Bao Phi

WASHINGTON (April 6, 2012) — An unprecedented convergence of Asian American literature and visual art will present seven writers reading and discussing their work, commissioned in response to ‘Portraiture Now: Asian American Portraits of Encounter,’ the first major exhibit of Asian American visual artists at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery’s Nan Tucker McEvoy Auditorium.

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ST PAUL — Kick up your heels and lasso up a posse of friends: Circus Juventas, North America’s largest youth circus, proudly presents 20 performances of their all-new production Showdown.With a rip-roarin’ cast of characters, it’s the most foot-stompin’ hair-raisin’ high-ridin’ spectacle East — and West — of the mighty Mississippi.

The 18th annual summer extravaganza will be performed August 2–19 in its award-winning, air-conditioned Big Top at 1270 Montreal Avenue in Saint Paul.

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Celebrate the return of CHAT Open Mic Night on Friday, March 23, from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at HBC Studio, 995 University Avenue, Second Floor, West Wing, Saint Paul. The location is next door to the Centre for Hmong Arts and Talent (CHAT) offices. Sign up to perform starting at 6 p.m. The show starts at 6:30 p.m.

The event is hosted by HILLTRIBE and will stream live at www.hbctv.net with the assistance of Hmong Broadcasting Company. Parking is available in the back of the building. University Avenue currently has construction, so make sure to allow ample time to arrive. For more information visit aboutchat.org

"Fresh Traditions" (Tou SaiKo Lee and Grandma Youa Chang present "Stories from O.G.s" at the Lowertown Reading Jam on Mar 28, 2012.

The Saint Paul Almanac is pleased to announce the fifth in its 2011–2012 season of acclaimed Lowertown Reading Jams, which celebrate the rich literary history of Minnesota’s capital city.

The “Stories from O.G.s: Honoring the O.riginal G.eneration” Lowertown Reading Jam will be presented on Wednesday, March 28th, 2012 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Black Dog Coffee and Wine Bar, 308 Prince Street in Saint Paul.

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The India Association of Minnesota presents Holi Show 2012 on Sat., March 10 at Nath Auditorium, Hindu Temple of Minnesota, 10530 Troy Lane N., Maple Grove, MN 55311. Event Ticket (Dinner included), VIP – $50.00, Adults: $20.00, All Participants & Kids (5-12 years): $15.00. For information contact Temple Cultural Committee Coordinators Suparna Chaganti at 763-478-3176 or suparnachaganti@yahoo.com, and Madhu Jain at 763-493-2635 or madhujaincool@yahoo.com. For ticket reservation, Bazaar Booth Reservation / Brochure Ad contact Madhu Jain: 763-493-2635 madhujaincool@yahoo.com, or Kanak Dutt: 651-226-5962 kanakdutt@gmail.com. www.iamn.org

St. Paul, Minn. (February 13, 2012) – Playwright and performance artist, Katie Ka Vang’s recent diagnosis of Stage 4 Anaplastic Large T-Cell Lymphoma has the Twin Cities community coming together. Six fundraisers in Vang’s name are actively being planned spanning from January to April with many more in the works.

Vang, 32, Director of Navigate: Artist Services at the Center for Hmong Arts and Talent (CHAT) was diagnosed on January 3 at the University of Minnesota Fairview Medical Center. Immediately, friends and family worked collectively to create fundraisers and benefits in order to offset Vang’s medical and living expenses. Vang’s first visit to the hospital was in December 2011 when she did not have medical insurance. Due to the cancer, Vang is now on medical leave for the next two to four months. Currently, her medical bill is over $70,000.

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Ane Sawyer-Aitch at work

By Saymoukda Vongsay
AAP staff wrier 

I met Anne not too long ago during a rehearsal for the play, Confessions of a Lazy Hmong Woman (written/directed/produced by May Lee-Yang), of which we are currently involved with – Anne as the puppeteer-at-large and me as a live-dubb performer (the play will be performed completely in the Hmong language).

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May Lee-Yang

By SAYMOUKDA VONGSAY
AAP staff writer

Hmong American, May Lee-Yang, has been a household name in the Minnesotan arts community for over a decade, known as a playwright, poet, prose writer, and performance artist.

Lee-Yang was born in Ban Vinai, a refugee camp in Thailand following the Secret War in Laos. Nine months after her birth, her family resettled in St. Paul, Minnesota where she lives to this day. Her work often explores the lives of Hmong women and living in a bicultural world.

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Celebrate Chinese New Year with a nasty dragon! (Southern Theater photo)

By Mary Tan
AAP Staff Writer

MINNEAPOLIS — It’s the year of the dragon, so what better way to showcase Chinese culture by taking your family to Tiger Lion Arts’ premier performance of The Dragons are Singing Tonight.

The performance is based on a series of poems about dragons written by United States Children’s Poet Laureate Jack Prelutsky.  Composer Laurie MacGregor turned the poems into 16 songs, which feature a unique storyline about an ordinary boy, a magical girl and a very nasty dragon.

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Twin Cities Chinese Dance Theater

Led by Asian Media Access, and collaborating with East Culture Center, Pan Asian Arts Alliance and Twin Cities Chinese Dance Center, the Chinese Lantern Carnival, which is the closing ceremony for our Lunar New Year series, will be held on Feb. 5, from 2 to 7 p.m. at the Great Hall in Saint Paul downtown, 180 East Fifth Street, St. Paul, MN 55101.

At the Great Hall, there will be lantern making, lantern riddles, other children’s games as well as traditional Asian Lunar New Year food. Furthermore, Iny Asian Dance Theater and Twin Cities Chinese Dance Center’s youth dancers will be performing throughout the afternoon and evening. Games and performances will start at 2 p.m.

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