Museum on Main Welcomes Works from the Vietnamese Diaspora in “Textures of Remembrance” Exhibit
Through contemporary art and writings, the new traveling exhibit Textures of Remembrance: Vietnamese Artists and Writers Reflect on the Vietnamese Diaspora explores a date that impacts many Vietnamese Americans: April 30, 1975, the end of the Vietnam War. Featuring works by 25 Vietnamese artists and writers, these narratives texturize the Vietnamese diasporic experience, in which refugees are not objects of rescue but instead subjects of artistic and political transformation. Textures of Remembrance opens at Museum on Main on June 6 and will be on view through September 21.
April 30 is a date often remembered poignantly, especially by those of South Vietnamese descent; as well, it is a date that denotes new beginnings. On this date in 1975, North Vietnamese forces captured Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, marking the end of the Vietnam War. Reflecting on this day from past to present through written words, visual creations, and audiovisual components, this interdisciplinary exhibit reveals an intimate perspective of the diasporic experience that has been gathered, created, collected and re-collected, and imagined and re-imagined since 1975.
The creative pieces showcased – curated by the Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network – reveal personal struggles and memories, demonstrating the continued effects of the Vietnam War on identity, sense of family and community, and representation. Importantly, this exhibition shares works made within and for the Vietnamese diasporic community to humanize the refugee experience from the inside out. The project aims to present a humanities-driven exploration of the impact of the Vietnam War, collect and share stories in the diasporic Vietnamese community to foster healing and connection, build intergenerational and cross-cultural understanding, and counter stereotypes of and racism towards Vietnamese Americans and refugees.
Executive director Sarah Schaefer notes that the Museum’s is particularly excited to host Textures of Remembrance. “Understandably, much of our framework in the US for the Vietnam War has come through the experiences of Americans who served in it. This exhibit gives us a unique opportunity to learn from the perspectives of those Vietnamese who had to flee their country at the end of the war and became refugees.” The Museum is always trying to bring a variety of voices and experiences to the community through its programming and exhibits, especially of people who despite their compelling stories often remain unheard. Curator Ken MacLennan adds, “We also hope that these reflections on the experience of flight, of seeking refuge from catastrophe, will resonate with a lot of people whose families came to America from elsewhere, or that they will spark empathy in people who don’t recognize a personal connection to the refugee experience.”
Information about programs to support Textures of Remembrance will be available on the Museum on Main website (www.museumonmain.org) and will be announced on other social media outlets such as its Facebook page.
Exhibition Support
Textures of Remembrance is a traveling exhibit created in partnership by the Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network, Exhibit Envoy, and Oakland Asian Cultural Center. This project was made possible with support from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and California Arts Council, a state agency with a mission to strengthen arts, culture, and creative expression as the tools to cultivate a better California for all. Visit calhum.org and arts.ca.gov.
About Exhibit Envoy
Exhibit Envoy provides traveling exhibitions and professional services to museums throughout California. For more information, visit www.exhibitenvoy.org.
About the Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network (DVAN)
The Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network (DVAN) celebrates and fosters diasporic Vietnamese literary voices. DVAN promotes nonfiction, fiction, and poetry to empower Vietnamese artists in the diaspora to inspire understanding and dialogue within our community, and with others. Our complex and diverse stories must be championed and passed on to current and future generations. We are refugees, immigrants, survivors, and descendants, and our stories must be heard. For more information, visit www.dvan.org.
About Museum on Main
Located under the arch on Pleasanton’s historic Main Street, Museum on Main is dedicated to preserving, interpreting, and sharing the history of Pleasanton and its surroundings. The Museum’s regular hours are 10 am to 4 pm Tuesday through Saturday. Its street address is 603 Main Street in Pleasanton. For further information you can call the Museum during business hours at 925/462-2766 or consult its website at www.museumonmain.org.
