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TAEC Newsletter, April 2014
Newsletter, April 2014
Sabaidee Pi Mai and happy 2557 to all our friends and supporters! The past couple of months have been busy with projects and trips. We visited the north to work with handicraft producers, prototyped our upcoming exhibit with Stitching Our Stories community researchers, welcomed several school groups and began work on the new TAEC Boutique in town. In the coming weeks, we will be hosting a visit of three generations of Navajo weavers, saying a sad goodbye to Alicia Akins, our Programmes Director of two years, and unveiling the new TAEC Café/activity space! Don’t forget to stay updated with TAEC’s news by liking our Facebook page.

 Read on for more details!
Visiting Our Handicraft Producers
 
Khoun with Yao Mien artisans in Muang Sing discussing a new design.
  Khoun and Tou reuniting with long-time Lanten TAEC producers.

Our handicrafts team headed north to visit Tai Dam, Yao Mien, Yao Mun, Kmhmu, and Tai Lue artisans in Luang Namtha, Muang Sing, and Oudomxai this past March. It’s always helpful to meet with producers face-to-face and strengthen relationships with our all-important source communities.



A typical visit starts with meeting the head of the handicrafts group for the village, followed by a walk around the village to meet with other artisans. On this visit to a Tai Dam village, we talked with several of the weavers working on a new design for TAEC and got to see the new scarf along various stages of the weaving process. The women have organized themselves into informal weaving cooperatives made up of family and friends and may range from high school students who weave after school to grandmothers! We also organize short training and feedback sessions to discuss designs, quality, and new product ideas.

To see more photos from our trip, check out our photo album on Facebook!
TAEC at Santa Fe in 2014
This July, TAEC will take part in the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market for the third time.  These trade fairs and markets help provide important income and visibility for artisans we promote. Last year, through this market alone, we raised $5,700 in additional income for our producers!  This year we’re featuring a broader range of items from Kmhmu, Tai Lue, and Yao Mien communities. If you or someone you know plan to be at the market or in the Santa Fe area, stop by our booth or get in touch beforehand—we’d love to see you!
 
TAEC's booth at the market.  
Local Schools Visit TAEC
March and April were busy months for TAEC’s education activities. We visited four primary schools for our school outreach program and hosted many student groups totaling nearly 70 children. Most school children in Laos never have the opportunity to visit museums as a part of their school extracurricular activities, so we began sponsoring school groups to come and coordinating their visits. After a tour, we set them loose on a scavenger hunt throughout the museum. We also hosted 275 older students through two college group visits, one from Vientiane and one from Luang Prabang. It can be a challenge to get Lao people interested in museums, so we’re hoping that starting early translates into a generation interested in and knowledgeable about the changing lifestyles and cultures of Laos.
 
 
Muang Nga elementary school students on a scavenger hunt in the museum.   TAEC Education Outreach staff at Ban Donmai Primary School.
Stitching Our Stories Exhibition Prep
The past several months we have been working steadily with our community researchers to continue investigating and documenting the most fascinating cultural aspects of daily life.  The Stitching Our Stories exhibit, a partnership with PhotoForward, will open in September, weaving together the narratives young women have explored about the role of women in Lao society.

We are still in need of iPads for the exhibit to feature the videos and photos they have shot.  If you or your company would be able to donate one or more iPads for the exhibit, please contact information@taeclaos.org.
  One of the photographer's photos of a woman and a child doing housework together.
Alicia Says Goodbye
Alicia Akins, our Programmes Director of the past two years, has finished her contract and is moving back to the US to further her passion for culture and learning! While at TAEC, Alicia launched and oversaw the flagship Stitching Our Stories project, developed a roster of new children’s activities with our School Outreach team, and amazed us with her ability to eat the spiciest foods possible. We will miss her and wish her the best. We look forward to introducing you to our new Director of Marketing and Development, Donna Lednicky, in our next newsletter!
  Alicia in traditional dress on a recent handicraft trip with a Tai Dam weaver.


 
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