filipino american community tonight and that individual is ms. jerry verify and i'm sure you all know her. so genevieve please come up. she's the executive director of happy free san francisco which is a citywide campaign to make sure that we're the first health care champion for pacific eyeders in the united states. this campaign provides helping testing for ap i's throughout our city. the organization is also provides free health education and workshops about hepatitis b all throughout the city as well speaker so the supervisor

couldn't be here tonight but wanted to make sure i give a special shout out his words are thank you rock star. she's been active in serving as the director for the filipinos network acidic director and advising many organizations from the filipino caucus to the filipino association and helped to fund the filipino americans for progress. on behalf of the supervisor chiu, i wanted to thank you for your commitment to knapp public health and being an incredible role model. so thank you so much for all your hard work

(clapping.). speeding i know there's other folks here. i want to say thank you actually to my mentors if it wasn't for my mentors mary lee and al perez and rebecca and rudy i didn't and all of you guys to invested in me and my generation i wouldn't be where i'm at today and use the same strategies to overcome things and be able to reach out to english community.

we we were able to lied the biggest hepatitis best recollection projects. so thank you for your mentorship and a leadership >> all right. keep it going for giving me verify a rock star indeed. i'm personally one of her oldest groupies. okay. you know, it's amazing let's hear it for all our winners. all those today who were recognized. i've had the honor myself i'm a produce of district 6 myself working in the south of market area i've had the honor to work with women who shaped the community. i want to recognize them those are strong woman. we can applaud for them yes.

raqeul works with john avalos and angelina. (calling names) man those are very strong strong women and i'm glad that we were able to recognize them. we have so many strong filipinos hero in the city. i'm proud to bring up possibly the next mayor. this guy is responsible for bringing one weekend in august bringing over 10 thousand filipinos to congregate at the center and please welcome mr. al perez

(clapping (clapping.). hello, everyone and happy filipino heritage month. i'm the president of the arts exhibition. it's an all volunteer exhibition to promote the best filipino heritage through the artists. through our community cultural events we pope hope to foster community empowerment. we hold this ever august. i want to invite you all to come open saturday november 16th is the warriors filipino heritage night. i think the contributions or tickets are selling out fast.

they opened another one on the 7. so sunday november 17th is the san francisco bulls filipino heritage night. in fact, we're here with the ray hide so get our tickets now. on saturday november 23rd we're working to put on our fourth custodial any show down so that's free admission and finally, there's next year february 23rd we're working with cal bears filipino heritage game. so you'll hear more about that. and just before i leafy want to thank everyone for coming thank you mayor ed lee and the office for services.

thank you to many folks. and the rest of the wonderful city hall staff. and thank you to the supervisors and phil for the certificates of honor and thank you to the filipino consulate and their amazing crew for their support. also this event would not happen without the sponsors thank you to at&t and the public works f c. the food sponsors i hope you guys enjoy the food we have many in the filipino kitchen and social brewery and gold i didn't locks. i also want to thank the performing artists we have befrt cruz who sang the anthem and

last but not least i want to thank the volunteers (calling names) so i hope you have a nice evening and see you next year >> thank you once again one more time for al perez. let's hear it one more time. thank you for citing >> i'd like to through a quick shout out to the studio in the south of market they're the only dedicated filipinos in the area. i didn't get a chance to introduce this man earlier. he puts together a fusion of music. please welcome them.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> i hear you calling my name. so much i try to say. and so long i've lost my way. how do i get back to you.

i hear you calling my name. if i please from the far of distance. what was the words to say they speak to me in vain from the day's that roam free in our space. i hear you. calling my name. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ >> i hear you. (clapping). ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

>> just a few steps away from union square is a quiet corner stone of san francisco's our community to the meridian gallery has a 20-year history of supporting visual arts. experimental music concert, and also readings. >> give us this day our daily bread at least three times a day. and lead us not into temptation to often on weekdays. [laughter] >> meridians' stands apart from the commercial galleries around union square, and it is because of their core mission, to increase social, philosophical, and spiritual change my isolated individuals and communities. >> it gives a statement, the idea that a significant art of any kind, in any discipline,

creates change. >> it is philosophy that attracted david linger to mount a show at meridian. >> you want to feel like your work this summer that it can do some good. i felt like at meridian, it could do some good. we did not even talk about price until the day before the show. of course, meridian needs to support itself and support the community. but that was not the first consideration, so that made me very happy. >> his work is printed porcelain. he transfers images onto and spoils the surface a fragile shes of clay. each one, only one-tenth of an inch thick. >> it took about two years to get it down. i would say i lose 30% of the pieces that i made. something happens to them. they cracked, the break during the process. it is very complex. they fall apart. but it is worth it to me. there are photographs i took 1 hours 99 the former soviet union. these are blown up to a gigantic

images. they lose resolution. i do not mind that, because my images are about the images, but they're also about the idea, which is why there is text all over the entire surface. >> marie in moved into the mansion on powell street just five years ago. its galleries are housed in one of the very rare single family residences around union square. for the 100th anniversary of the mansion, meridian hosted a series of special events, including a world premiere reading by lawrence ferlinghetti. >> the birth of an american corporate fascism, the next to last free states radio, the next-to-last independent newspaper raising hell, the next-to-last independent bookstore with a mind of its own, the next to last leftie

looking for obama nirvana. [laughter] the first day of the wall street occupation set forth upon this continent a new revolutionary nation. [applause] >> in addition to its own programming as -- of artist talks, meridian has been a downtown host for san francisco states well-known port trees center. recent luminaries have included david meltzer, steve dixon, and jack hirsch man. >> you can black as out of the press, blog and arrest us, tear gas, mace, and shoot us, as we know very well, you will, but this time we're not turning back. we know you are finished. desperate, near the end. hysterical in your

flabbergastlyness. amen. >> after the readings, the crowd headed to a reception upstairs by wandering through the other gallery rooms in the historic home. the third floor is not usually reserved for just parties, however. it is the stage for live performances. ♪ under the guidance of musical curators, these three, meridian has maintained a strong commitment to new music, compositions that are innovative, experimental, and sometimes challenging. sound art is an artistic and event that usually receives short shrift from most galleries because san francisco

is musicians have responded by showing strong support for the programming. ♪ looking into meridian's future, she says she wants to keep doing the same thing that she has been doing since 1989. to enlighten and disturbed. >> i really believe that all the arts have a serious function and that it helps us find out who we are in a much wider sense than we were before we experienced that work of art. ♪