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Today is January 26, 2021. My name is Ann Shi, I'm interviewing Matt Manalo on this special collection about Houston arts and culture scene. Thank you so much, Matt, for taking part and speaking to

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us! Yeah, thank you. Thank you for having me. It's always a pleasure to be working with, with y'all and with Rice University. So I'm glad to be here. Absolutely.

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Thank you, you're amazing. To start, can you briefly introduce yourself for those of us who have not met you? My name is Matt Manalo. I'm an artist and a community organizer.

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And I founded Filipinix Artists of Houston in 2019. And also, almost at the same time, I started a community based project called the

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Alief Art House, which is basically a shipping container turned into a community workspace or a gallery in the heart of Alief, which is also considered as the most diverse district in Houston.

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And also, I'm a full time artist, a dad, and a husband. What else? I'm a first-generation immigrant.

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I came here in 2004, from Manila, Philippines. And I also received my Bachelor's of Fine Arts in painting from the University of Houston.

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Yeah, thank you so much. And I really want to thank you for building the Asian art scene, Asian American art scene in Houston, as, yeah, the founding father of

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Filipinix Artists of Houston. Yeah, could you speak a little bit about the intention behind that initiative? With Filipinix Artists of Houston, it was more of kind of like a personal need for me.

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I've been an artist for more than 10 years. And before 2019, I've always been—I've always been looking for a

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community, a Filipino creative community. And unfortunately, there wasn't any. I wanted to start just having a collective of painters, but then it never happened really.

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And, and from that need of wanting to be part of something that was also centered on being Filipino immigrant, or Filipino story or sharing that.

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Yeah, I mean, it, it really just kind of happened, because I was already in conversation with a lot of folks about it, who I've known. But then we never really had the opportunity to,

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or the space, to be able to just gather. Of course, 2019, it was completely different at that time. And it was just easy to just invite everyone and be able to gather.

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And, so during—the Asia Society of Texas had an art show in 2019, as well. And it was, it was a bunch of Filipino artists from New York, San Francisco, who are

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being showcased there. And it so happened that one of the artists that was part of it, and she was there. She came here to Houston.

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So I met her, and she introduced me to Bridget . And, and when– when I introduced myself to Bridget, I told her that, "Hey, you know, there are also

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Filipino artists here who would want to be, you know, showcased by Asia Society, especially that, you know, they–they're known as Asia Society, so," and I noti—and I noticed

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that they don't really showcase a lot of Filipino artists. And so that's how the conversation basically started, and Bridget was very kind to allow us to meet there.

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So the first meeting was at Asia Society and, and it was great, and you know, the rest is history. And it turns out that a lot of Filipino artists were also looking for, for, like a community that we can

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work with, that we can collaborate with, that we could share interests with. And now we've kind of, like, branched off into, like, smaller

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communities where, you know, where Filipinos are also involved—which is great, you know, just using our talents to help the

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communities as well, like, especially during this time, with a pandemic going on. Yeah, following up on our conversation, like, with the collaboration with Bridget, on your, I mean, the latest show "Artists on Site," which just finished this weekend.

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Can you talk a little bit about that, how Asia Society has collaborated with the Filipinix Artists in Houston? Um… Bridget and I have already kind of, like, gone

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back and forth with this whole idea of possibly turning some of the gallery space into kind of like a working studio, and be able to have artists make their work, and be able to invite people to see them

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working. So it was already kind of like an ongoing conversation. And because of the pandemic, they were able to free up some of their programming schedule. And so it allowed Asia Society to have

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this time and space for this project, for "Artists on Site". And so, once Bridget was able to kind of, like finalize that, with–with their programming, she reached out to me and Ashley DeHoyos to come up with a list of

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artists that we thought would be best candidates to be part of it. So I made my list. Of course, I included, you know, Filipino artists as well. And, you know,

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one of them was Royal . And then, you know, I–I also invite, I also listed Ahra , and Brandon . And it was great, you know, like having three of my artists make it

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to–to be, to be able to use the space and–and showcase their work, so— So yeah, in that way, we were able to kind of collaborate and, and be able to give opportunities to these artists who really do deserve—you know, I was having a conversation with Ahra.

