New art exhibition honoring Laotian refugees, immigrants opens soon at Merced’s MAC
An art exhibition documenting the lives and experiences of Laotian refugees opens this week at the Multicultural Arts Center in Merced.
“Between Two Worlds: The Lao Experience” will show photos, videos, documents, and cultural artifacts that relate to the experience of Laos natives as they experienced bombings by U.S. military forces, western attempts to “contain” communism, struggles in re-education camps, and their journeys to find new homes in the United States, according to a news release issued by MAC.
The exhibit grew out of a project overseen by the San Francisco-based Center for Lao Studies, which coordinated another project – the Lao Oral History Archive (LOHA). The archive contains the verbal stories of more than 20 Laotian families who now live in the United States.
“The ‘Between Two Worlds’ exhibit represents the culmination of years of hard work,” said Vinya Sysamouth, executive director of the Center for Lao Studies and co-director of the exhibit project. “The LOHA project was so significant because it literally gave a voice to stories that had been kept silent for decades. We realized we wanted to share these and other stories with a wider audience.”
Consultants, historians, graphic designers, media specialists, writers, and museum professionals spent more than a year researching, planning, and coordinating the exhibit project under the direction of the Center for Lao Studies, according to the MAC press release, and was funded by donations from the United Way of Merced County, Assemblymember Adam Gray, First 5 Merced County, Merced College, and private donations.
“Merced is a diverse community,” said Sue Bangon Emanivong, co-Vice President of the Lao Association of Merced County. “What better way to share the journey of Lao refugees that call Merced their home?”
The exhibition will open on March 9, with a reception March 10 at 6 p.m. at the Multicultural Arts Center, located at 645 W. Main St. in Merced. The exhibit will run through May 29 and is free to the public. The MAC is open Wednesday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., Saturdays 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Sundays from 11 a.m.-4 p.m and is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.