ASIAN AMERICAN PRESS "Building COmmunity Within Diversity" Friday, July 2, 2010 Seexeng Lee dreams up special community birthday gift for General Vang Pao

photo by Tom LaVenture  (Article was courtesy of AApress) - By Tom LaVenture AAP staff writer - ST. PAUL (July 2, 2010) – Seexeng Lee, a South High School art teacher, who is also renowned for his commissioned public works of art – took it upon himself to commemorate the 35th Anniversary of Hmong in America and the 80th Birthday of General Vang Pao, with a special piece that was created with community participation.The work, titled, “Hmong Icon” has at its center a three-dimensional sculpted head of the revered military commander who was also instrumental in the transition of the refugee community in the United States. It is placed upon three tiers, or layers to denote past, present and future. - The first layer was reserved for Vang Pao and contains his sole signature; the second layer contained the signatures of 80 individuals who contributed a symbolic $80 donation to recoup costs in creating the noncommissioned artwork that Lee funded out of his own pocket. - The third tier – the Hmong word for number three has dual meanings of ‘us, our and we’, according to Lee, contained signatures of around 105 individuals who donated whatever they could at two events last weekend before it was presented to General Vang Pao at the International Sports Tournament and Freedom Festival at Como Park on July 3, 2010. - Lee was concerned that the donations would not represent a fee, or taint the meaning of the gift as a fundraiser or something else. He said it is about a community showing appreciation for Vang Pao though a very special gift. He said this approach enabled young and old alike to show that the sentiment spanned generations. - “The goal is that this is ‘us’ and it is our gift to Vang Pao on his 80th Birthday,” said Lee. - Lee, who pursues much of his art on a cultural and spiritual level, blending an exploration of his roots with a contemporary and universal approach that has attracted other mainstream commissions, collaborated with community for photos and input during the research process. - The sculpted head is gold, an element that appears in much of Lee’s works. In this Vang Pao work, he said gold represents significance and a sort of sacredness, which is what Vang Pao has become in some ways as an iconic leader. - The Minnesota Hmong community celebrated the 80th Birthday of their revered leader, General Vang Pao on July 1 at Aldrich Arena in Maplewood. During the event, he signed the center piece of the artwork – gold on black. - General Vang Pao, center left, together with former veterans of the US/CIA Special Guerrilla Unit (SGU) in Laos during the American War in Vietnam from 1961 – 75, during the 4th Annual National Conference July 2 at Hmong American Alliance Church in Maplewood. - General Vang Pao was also in town to meet with former veterans of the US/CIA Special Guerrilla Unit in Laos during the American War in Vietnam from 1961 – 75. He attended the 4th Annual National Conference on July 2 at Hmong American Alliance Church in Maplewood. - The meeting brought SGU veterans from around the world together with key supporters and agency staff to discuss current initiatives to assist Hmong veterans and their survivors with benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense.Lee said that this artwork is also in appreciation for the SGU of America, and that it was an important opportunity to have many of SGU leaders that worked alongside Vang Pao to sign the work while they were in town for the conference. - Lee partnered with Lao Family Community of Minnesota and Hmong 18 Council and said their role offered coordination for the community participation. He said the gift is important as a symbolic stage of community development and for the monumental birthday of Vang Pao. - He added that one day after Vang Pao has passed on, the work would make its way to Lao Family Community for permanent exhibition. See more photos of the artwork and community involvement at www.seexeng.com.   PLEASE VISIT ASIAN AMERICAN PRESS WEBSITE for the actual article:  http://aapress.com/community/seexeng-lee-dreams-up-special-community-birthday-gift-for-general-vang-pao/

ASIAN AMERICAN PRESS "Building COmmunity Within Diversity" Friday, August 15, 2008 CAPI Celebrates 26 years of community service

