WASHINGTON DC EXHIBITION INFO
Nearly 15 years in the making, Huong’s Peace Mural is the culmination of searing memories that bring history to life and depict the universal pain of war and hope for peace. The complete mural includes nearly 2000 paintings. When fully presented, the mural stands 8' feet tall and 600 feet long. Exhibition of the mural often includes a number of free-standing pieces from Huong's private war/peace collection. The combined presentation captures highly evocative images and concepts depicting multiple themes including: Voices of Children; Voices of the Troops; Mothers in War; The Peace of all Nations; The Flag at War; The Displaced and the Disabled; The Cry of Refugees; and The Tortured.
Far more than simply an exhibition of art, the Peace Mural is highly interactive and participatory as it evokes civic engagement and calls forth from viewers a response through reflection, dialogue and action. Viewers are invited to “sign on” for peace by adding their own thoughts and comments to panels scattered throughout the mural. Exhibitions are typically accompanied with a series of community dialogues, educational events, artistic presentations and public actions. Most of these sidebar events take place on site at the exhibition and are sponsored by a variety of local partner organizations. The mural is both deeply spiritual and politically reflective as it calls forth citizen and community response. But most of all, it resonates a challenge and hope for peace in ways that only art can do. It inspires, it disturbs, and evokes personal responsibility. The Peace Mural is an expression of “people’s art” as it informs and shapes civil society and stimulates vibrant participatory democracy.
About the Artist HUONG: A young journalist at the time of the Vietnam War, Huong climbed aboard one of the last refugee boats before the fall of Saigon, wearing only one shoe and carrying her infant son in arms. She first settled in Alaska where she swapped her pen for a brush in an effort to”paint out” the passions within her. Eventually she launched an art career that has captured the attention of art audiences and critics internationally. Not unlike Picasso’s own war protest painting Guernica, Huong’s paintings collectively form a body of work addressing the global issues of war and peace. Through hundreds of painted canvases, the Peace Mural is a symbol of Huong’s determination to purge our culture from the ways of war and to advance an emerging culture of peace. Some of Huong's Other Works:
The War Pieces
The Peace Pieces
Let's Think Peace
The Flag at War
About the Peace Mural Foundation : Huong has recently given custody of her Peace Mural to The Peace Mural Foundation, Inc, a non-profit organization established to carryout a mission "to promote civic education and action for peace and justice through the arts." The Washington DC Exhibition is the Foundation's inaugural effort. Plans are underway to bring the Peace Mural to New York City in the summer of 2009, followed by a tour of universities and communities across the U.S. in 2009-2010. As a public charity, the Foundation depends on contributions to support its activities. Please help us carry this message forward by making a contribution today. You can do that right now with your credit card at this secure site: DONATE NOW. Checks, payable to the Peace Mural Foundation, Inc., can be mailed to: Peace Mural Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box 600981, Jacksonville, FL 32260.
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