Our Mission
Chopsticks Alley Art promotes Southeast Asian cultural heritage through the arts. We celebrate the cultural diversity of Southeast Asian contemporary art to foster greater understanding and connect communities.
We offer arts-based programs and classes, exhibits, and community events to create an engaging environment of celebration, understanding, and support between our diverse, multi-generational communities.
Art Center
Olinder Community Center
848 East William Street
San Jose, CA 95116
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Art Gallery
Art Gallery
38 S. 2nd Street
San Jose, CA 95113
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Gallery Hours
Sat, Sun from 12pm - 4pm
First Fridays 5pm - 9pm
MEET OUR CHOPSTICKERS
Trami Cron
Executive Artistic Director. Curator
Founder of Chopsticks Alley Art and Chopsticks Alley multi-media publication. She is a cultural organizer, producer, and host of Chopsticks Alley talk show, podcast, and author of VietnamEazy. She is an Emerging Arts Professional San Francisco Fellow and has a Business Marketing degree from the University of Utah.
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Cynthia Cao
Artist. Exhibit Designer
A visual artist primarily known for her intaglio prints and watercolors. As an arts educator, she has led workshops at the Vietnamese-American Community Center, served as Gallery Teacher at the San Jose Museum of Art, and taught in private art studios in the South Bay. She is the Exhibition Designer and Teaching Artist. She earned her BFA in Pictorial Arts with a Minor in Art History & Visual Culture from San Jose State University.
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Caitlin Pambid
Assistant Curator
Caitlin is a San Jose State University graduate in Anthropology with a double minor in Art History and Humanities. Her multidisciplinary educational background enables her to achieve her end goal of creating exhibitions that center BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) art, culture, and histories in nuanced displays. She is also a Chopsticks Alley 2023 Dr. Jerry Hiura Asian Artists Fellow.
Chris Locsin
Poet. Open Mic Producer. Board Member
Chris Locsin is a spoken word poet and emcee out of San Jose. He is a mix of Guamanian, Filipino, Chinese, French, English, and German. He cut his teeth writing and rapping for his 9-piece hip hop band, Bambu. He has competed at the National Poetry Slam four times, twice for the San Jose team and twice for St. Louis. In St. Louis, he was a member of the Soul Vibe Poetry Collective, which toured Canada and performed at countless festivals and events. Chris is a member of MALI (Multicultural Arts Leadership Institute.) Upon winning the MALI grant, he produced the APIA spoken word event, Slam and Rice, at San Jose Stage.
Kristina Robertson
Producer. Gallery Attendant
Kristina Robertson is a Thai-American spoken word performer, writer, and arts advocate in San Jose, California. She has competed in 2 national poetry competitions and curated and hosted several spoken word events in the South and East Bay. Her work has appeared in multiple online/literary magazines and podcast publications. She is very excited to be a part of the Chopsticks Alley team and help share her love, passion, and appreciation for art and poetry with the community.
Sydney Calinisan
Teaching Artist. Gallery Attendant
Sydney Calinisan (she/they) is a Filipino artist from Vallejo, CA. They have graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in Graphic Design. They specialize in Visual Development in Film and Game Design and are passionate about storytelling through incorporating Filipino traditions and experiences with fantasy. With these mediums, Sydney wants to encourage other fellow Filipinos to activate their voices and imagination to embody Asian-American solidarity and representation.
Linpei Cheng
Teaching Artist
Lin is a Chinese American artist and landscape designer in San Jose. She graduated with a fine art degree from UCIrvine and holds a master's in Landscape Architecture from USC. Specializing in oil painting and design, her works draw inspiration from California's natural landscapes, incorporating abstract forms and expressive strokes into her art pieces. Beyond making art in her studio, she also designs and manages the construction and renovation of public parks for San Jose.
Vinh G. Nguyen
Managing Artistic Director
Vinh G. Nguyen (he/him/his) is an arts administrator, educator, and theatre artist based in the San Francisco Bay Area. He brings over a decade of experience in arts management to Chopsticks Alley Art, having previously worked at Montalvo Arts Center, Bay Area Children’s Theatre, and Theatre in the Mountains. As a seasoned theatre director, Vinh holds an MFA in Musical Theatre from San Diego State University and a double degree in Hospitality Management and Musical Theatre from San Jose State University.
Hang Huynh
Teaching Artist. Class Coordinator
Hang is a contemporary artist who is interested in sculpture, photography, and oil painting. To her, kindness is the most beautiful thing that she appreciates and sees in humans. Pursuing a BFA degree in Spatial art and a minor in Photography, she hopes to help the world become a better place through her art.
Harleen Kaur
Fellows Lead. Admin
Harleen is a current student at UCLA finishing up her B.A. in philosophy. Growing up in San Jose, she hopes to amplify the voices of the Asian community.
Harleen hopes to do this by attending law school after finishing her B.A. to become a lawyer who will give back to her community.
Elizabeth Blanco Saenz
Teaching Artist. Gallery Attendant
Elizabeth is a Colombian visual artist and costume designer based in San Jose. She specializes in watercolor and acrylic painting, has an MFA in Costume Design and Production from The University of Alabama, and a BA in Theatre from the University of West Florida.
Martin Mijares
Photographer
Martin is a photographer and analyst turned UX Designer. His academic background is in the social sciences, specifically an MA in Sociology (feel free to bring up social theory or statistical modeling with multiple variables any time). The multidisciplinary skillset gained from Sociology gives him a solid toolkit that can apply to the Design Thinking process, essentially improving the user's experience from the digital to the real world.
Isak Ringo
Class & Gallery Attendant
Isak is a Psychology major at Foothill College and a Seattle native that moved to the bay area in 2021. His most recent artistic outlet has been poetry ever since becoming a part of the poetry club at his school. He enjoys partaking in casual games of badminton and going for hikes whenever he gets the chance.
Jiamao Yuan
Class and Gallery Attendant
Jiamao, a passionate lover of art and animals, originates from China. She completed her BFA in Pictorial Art from San Jose State University. Her artwork is deeply personal, drawing inspiration from her life experiences and the people and things she values. Her ultimate artistic goal is to achieve a sense of self-fulfillment through her creations.
Cloud Le
Class and Gallery Attendant
Cloud is a marketing professional passionate about powerful communication and helping products reach their potential in serving people. Cloud holds a bachelor's degree in Marketing from Santa Clara University. Outside of her marketing career, she is a dedicated dance instructor advocating for a healthy lifestyle and has a deep appreciation for art and creativity.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Michelle Dinh, Assoc Director of Asian American Studies, Stanford University
Hien Do, College of Social Sciences Professor & Sociology, SJSU
Vanessa Fernadez, Associate Professor of Spanish, SJSU
Tuyen Fiack, Chief Program Officer, Economic Opportunity and Social Justice, YWCA Golden Gate SV
Ellen Linardi, Chief Product & Technology Officer, Synctera
Chris Locsin, Poet & Mortgage Expert, Premier Mortgage Resources
Marie Millares, Director of Facilities, Veggielution
Kim Wallesh, Retired Deputy City Manager, City of San Jose
ADVISORY BOARD
David Bonaccorsi, LLP, Civil Attorney
Jeff Bordona, Director of Education, San Jose Museum of Art
Jeff Ruster, Director of Strategic Partnership City of San Jose
Van Lan Truong, Policy Aide, Santa Clara County
Thomas Vo, Real Estate Broker
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
FUNDERS
CONTACT US
Interested in volunteering with us?
Send an email to chopsticksalleyart@gmail.com
and let us know how you'd like to help.