PROJECTS

 

Now nearly 15 years strong, AVA’s goals are to provide opportunities for Vietnamese artists to present their work, open dialogues for cultural understanding, bridge Vietnamese and American cultures, and sustain the arts through arts education for children and youth in the community. To promote the excellence of Vietnamese American arts, AVA presents artists from a variety of disciplines, including music, performing arts, visual arts, and literary arts. AVA has organized more than 45 programs with a combined audience of more than 5,000 people. Please check out some of the photos of past events.

In addition, as original members of San Jose downtown incubator program, AVA is proud to promote local downtown art events as well as venues. A featured gallery in San Jose dedicated to promote Vietnamese American visual artists is Green Rice Gallery. Please visit Green Rice Gallery for upcoming exhibits.

Recent & Upcoming Events 2007
 25th SF International Asian American Film Festival

March 25, 2007 :
AVA co-presenting "The 25th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival"
AVA is proud be co-presenting the Vietnamese movie Oh Saigon which is preceeded by a 20-minute short, Going Home at "The 25 th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival". With more than 20 films and videos from six countries, the SFIAAFF offers a special San Jose edition with compelling reflections of Asian American and the Asian diaspora. The Camera 12 (288 South 2nd St.) on Sunday, 3/25 at 4:45 in San Jose. Click here to reserve tickets.

 bao phi

April 13 and 14th - 2-4 p.m.

1) The Slam Poetry Workshop with Bao Phi for high school students is on April 13 and 14th, 2-4 p.m. at the Tully Branch Library, 880, Tully Road, San Jose. For more information, contact Vina Tran at vinamtran@yahoo.com. (ph: (408) 483-3446)
For students ONLY.

2) The Words In Motion program is on Saturday, April 14th, 8 p.m., at MACLA Castellano Playhouse, 510 S. First Street, San Jose, featuring Bao Phi, two-time Minnesota Grand Slam Poetry champion, Truong Tran , poet, writer and instructor at San Francisco State University and Mills College. Anh-Hoa Thi Nguyen, poet and founder of Pomelo Press. And a special hip hop performance by Danny Nguyen of the Nguyen Dancers Company. Ticket are $15 general, $10 for students with ID, open artist reception after the performance. For tickets, contact Hoa Glassey at (408) 667-9702 or hoa@vietarts.org. Press Release

 
FALL 2006 - SPRING 2007
AVA's Free Visual Art and Dance Classes for Children Ages 4-5 at your local library!

Register today! Open spaces limited. Register FORM | Visual Arts Spring Class Info| Performing Arts Spring Class Info

Milpitas Library Location:
(Visual Art Class flyer)

Visual Arts Classes: Children will be exposed to lines, shapes, and colors and learn to experiment and create artwork using a variety of materials appropriate for their age level.

Where: Milpitas Library Community Room, 40 N. Milpitas Blvd., Milpitas
When:
11/09, 11/16, 11/30, 12/07, 12/14/06, 01/11, 01/18, 01/25, 02/01, 02/08, 02/15, 02/22/07

Class 1: Thursdays, 3:30 - 4:15 PM
Class 2: Thursdays, 4:30 - 5:15 PM

Tully Library Location: (Visual Art Class flyer)

Where: Tully Branch Library Community Room, 880 Tully d. San Jose, CA 95111
When:
Saturdays, 01/13, 01/20, 01/27, 02/10, 02/17, 02/24, 03/10, 03/17, 03/24, 04/07, 04/14, 04/21/07

Class 1: 10:30am - 11:15 AM
Class 2: 11:30am - 12:15 PM

Description of Class: Children will be exposed to lines, shapes, and colors and learn to experiment and create artwork using a varity of materials appropriate for their age level.


Registration: First come, first served. Space is limited. Complete Register FORM . Submit form along with the child's birth certificate either by fax or mail to:
Association of Viet Arts
Attn: Hoa Glassey
1862 Gillian Way - San Jose, CA 95132
(408) 667 - 9702 (for more information)
email: htglassey@yahoo.com
*Parents are strongly encouraged to attend classes with their children.
This program is made possible through the AEG Grants Program of Arts Council Silicon Valley, and is co-sponsored by the Milpitas Library and Tully Community Branch Library.

 
 

October 7, 2006 (10:00am - 5:00pm)
Day in the Park Workshop - A multicultural festival
Come out and enjoy a day rich in diversity, full of talent and entertainment, and plentiful in food. This event is a
celebration of community, bringing the world's diversity together at beautiful Lake Cunningham Park. Join in on our festivities! Admission is free and open to the general public. more

 

September 7 - 25, 2006
Nguyen Qui Duc - of KQED - more to come.