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And I was surprised because I’ve–I've always been a fan of her work, but I've never met her in person. And, and she had told me that she hasn't really shown, you

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know, in–in a gallery before, or a museum. So it was really exciting for me that I was able to, you know, help her in that way, to, like, put a spotlight on her practice.

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And even for Royal, you know, it was, it was an opportunity for her to be able to share her story and–and–and be able to also work in a new medium, which is, you know, doing

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installation. So it was, it was, it was a really great feeling to be able to kind of, like, pull people in and–and–and give opportunities. You know, and–and that was like, really the main goal of–of Filipinix Artists of Houston,

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and then as well as Alief Art House. So for me, being able to provide spaces for, for all these artists who I believe that really deserve it is like such a great feeling to me.

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I mean, you know. Yeah, I–I totally agree and the, the amazing works you've done. And also navigating the question around identity and art and creativity, I-I'm curious

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for yourself, and I guess for many of you artists as well, like how often do you identify as Filipino or Filipino American artists in your work; and is—were– were there any circumstance that you wouldn't want to be identified

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as Filipino by any chance? Um, in my work, I have this belief that if the artists who makes the work is Filipino, then it's, it's

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also a work about being Filipino and their identity, even if they don't want to make that obvious with their

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work. I feel like it's still Filipino work, regardless of, like, that whole idea that they wanna—they're not really talking about identity, because–because you can't really just make work

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without a type of inspiration or a story. And I believe that we, as Filipinos or as people of color,

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have very unique stories in our own; or, you know, being part of, like, the Asian diaspora. I think we have very different stories that or–or experiences that we have, ever since we got here,

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we were born, and–and it still comes out, you know, no matter how much running away we do, it still comes out no matter what, in terms of like, maybe color choices, or, or, let's say like, the color yellow

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is apparent in somebody's work. But then that color yellow was actually really inspired by, by something that maybe my mother who that was her favorite color, and that was something that was very apparent in, in my,

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you know, immigrant household growing up. So, you know, there's some kind of inspiration there, that, that still talks about identity, I believe. Um,

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as for my personal work, you know, it's something that I, that I always talk about, and it's I always try to make it very obvious that it’s, it is about identity. But it's also about my personal experiences.

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It's me, studying myself, of myself navigating around this spaces, around this country, around these social structures that are created around me that I wasn't born into.

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So yeah, identity’s really huge on my, on my work. And even my identity as a brown person or living in this body, it's part of my work. Yeah, I

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totally agree, that's like a very emotional and—being able to reveal that layer behind how our identity can speak to its culture and our ancestry. And I'm wondering would there be any chance or in

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any, under any circumstance, you will be uninterested in being identified as Asian American or Filipino American? Oh, yeah, of course, you know, and this is something that I always talk about with my wife,

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because she's Mexican American. And–and we always have, kinda have, like, this conversations about being Asian and, and one of those things is that I'm really embarrassed to be part of is like being part of like the

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model minority. And, you know, seeing the news like the event that happened in the Capitol, how there's a news report saying that there was like a lot of Filipinos that were there, and

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somebody was waving the Phil–the Philippine flag, or had like a broomstick, broomstick that was made in the Philippines. I was really like, I don't want to be associated with that. So yeah, you know, it's– it's hard.

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And then trying to learn all of these toxic Filipino traits that we have, that's a result of colonial– colonialism and colonial

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mentality. It's, it's tough, you know, it's tough. But I am part of it, you know, unfortunately, and I have to do my best to not be like that, or to change myself, or to decolonize myself.

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And hopefully, you know, by me starting with myself, I'm able to be sort of like a—not really a role model, but, but as an example, by

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my actions, you know, and, and the things that I think of, and the things that I talk about. Then hopefully, you know, things–things will change, especially for, for us, Asian Americans and our role in society.

