TAEC turned five in July!  As we reflect on the past five years, we are encouraged by what we've been able to accomplish and as we plan and dream about the next five we are excited about the position we are in to continue positively impacting the communities we work with and introducing tourists to the ethnic diversity and traditional arts of Laos.

While this month's newsletter highlights our recent activities, some of the things we are  looking forward to in the near future are sending Khoun, TAEC's Co-Director, and Ton, our Collections Manager, to Hanoi, Vietnam to participate in the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology Conservation Workshop in October. Next week, Alicia, our Programmes Director, will travel to Seoul, South Korea to give a presentation, "Museum Education as a Sustainable Approach to Community-Driven Heritage Management," at the 2012 Asia European Museum Network (ASEMUS) Conference.  Also in October, TAEC will launch our book entitled: "Cultural Diversity in Laos: Stories from the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre" and celebrate our five year anniversary! 
  
Other highlights included in this month's newsletter!

Famchoy leading the Lao participants  in the Opening Ceremonies of the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market  in July.

We had the chance to follow up with Yao Mien artisan Famchoy Saely a few weeks after she returned from her summer tour of the United States with Co-Director Thongkhoun Soutthivilay.  She shared with us some of the highlights of her trip and some of the new insights she gained. 

Q: What were your expectations going to America?
A: I expected to see many different kinds of handicraft products from around the world, to see big and colorful cities and see new things different from Laos.

Q: So then what was it like actually seeing artisans and handicrafts from other places around the world?
A: I’m very happy that I met many people from different cultures and ethnicities around the world. I felt excited and proud that I had the chance to be at Santa Fe. It was very beautiful.

Q: What was your favorite part of the International Folk Art Market?
A: My favorite part was seeing the big pot used for indigo dying. I think I can use it to dye things at my home. It’s quite easy.

Q: What were some of the most memorable new experiences you had in America overall?
A: The first thing was the nice welcome we received when we arrived in the US. The people there are quite nice. The second thing was that this trip gave me an opportunity to meet my cousins there. My cousins and I have not seen each other for 30 years.

Q: What part of your experience have you shared the most with your community back in Laos?
A: The part I have shared the most is how to produce many different kinds of handicrafts like I saw at Santa Fe Market. Another thing is the indigo dying tool. It was motivating to other artisans in my village to see that our handicrafts could sell so well, too.

Q: What do you appreciate more now about Laos after your experience overseas?
A: Laos is small, but we’re proud that we have a nice culture and interesting handicraft products.

Famchoy at the Santa Fe Museum of International Folk Art .

Highlights from our US Tour

Famchoy and Khoun.

 

		Last year TAEC was involved in a project to help document traditional children's games in Luang Prabang. For this UNESCO project, TAEC collaborated with the Children's Cultural Centre. The games  we documented along with others will be the focus of the new Exhibition on Traditional Children's Games in South-East Asia  at the Museum of Siam in Bangkok. If you are in that area, the exibit will be open from August 18 to September 16, 2012.
UNESCO Bangkok's Traditional Children's Games Project  that TAEC collaborated on to document games from Luang Prabang.

 

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TAEC is always happy to know when we have left an impression. Your review on travel websites or your personal blog encourages other people to visit TAEC – and every ticket sold contributes directly to our work with Lao and ethnic minority communities.  We'd love to hear what you thought about your visit with us. In five-minutes you can help direct new visitors to our museum by reviewing us on TripAdvisor or blogging about your visit.
 

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Al Jazeera English interviewed TAEC Co-Director Khoun in early June as a part of an English 101 programme about UNESCO World Heritage sites in Southeast Asia. As a local born and raised in Luang Prabang, Khoun was able to give a first-hand account of the changes that UNESCO World Heritage status has brought to her hometown and as the Co-Director of TAEC, she was able to provide valuable insight into how the Centre plays a role in researching, documenting and celebrating local traditions.  Other sites featured were Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Halong Bay in Vietnam. Click here to watch the full programme.  Khoun's segment starts at around 13:00.

Can you find the following objects and traditions in the wall hanging?

- The Khene                                  - Bicycling
- Almsgiving                                   - Boat racing
- Lao whiskey                                - That Luang in Vientiane
- Weavers at their looms               - Hmong traditional dress
- Making sticky rice                        - Spinning cotton
- Buddha image                             - Two-stringed Hmong violin

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