The W.O.W. Project
The W.O.W. Project is an artistic and activist organization based in New York City’s Chinatown that works to protect and sustain the cultural and historic fabric of the neighborhood. Founded in 2016 by Mei Lum, it operates out of Wing on Wo & Co., the city’s oldest continuously-run family-owned store. WOW stands for “Wing on Wo” and symbolizes a deep commitment to Chinatown’s future through art, activism, and community building.
Through programming such as artist residencies, youth fellowships, storytelling workshops, and public installations, The WOW Project creates space for Chinatown’s community members—especially women and non-binary individuals—to engage with their cultural identity and history. The organization actively resists the forces of gentrification by empowering the next generation of Chinatown residents to become stewards of their neighborhood’s future.
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Resources
“Chinatown Shop Talk” – Interview by Diane Wong with Mei Lum, shortly after Lum took over her family’s 130-year-old shop theoverheadwire.com. They discuss how this dialogue sparked the W.O.W. Project as a community arts initiative (Urban Omnibus, Jan 2017).
“Supporting Chinatown Through Art” – Conversation with Mei Lum and risograph artist Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya aaartsalliance.orgon mutual aid and the annual “From Chinatown, With Love” program (The Amp, Asian American Arts Alliance, Feb 2025).
Secondary Sources:
Chin, Bertha. “Inside Wing On Wo, Chinatown’s Oldest Store, and the Birth of the W.O.W. Project.” The Guardian (23 Feb 2018) theguardian.com. Photo essay detailing how Lum founded W.O.W. to fight unwanted changes in Manhattan’s Chinatown.
Audio:
“New York, I Love You But You’ve Changed” Podcast (June 2018): Two-part episode featuring Mei Lum. Part II, “Find Mei on Mott Street,” dives into her decision to forego grad school to run Wing on Wo and build the W.O.W. Project podcasts.apple.com
Video:
The MET Civic Practice Partnership – Mei Lum – Profile video (2021) of Lum’s two-year residency at The Met, showcasing W.O.W. Project collaborations bridging museum collections and Chinatown traditions metmuseum.org
More Information
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