One of the pieces exhibited in "Throwing Pebbles in the Pond" is organizer Seexeng Lee's Preserving the Fabric of Our Lives, an acrylic painting of two cupped hands holding fragments of a Hmong Paj Ntaub. In his artist's statement, Lee writes that the piece was inspired by the dichotomy between Hmong cultural evolution and preservation. Paj Ntaub were not always the bright embroidered fabrics depicting stories from Hmong history that are commonly found in markets today. The Hmong originally sewed intricate patterns into their clothes to identify which group they belonged to. In Preserving the Fabric of Our Lives, Lee has sealed fragments of Paj Ntaub in gold leaf paint, mummifying them in their current state. The 12 Hmong artists featured in this show are painters, photographers, and digital and graphic artists whose common thread seems to be this tension between evolution and preservation. Drawing inspiration from Hmong folktales, personal and family histories, comic books, and Minnesota's natural environment, the work of these artists attempts to give voice to complex Hmong-American experiences. The opening reception will include readings by Hmong writers and poets, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Friday, July 13. JUL 1-31, 2007.  "Throwing Pebbles in the Pond" Article by Rhena Tantisunthorn Writer for The Minneapolis/St. Paul CITY PAGES