 
 

August 7 -13, 2006
Nhan Duc Nguyen - installation at ZeroOne in San Jose- flyer pdf ~ ZeroOne website

check out the photos
 

April 18 – July 9th 2006
"Ao Dai: A Modern Design Coming of Age” : Press Release: WORD PDF | San Jose Mercury News Article | sponsors

Association for Viet Arts and the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles proudly present Ao Dai: A Modern Design Coming of Age, a groundbreaking exhibition that will run from April 18, through July 9, 2006 at the San Jose Quilts & Textile Museum. The exhibition will be the largest survey of historical and contemporary ao dai ever staged in the United States, and will include many ao dai never before seen by the public in Viet Nam or the United States.

Ao Dai: A Modern Design Coming of Age takes the viewer on an journey through the past and present and combines traditional techniques with new global influences that embody both functional and artistic designs, representing the innovative spirit of Viet Nam’s ao dai tradition. The exhibition features the work of: prominent Vietnamese ao dai designer, Minh Hanh; fashion designer Le Minh Khoa; Si Hoang, an artist and educator turned ao dai designer; Le Phuong Thao, a Vietnamese-American designer who combines traditional and modern techniques; and Trinh Bach, a collector and restorer of royal ao dai from the 19th and 20th centuries.

Read the BN Magazine article.

Programs:

April 26, 2006, 7:00-8:30pm.
Making Modernity Appropriate and Tradition Fashionable: Debates About Dress, Gender, and Identity in Ho Chi Minh City in the 1990s : Lecture by Dr. Ann Marie Leshkowich

Professor Leshkowich will consider why, at a moment of rapid modernization and development, the áo dài experienced a vibrant resurgence.

May 11, 2006, 7:00-8:30pm.
Áo Dài: A Modern Design Coming of Age : Lecture by Dr. Kieu Linh Caroline Valverde

Professor Valverde will offer a survey of the history of áo dài, focusing on its revival in the 1990s, its value as a national symbol, and its rise as an aesthetic art object.

June 3, 2006, 2:00-4:00pm.
Áo Dài: Fashioning Culture in Time, Place, and Identity : Lecture by Dr. Susan B. Kaiser

Professor Kaiser will situate the áo dài in time and place, addressing issues of national identity, gender, ethnicity and class, as well as the social meaning of national costumes.

June 4, 2006, 2:00-4:00pm.
The Business of Áo Dài : Lecture by Monica Tran

Owner of Trust Fund Baby Boutique, fashion designer and businesswoman Monica Tran will address the fashion industry, and how she incorporated the áo dài into her mainstream designs.

PROGRAM FEES: $10.00/members; $15.00/non-members
Seating for this program is limited; RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED.
For reservations or more information, please call 408.971.0323 x 14. Free Children's Workshops in conjunction with Áo Dài: A Modern Design Coming of Age : Workshops in April, May and June, click here for more info on dates/times

For children 3-12 years old. All workshops are drop-in and feature hands-on art & craft áo dài projects.
Young children will be decorating ao dai patterns and designs with paper, yarn, glitter, feathers, etc.
Older children will be given the opportunity to design their own áo dài or áo dài ensemble using paper, fabric, lace, and various notions.

Performing Arts
 

Saturday, October 8, 2005 @ 7 PM & 9:30 PM
Fourth Annual Asian Comedy Night

PRESS Release
| Flyer

The Association for Viet Arts (AVA) and Contemporary Asian Theater Scene (CATS) proudly present “4th Annual Asian Comedy Night” at the Montgomery Theater in downtown San Jose. http://www.sjcc.com/montgomery_theater.

Ticket box office opens at 6pm on performance night.

The evening features three nationally acclaimed Asian American stand-up comics: Dat Phan, Tina Kim and Paul Varghese. For the first time ever, this Pan-Asian comedian line-up will have Silicon Valley kick off its heels and rolling in laughter! Dat Phan, nationally recognized Vietnamese American comedian and winner of the 2003 Last Comic Standing TV show, has performed his own half-hour comedy special on Comedy Central and has appeared in the 2004 films: Cellular and Call Me Crazy. Tina Kim, a Korean-American comedian based in LA, has successfully produced her own sold out TINA KIM LIVE shows in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston and internationally. Her humor mixes jokes about her life as a Korean-American and as a struggling young woman comic trying to find love and happiness. Paul Varghese, regarded as one of Dallas' hottest comedians, has performed on NBC's semifinals of the TV show Last Comic Standing. Paul has performed all over the country and delivers witty one-liners about Indian customs and traditions.

