Unity at the Initiative

Unity at the Initiative is a multi-site multimedia visual exhibition and in-home experience centered on the work of artist and skater Jeffrey Cheung and their UNITY initiative out of Oakland CA. Unity at the Initiative was envisioned as a means to increase representation of Queer and Trans artists of color; to embellish the gathering spaces of queer folks--community centers, city parks, art galleries--with more diverse representations of queer and trans bodies.

In light of the Pandemic and in response to the nation’s reckoning with racial equity, Cheung and Asian Arts Initiative have re-imagined the project as a pathway to the artistic integrity and freedom of queer and trans Philadelphians of color. Unity at the Initiative endeavors to protect continuity for a creative sector whose “2020 troubles” are compounded by under-representation and outright injustices.

Major support for Unity at the Initiative has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.