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 50th 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. 

The K-Tourism Talk Show is back by popular demand with Episode 2! Join us for our second event where five more real Korea travelers will share new favorite destinations, experiences, tips, and suggestions to help make your next exciting visit to Korea a reality.   As with our first ever K-Tourism event in April, new guest presenters will explain what worked for them in Korea, practical advice on getting around and living there, and other useful tips. Each guest presenter will share their own travel pictures and video at the event, including experiencing KBO baseball games, hidden gems of travel, Seoul city architecture, hiking national parks, temple stay, and reconnecting with distant family as an adoptee.   Ask a question during the discussion to get even more valuable insights, or listen in to discover a new bucket-list destination. Either way, prepare to open a window on travel to Korea like never before! RSVP to attend in person!     K-Tourism Talk Show May 28, 6:30 PM (Season 1, Episode 2): RSVP at the link below! Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C.   RSVP FOR THIS EVENT!     About the Guest Presenters & Topics (May 28)   Meg got to experience destinations in Korea that are more off the beaten path while she was studying there for a year, including Sokcho, Gyeongju, and Incheon, as well as participating in a Temple Stay at Geumseon-sa and the Lotus Lantern Festival in Seoul.   Evie discovered her own precious memories and hidden gems in Korea while meeting her partner’s family on the island of Jeju. She was able to appreciate Jeju’s unique foods, local dialect, the volcanic mountain of Halla-san, and ultra-fresh local tangerine juice—not to mention the intricacies of family dynamics!   Jack experienced the awesome fun of a KBO baseball game in person in Korea! He’ll share that memorable experience, as well as his time and photos hiking the beautiful Seoraksan National Park.   Mayra visited Korea in the fall, taking in the beautiful natural colors of nature and temples nestled in rural areas as well as the hustle and bustle of Seoul. She enjoyed the flavors of coastal Yeosu, trendy pop-up restaurants, live concerts, and other “healing” experiences at an overall slower pace of travel.   Catherine’s trip to Korea was deeply meaningful for her as an adoptee reconnecting with her heritage, but even more so because she was able to introduce her own daughter of Korean-Canadian heritage. Together Catherine and her daughter explored the unique architecture, city planning, and urban revitalization aspects of Seoul.

Join us for The Lives and Stories of Korean American Authors, a special children’s literature K-Culture Talk celebrating Korean-heritage author experiences for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, featuring Ginger Park and Frances Park, co-authors of Suka’s Farm! Ginger Park and Frances Park will share their experiences growing up Korean-American and how it informed their journey to becoming successful authors. They will also discuss the real-life story behind their enchanting new children's book, Suka's Farm. Families are encouraged to attend, and those with a child will receive a complimentary copy of Suka’s Farm to have signed and to take home, but quantities are limited. This event also celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, observed every May to honor the contributions of Asian and Pacific Islander immigrants to the United States. To mark the occasion, the authors’ will share insights into their personal journeys and perspectives, discuss their writing process and key themes of their new book, and read excerpts. Visitors can also have their books signed after the program (books will not be for sale at the event, so visitors may bring their own copy). The Lives and Stories of Korean-American Authors May 21, 2025 (Wednesday), 5:00 - 6:30 PM Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. RSVP FOR THIS EVENT! About the Authors Ginger Park was an energetic gymnast as a child. After her father's sudden passing two days before her seventeenth birthday, however, she realized how little she knew about her parents' lives and struggles in Korea. Determined to learn more, she spent months going through old photos with her mother and hearing stories of their homeland. This process of discovery led her to document her family's history, from Sinuiju to Seoul. It was through this journey that she began her writing career, uncovering both her family’s past and her own voice as a writer. For her award-winning work, Ginger has been interviewed on NPR's All Things Considered and Weekend Edition, featured in USA Today, the Washington Post, and Koream. Her work has been translated into five languages. Frances Park is a Korean American author of novels, memoirs and children’s books. At age 10, she typed a 200-page story on an Underwood typewriter—blue ink, onionskin paper, reading aloud to anyone who would listen. Since then, she’s spoken at The Kennedy Center, The Smithsonian, The New Executive Office Building, Wolf Trap, and the Korean Embassy. For her award-winning work, she’s been interviewed by NPR, Voice of America, Radio Free Asia, CNN, The Diane Rehm Show, and Good Morning America.   About Suka’s Farm Life in 1941 Korea is hard for Aoki and his family. Under colonial rule, many of the country’s resources are being exported to Japan. One night, as Aoki’s hunger keeps him awake, he hears his parents worrying about their dwindling rice supply. Though he’s only a child, Aoki is desperate to help—so desperate that he asks Mr. Suka, a Japanese farmer, for a job. Mr. Suka’s first instinct is to turn the boy away, but he is moved by Aoki’s plea. He teaches Aoki how to care for a herd of goats, and soon what began as an act of charity becomes a genuine friendship that brings them both joy.

You’ve never seen the classic musical Treasure Island like this! Experience a cinematic screening of this rollicking adventure, performed and recorded live on stage at the Seoul Arts Center (SAC) courtesy of the SAC on Screen program.  Based on the classic novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island follows young Jim Hawkins, who leaves home to set out on a grand adventure and follow his dreams. The treasure map left by an old pirate captain who mysteriously dies in his family inn prompts Jim to assemble an expedition—but not all is well with the seemingly buoyant crew. Jim overhears Captain Smollett and cook John Silver’s plan to seize the treasure for themselves, prompting a fateful confrontation. Free with an RSVP! Complimentary snacks. In Korean with English subtitles. Not rated.  Treasure Island (보물섬) Tuesday, May 20, 6:00 PM Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (2370 Massachusetts Ave. NW) RSVP FOR THIS EVENT!

Loan sharks Doo-seok (Sung Dong-il) and Jong-bae (Kim Hee-won)—creatures of the rough and tumble city of Incheon in 1993—go to collect on a debt and end up with nine-year-old Seung-yi (Park So-yi) as collateral. Not exactly parenting material, the small-time crooks arrange the young girl’s adoption, but find themselves faced with a fateful decision. For Seung-yi, a pawn left with strangers for reasons she doesn’t comprehend, the two become more than just guardians.   Director Kang Dae-gyu’s 2020 comedy-drama Pawn topped the box office in Korean for weeks on end, owing to its familiar yet irresistible blend of adorable charm and a heartwarming story. Free with an RSVP! Complimentary snacks. In Korean with English subtitles. Not rated. 113 minutes. Pawn (담보) Wednesday, May 7, 6:00 PM Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (2370 Massachusetts Ave. NW) RSVP FOR THIS EVENT!