
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Engaging with communities to build relationships and networks that amplify our collective voice and power
Edge widens the aperture of the human experience through:
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Empowerment, creativity, and optimism
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Sharpening tools to initiate and engage in meaningful discourse, build self-awareness, exercise agency, and activate social transformation
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Promoting attitudes of inclusivity, cultural curiosity, constructive exchange
Land Acknowledgement
Edge on the Square, situated in the vibrant heart of San Francisco's Chinatown, stands at the crossroads of history and culture. We would like to acknowledge that the land on which we stand is the ancestral and unceded lands of the Ramaytush Ohlone People who have stewarded this land throughout the generations. We recognize the historic discrimination and violence inflicted upon Indigenous peoples in California and the Americas. We also recognize the historical significance of this land to the diverse Chinese immigrant communities who have contributed to the rich cultural tapestry of San Francisco. We offer our deepest respect to the Ramaytush Ohlone as first peoples and express gratitude to the generations of Chinese Americans who have made this community thrive.
