An art project by a group of Vietnamese Americans in Dorchester will complement a proposed Vietnamese diaspora memorial and aim to become a permanent presence in Boston, say organizers.
The “Trưng Bày Mẫu Thiết Kế” show debuts on Sept. 14, from noon to 3 p.m. at the VietAID Community Center at 42 Charles St. in Dorchester, as part of the “1975: A Vietnamese Diaspora Memorial.” The exhibit is lead by artist Ngoc-Tran Vu.
“This design showcase is an inclusive and accessible bilingual space for Vietnamese individuals, families, and the wider Dorchester community to engage with the memorial’s proposed designs,” said Theresa Tran of the 1975 project. “It is an ambitious project set to become a public art installation with a long-term vision for a permanent memorial in the Boston Little Saigon Cultural District in 2025.”
The goal of the exhibit, said Tran, is to offer a place to honor the personal and collective history of Vietnamese Americans and to reflect on the lives of Vietnamese refugees who came to the U.S. after the fall of Saigon.
“We want to ensure this resonates with all generations of the Vietnamese Diaspora,” said Tran.
Tran added that the memorial itself pays homage to families and communities whose lives were forever changed by the war in Vietnam, and to “address healing, grief, and inter-generational trauma and to build ongoing engagement. As well as to be a countervailing corrective to the lack of diversity, equity, and inclusion in place-making public art in Boston and beyond.”
The 1975 team has community dialogue nights during which Vietnamese Americans discuss what they want to see in the memorial to ensure it will represent them, said Tran.
“The Dorchester community has been very supportive. Community members will attend our events and provide valuable feedback toward the memorial.“
Tran told Sampan that she focuses on building and strengthening partnerships within the community and advocates for the needs and wants of her team, as well as working on community fundraising efforts.
“We are all driven by our passion and love for giving back to our Vietnamese culture and heritage. Today, the team is made up of five wonderful, talented, and inspiring individuals.”
“Being a part of this team has truly been an honor and heartwarming to say the least. The team and I have similarities and differences that collectively make us so unique. Personally, as a daughter of two Vietnamese refugees, having a memorial dedicated to paying homage to families and our community that has been impacted by the Vietnam war will strengthen, coalesce, and continue to bridge the inter-generational gap between our community. “
Lead artist Ngoc-Tran Vu is in charge of the creation and designing of the memorial. The public art in part aims to “reclaim narratives” from a Vietnamese diaspora perspective, said Tran, and “the project seeks to foster ongoing engagement, address loss and grief, and bridge generational gaps.”
The 1975: A Vietnamese Diaspora Memorial is a part of the 1975: A Vietnamese Diaspora Commemoration Initiative, which is an independent project, fiscally sponsored by Boston Little Saigon Inc.
To learn more, go to https://givebutter.com/1975VietMemorial or https://www.tranvuarts.com/1975viethealing or email the team at 1975viethealing@gmail.com.