Presented by the Virginia Museum of History & Culture and the Center for Cultural Vibrancy, join us for a celebration of the richness of artistic traditions brought to Virginia by recent immigrants and refugees.
Experience music, dance, food, visual arts, and ceremonies performed by master artists from around the world now living in the Commonwealth; traditions that that were born and nurtured over centuries in places like Mongolia, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Bolivia, Guatemala, and Cambodia; and that are now thriving here. The power and extraordinary range of cultural traditions that immigrants and refugees bring with them, enriching the Commonwealth in many ways, will be on full display.
This showcase event is being presented as a complement to the VMHC’s new exhibition, We the People: The World in Our Commonwealth, which explores the history and stories of immigration in Virginia from the founding of the United States until the present day. VMHC is presenting this event in partnership with the Center for Cultural Vibrancy; with additional support from the Humanities Resource Center at Virginia Commonwealth University and the Virginia Folklife Program.
Artists include:
- A ceremony of welcome performed in Quechua, an indigenous language of the Andes, by Señora Julia Garcia.
- Music from Vietnam by the Nguyen Family Band which has performed in major venues throughout the U.S. and abroad; and by Phuong Nguyen, a master of the Dan Bau, a single-stringed instrument that has often been called “the voice of Vietnam.”
- Mongolian music and dance featuring Gankhuyag (GanNa) Natsag who currently serves as Mongolia’s Cultural Envoy; a display of masks produced by GanNa for use in traditional Tsam Buddhist ceremonies; and a performance by his daughter Uyanga, a master of the Morin Khuur (horsehead fiddle) and one of Mongolia’s most respected musicians.
- An installation of Alfombra, a tradition native to the highlands of Guatemala in which colored rice, dried beans, sawdust, flowers, and other materials are arranged to create intricately designed carpets expressing spiritual themes. Internationally acclaimed Alfombra artist Ubaldo Sanchez will also lead his musical group, Alfo-Conce, in the performance of music with roots in ancient Mayan culture, featuring handmade Marimbas and wooden drums.
- Dance traditions from the Andes of Bolivia including Suri-Sikuri, an “ostrich dance” with elaborate feather crowns and the music of handmade Zamponas (pan-pipes); and Tinkus, a dance simulating combat in which the dancers draw energy from Mother Earth (Pachamama); performed by the Northern Virginia-based Tradiciones Bolivianos.
- Performance of Cambodian dance and a display of handmade dance costumes by 2024 National Heritage Fellowship recipient Sochietah Ung.
- An Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony performed by Richmond resident Lemlem Gebray and her twin daughters Datta and Akeza Seyoum.
Note: All the artists and presenters named above have been recognized as Masters of their traditions by the Virginia Folklife Program.
Schedule
- 5PM | Doors open
- Live music, cultural displays, and food and drink representing multiple culinary traditions.
- After-hours access to the VMHC’s exhibits, including the recently opened We the People: The World in Our Commonwealth.
- 6PM – 8PM | Performances
