Happy Boun Pravet!

Although there are many ways to spell it, the Lao Assistance Center is happy to wish you all a very happy Boun Pravet and a safe holiday season!

Lao Youth Forum: June 20th!

Join us for an afternoon of activities, entertainment, and interaction with other youths at the Crystal Community Center on Sunday, June 20th from 2:30 to 6:30.

The Crystal Community Center is at 4800 Douglas Dr. N. Crystal, MN and this forum is for Lao youths in Northwest Hennepin County. FREE FOOD, drawing for prizes, sport activity and more!

Remember to please wear tennis shoes: We will be in the gym for some of our activities as we discuss drugs in the media and successful living chemically free!

For more information e-mail Kinnaryp@laocenter.org, or call (612) 374.4967. You can also visit us at www.laocenter.org

Congratulations to MN Lao American Artists!

Congratulations to Mali Kouanchao for receiving the prestigious Archibald Bush Fellowship for Visual Art, and to Bounxou Chanthraphone for the Bush Foundation's Enduring Vision award: $100,000 in recognition of her life's work as a Lao weaver to preserve our heritage. They both received their awards on Monday, June 15th at the Minneapolis Public Library.

The Star Tribune ran an article on Bounxou Chanthraphone:
http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/art/96334279.html

Minnesota Public Radio also had an article about her:
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/state-of-the-arts/archive/2010/06/bush-foundation-announces-enduring-vision-awards.shtml

Some additional pictures up at flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thaoworra/sets/72157624281004984/?photo_deleted=4702818899

Since 1976, the Bush Artist Fellowship has supported more than 400 different artists to enable them to further their work and their contributions to their communities. Each year, up to 15 artists receive unrestricted grants of $48,000 to deepen and advance their work, to foster their artistic careers and to contribute to community dialogue through their work.

The goal of the Enduring Vision Awards is to support artists at a time in their careers when they're often neglected by funders. The money is intended to carry them through what could be the most productive part of their lives, when they're in their 50's, 60's and beyond.

Lao Assistance Center staff featured in MN Womens Press

The Minnesota Women's Press recently featured an op-ed from Lao Assistance Center staff member Chongchith Saengsudham: 'Hear All Our Voices.' If you like the article be sure to leave a comment there.

Ambassador Huso on Laos

On June 1st the US Ambassador to the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Ravic Huso spoke to the community regarding US policy and current trends and issues in Laos.