(Article was courtesy of AApress)   by Grant Kruger ST PAUL, MINNESOTA- The Center for Asians and Pacific Islanders (CAPI) was established in 1982 as a food shelf to cater to Southeast Asian food preferences.  Today the center is much more than that.  The CAPI open house offered the community an opportunity to come in and see their newly renovated building view first hand what changes have been made since its humble beginnings. The CAPI assists approximately 3,500 new immigrants to the Twin Cities become increasingly self-sufficient and contributing members of our community.  Of these new immigrants approximately 60% are from the Southeast Asian region and 40% are East African.  The mission of the CAPI has grown tremendously over its 26 years of service.  Booths showing the programs available were set up throughout the newly renovated building. Three of its key programs are the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) which provides intensive case management training, placement, and retention services to 250 mostly Hmong and East African participates on public assistance.  Another program is the Refugee Employment Program, which provides training, placement and retention services to 484 Southeast Asian and African refugees.  Project Regina Training Program is the third; it provides unique job training for up to 23 members of the community seeking employment.  Yia Vue came to Minnesota from Southeast Asia 19 years ago.  She said, “I had no schooling but I liked to sew.  After 9 months Regina the instructor got sick and couldn’t continue teaching.  I was asked if I had an interest in teaching and I’ve been here for 19 years now.”   Yia commented that the 13 week class will accommodate up to 23 students but the average has been 18.  “It is a short class but they learn a lot,” she said. A wonderful meal was served to the guests, followed by Board Chair of CAPI, John Eaton welcoming remarks.  He said, “Today CAPI is integrating a social movement agenda into its programming by focusing upon building and strengthening partnerships with other organizations and linkages between all of CAPI's staff and programs.  By engaging in a multi-level, cross cultural, cross generational and cross gender dialogue with the Board, staff, external partners and constituents;  CAPI is developing a new Strategic Plan. We are strengthening CAPI's internal capacity while building upon CAPI's long held vision and mission of empowering CAPI's immigrant, refugee and low income American constituents. CAPI new Executive Director, Pham Thi Hoa was introduced.  Pham has been the new director for only 2 months saying, “I’m looking forward to getting out and meeting with members of the community.”  Her father had been a human rights activist in Vietnam before coming to the United States in 1975 when Pham was eleven years old.  She commented, “My father has been my inspiration.” Saying, “I’ve always worked with refugees…. The CAPI needs the community and we want to engage with the community.”  Many local artists including Seexeng Lee donated artwork for the building.  Lee commented, “I am honored and humbled by the kindness of the CAPI….My family and I owe a lot to organizations and institutions such as this.” Nuria Yousuf of CAPI Refugee Settlement Services spoke briefly commenting that she knows how difficult it is to be new to the Twin Cities.  The CAPI continues to provide culturally grounded services to communities in Transition.  For more information feel free to contact the CAPI at 612-721-7054.

ASIAN AMERICAN PRESS "Building Community Within Diversity"

