Did you catch our Lao Diaspora Project exhibit? In our first event celebrating 40 years of Lao American journeys, the opening night reception on a freezing Saturday, January 10th drew in crowds from the Twin Cities area. DJ Paradoxx spun homegrown beats with throwback to Lao classics. Award-winning artist, Chantala Kommanivanh, talked about his process in re-creating the art pieces from photo submissions. Mae Banlang Phommasouvanh, Lao PTA founder and youth educator, shared her life’s story through an illustrated book that her elementary school students self-published. Founding Editor, Chanida Phaengdara Potter, shared moments from the interesting conversations she had with Lao Diaspora, while collecting stories from Laos to Minnesota. “It was an amazing and uplifting exhibit. I never saw the history of our people in this artistic and literary way. I started asking myself questions and seeing myself in some of those same photos of my first few years starting new in America.” -Exhibit Guest Still need more reasons to go? Top 5 Reasons the Refuge of the InvisibLao Exhibit is a Must-See Catch the acclaimed work …