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Yeah, that's so inspiring. And I'm also wondering, if you could speak a little bit more about Alief Art House, which is just like, so surreal, like a pop up shipping container, like, how did you come up with the

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idea? Just like with the Filipinix Artists of Houston, it came from a need, you know, that kind of like that itch that you just had to scratch. Because my family and I moved

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to Alief when we, when we first got here, and kind of like becoming a young adult in Alief, and being interested in art, I felt like I was always

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commuting towards, you know, like, like, in town, "in town" in town, like, you know, like Montrose area, the Museum District, and all that. And even if I did that, I didn't really complain about the

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drive, but I was also seeing a lot of amazing things in Alief that needed to be highlighted, you know, like, there was so much culture there, there's amazing food, there's always—you know,

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I'm just surrounded by different colors, different languages, and different cultures that… something that, that, that, that the neighborhood

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needed something to kind of highlight that; and to highlight the people that live there who's contributing to all these amazing things. And because I'm an artist, I felt like art was my

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way of showcasing that. So from that itch that I needed to scratch, an opportunity came up where I could apply for a fellowship at DiverseWorks, and it was called Project Freeway fellowship.

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And it's basically DiverseWorks supporting a project that you can start in your own neighborhood. So, I thought that was like the best way that I could

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have that idea, you know, kind of become a reality. And so I applied—originally I–I proposed to purchase

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a backyard shed. And then somebody suggested to me that a shipping container would, would give me more space for, for less money. And it also kind of, and it

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also applies to my art practice of recycling or reusing a lot of materials. So because it is a used shipping container, then I'm able to kind of like,

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you know, safely say that it is, it still aligns with my art practice and my philosophy with materials. And so I was able to purchase the shipping container, and then I asked,

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I asked the International Management District, who is the one managing the Alief SPARK Park & Nature Center. And they have like a community garden there where—which I was a part of in 2016.

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So I already knew the people there. So I asked them, and then they were, like, excited about it, that I was starting that initiative. And so, yeah, from there, you know, I was able to also meet a lot of artists

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who are actually well-known in town. And I didn't know that they were from Alief. So, you know, like, the whole connection just came naturally.

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And now I'm also meeting a lot of people and a lot of Alief residents are also expressing to me that they're so excited to learn about it. And, you know, that they, hopefully, that they could

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work with– with the space in the future. I've also worked with nonprofits, Alief based nonprofits, like Hope Clinic, we're planning on doing like a food drive, plus

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a "mental health day" kind of thing. But it got postponed because of, because of the pandemic. But I've also worked with OCA

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who does a lot of work in the Alief area. And then there's also UniPro and FANHS Texas who I worked with.

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So yeah, it's been, it's been really exciting. And then, you know, I'm also collaborating with Antonius Bui, who has worked with, with, with y'all. And they've been an amazing collaborator as well.

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And organizing for—because we also got a fellowship this year, for 2020, with the Art League , it's called “Insta11ations”. And Antonius proposed to continue the mission of Alief Art

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House and, and they were able to get the fellowship. So that's what we're trying to do until March of this year. So we're showcasing the artists that

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Antonius and I have picked. So yeah. Absolutely amazing, like the work and you're able to activate all these art scene, and create a space for the creative minds of Houston to come together.

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Yeah, thank you for all the work that you've done! Yeah. And I'm also wondering, as the ecosystem in Houston constitutes of both the community art collaborators, the artists, as well as the,

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yeah, like the nonprofits and the museum, such as the Museum of Fine Arts, and the CAMH, the Contemporary Arts Museum, and so on. Like, what are the kind of more… I guess the, the, the other institutions

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that… did you try to work with them? And if not, if not, why not? Um, regarding Museum of Fine Arts and the CAMH, I haven't really

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had the opportunity to really start a conversation with them. Although I've already spoken with one of the creators of–of the CAMH,

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and she attended one of the events in 2019. I don't know, I guess the opportunity hasn't really risen yet, especially like during the pandemic. But one big institution that I've had a conversation

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with, with the help of Bridget as well, is the Menil. Because I had found an artifact in their, in their wing where they have all these oddities and– and objects. It was a Filipino artifact that– that told

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a very kind of sad story about Prince ____, who, who was enslaved and brought to London, and he was exotified;

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and when he died… well, he was basically displayed, or, or sold as some sort of private property. And so when he died, because he was covered with tattoos from head to

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toe, that they decided to take his skin off and display it in one of the colleges in Oxford. So they have that. And I've started the conversation with them

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to kind of create a programming to work with this artifact, and to kind of like make this story known within the Houston community, and everyone who needs to know it. Well, yeah, the pandemic really

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halted a lot of projects, but we already started the conversation and see what we could do with in terms of programming. Yeah, that would be amazing. To kind of open up more dialogues about the country's pasts.

