Consul Rowena Pangilinan-Daquipil (center) and Global Artists’ Creative Collaboration for Empowerment founder Bernadette Escalona-Cooper (center-left) lead the ribbon-cutting ceremony to formally open the “Colors of Diversity” art exhibit at the Philippine Center in San Francisco. (San Francisco PCG photo)

SAN FRANCISCO – The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco, in collaboration with the Global Artists’ Creative Collaboration for Empowerment (GACCE), is shining a spotlight on multiculturalism and creativity through the Colors of Diversity art exhibit, on display at the Kalayaan Hall of the Philippine Center until May 30, 2025.

Held in celebration of both National Heritage Month in the Philippines and Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in the United States, the exhibit explores the meaning and symbolism of color across cultures, while underscoring the common threads that unite them.

The exhibit, the Consulate’s second this year, officially opened on May 16 with a reception at Kalayaan Hall. It features the works of four Bay Area-based artists of diverse backgrounds: Bernadette Escalona-Cooper, GACCE founder and a Filipino American; Ayesha Samdani, a Pakistani American artist and the exhibit’s curator; Trieu Dao, a Vietnamese American; and Ayelet Gal-on, an Israeli American.

Speaking on behalf of Consul General Neil Frank Ferrer, Consul Rowena Pangilinan-Daquipil emphasized that the exhibit goes beyond art—it is a conversation.

San Francisco PCG photo

“We are here to witness how our heritage is preserved and our identity is reflected through the power of art,” said Pangilinan-Daquipil. “These works tell stories that stretch across oceans, generations, and histories. They speak of migration, memory, resilience, and dreams.”

She also reminded attendees that culture is ever-evolving and must be nurtured. “May this art exhibit remind us that culture is not static but alive, and it is our responsibility to nurture it for future generations of Asian, especially Filipino, Americans in this country.”

San Francisco PCG photo

This year’s National Heritage Month in the Philippines carries the theme “Preserving Legacies, Building Futures: Empowering Communities Through Heritage,” which promotes collaboration among diverse communities and encourages the next generation to become advocates of cultural preservation.

In the U.S., the 2025 AAPI Heritage Month theme “Energizing the Next Generation” calls attention to youth leadership in shaping the future of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities—20 years since San Francisco first began commemorating the occasion citywide.