Tickets are $30 VIP seating, $20 orchestra and $15 balcony.
For information, email info@vietarts.org. Tickets are available online at www.brownpapertickets.com. You can view the Press Release here.)

AFTER PARTY/MEET & GREET:
11PM-12:30: Follows the 9:30 show at the Paragon Bar. This is a strictly no-host bar reception. (The kitchen will be closed). So get your drinks and cocktails and mingle with the comics and get your autographs! The Paragon Bar is inside the Montgomery Hotel. This is walking distance from the theater. Paragon: http://www.paragonrestaurant.com/
211 South First Street, San Jose, CA - Phone: 408.282.8888

**IPOD NANO DRAWING! ENTER TO WIN DURING BOTH SHOWS. WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED VIA EMAIL OR PHONE A WEEK AFTER THE EVENT!

This program has been made possible, in part, through grants from the City of San José and the Arts Council Silicon Valley.

 
October 23, 2004 @ 3 PM & 7 PM
"Nguyet Cam" (Moon Lute): Vietnamese Traditional and Contemporary Music Concert
The Association for Viet Arts (AVA) proudly presents a musical performance entitled “Nguyet Cam” (Moon Lute) on Saturday, October 23 at 3 pm and 7 pm at the Historic Hoover Theater in San Jose. The program features a fusion of traditional/contemporary, originally composed and folk music from artist Thinh Vu and Ensemble with special dance performance from Danny Nguyen and the Nguyen Dance Company, formerly Danny Nguyen Dancers and Musicians. Nguyet Cam showcases the rich and unique Vietnamese musical instruments with the Moon Lute, Monochord, Trapezoid Lute, Sixteen-String Zither, Three-String Lute, Four-String Lute, and the rare, first time performance of the Tay Nguyen Gongs from the highlands in central Vietnam. Some of the musical pieces arranged and composed by Thinh Vu include: “Autumn Leaves” with the Vietnamese Monochord and “Nieng Koon” with the Tay Nguyen Gongs. Featured performances from Ensemble members: Quoc Chinh, Vinh Thanh Thao and Khac Quan.

3 PM matinee tickets are $20 each. The 7 PM show is $30 for general and $40 for honored seats. The evening concert includes an artist reception following the 7 PM performance. The Historic Hoover Theater is located 1635 Park Avenue, San Jose, CA 95191 across from the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum & Planetarium. Ticket locations: (San Jose) Kim-Loan Health Care & Cosmetics, Grand Century Mall, 1111 Story Rd., #1105, San Jose, CA 95122; 408-292-8838. (Milpitas) Law Office of Hoa Trinh Glassey, 1289 S. Park Victoria Drive, Suite 201, Milpitas, CA 95035; 408-586-9006. Tickets can also be purchased during the day of the performance at the Hoover Theater.

 

check out the photos

April 23 & 24, 2004 @ 8 PM
Words in Motion: Vietnamese American Poets and Writers
The Association for Viet Arts (AVA) proudly presents "Words in Motion: Vietnamese American Poets & Writers" on Friday, April 23 at 8 pm and Saturday, April 24 at 8 pm at MACLA's Castellano Playhouse in downtown San Jose. http://www.maclaarte.org/directions.html. Ticket box office opens at 7:30 pm on performance night. The program features Truong Tran, poet and Executive Director of Kearny Street Workshop; Lan Tran, performance artist featured on NPR and off-Broadway in New York at The Atlantic Theater Company and Manhattan Theatre Source; Andrew Lam, associate editor with Pacific News Service and frequent commentator on National Public Radio (NPR); and Bao Phi, published writer and two-time winner of the Minnesota Grand Slam Poetry Championships. Special guest emcee for both nights will be Nguyen Qui Duc, host of KQED Public Radio's "Pacific Time." Musical performance by Unity Nguyen.

Tickets are $12 each and $10 for students (with ID). Tickets for artist reception following Saturday's performance and event are $20 for general; $18 for students. For information, please call 510/386-5947 or email maibui@vietarts.org.(You can view the Press Release here.)

