Staff Feature - AAPI Heritage Month
May was Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. We look to celebrate the illustrious and impactful contributions of more than 45 countries and 3 territories all across Asia, including Eastern Asia, Southeastern Asia, Southern Asia, Central Asia, and Western Asia (ref: asia society.org). The AAPI community has faced much adversity throughout history and continues to face adversity today.
Our new art manager, Elisa Lau, created an illustration for LaGuardia Marine Air Terminal’s first AAPIHM Exhibit back in 2021. This year, her work was the lead feature in the Social Justice category of Bloomfield College’s annual Literary Magazine. Lau’s piece highlights the importance of allyship in a world deeply divided.
“To this day, the Asian community is still viewed as foreigners. Our looks and heritage should not deny us our American identity. We are part of this country’s history, yet there are continuous efforts to erase our contributions and sacrifices. From micro-aggressions to physical violence, the continuous rise of anti-Asian hate has significantly impacted the mental health and safety of our communities. We need to heal and encourage our allies to join us in this effort,” said Lau.
Our company would like to recognize Elisa’s work, recognition, and efforts, as well as the diverse cultures and rich histories of all AAPI communities. Her illustration reminds us all that the world’s deadliest viruses are hate and unwarranted prejudice; we must stand together and unite against anti-AAPI racism. To learn more about ways to stand with the AAPI community, please take the time to read the following resources:
Asian Americans | PBS
Smithsonian Asian American Pacific Center
Stop AAPI Hate
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 2022
#StickingTogether in the Face of COVID-19
Tough times are upon us. Here at Bare Tree, we are closely monitoring the situation that is developing around the world. We hope everyone is staying healthy, safe and socially distanced. Our team of artists and developers is working remotely continuing to make engaging stickers and augmented reality effects that will hopefully bring some brightness to people’s lives.
As events are cancelled and people are using social distancing to combat COVID-19 continues, many businesses are feeling the strain. Among them are indie artists, many of whom rely on sales at conventions to make their living. Being illustrators, animators, and designers ourselves, we want to salve some of the hurt our community is currently experiencing due to cancelled conventions, commissions, and projects. Because of this we are opening up our services and expertise to any artists interested in selling their art as stickers for the next 90 days.
Our team will work with the artists to determine what work of theirs would be best as messaging stickers or give tips on best practices for stickers if they choose to create something new. Once the stickers are complete, we will publish them for sale on popular messaging apps like iMessage and Google Play. All ownership of the work will, of course, remain with the artist. The artist will also receive 100% of the proceeds.
Sending hugs from Tod and Sal, a sticker duo created by former BTM Sprout, Amy!
If you are an artist and interested in taking part, please email info@baretreemedia.com with the subject line ‘#StickingTogether.’