Join us for The New Beginnings: Golden Jubilee of the Han-Mee Artists Association of Greater Washington, an exhibition of diverse works of art celebrating the 50^th anniversary of the founding of the Han-Mee Artists Association of Greater Washington (HMAAGW) organization in 1975, on view May 15 through June 20, 2025.

Co-hosted by HMAAGW and the KCCDC, this commemorative exhibition honors five decades of artistic practice, cultural heritage, and the spirit of community among Korean-American artists from throughout the Washington, D.C. region.

The New Beginnings offers more than a mere retrospective. Featuring works by 48 artists spanning several generations, from founding members to HMAAGW’s emerging young artists, the exhibition reflects on real experiences of migration history, personal memory, individual transformation, and future renewal. Together, these artists navigate the duality of identity in a shifting world and advance HMAAGW’s commitment to cultural dialogue and artistic progress.

Founded in 1975 by a group of first-generation Korean immigrant artists, HMAAGW has served as a primal platform for creative discourse and cross-cultural exchange between Korea and the United States. Through a wide range of media—including painting, sculpture, photography, installation, and digital art—HMAAGW artist have explored the evolution of Korean American identity across generations and the unvarnished experiences of the Korean diaspora, fueling the regional art scene with unique and dynamic perspectives.

This exhibition marks both a milestone and a new chapter for HMAAGW. Serving as a moment of reflection and renewal, The New Beginnings aims to solidify the organization’s historical legacy while also presenting a future vision rooted in connection, creativity, and continued exchange between cultures and generations.

The public is invited to join in celebrating this remarkable milestone in Korean American art history. The New Beginnings offers a rare opportunity to experience the diversity of Korean-American artistic voices that both reflect on the past and imagine the future, while bearing witness to the enduring strength of community, creativity, and cultural exchange.

The New Beginnings will remain on view at the KCCDC during regular visitor hours from Thursday, May 15 through Friday, June 20, 2025. For extended evening hours, visit during ArtWalk Dupont’s First Friday community event on Friday, June 6 (6:00 – 8:00 p.m.). Additional exhibition details and related events will be made available on the KCCDC website as they are announced.

About the Han-Mee Artists Association of Greater Washington

The Han-Mee Artists Association of Greater Washington (HMAAGW) is comprised of Korean American artists who have immigrated to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area throughout the past half century. In 1975, 15 artists living in the region founded HMAAGW as an organization to benefit artists with Korean heritage and to exhibit their unique works, fostering mutual encouragement as they pursued their passion for art together.

HMAAGW members have exhibited their work through individual and group exhibitions in various museums and galleries across the Washington, D.C. area as well as in international locations for 50 years. Such venues include the Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C., Baltimore Art Center, Historical Society of Washington D.C., Maryland Hall, and Harmony Hall Regional Center. Works of some members are held in permanent collections at various museums.

Members are inspired to showcase their limitless visions, commitment, and individual creativity in order to share the spirit and culture of Korean Americans living in the United States Capital region. HMAAGW strives to pass on Korean cultural heritage to future generations, to enrich the community with cultural diversity, and to increase awareness of Korean American culture within the metropolitan region. For more information, visit www.hmaagw.org.

Artwork Details

Komelia H. Okim,

Promenade in the Forest, Wall Relief

2023-‘24

Digital printing on Fabric, Silver figures, plexiglass cover

38 x 22 X 5.3 in.

Jinchul Kim

Sequoia

2019

Oil on canvas

24 x 30 in.

Tae D Kim-James 

Bellona Excavated: A Fictional Archaeology of Power and Identity

2025

Three-Dimensional Composition; Biobased Plastic, Personal Object

31 × 20 x 13 in.

Jinsoon Oh 

Gaia – Psyche

2024

Cone 6 stoneware

17 x 8 x 6 in.

Yoonsun Lim

Eve's Chat, 5 units

2024

Clay & Glaze

18 x 26 x 25 in.

Sunhee Kim Jung

Unseen on Eyes 9

2025

Oil on canvas  

48 x 24 in.