Simone Jacobson (second from left) and the co-founders of Sulu DC, photo by Les Talusan.

A year has passed since Sulu DC launched its performance series in the basement of St. Stephen’s Church in Columbia Heights. Inspired by the New York Sulu series — named for the well-known character from Star Trek — and recognizing the need for a similar community for Asian America/Pacific Islander (AAPI) artists in the greater Washington, D.C. area, a group of local organizers launched a similar group here in the District. And after mounting a year’s worth of successful events at venues ranging from the Ethiopian restaurant Almaz to U Street Music Hall, Sulu DC will celebrate its first anniversary with a special show on Saturday at its new digs, Arlington’s Artisphere.

“We survived as a grassroots organization,” said Simone Jacobson, who co-founded Sulu DC along with fellow artists Regie Cabico, Jenny C. Lares, Brian Wang, and Alex Cena. “I’m proud of us and grateful for the community of people who follow us, support us and are touched by the artistry of the people for whom we work so hard to give a voice.”

At the core of Sulu DC’s activities is its performance series, which takes place on the third Saturday of every month. The showcase has featured some of the nation’s brightest AAPI talents — or “community celebrities,” as the organizers refer to them — as well as a number of local artists. In addition to this series, Sulu staged its first annual hip-hop event, curated an evening-length performance during the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and has nurtured partnerships with a number of local arts and AAPI-related organizations over the course of a very productive 2010.

“The one word to describe what guides our curating vision is diversity,” explained Jacobson. “As cliche as that might sound, we are looking not only for ethnic diversity, as there are so many different Asian/Pacific Islander ethnic groups, but also diversity of tone, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, style, medium, et cetera.”