An Asia Pacific Cultural Center news story.
TACOMA – Asia Pacific Cultural Center is celebrating their 25th Anniversary in 2021, not only reminiscing about their past accomplishments and successes, but also looking to the future with a new Building Project for their existing home. The project will include the rehabilitation of their current 10,500 square foot building on South Tacoma Way and the construction of a new wing that will add 10,000 additional feet.
Included in the expanded facility will be Gallery space along with Cultural display space, a Tea Room, Martial Arts & Dance studios, a Performance Auditorium with a full commercial kitchen, a small Library, more Classrooms, a Gift Shop, and an Asian Pacific Garden space. Another exciting addition will be a Culinary Kitchen that will be utilized to teach Asian culinary skills to aspiring students, preparing them to enter the food industry workforce.
According to APCC Executive Director, Faaluaina Pritchard, “Our expanded classrooms will also be used to teach entrepreneurship courses which will be led by successful, local AAPI business leaders volunteering their time to direct the classes and experiences.”
Getting the community involved and excited about the new APCC building has certainly been a part of the design process as demonstrated by their vision for the soon to be expanded center. A great example is APCC’s plan to bring AAPI Night Markets, a fun evening shopping extravaganza, to the new center. APCC would like to generate community camaraderie and ensure the surrounding area has a wonderful place to gather and purchase AAPI items.
Located in South Park, within the Metro Parks of Tacoma, APCC has simply outgrown their existing building. Always striving to meet the needs of the community, APCC spent the last two years working with local agencies and other non-profits for a multitude of programs, outreach, and other service projects, especially in response to the Pandemic. Whether it is Covid testing and vaccinations clinics, or food and school supply giveaways, APCC is constantly working with the local neighbors in and around Tacoma and out into Pierce County. The expanded services to the community over these past two years showcases the need for more, better designed space.
“To better meet the needs of the community, the entire space will be upgraded and pull in traditional features and colors from Asian and Pacific Islander cultures,” said Pritchard.
The AAPI Garden will focus on the beautiful florals from the islands and gorgeous trees, fountains, and sculptures from Asia. Large floor to ceiling windows will allow natural light to flow through the building and illuminate the cultural floor displays while creating an inviting museum-like quality. Much needed office space will be added to better accommodate the APCC staff and their storage needs.
APCC will be highlighting the new Building Project during their 25th Anniversary with a Celebration at the Tacoma Convention Center on Saturday, November 6th from 5-9 pm. Attendees will enjoy a wonderful night of socializing, a delicious dinner, music, and cultural performances including a special presentation from S. Korea’s Kunjang University. To purchase tickets, visit https://bit.ly/apcc25thanniversaryticket.
Asia Pacific Cultural Center was established in 1996 as a 501(c)3 non-profit with a mission to bridge communities and generations through art, culture, education, and business. The center served more than 410,000 people throughout Washington in 2020 through many cultural, art, youth, education, and outreach programs and services. The center is located at 4851 S. Tacoma Way, Tacoma WA 98409. Their website is https://apcc96.org