The significance of culture in Hmong art                                 [Part 1]  Close                     By Carlos Gallego , Asian American Press March 23, 2008 The significance of culture in Hmong art by Carlos Gallego, Asian American Press Ellina Xiong & Charles Vang, event co- chairs and leaders of Ua Ke, were excited to have renowned Hmong artist Seexeng Lee lecture at Macalester College this week. Prior to the evening lecture, both expressed a need to have a Hmong speaker on campus. Although Macalester is located in St. Paul, the largest urban Hmong population in the United States, a significant number of the students on campus have no idea who the Hmong are and event organizers saw the lecture as a great opportunity to educate their fellow students. Ua Ke is the Macalester organization committed to promoting awareness around Hmong culture and traditions. In Hmong the name Ua Ke means “togetherness,” according to an article by Kristin Riegel in a recent piece in The Mac Weekly, Macalester’s student newspaper. Aside from being a talented artist, Seexeng Lee also is an art teacher at Minneapolis Henry High School. He provided to the listener not only an overview of his journey and discovery as an artist but also an overview of Hmong history and the connection of art within Hmong culture. Prior to going into Hmong art and its various forms, Seexeng presented information on the Hmong, their origins and the different types of Hmong peoples. The Hmong and Their Journey Seexeng Lee lectured on the history of the Hmong. The group originated in China and in the 1800’s and they began to migrate to other countries including North Vietnam, Thailand, Laos and Myanmar. There are many groups of Hmong. The White Hmong, for example, are identified by their white dresses and Green Hmong by the batik fabric. He also shared that there are also many other Hmong groups including Striped Hmong, Black Hmong and Red Hat Hmong, in part one is able to identify to which group an individual belongs by their clothing. There are approximately 6 million Hmong in China followed by 787,000 in Vietnam, 315,000 in Laos, 250,000 in the United States and 150,000 in Thailand. There are also Hmong populations in other countries throughout the world including Australia, France, Argentina and French Guiana. The Hmong journey outside Southeast Asia began after the United States lost the Vietnam War and the Secret war in Laos. The Hmong, American allies, were forced to flee the communist regime in the region. The Hmong came to the Untied States just over 30 yrs. ago and, due to the Refugee Resettlement Act, were dispersed throughout the United States. According to Seexeng, there is documentation of Hmong living in each of the 50 states except for one, Wyoming. The largest concentrations of Hmong are in California, Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Carolina with increasing numbers in other states such as Georgia and Florida. Wish to learn about Hmong Art/culture? There are many opportunities. The Center for Hmong Studies has monthly presentations about Hmong culture or aspects of Hmong cultures. Their 2nd International Conference in early April would be a wonderful event to attend if anyone is interested in learning more about Hmong culture. Also, this Summer HAIL (Hmong American Institute for Learning) will have an art exhibition titled “REMIX.” For more information see the HAIL website. CHAT (Center for Hmong Arts and Talent) will also host a fashion show in July and their Annual Arts and Music Festival in August. See the CHAT website for more information. Seexeng Lee will be lecturing on a similar topic at U of W- Milwaukee April 3rd, 2008. Defining Hmong Art Contemporary art is generally defined by its focus on aesthetics. However, according to Lee, “Hmong traditional art focuses on functional qualities rather than aesthetics.” According to a Hmong artist, “They don’t know the context of the richness behind the work.” This is one of the reasons that Hmong have difficulty is having their work displayed in galleries. Seexeng mentioned he would like to see a Hmong gallery where Hmong artists could display their art. “Some of the items in Hmong art have sacred meanings and others magical powers” he continued. He also noted many Hmong do not know the significance of the designs on many Hmong items such as the elaborate silver jewelry many wear on the traditional costumes during Hmong New Year and other cultural festivals Seexeng shared with information about many of the traditional Hmong artists and their role within the community. These include blacksmiths and storytellers. Interestingly, storytellers had the important role of passing down much of the history and tradition as Hmong has always been an oral language. Although there are some who claim it has been a written language, this has yet to be proven according to Seexeng. It was not until 1952 when Dr. Smalley, Dr. Barney and Father Bertais developed a written form for the Hmong language. Hmong art also includes musical instruments and traditional materials, including textiles. The qeej, for example, is the traditional Hmong instrument (The qeej is made of 6 bamboo tubes and its origins date back more than 5,000 years to China). Textile Art “has been practiced for centuries and passed down from mother to daughter” who started as early as four years old. Paj Nataub (flower cloth) is very elaborate embroidery which serves many purposes thought Hmong culture. Paj Nataub is, for example, also used for making funeral garments to be worn by the deceased so that they can be welcomed and acknowledged by the ancestors upon their death. Traditional skirts were once made of Hemp and would take up to a year to make. However, hemp is an illegal substance in the United States in addition to being very heavy The Story cloth originated in the refugee camps with its origins traced back to the Ban Vinai refugee camp Thailand. At on time this camp was the most populated place in the world with 43,000-45,000 living in a 400 acre site. Among Seexeng’s most prominently featured artwork is a sculpture commissioned by North Point Health and Wellness Center’s for its atrium, entitled “Convergence.” This work is made up of five sphere elements, each represent a healing element, Concern, Family, Culture, Science and Wisdom. Comments Culture in Hmong Art Submitted by Lang Xan Vanny (not verified) on Tue, 03/25/2008 - 10:43. I, support your significance of Hmong cultureb art because that art will be the tool to tell Hmong story to all the young Hmong who were born after the secret war in 1975, other than that it will be a way for education in the future you are a Hmong you must have your own custom to proof that you are a Hmong, thank ELLINA XIONG AND CHARLES VANG for this idea. I’m a retired teacher Assistant 25 years from Providence, RI school Dept. In 2005 and moved to Southwest Minnesota. If you can read number in lao you can read me at ( hazouchake-pasongpa-chakenearnkaoha) at any time.