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Yeah, and next, I'm wondering, what do you think about the representation of Asian American or Asian artists in general in the– those largest institutions in Houston, like, the CAMH, the MFA, the Menil, as we were

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talking about? Um, the CAMH, I believe the CAMH has been more progressive in terms of Asian American representation. But I think in terms of, like, Museum of Fine Arts and the Menil…

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it's– it's weird, you know, it's hard. It's a hard conversation, I think, that needs to be discussed with them. Because whenever I go to the Museum of Fine Arts, and

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I try to look for Asian art, I am always brought to, you know, the antiquities section. And there isn't even like a Filipino section there. And I feel like

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their collection doesn't really represent the city's population, which is sad, you know.

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Houston is also considered as—I feel like it's already surpassing New York—but what they've said is that we're like, the third most diverse city in the US. And I feel like, the Museum of Fine Arts doesn't really

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represent that well. And especially that they're considered as the Museum of Fine Arts of Houston. I feel like their collection needs to be broadened. Because I also inquired

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about their collection, if they had, like, Filipino artists. And they didn't have any, even contemporary art, which is, you know, which makes me want to just work harder for it.

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And then the Menil is, you know, of course, I don't know, it's, it's a very, you know, because it's private as well. So it's—so hopefully, like me having that conversation with the Menil could kind of like open up

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opportunities for– for more Asian American representation within that space. You know, especially within, with, with what's going on regarding representation, regarding being progressive.

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Yeah, they need to catch up, if you're gonna ask me. Yeah, thank you so much. And I– we really hope for that day to come sooner. Yeah. Yeah, and I'm wondering, so

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in your opinion, which institution has the best representation and the most progressive representation of the City of Houston? Are we just talking about like, yeah, like Menil… ... Or just like, yeah, the CAMH, the Station Museum,

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the Houston Crafts… and the… Yeah, like among—I know your, your community organization definitely has added a lot. And I guess outside of

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your own, what–what other institution or organization do you see that does the best job in showcasing Asian American artists? Hmm. It

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would be either—I think it would either be the CAMH and Station. Because I attended a I think it was two years ago, wait, no, three years ago I think.

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2018 I went to an opening at Station Museum, and it was showcasing Asian Americans. And, and one of the artists there was Filipino. And you know, now he's part of our Filipinix Artists of Houston.

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Zeus Paredes. And when I saw him at—when I saw him in a museum setting, I was really excited, and I was amazed that that, "Wow, like this artist

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exists in Houston." And, and, you know, I was able to be introduced to him by a friend who knew of him. And yeah, it's just, you know, like how things happen for a reason, you know, you met him three years

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ago; now he's like, you know… I was just on the phone with him the other day. And we were just talking about, like, how–how things are going, you know, regards to studio practice, and–and just being at home,

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during the pandemic. And then with the CAMH, they've, they've already shown a lot of Asian American artists before.

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And, yeah, I think it's the two of them. And then, of course, what y’all do at Rice is amazing, being able to archive all of that, as well. Being able to archive all the stories, I think it's, like, such

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important work. Because it’s–it's almost kind of like a protest, in a way, because at this time, a lot of—well, you know, since the beginning of colonialism, the first thing they did was to erase their

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stories. And being able to do that and to continue to do that, I think is a great way of keeping our stories and be—and giving the future

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generations to be able to look back and see, who are these people that started paving the way for– for us now, you know. So yeah, thank you for what you do with the Asian American Archives.

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Because out of all these stories can also, you know, work as an inspiration for more creativity in the future. So this is gonna get exciting from here on. Wow, thank you so much for crediting us as part an art scene.

