Shared Lines: The AAPI Experience on Route 66 by Sammy Yuen

CAMOC presents “Sammy Yuen, Shared Lines: The AAPI Experience on Route 66” from April 14, 2024, to September 28, 2024. Opening reception on April 14th at 2pm. Don’t miss this cultural journey!

Learn more about this exhibit from the words of Sammy Yuen.

“In 2023 The National Trust for Historic Preservation sponsored my exploration and documentation of unrepresented AAPI stories on Route 66 through my line drawings. My exploration began with a road trip from Los Angeles to Chicago. I did not have an itinerary or a predefined narrative in mind, I just hit the road with an open mind and went where the stories took me.

Route 66 is a microcosm of American, it’s often referred to as “The Mother Road” or “Main Street USA”. Many Asians and Pacific islanders have called this stretch of road home. What I discovered is that the size of the towns they settle in vary but the goal is always the same. They shared the desire for a better life and to find the American Dream.

I initially created a series of 14 drawings along Route 66 to illustrate this narrative. I titled the series Shared Lines and packaged them as a post card set. The goal of Shared Lines is not only to trace history but to make history. Three projects have sprung from the initial research. One, a joint application between the City of Albuquerque, the National Trust and the Orphan Sign project to build a neon sign for the impoverished International District in Albuquerque. Two, is a mobile book tour with Lucy Yu of Yu and Me Books to amplify the voices AAPI authors on Route 66. Three, is a traveling art exhibition that rewrites the history of Route 66 to include the AAPI contribution and experience on the Mother Road.

The first stop in Shared Lines is the Chinese American Museum of Chicago. The show will run from April 14th to September 28th of 2024. I added 4 additional Chicago specific drawings to the exhibit at CAMOC. The pieces are printed on Archival Canvas and are for sale along with prints and postcards. The proceeds from the show will go to help finance the traveling exhibition. The goal is to have multiple stops at different, museums, art galleries, libraries, and universities along Route 66 leading up to its centennial in November 2026. I look forward to meeting new people and seeing new places and adding their stories to shared lines.”

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