ASIAN AMERICAN PRESS "Building Community Within Diversity"

The significance of culture in Hmong art                                  [Part 2] Seexeng Lee’s use of gold leaf is evident in “Preserving the Fabric of Our Lives” By Carlos Gallego, Asian American Press April 07, 2008 Seexeng Lee, the renowned Hmong artist, presented at Macalester College on last week. Event organizers spoke of the importance of presenting Hmong culture and art to the community, which, despite a large Hmong population in the Twin Cities, is not very familiar with the group. This is part two in a series about the significance of Hmong art and the work done by the artist Seexeng. Seexeng had a large family. However, in 1980, only half of them were able to make the journey from the Ban Vinai Refugee Camp in Thailand to the United States. It would not be until 1984 when he would join the rest of his family. As Seexeng became more and more accustomed to the United States and began to pick up English, he continued drawing every chance he got, and he dreamed of becoming an artist. However, his parents much preferred he follow a more stable career path. Therefore, this proud product of the Minneapolis Schools continued on to Augsburg College where in1997 he earned a double major in Art and Education. It made his parent’s proud to know their son would be a teacher. He continues to enjoy the best of both worlds, inspiring youth as an Art teacher at Minneapolis Henry High School and also practicing his craft outside the walls of the classroom. Although today gold leaf is visible in much of his work, this has not always been true. While at Augsburg, his intrigue with gold leaf leads him to ask a professor about gold leaf. The professor responded it was reserved for the “rich or sacred”. Seexeng would wait 10 years before he would once again work with gold leaf. Three years ago, Seexeng’s father passed away. Seexeng recalled he had painted a portrait of his father several years earlier and he was driven to try to locate the portrait. Once he found the portrait he updated it, highlighting the military patches on his father’s jacket with gold leaf. The portrait was displayed next to father’s casket during the visitation. He was very proud of the portrait and felt it was well-received by family and guests. This reawakened his interest in gold leaf. Since then, he has used gold leaf in a portrait of his mother. Today, gold leaf is a frequent element in his work as he uses it to highlight certain elements of Hmong culture. During his lecture, Seexeng detailed the various types of Hmong forms and explained how their craft related to Hmong life and culture. Traditionally, Blacksmith’s were men. Form and function rather than aesthetics are important. He indicated curves of a traditional Hmong knife are not for the aesthetics, rather for functionality, as part of the knife is for cutting and another section for chopping. Men also made the jewelry used for the traditional Hmong costumes. Seexeng noted according to renowned professor, Dr. Gary Yia Lee, Hmong never had ‘dance’ as defined by many – they had ritual performances. Dance was not considered a form of entertainment. Today, dance in the Hmong culture has taken many forms. In fact, youth who dance are influenced by the dances of Bolleywood as well as Hip Hop. Although neither cultures played an influence in traditional Hmong culture, it plays a role in the lives of many of today’s Hmong youth.. Storytellers had the important role of passing down the history and tradition. Hmong has always been an oral language. Storytellers played a vital role in retaining the culture. Until recently, Hmong folk tales and proverbs were only transferred orally. Today, they are more readily available as they are available in books; many plays also retell Hmong legends and history. Minnesota is probably the best place to see Hmong arts, he said. In addition to the traditional stories and folktales there are many contemporary authors and artists. Some of the most prominent include: Mai Neng Moua, Kao Kalia Yang, Dr. Dia Cha, Tou Ger Xiong, and Tou Saiko Lee as well as Dr. Chia Youyee Vang, author of the recently released Hmong in Minnesota. In a subsequent interview, Seexeng noted it was unimportant whether the storyteller is male or female, although if they were a little older they tended to have greater legitimacy. The topics also did not vary according to gender, “The beautiful thing about Hmong common for storytellers do not have to be male to tell great stories or to learn them. One of the best storytellers in my section of the Ban Vinai Refugee Camp was my distant grandmother, every night the kids in the neighborhood would go and ask her to tell us stories.” He mentioned his father was a talented storyteller as well. He further indicated that in the story “Yer and the Tiger,” while there might be minor variations between storytellers, generally it had the same beginning, middle and end. Textiles is another form of Hmong art. Paj Nataub (flower cloth) is the best-known art form. It is very elaborate embroidery that serves many purposes throughout Hmong culture. For example, when a baby is first born, he is considered is very fragile and a cap is given for a baby to wear. Many believe when the sprits see the designs they will think they are flowers and they will leave