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And yeah, like without narrators like yourself and telling stories to myself and most of the time, it's the Rice students, the interns who record these stories and be able to hear their ancestors—as most of our

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interns are Asian Americans, but we do have a lot of other ethnicities—and be able to kind of pass that, that torch on, is really amazing for us to learn about history too.

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So thank you for the narrators, and all the previous narratives of the archive. Yeah, and I guess going into a more—kind of the city-wise, as Houston is more known as like the "space city" or the the city of oil and gas.

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What do you think that Houston can offer in terms of its art scene on the more broader, like foot—the footsteps of arts and culture in America? Um, I believe

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that Houston has the money to actually pay for the artists, and be able to really just put away a budget just for the arts,

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and not having to just rely on hotel tax—which is good in a way, but it's also problematic. Because in times like this, where a pandemic happens, and we are not

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able to depend on the oil and gas travels, and the hotel occupancies; then the artists are not able to do their work or not be able to survive. And a lot of

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artists have already voiced out this need, you know, including myself, that the mayor should just really advocate a protected funding for just for arts alone.

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Because it's always easy to sell the city as most diverse, and has more, has like, a lot of culture and, like, you know, because of the people, and–and for the

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people who make the place, beautiful, you know, like artists, I think that we as artists also play a very important role in giving that city, that character that it needs to be able to sell it to

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other, you know, companies, or to do business here, or to come here, to visit Houston for so many reasons. But if you're not able to provide funding, or be able to

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pay the artists for what we do, then, you know, then it's not really a sustainable system. We recently—I'm in conversation with a lot of artists who– whose budgets were cut off to Houston Arts

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of—Houston Arts Alliance, because of COVID, and they're still continually trying to fight for it. And I think HAA is still trying to work their way to really providing or making up for what

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was taken. And it shouldn't be that case. It's unfortunate that some folks' funding had to be cut off, because of the pandemic,

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when, when these artists are always showing up and doing their, you know, making sure that their projects get successfully finished wi-with the most capacity that they can.

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And then, you know, and then to know—and then to learn that they can't be funded is really, you know, disheartening and, and, and it just… yeah, I mean, it's–it's a problem.

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It's a problem. I hope that, you know, like, there's a lot of money that needs to be like the priorities of the city regarding funding, I think.

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You know, like, we could take out some of the funding from the police and either give it to more tuition for the teachers, or more—not tuition—but more, more money to pay the teachers

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for what they, what they do and what they deserve to be paid, or for the artists to continue doing their jobs. Yeah. I mean, it–it was even on the news that Houston was one of the cities that was giving a lot of

00:39:29.030 - 00:39:44.740

money to the police force. And, and I feel like there's a lot of ways that we could prevent crime, if we could provide other folks, the funding, and just

00:39:46.350 - 00:40:01.350

really kind of rethink the priorities of the city and see who really needs it. So, yeah, that's what I think.

00:40:04.010 - 00:40:17.550

Yeah, thank you for sharing that so openly! And like you said, it's so disheartening that a lot of artists are, like the most struggling, because of, yeah, like kind of the bottom pile of the capitalism chain.

00:40:18.400 - 00:40:36.980

So... it’s, like, very… Yeah, I guess comparing Houston to other cities that it’s also vibrant in its arts and culture scene, like New York, Chicago and San Francisco, what about Houston's Asian and Asian

00:40:36.980 - 00:40:53.340

American community makes Houston unique? In terms of the arts? Yeah, in terms of the art scene. Um, I think what I find great about the Houston

00:40:53.780 - 00:41:08.320

art scene, and, and especially like the Asian American artists that we have here is that we're not really trying to compete with either New York or LA. We're trying to make our own scene, and we're trying to make our

00:41:08.320 - 00:41:26.800

own work that speaks to us. You know, we're not trying to be like them, but we're just trying to pave our own way. And, and those are the things that I find great about Houston, is that,

00:41:28.460 - 00:41:43.280

you know, we're really not trying to be like them at all. I'm sorry. Can you close the door, please? Hold on.

