Fantastic space, even better mission and lots of thought provoking events that we need in these thoughtless times.

We attended a wedding reception on the top floor (third) of the Asian Arts Initiative ("AAI") and had a great time. The AAI is located in Philadelphia's Chinatown North (Callowhill) neighborhood, attached to a Best Western Plus which was perfect for wedding guests. The center sits on Vine which parallels I-676. It has nice views of the downtown Philly skyline to east and south, especially from the top floor. The AAI is a nonprofit organization. It serves as a community center with an art gallery, workshops, meeting spaces, and theater. The art gallery is located on the first floor and is open weekdays, 10am-6pm. The organization is inclusive, works to promote racial equity, and encourages discourse about the Asian-American experience. Like many buildings in Center City, the AAI building is old and creaky. There are both stairs and an elevator. The stairwell on the lower level had a funky, sewer-like smell. The stairwell had cool, colorful murals. The wedding reception took over pretty much the entire third floor space. The open layout had all-white walls and wood (or wood laminate) flooring. The ceiling was decorated in string lights, there was ambient blue and purple lighting up some of the walls, and six windows provided views facing south towards city skyscrapers. There were white tablecloths, candles and flowers, white folding chairs, bar and catering stations set up along the perimeter by Chef's Table Catering of Philadelphia (https://www.yelp.com/biz/chefs-table-catering-philadelphia), a DJ, sound and lighting system, and photo booth. The ductwork was exposed and generally, the room had a sort of loft or factory feel to it. The reception went off without a hitch. Dinner flowed well, sound was good for mics and music, and lighting was dimmed/turned off for dancing. The reception ran from 6pm to 9pm. During this time, the front door to the center, which otherwise would have been closed, was open. There was a lady stationed at the front desk and she was helpful. The floor was a little warm. I'm not sure if the AC was working or not. There were two restrooms. At this event, they were designated one per sex though I think normally, they're gender-neutral. The ladies got the multi-stall restroom while the guys got the single-stall restroom. This caused a backup for the guys at one point. I think we could have also used restrooms on the other two floors if we had to. read more

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This place is so rad. They host a plethora of cool events and installations, and until yesterday, I didn't even know they existed. Shout out to Facebook's event feature for always giving me great ways to spend my time. As first Friday approached, I came across a couple of enticing art shows and poetry slams, but when we saw that the Asian Arts Initiative was hosting a free event, my friends and I decided to check it out. I'm so glad we did! There was a bunch of interesting politically charged banners, and once we mingled and snacked on the free snacks, we settled into the performance space for an hour long poetry slam. Three poets read for us, all fantastic and insightful- again, FREE!! It was my first time at a poetry reading, but I really enjoyed it. Several of the AAI employees and volunteers were roaming about (all super friendly and knowledgeable!) and the event had a very good turnout. I had a blast. The space is awesome, and I'd definitely come back here for more events and activism! read more

Asian Arts Initiative - Cultural Center Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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I first found out about this venue from the recommendation of friends who'd been here for events, and then I saw a Yelp review about someone who had their wedding here. We decided to have our wedding reception here because it was close to our ceremony venue. It was affordable and we could DIY everything / choose our vendors without restrictions. We had the option to rent out different floors but chose the 3rd floor because of its capacity (tabled seating for 200). We had about 130 guests, a dance floor, and food/activity stations (see pictures for reference and note comments on my pictures).  Matt Nelson was our event coordinator at AAI--we walked through the venue together, negotiated the contract, and we even received an exclusive passcode to enter the building to set up whenever we wanted to. Our wedding was on a Saturday and we had to rent the space out on Friday for set up, but I was glad to have that flexibility without having to worry about when AAI staff would be in the building or paying them to stay later than their normal hours. We worked with Kevin Hart from Chef's Table Catering for all our food and also rentals (tables, chairs, linens, dining ware, etc.) because of their reviews and they were already familiar with the venue from previous events. We had one hiccup with the space the night before the wedding, but Matt was very helpful in handling it quickly. I was also really glad that AAI had amenities we could use--high tables, chairs, uplights to add pops of color to the room, etc. We did a lot of non-traditional elements to our reception, including no seating chart, so we wanted a lot of mingling between our guests and spent a lot of time on our floor plan. Our decor was pretty minimalistic but everything worked out so I'd definitely recommend their space for your wedding if you want more freedom than wedding venues will give you! read more

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Whoever isn't acquainted with Asian Arts ought to be. They are an inspiration to Philadelphia, empowering and engaging the community to the various expressions of art. Stop by, get involved, but don't miss out on their events, ranging from galleries, performances, projects, classes, and even film festivals! (ie. Philadelphia Asian Arts Film Festival). Their staff is always brimming with joy and warmth to the community. read more

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I attended an open mic session last year where people could sign up ahead of time to read poetry, writing, music, etc. In my opinion, I would have to say that this is not a family friendly event. So be prepared to be shock with subject matter as well as language. In general, I think it's a good thing there is an organization that allows for Asian American youth to learn from new experiences. Maybe I am old school, but I feel there is a better form of expression without all the cursing. That's just me. The gallery is a bit sparse and could be improved a bit. Plus, there is a snack table during the open mic session if you wanted something to munch or drink. Parking situation is a bit of a headache since it is on Vine Street. I just parked in Chinatown and walked over. There isn't an obvious sign on the door with Asian Art Initiative. Just look for the street address 1219 Vine Street and you'll see what looks like an art gallery through the windows. read more

