New Folk Arts Project

The Chippewa Valley Museum (CVM) is pleased to announce it has been awarded a Wisconsin Arts Board Creative Communities Grant for $5,637 to create a multimedia production and showcase the work of three regional folk artists in its coming exhibit Intersections.

CVM will document the needle-working skills of Hmong folk artist Mai Xee Xiong with video, still photography and interviews. Xiong will demonstrate how she makes clothing for the Hmong New Year, specially creating an adult woman's Hmong New Year hat.

CVM staff will create a short multimedia production and showcase it in upcoming exhibit Intersections (opens 2014). CVM will promote the production at its freshly re-designed website (www.cvmuseum.com), online wiki encyclopedia (www.ChippePedia.org), and YouTube channel. CVM will promote the short multimedia production to regional teachers as a free educational tool for regional history, arts and culture lessons.

The WAB grant also provides funds to feature documentation of two other regional folk artists' work. Wayne Valliere (Lac du Flambeau), is widely regarded as a master native artist. Two summers ago, CVM consulting folklorist Tim Frandy documented Valliere's canoe-building skills with interviews and photography. Also, Frandy interviewed nationally-acclaimed turkey caller Scott Wilhelm (Chippewa Falls). CVM will now be able to present Valliere and Wilhelm's valuable skills in a long-term gallery setting.

This project is supported in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts.

For more information, please email Melissa Holmen at m.holmen@cvmuseum.com.