00:41:47.130 - 00:42:07.090

Yeah. And, and the way we've shown up for each other is also great. You know, you know, like, wouldn't one— but I'm only going to talk about like, the Filipino art scene, or the

00:42:07.090 - 00:42:24.910

Filipinos. It's like, it's a really toxic trait for Filipinos to have, like a crab mentality, and try to, you know, like, let's say, this artist is, is, is being well known, and–and instead of, like, supporting that

00:42:24.940 - 00:42:40.840

artist, we tend to, like, create gossip, or pull them down. But like, for, for my community, at least, we're just so supportive of each other, that it's amazing to see, that we're trying to, like, fight this, this

00:42:43.680 - 00:43:00.530

bad trait that we're known for, especially like within ourselves. And it's just nice to see that progress, especially in community, and then having that community work to be included as part of like,

00:43:01.690 - 00:43:20.090

you know, Filipinix Artists of–of Houston's mission. And then branching out to even other Asian American artists, we collaborate with a lot of Vietnamese

00:43:20.090 - 00:43:37.860

artists and Chinese artists as well. And then we also show support to–to their initiatives. You know, like we've worked a lot with, like, the nonprofit organizations as well, like OCA, UniPro Texas.

00:43:43.610 - 00:43:57.960

And also, branching further out into supporting other organizations who are largely focused into, you know, Asian American initiatives.

00:43:58.480 - 00:44:15.880

So, yeah, it's–it's great to see and to observe what's going on here, because I don't see a lot of, like, within our communities, I don't see, I don't see, like, fighting or anything like that, or

00:44:15.980 - 00:44:29.090

someone's trying to be better or anything like that. I just see support. And it's, it's almost unreal, but then that's what I'm seeing. So it's real. Yeah, I'm

00:44:29.230 - 00:44:45.980

amazed. I'm amazed by the people that we have here. Because it's really the people who's gonna make those real changes that we need in society. Yeah, I totally agree.

00:44:46.030 - 00:45:02.210

Just like how amazing that people can connect one another. Like I can just reach out to you, reach out to Antonius, or Bridget or anyone, they are so welcoming to, like, give their own, like, creativity and share with the city.

00:45:04.100 - 00:45:19.810

And I'm also wondering, what are some of the shows that you've seen that has been really stuck to you? I know you mentioned the one that Zeus was in, and if I'm not mistaken that show’s name is the "invisible", if that's the one you were

00:45:19.900 - 00:45:36.000

thinking about? I think so. Yeah. But yeah, like what are like—is there any, any show that stuck in your head that–that you would want to share? Um, I'm not

00:45:36.000 - 00:45:54.930

good with titles, so I apologize. For me personally, the show by Stephanie Syjuco at the Blaffer Museum was great. I've always looked up at, to Stephanie's work, and for it to be here

00:45:54.930 - 00:46:16.470

in Houston, I think was great. I also admire what Rice had put together for the pandemic, which included Brandon in it as well. It really showed, like, the struggle of Asian Americans, artists,

00:46:16.740 - 00:46:34.140

specifically. And how we were able to, like, handle all of this, you know, just everything that's happening around us right now. And what

00:46:36.370 - 00:46:52.950

else? There was one show at the CAMH that really spoke to me, I can't remember the title. But it was, it included one of my good friends, Nathaniel Donnett.

00:46:56.790 - 00:47:06.060

Yeah, it was probably like three or four years ago. But yeah, but the whole work just spoke to me. And

00:47:10.610 - 00:47:27.630

then there was one show as well by Trenton Boyle Hancock at the CAMH. I've always been a big fan of him, and I've had the opportunity of working with him, and, you know, in his

00:47:27.630 - 00:47:42.680

studio, and seeing everything just laid out in the museum, that was, was really great, and very inspiring. And then another show, also at the CAMH was about

00:47:44.350 - 00:47:55.490

the whole concept of incarceration. It was a very heavy show. And it probably took me like two days to just go through everything, and to process everything. But I thought

00:47:55.490 - 00:48:18.310

there was a lot of strong work there that spoke to me. Yeah, even Nari Ward’s show was wonderful. But yeah. Well, thank you. And I guess following that, who–who are your, who are some of your favorite

00:48:18.310 - 00:48:38.590

artists in Houston, or connected with Houston? Who are my favorite artists? Ooh, that's tough. Yeah, it's probably a long list.