What is your next event? You should have it here! Non-profit conference or party? Arts festival? Wedding? Do it here. My partner and I got married here in October and it was a perfect venue for us! We discovered it when my employer (a non-profit) hosted an event for our program's participants at the venue. At first I thought it felt a little run down, but I quickly came to see that it was simply that our team didn't put as much thought into how to best use the space and how to decorate it. The AAI has a 3rd floor large event space and several smaller studios or galleries on the 2nd floor, as well as the gallery and theater space on the first floor. For our wedding, for less than 2k, we were able to have the 3rd floor on Firday all day, Saturday all day, and Sunday morning. We came in and set up with a bunch of our friends and family on Friday and decorated. On Satruday we had our ceremony and reception on the 3rd floor with a cocktail hour in the first floor theater and gallery while their staff helped turn over the space between the ceremony and reception. We were able to stay late and have our after party as one continous part of our reception (we left around 1:30am). Then we came back the next morning to clean up, which, with some helping hands, we were able to do in less than 2 hours. They don't have their own event furniture, linens, or flat/stemware, but they do have a contract with South Jersey Party Rentals, and you just tell them what you want to rent and they arrange it for you with a discount. You pay additional money for whatever staff you need from them, but you can also bring in your own staff and vendors. The event coordinator, Matt, was there for everything we needed: multiple visits and walk-throughs, was there the whole day we were getting ready, and the day we cleaned up and introduced us to the team that would be there for the night of the wedding itself. Our wedding was the favorite of any wedding I've ever been to, and from what I've heard--not many brides can say that they were so stressed about details. read more

Asian Arts Initiative - Wedding reception on 3rd floor - Cultural Center Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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I had the extreme pleasure of visiting this organization's visual arts gallery yesterday when I had some free time before work. What a pleasant surprise. I discovered it through one of the few weekly free newspapers in Philly, and after having gained an interest in Chinese pop art over the past couple years, I'd see what some local and national Asian artists were up to. The exhibition, called Transplants, features sculpture, painting, photography, mixed-media/collage pieces, video art, and interactive travel art. There is quite a lot of lighting through the huge open windows at the front of the gallery. Who knows what the place looks like at night, but it's a loft/warehouse style gallery so I'm sure there's a "cutting edge" feel to it. I visited on Monday. Please note that the gallery does not usually open on Mondays, but the executive assistant was kind enough to let me in and set up all of the video pieces for me. Definitely quality service. I also got to meet the director, who personally greeted me as I browsed. In regards to size, there were about thirty to forty individual pieces in the one-room gallery. There was also a giant table that I'm assuming is used for special events, and there is a second, back-room that is probably used for the events as well. I hear that there was recently an open-mic for poets and performers. I recommend you check the place out. It's inconspicuous but well-worth the visit. The information provided on the featured artists is fulfilling, and there's a great sense of quality overarching the entire space. read more

Had my first visit here recently and it was wonderful. Staff was really nice and there is additional gallery space on the 3rd floor in addition to the main space on the 1st floor. They also have events as well, so happy I found this place! read more

Came here for the closing night of the Asian film festival, and was treated to a documentary on Estria and Prime, two graffiti artists based in Hawaii/LA (while having no background knowledge in the area!) We got tickets online (less than $10) and indulged in Poi Dog-catered buffet dinner with homemade brews by HOPS after the Mele Murals documentary, served in a warehouse-like area with tables. The venue was large and I loved the beautiful live mural winding up the stairway. Great staff too, and I'm excited to attend future events! read more

I've been to AAI to see a few different exhibitions, all totally excellent. I've also volunteered as a workshop facilitator here and have had a wonderful experience. Toni Dang, a program coordinator there, is the bomb. If you're interested in working with this organization, I definitely recommend contacting them and getting involved. read more

We loved AAI's recent Neighborhood Showcase of Asian performance artists. Seeing Chinese opera, modern dance, a K-Pop dance troop, and more all in one event was a ton of fun. When the director announced a community dinner (with so many delicious dishes!) we couldn't believe how much AAI was providing for a free event. I would recommend this space to anyone who loves art, Asian culture, or who's just looking for a fun way to spend an afternoon! They're located in Chinatown so you can grab dim sum or some other delicious treat before or after. read more

I've been going to ASian Arts Initiative since the 1990s as they were forced to move from space to space. I am so psyched that they finally have this amazing facility that features gallery, classroom and performance space. They've seriously got some of the best arts programming in the city and are always a highlight on First Fridays (especially when food is involved!) read more

This is long overdue, as I threw an event here in March of 2015 for an adult birthday party. The crew was thorough, helped in decorating and lighting and worked with our preferences before, during and after the event. Alethea was my main contact throughout the planning and was very cooperative and responsive and worked with family members to help make it all happen. Just make sure you check if event insurance is truly necessary. They do work with you. The space itself was perfect for about 70-80 people, and can fit even more. We used their tables to lay everything out and there was more for spare. I couldn't have asked for a better space to have it. We did rent a portable bar as the tables available are too low for serving drinks. I would use them again. read more