the baby alone. Its beauty also serves to intrigue the baby and keep its spirit from wandering. “The Hmong believe if the spirit stays with you, you are not going to be sick, but if the spirit wanders away, you are going to be sick.” Today, use of Paj Nataub is widespread. In addition to traditional uses, it can now be found in such items as purses, water bottle holders, baby carriers and bookmarks. Sadly, however, the art form is being lost as in the United States it is rare for moms or grandmothers to pass on this art form due to it being very time consuming and few youth having an interest in learning the craft. Luckily, according to Seexeng, there are still some programs such as Concordia Hmong Culture and Language program along and a few other school programs out there still trying to teach it to young Hmong girls. ” It has been practiced for centuries and passed down from mother to daughter . . .beginning as early as 4 years old.” He shared various types of textile arts including weaving (basket making) and skirt making. The making of a traditional skirt takes about one year to complete, so it is easier for Hmong living in the United States to order traditional dresses and costumes from Laos, Vietnam or Thailand. Fewer and fewer are made by Hmong in the United States, he admitted. “Another contributing factor to the death of this method was that Hmong nowadays got a hold of new, lighter, cheaper, easily accessible, more colorful, printable fabrics such as cotton, polyester, silk and synthetic fabrics.” Lee also pointed out that some traditional Paj Ntaub and many of the Story Cloths are no longer made by Hmong, because Hmong in Laos or Thailand are paying others (non-Hmong) to create it. They then export them here (US) to be sold at the local flea markets. In a follow-up interview, the speaker mentioned shared information on the origin of the story cloth, which does not have the same cultural significance as the Paj Ntaub. The Story Cloth was made in the refugee camps as a way for women to occupy their time and raise money for their families. Regarding the changes in the prevalence of some traditional art forms, Seexeng was asked about what message the Hmong artist should tell Hmong and Non-Hmong about the culture and the Hmong community. He responded, “I can not say what they should or shouldn’t say, it is totally be up to them and how they feel about the Hmong community and culture. However, I do wish for them to express themselves and their message authentically.” He continued, “On the other hand, I have tried really hard to pass on the message that the Hmong culture is beautiful and worth preserving because our arts are currently evolving and changing at such a fast rate that if we are not careful we will eventually lose them. Please don’t get me wrong, change to me is a good thing, however, if we aren’t careful…it may evolve too fast and too much may lose its original intent and or functions. I am all about extending the meaning and functions of our arts, but not to totally disregard its origin and or intended purposes.” According to Seexeng, Hmong culture today is in a very brittle state. It has not been pure for the past 2-3 centuries as Hmong are a semi nomadic people, and he shared that he Hmong are losing their cultural heritage and values at a greater rate than at anytime in history. While he recognizes change is inevitable and a natural part of society, it is important to preserve the core elements of Hmong culture. The presentation closed with Seexeng responding to an artist saying he was trying to find himself. Seexeng said that three things that are important for successful artists: knowing the mechanics of art, understanding the craft and instilling yourself. He noted the importance of the human factor. “When you walk away it resonates itself.” He also told the artist “you went into it because you have something that only you can express.” Seexeng continues to inspire both Hmong and non-Hmong alike as his work gains in popularity. For more information about Seexeng visit his website www.seexeng.com.

One of my most recent work "Qeej". 5 inches x 5 inches, Sculptural Clay w/ 24k gold leaf highlights. 2007

[Over the past ten years, Seexeng Lee has grown from being everyone’s favorite art teacher at Patrick Henry High School, to a renowned Hmong artist who was both progressive and traditional, to a celebrated artist in the pan-Asian and mainstream community with a commissioned "Unity in Diversity" relief painting for the Dragon Festival and a sculpture at North Point Wellness Center. Using his preferred gold-leaf and clay, Lee’s sculpture, “Ncas,” won a place in the Master Gallery for its depiction of the Hmong brass and bamboo stringed instrument that is used during courtship. As a Patrick Henry High School art teacher, he has nurtured and encouraged many students to follow their creative passion. Some have now completed degrees in art at college and are exhibiting work as professionally trained artists. Discouraged from pursuing art as a child, Seexeng pursued teaching and made art his specialty. His work takes cultural to a near spiritual level. He blends his exploration of his roots with a contemporary and universal approach that has brought him many mainstream commissions. ]       - Tom LaVenture               from ASIAN AMERICAN PRESS