About the AKAA

The Archive of Korean Artists in America (AKAA) is a community-driven digital archive dedicated to documenting and preserving the vast creative practices, histories, and contributions of Korean artists working in the United States.

Established in 2013 by the AHL Foundation, it is the mission of the AKAA to collect and preserve crucial archival materials related to contemporary artists of Korean descent active in the United States. Formerly known as the “Archive of Korean-American Artists,” it was renamed as the “Archive of Korean Artists in America” in 2015 to become a larger and more comprehensive account of artists of Korean heritage making art in the United States.

The AKAA’s digital archive launched in 2017 with the goal of expanding access for the general public, including curators, researchers, collectors, and future generations to a rich body of materials. In 2026, the AKAA redeveloped its digital interface to improve accessibility, enhance research efficiency, and integrate the archive’s physical collection with its online platform.

The AKAA serves artists, researchers, educators, and the public by providing access to artist records, interviews, and archival materials that reflect diverse artistic practices and lived experiences shaped by migration, geography, and intercultural exchange. As a living archive, the AKAA looks forward to continued growth through artist participation, donated materials, ongoing research, and communal accountability.

RECORDS

The AKAA maintains both digital and physical records. Records may include artist biographies, artworks, exhibition histories, publications, photographs, scanned documents, and media materials such as original audio or video such as interview recordings. Digital records are publicly accessible through the AKAA website for research and educational use.

Physical materials are housed in the AKAA Archive Room and are accessible by appointment only. Records are developed through careful ongoing research and thoughtful collaboration and are subject to updates as new information and materials become available.

INTERVIEWS

Interviews are a vital foundational component of the AKAA as they serve as an irreplaceable oral history resource within the archive. Interviews are conducted (in English and/or Korean based on the artists’ preference) as in-depth conversations between artists and interviewers who are familiar and dedicated to their practice, such as curators, critics, and art historians. Interview transcripts are presented alongside related archival materials and artist records.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The AKAA is made possible through the indispensable, generous support of public and private funders, individual donors, and community partners committed to preserving Korean diasporic art histories.

• Overseas Koreans Foundation
• Grace Charity Foundation
• Kim Family Fund
• Ran Hwang Fund
• E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation
• Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF)
• Yang Won Sun Foundation

We are deeply grateful for all of our partners in this critical effort.

GET INVOLVED

The AKAA is a living archive with community as its core, strengthening and growing through community participation. Please consider getting involved by:

• Donating Material to the AKAA Archive
• Becoming a patron of the AKAA
• Frequently Asked Questions