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While things in Luang Prabang may have slowed down with the low season, TAEC has been keeping busy the past few months!
Since April we have welcomed a new staff member, completed staff research projects on a variety of topics related to Laos' ethnic diversity, prepared to send our Co-Director and a Yao artisan to America for a month, and had many opportunities to participate in staff training activities.
Finally, we have a new TAEC shop catalogue available for our upcoming trip to America this summer thanks to the generous help of Lauren Lancy!
Other highlights included in this month's newsletter!
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TAEC in San Francisco, Minneapolis, and New York this summer
In July, TAEC Co-Director, Khoun Soutthivilay, and Yao Mien artisan, Famchoy Saely, will be travelling in the United States for one week after the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market as a part of the Voluntary Visitor Programme (VOLVIS). VOLVIS was established by the United States State Department to allow foreign individuals chosen by US Embassies to meet with American professionals in their field. During their travels, Khoun and Famchoy will meet with museum and textile professionals, Southeast Asian specialists, and members of the Lao diaspora in the greater New York, San Francisco, and Minneapolis metropolitan areas. Their tentative itinerary is below:
Wednesday, 18 July - Saturday, 21 July San Francisco, California
Sunday, 22 July - Wednesday, 25 July Minneapolis, Minnesota
Thursday, 26 July - Saturday, 28 July New York, New York
If you live in any of these areas and would be interested in participating in one of their public events, please contact information@taeclaos.org.
For those of you in the Bay Area, on Saturday, 21 July, Khoun and Famchoy will be giving a talk at the Folk Art Gallery in San Rafael, organised by the Textile Arts Council of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. See the TAC website for more information.
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Famchoy working on her embroidery with other artisans in Luang Namtha. |
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Khoun with Famchoy in Luang Namtha. |
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In May, TAEC was happy to welcome Alicia Akins as Programmes Director. She will be managing existing and developing new research, public, and advocacy programmes, and directing marketing and public relations for the Centre. Alicia comes to us from Seattle, Washington where she received her Master’s Degree in China Studies and a certificate in Museum Studies from the University of Washington-Seattle. She has a background in education and the arts, lived in China for three years and speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese, and is currently learning Lao as she gets settled into her new role at TAEC. Alicia can be reached at alicia@taeclaos.org.
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TAEC Staff Participate in Mouse Experience
In early June, TAEC sent two of our staff to participate in a 3 day workshop sponsored by Big Brother Mouse. The purpose was to encourage creative thinking and problem solving to build the capacity of local staff at various Luang Prabang organizations. Here’s some of what our staff had to say about the experience:
”I learned from them how to explain Lao folktales’ history for the children. I also learned how to interview someone for their biography.”
– Alai
“I studied about how to use new kinds of electronics and about how to show pictures to students while I tell a story.”
– Sai
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Participants at Mouse Experience experimenting with electronics. |
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Sai (left) and Alai (right) consulting a source for research together at TAEC. |
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Santa Fe International Folk Art Market
The Santa Fe International Folk Art Market is just around the corner and Khoun and Famchoy are making their final preparations. This is TAEC’s first time attending in the Market, and we are excited to introduce Lao ethnic crafts to visitors, generate income for our Katu, Tai Lue, and Yao Mien artisans, and represent TAEC’s work. TAEC is participating under the Luang Prabang Fund for Culture and Conservation so please look out for us if you are visiting.
If you haven’t met them before, Khoun worked at the National Museum in Luang Prabang for 10 years, finishing as a Collections Manager. She has participated in extensive training both within Laos and abroad in Thailand, Netherlands, and Japan. She was an Asian Cultural Council Fellow in 2008 at the Smithsonian doing Exhibit Design, and a resident at the Saitama Prefecture Museum in Japan from 2003-2004. She is a Co-Founder and Co-Director of TAEC.
Famchoy Saely should be a familiar name to those of you who have visited TAEC recently as her story is one of those featured in our courtship and weddings exhibit. Co-Directors Tara and Khoun met Famchoy in 2006, even before TAEC first opened its doors. Famchoy is an accomplished Yao Mien artisan skilled in embroidery and textile embellishment. She began to learn to embroider at age 8 or 9 from her grandmother in Sai Lek village, Luang Namtha province. By the age of 13, she could embroider a pair of trousers, traditionally the most complex piece for a Yao Mien woman. She continued developing her skills and by 17 had mastered braiding cord and wrapping it with silver to use for edging. Famchoy has an eye for noticing which designs work well together and choosing colours that compliment each other. This will be her first trip to the United States.
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Famchoy giving a demonstration at the Children's Cultural Center in Luang Prabang before leaving for America. |
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Famchoy and Ton, a staff member, explaining different Yao motifs on a pair of women's trousers. |
We look forward to sharing great pictures and stories from their travels with you after they return in August in our next newsletter!
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TAEC Collection Highlight: Kmhmu Kouene Calabash Gourds
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