Van Horn Dodge recently sponsored a very successful
festival to showcase the best of Hmong art, craft, culture and cuisine.
It was held on Saturday, Aug. 18, at the John Michael Kohler Arts
Center. The purpose of this event, according to Yer Yang, a Hmong
teacher, is to ”provide a positive perspective of Hmong culture. Our
intention is really to educate the mainstream about the Hmong people.”
We’ve really tried to be an advocate and help the
rest of the community understand Hmong culture and traditions. The
cultural and arts fair portion of Hmong Elements took place during the
day, and visitors were able to visit with Hmong artists including
well-known Hmong artists See Xeng Lee, a painter from Minnesota, and Kou
Vang, a visual artist who works in graphic art design. Local artists
Houa Yang, a photographer, and Toua Hue Yang, a tattoo artist, were also
there to talk to visitors about their work and their role in preserving
Hmong art. There was Hmong food as well as a special focus on
storytelling featuring Ex Fabula, a company in residence at the Arts
Center that fosters storytelling events.
At the same time, Hmong leaders from around the
country held a leadership symposium to discuss education, business and
economic opportunities for the Hmong people and status and future of the
Hmong people in the United States.
The Hmong Elements event concluded with an evening
gala featuring a buffet of Hmong food, live entertainment and cultural
and artistic presentations. Van Horn Dodge is proud to support this
fantastic event which was educational, enjoyable, and encouraged
understanding of the Hmong culture.