Before Jane Sun Kim started taking photos at the Chreece hip-hop festival in Fountain Square in 2018, her plan was to become a doctor. Now, six years later, she helps make Chreece possible as the festival’s director.
Sun Kim, who grew up in Indy, said she came from a “very traditional Korean” family that prized careers like doctor or lawyer.
“Nonetheless, my parents met because my dad was a vinyl DJ in Korea, and they met at a cafe where he was DJing,” said the artist and organizer about her creative origins. “I think that part of their life they kind of set aside when they moved here.”
Sun Kim decided to set aside her chemistry studies at IU Bloomington, and, at the encouragement of Sean “Oreo” Jones – Chreece’s founder – went back to school at Herron School of Art & Design. Along with Jones and Jay Brookens, she has booked talent, secured venues and promoted the end-of-summer festival that started in 2015.
Ahead of the Aug. 24 festival, Sun Kim spoke about bringing Dem Franchize Boyz and Curren$y to Fountain Square, her favorite place to dance in Indy, the story behind the name “Chreece,” and what they’re doing to attract new talent and diverse audiences.
“The hardcore Chreece groups, they’ve been (here since) day one in the city, I kind of call those the heads. They’re in tune, they’re active in their hip-hop communities,” Sun Kim said in an audio interview with Mirror Indy. “But, there’s a lot of us who appreciate (hip-hop) and sometimes it has to be presented to us in a way we can digest.”
Listen to our audio story above to learn more.
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