00:48:39.610 - 00:49:00.100

Yeah, definitely a long list. Um, let's see. Just Asian American artists? Yeah, any artist?

00:49:01.140 - 00:49:20.010

Any artists? Oh, yeah… I think one, one of the artists that I can think of right now is Francis

00:49:20.280 - 00:49:39.690

Almendárez, and how he uses poetry and sound work and installation work and putting them together. I think is, is very inspiring to me, because those are things that I don't really delve

00:49:39.810 - 00:49:56.880

into yet. So, so his creativity and the way of doing storytelling is very fascinating to me. Another artist who I find really

00:49:56.880 - 00:50:14.380

exciting, who I've worked with before, is Raymond Compton, who also goes by KUMQUAT. He's a drag artist. But seeing from all of the videos that he has put together

00:50:14.380 - 00:50:29.030

and the theatrics and the live drag show that he had at the Alief House, I'm really excited, we're like, I want to like pick on his brain even further and be able to work with him more in the future, and just learn, you

00:50:29.030 - 00:50:43.750

know, because he's more into theatrics, and that's also something that I'm, I don't know a lot about. So, you know, just thinking of that way, I think it's very fascinating to me as well.

00:50:48.400 - 00:51:09.450

Let's see. Another artist… everyone that I work with with Filipinix Artists of Houston? I might, I might sound a little biased, but you know, they're all great

00:51:09.600 - 00:51:23.360

in what they're doing. And you're seeing, like, their passion and just being involved in–in–in their journey of, of even

00:51:25.720 - 00:51:41.080

finding themselves, artistically, I think is amazing. Yeah, I have a long list. I'm gonna ask you to publish it in an index for us now.

00:51:42.990 - 00:51:58.700

I could, I probably could. Wow, that, that was truly amazing. And I guess if you're willing to share, like, if we kind of asked you to put a manifesto for the Filipinix

00:52:00.180 - 00:52:19.360

Artists community, what would you want the Archive to remember this group of talented people as? I, I want the Archive to remember Filipinix Artists of Houston, as a group of Filipino creatives,

00:52:19.720 - 00:52:38.680

because we're–we're all artists in our own way, and that being musicians, chefs, you know, and different—so I want, I want the Archive to remember them as–as–as Filipinos who have

00:52:38.680 - 00:52:58.300

worked together so hard, and still do, and to better representing us and our stories, the best way that we can; that we may be heard, in the

00:52:58.300 - 00:53:15.400

best way possible. Kind of like forcing our way in, but that's like, almost like, you know, possibly the only way. But we've, we've existed, and we're here to exist,

00:53:16.770 - 00:53:26.790

more in the future. So, you know, we're really trying to pave the way for future Filipino artists, and to be able to already create that,

00:53:34.920 - 00:53:55.380

just that treasure trove of stories of people that they can look up to, people that can guide them, people that can be available for whatever they need to help be that stepping stone for them to–to achieve the dreams that

00:53:55.380 - 00:54:16.000

they want, you know, to be in, especially in the arts. And also to be supportive in–in so many other ways, more than just creating artwork, whether that be you know, mentally, or have like

00:54:18.330 - 00:54:33.170

a family outside of your family kind of thing, hopefully, financially as well; we're also trying to work that into our own

00:54:33.250 - 00:54:54.450

community that artists need to be paid for their work. And yeah, you know, hopefully, hopefully, this is just the start of something great in the future. Yeah, that's how I want the Archive to remember these

00:54:54.450 - 00:55:10.130

group of people. Thank you so much! I want to use the title of Lumikha's 2021 title this year, "We're growing", and I hope that's a message for all of the Asian American art

00:55:10.130 - 00:55:24.560

community to–to work with. Yeah, the city and then the Houston's vibrant art scene too. Yeah, represent and make it a, yeah, diverse,

00:55:25.700 - 00:55:37.390

culturally not only ethnicity. So thank you so much, Matt, and for everyone, for all the work that you do. And thank you for being with us today. Thank you.

00:55:37.390 - 00:55:38.770

Thank you for having me. It's always a pleasure.