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Newsletter, December 2013
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At TAEC, we’re excited about the possibilities for 2014: increased presence within our local community, supporting more rural ethnic artisans, expanding international partnerships to offer dynamic programs targeted toward Lao youth, and growing our educational outreach and advocacy initiatives. Read on to learn more about how you can help in these final days of 2013 to propel us into new possibilities for the new year, the progress of the Stitching Our Stories project, TAEC's recent handicraft training trip, and other exciting work we've been up to!
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Support Ethnic Minorities in Laos!
We still remember the amazing outpouring of support this time last year as TAEC conducted its first fundraising campaign. Donations from all corners of the globe came in support of our work tp promote artisanal and ethnic heritage in Laos. We raised over $6000, which allowed us to:
- Expand our handicrafts work to one new community to develop products with 18 village weavers,
- Host our first children's summer activity (see photos here),
- Mount a temporary exhibition in Le Patio Cafe with the Stitching Our Stories project photography.
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| Khoun explaining a new design to artisans in Vientiane province. |
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The children from last summer's activity with their freshly dyed scarves. |
In this time of gift giving and generosity, will you consider supporting our work in Laos?
If you gave last year, consider doubling your amount this year, or giving monthly. If you haven’t given before, please consider contributing to the work we are able to do in 2014! Why? Well…
- The Stitching Our Stories project, a partnership with PhotoForward, empowers young ethnic minority women – videos from the 2012 session are being screened at the Luang Prabang Film Festival and the Angkor Wat International Film Festival, and their photos are being exhibited at the Asia Society Texas Center. The 2013 sessions is underway, and with your support, we will be exhibiting their work at TAEC in September 2014.
- Our handicrafts work benefits over 600 artisans, mostly ethnic minority women, allowing them to make a livelihood from their traditional skills. In 2012, rural artisans earned over $40,000 through TAEC.
- At the close of our 2013 Summer Children's Camp we were approached by many children asking if there would be another chance to participate. Next July, we could offer the cultural immersion opportunity for more children and potentially to those from even further away!
Click here to give your donation today! And don't forget to share this giving opportunity with your family and friends, too!
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Asia Society Exhibition Launched
More than 1600 visitors came out for the Asia Society Texas Center launch of “From History to New Horizons,” featuring photography from TAEC’s collection and the Stitching Our Stories project! “From History to New Horizons” highlights the changing lifestyles of Lao women and their important role in our communities.
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| TAEC photographs exhibited in the Asia Society Texas Center. |
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The display of photographs from Stitching Our Stories. |
The exhibition will be up until 9 February, so please tell your friends! TAEC’s book, “The Cultural Diversity of Laos: Stories from the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre” is also being sold at the exhibit.
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Stitching Our Stories at the Luang Prabang Film Festival!
More great news about the Stitching Our Stories Project! The short films from last year’s participants will be screened at the Luang Prabang Film Festival. The film, which was edited by local Hmong film students, will be shown at 11:00AM at the LPFF Visitor Center from 7 – 10 December. On Wednesday, 11 December, there will be a special presentation by the SoS filmmakers, subjects, and film editors at the Luang Prabang Film Festival. More details on that event here.
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| The student filmmakers at work. |
The Stitching Our Stories project, a partnership with Photo Forward, is currently in the middle of its second phase with six women from varied ethnic groups. The first phase finished successfully with an exhibit of the participants’ work at TAEC on 17 November. View photos of the celebration on our Facebook page.
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Last month, TAEC visited two villages in Vientiane Province. In the Tai Lao village of Houay Pamom, TAEC conducted training with the four heads of the handicrafts in the village to experiment with new designs and color combinations for products. The artisans in this village are accomplished weavers using mulberry paper fibre mixed with cotton or silk for their signature handicrafts. In Houay San, we revisited a Yao Mien village we had worked with two years ago to train 14 women in quality control and new color combinations. In the coming months, we look forward to sharing the new products we developed during our trip with you!
Khoun working with weavers on new design. |
Textile Conservation Talk at TAEC
In late November, TAEC hosted a special talk by textile conservator Julia Brennan. Julia has over 30 years of experience, and in 2013, completed a 6-year contract with the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles in Bangkok. Her fascinating talk led us through her experiences treating textiles in mountain monasteries in Bhutan, admiralty-themed royal embroidery in Bangkok, President Lincoln’s greatcoat, and Howard Hughes’ flight suit.
Our next talk will be on Saturday, 11 January at 3pm. Dr. Linda McIntosh, the curator of our new exhibition “Carving a Community,” will be speaking about the Katu ethnic group and her field experience when developing the exhibit. Like our Facebook page to get alerts whenever we have new speakers coming!
| Dr. Linda McIntosh in the Katu exhibition, flanked by Professor Vo Quang Trong, Director of the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, and Dr. Luu Hung, Deputy Director of the VME and advisor to our project. |
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