Expo Revival: Searching for Trent Alley

Exhibit and Events with Asians for Collective Liberation

Explore the history of Spokane's Asian/Asian American community with a presentation, history exhibit, Taiko drums, dance performances and art exhibit. Presented by Asians for Collective Liberation.

Expo Revival: Searching for Trent Alley celebrates and honors the history and legacy of Asian/Asian Americans in the PNW and Spokane. Preview the month-long art and historical exhibits and enjoy the following performances:

• Opening remarks
• Japan Creative Arts: The School of TAIKO from Seattle
• Dragon Dance with the Chinese Association
• Indian Dance
• Chinese Association Dances
• Indian Youth Club
• "We are Made of Stories" exhibit reception and artists talk

The main exhibit “Searching for Trent Alley: Asian American Footprints in Downtown Spokane” helps us trace the areas of downtown that served as home to vibrant Asian communities beginning in the late-1800s despite discriminatory policies and attitudes at national, regional, and local levels. Racist immigration and land laws limited the development of Asian neighborhoods in Spokane.

As Expo ‘74 neared, the Asian population downtown had already begun to disperse, moving businesses to areas that allowed for greater opportunities. Expo '74's beautification efforts gutted the last surviving remnants of Spokane's Asian community in Trent Alley. Expo Revival honors the space they inhabited and recognizes the decades of contributions from Japanese, Chinese, Filipino and other Asians who came here for work and were integral parts of the community, but whose histories were erased. Their stories remind us of how people and communities from all backgrounds are woven into a city’s foundations and as we move forward, we can reconsider how we acknowledge their impacts.

Continuing the legacy is a companion art exhibit titled “We Are Made Of Stories" - a collection of contemporary artworks by Asian/Asian American local youths and residents on the stories we tell about ourselves, about each other, and about our world. Through art, we reflect on how we view the stories of the past as they invite us into the stories of today. 

Both the history exhibition and the art exhibition will be on display at the Central Library through June 2. 

To volunteer with ACL at Expo Revival, please fill out this form bit.ly: bit.ly/ExpoRevival-volunteer. For more information, go to aclspokane.org or email malbaugh@aclspokane.org

By attending library programs, you are agreeing to potentially appear in photos/videos taken at our locations that may be used in promotional materials including social media.

We strive to make events welcoming for people of all abilities. To request accommodations (i.e. hearing assistance, ASL requests, or other ADA inquiries), email sday@spokanelibrary.org.

For all event information inquiries, email telref@spokanelibrary.org or call 509-444-5300.

Upcoming events