This program has been made possible, in part, through grants from the City of San José, Arts Council Silicon Valley, and is supported by Poets & Writers, Inc. through a grant it has received from The James Irvine Foundation. Media sponsorship has been provided by the San Jose Metro Newspaper.

April 2003 :
Love's Shadow Performance
At the San Jose Stage on April 20, 2003 showcasing a multicultural theater and dance performance in Vietnamese and English. Featuring San Khau Viet Cali Performing Arts Group and Danny Nguyen Dancers and Musicians (DNDM).
   
   

March,1998
Phu-Sa Ensemble and San Khau Viet

Phu-Sa is a traditional/modern music group.
San Khau Viet is a newly emerged Vietnamese Theater Group, based in San Jose.

February, 1997:
Contemporary and Traditional Vietnamese Arts

This performance featured two very different works, a traditional musical group (Khac Chi, Ngoc Bich and Hiep Le) and a modern performance artist (Thuy Le). Khac Chi and Ngoc Bich have toured internationally. Thuy Le performed her multi-media work entitled "Red Fiery Summer" about growing up in southern California.

1996:
Club O'Noodles and Maura Nguyen-Donahoe

Club of Noodles performed their mix of drama and improv theater and comedy. Maura performed a solo dance/monologue about her life and the life of her mother. Club O'Noodles returned for a second time to San Jose for a sold-out performance in August, 1997. The photos are from this second performance of "Laughter from the Children of War".

   
 
August, 1993:
Re... to be continued

A performance art piece by Tai Dang. You can read the review of this performance which appeared in the San Jose Mercury News.
Art Workshops
check out the photos

April 03 - June 05, 2005 - every Sunday
AVA's Free Visual & Performing Art Classes
Register today! Open spaces available for 1:15 performing arts classes. April 3- June 5, every Sunday
PRESS Release | Register FORM | Flyer | Fall Class Info | Fall Class Registeration

Where: Milpitas Library Community Room, 40 N. Milpitas Blvd., Milpitas
When: April 3- June 5, every Sunday

Visual Arts:
First session: 10-10:45 a.m
Second session: 11:00-11:45 a.m

Class descriptions: Children will be exposed to lines, shapes, and colors and learn to experiment and create art work using a variety of materials appropriate for their age level.

Performing Arts:
* First Session: 12:15-1:00pm
* Second Session: 1:15-2:00pm

Children will be introduced to the arts of story telling, drama, and dance using Vietnamese Folklore and legends. Register today by downloading and filling out the registration form. Submit to:

Association for Viet Arts
attn: Hoa Glassey
1289 S Park Victoria Dr, Ste 201
Milpitas, CA 95035
(408) 586-9006 (phone)
(408) 957-0663 (fax)


check out the photos

February 2004 :
Parkside Hall - San Jose Auditorium, Hoi Xuan
AVA will provide a free art workshop including weaving, print making and paper puppets for kids inside Parkside Hall, next to the San Jose Auditorium. AVA will be at Booth #14 and #15, side A of Parkside Hall. Admission is free and open to the general public. For more information: more

October 2003 :
Day in the Park - A multicultural festival
Come out and enjoy a day rich in diversity, full of talent and entertainment, and plentiful in food. This event is a celebration of community, bringing the world's diversity together at beautiful Lake Cunningham Park. Join in on our festivities! Admission is free and open to the general public. more
 

February 2003:
TET Festival
with AVA art workshop
At the San Jose fairgrounds.

 
September 2002:
Autumn Festival

At Evergreen Valley College.
 

September 1998:
Village Project

Los Arboles School, Leap Project - Franklin School, Hellyer School. This after-school arts program was part of project YES (Youth Empowered for Success).

Visual Arts
August 7, 2004 :
H’Art for Cô Vietnam: Cô VN Inaugural Event
AVA is co-sponsoring a special event with Co Vietnam. h'ART for Co Vietnam, will be a wonderful afternoon of Performance Arts & Art Exhibition to benefit women in Vietnam.  Press Release | Flyer

Date: August 7th, 2-5 pm (box office opens at 1:30 pm).
Location: Stanford University, Tressider Oak Lounge (www.stanford.edu/home/visitor/maps.htm). Hors d'oeuvres will be served.
Tickets: $35, RSVP to info@covn.org.
Proceeds will benefit CO VN's programs that provide funding, training and mentoring to the women of Vietnam. For more information, visit www.covn.org

Featuring
: Thuy Vu, Emmy award-nominated co-anchor for ABC7 News and recipient of national awards from the Asian American Journalists Association; Nguyen Qui Duc, producer and host of KQED Public Radio's "Pacific Time"; Le Hang, revolutionary Vietnamese writer and columnist; Lan Tran, performance artist; Unity Nguyen, vocalist & instrumentalist.

