With the great success of the Center’s biennial exhibition, Present Tense 2009: Chinese Character, in collaboration with Kearny Street Workshop, we would like to engage the community in a casual, lively, and fun panel discussion regarding the relationship between contemporary art, community building, and public space as a venue for the arts. Among other topics, we will discuss the impact on artists, the community audience, and how exhibitions like Present Tense can bring new and provocative energy into the public scene.Present Tense Biennial 2009 is funded Grants for the Arts, Tower International, United Commercial Bank, Zellerbach and San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce DevelopmentPresent Tense Biennial 2009 would like to thank the following organizations for collaborative support: Community Educational Services, Asian American Women Artists Association, Asia Society, Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center, Asian Law Caucus,Chinese for Affirmative Action, Chinatown YMCA, Chinatown Community Development Center, and Community Youth Center. Less