Mali Kouanchao attending Lao American Writers Summit

We are pleased to announce that Lao American visual artist Mali Kouanchao will be a part of the Lao American Writers Summit.

Mali Kounchao is a visual artist and interactive designer. Her multi-disciplinary works explore the relationship between art, transformation, and communal healing. She serves on the national steering committee for Legacies of War, a national project established to raise awareness of the Secret War in Laos, as well as to advocate for further U.S. support toward the removal of cluster bombs and increased aid for bomb survivors. Other current projects include: Displacement Series and contributor in a children’s book about herself called "Mali Under the Night Sky," by Youme Landowne - http://youme.landowne.org She is the recent recipient of a 2010 Bush Artist Fellowship and a 2010 Asian Pacific American Leadership Award from the Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans.

We look forward to her participation!

Lao Heriage Foundation 6th Anniversary on Sept. 18th!

The Lao Heritage Foundation is celebrating its sixth anniversary by bringing together kids in dance and music. The annual fundraising program features performances by foundation children from the west and east coasts. Though thousands of miles apart, these children have been working together to preserve and promote Lao culture. On September 18, they will share the stage for the first time. The proceeds of this event will bring the Lao Heritage Foundation closer to securing a physical location to house the foundation cultural and educational events and programs. Please join them for an enchanting evening of authentic Lao cuisine, live cultural performances, and auction offerings. Lao international pop sensation, Ketsana Vilaylack, will be the host of the celebration.

Lao American Writers Summit Resource Fair Call for Materials

On August 13-15th, we will be convening the first national Lao American Writers Summit in Minneapolis, a program over 10 years in the making gathering award-winning writers and artists, including Oscar & Emmy nominees and many others.

The Lao American Writers Summit currently has over 100 registered guests expected throughout different parts of the event from across the country to participate.

One aspect of the summit is our resource fair, where community members will have an opportunity to meet national, regional and local arts, philanthropic and refugee service organizations, publishers and researchers who can answer questions and advise writers and artists on significant opportunities.

We are writing because even though you might not be able to send a representative to the Summit, we thought you might be interested in sending some flyers, postcards or other materials for our participants.

If you would like us to have some of your brochures and flyers available, please send them to us by Monday, August 9th, to:
Lao American Writers Summit
503 Irving Ave. No
Minneapolis, MN 55405

Those received early will be included directly in the conference folders.

After August 9th, they will be placed on the resource fair tables as space permits. Thank you!