Original Art auction with works by Monica Crawford; Jenny Do; Sylvia La; An-my Le; Anne Nguyen; Minh Quang Nguyen.

 

 

May - June 13, 2004 :
MFA Exhibition featuring AVA's advisory board member, Binh Danh
Thomas Welton Stanford Art Gallery - Department of Art and Art History @ Stanford University - 419 Lasuen Mall Stanford, CA 94305-2018. *Reception May 28, 9-6pm. flyer1 flyer2

Gallery hours: T-F 10am to 5pm; Sat & Sun 1pm to 5pm - For info call: 650-723-3404
For direction visit our web site: http://www.stanford.edu/dept/art/directions.html

 
June 2002:
Myth & Memories

An exhibition of Vietnamese-American photographers: An-My Le, Han Nguyen, Pipo Nguyen-Duy, Ryan Pham, vu t. thu ha. June 19 through July 13, 2002 Works San Jose, California presented by the Association for Viet Arts and Works/San Jose.
February, 1997; March,1998:
Salt and Pepper

This display at the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art featured the art of Phan Nguyen Barker, Diep Huynh, Nguyen Khai, Van Quang Le, Dong Phan, Jenbel Tuan Phan, Trung Quoc Tran, and Hoang Vu. Artists are from California, Hawaii, Ohio, and Texas.
 
 
March 1995:
Home: Vietnamese Artwork Collection

Inspired by the 20 year anniversary of the fall of South Viet Nam (and the subsequent movement of Vietnamese people to the United States and other countries). You can read more about this collection here. It featured the work of a number of talented artists from across the country: Khanh Vo, Khoa Tran, Hoang Tran, Chi Le, Ann Phong, Minhquang Nguyen, Han Nguyen, Darlene Nguyen-Ely, and T. Lien Shutt.
 
 
1994:
Vietnamese Art: Transition and Change

A multi-media art exhibit featuring the work of several local artists: Kai Hoang, Vi Ly, Darlene Nguyen-Ely, and David Pham.
 
1993:
Nuoc Mam

This was an exhibition featuring the works of Man Bui, Thai Bui, and Long Nguyen.
Music Concerts
October 2004 :
Contemporary and traditional Vietnamese American concert
A fusion of traditional Vietnamese instruments and contemporary music. Part of the Performing Arts Series at the Montgomery Theater.
October 2001:
Folk Music of Vietnam

Featured renowned musician and composer Dr. Tran Quang Hai and his wife Bach Yen. Dr. Hai Tran is an Ethnomusicologist at the Museum of Man at Paris, France. The concert was composed of lullabies from three regions of Vietnam, love songs, work songs, sung poetry, and solo performances of the dan tranh (16 stringed zither).
October 1998:
Multi-Media Concert: Three Music Legends from Vietnam

Featured the following artists Khanh Ly, Thanh Van Nguyen, Mai Huong, and Bich Lien. They performed works of the three Vietnamese music legends: Van Cao, Pham Duy, and Trinh Cong Son.
 
August, 1992 and again in 1995:
Folk Songs of Vietnam
Music and commentary by Dr. Phong Nguyen. Dr. Phong is a ethnomusicologist and musician who has taught at several universities (such as U.C.L.A. and Kent State). Dr. Phong has performed twice for AVA.
Community Events
March 20, 2005 - Sunday
Association of Viet Arts in partnership with CATS (Contemporary Asian Theatre Scene)

Association of Viet Arts in partnership with CATS (Contemporary Asian Theatre Scene) is excited to co-present "Fishbowl and Silent Years" at the Asian American Film Festival in San Jose, March 18-20th.
Sunday 3/20, San Jose Camera 12 Cinemas, located at 201 South Second Street, San Jose. Map @ 4:45PM


FISHBOWLS AND SILENT YEARS - Shorts Program | 92mins
From adolescence through adulthood, the characters of these outstanding films find themselves on the brink of a new emotional universe.
Featuring the new short by the director of PICTURE BRIDE, one of two based on the writings of acclaimed author Lois-Ann Yamanaka.
http://www.naatanet.org/festival/2005/html/programs/sh_fishbowls.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RUNNING IN TALL GRASSES (CHAY TRONG COCAO) - USA 2005 | 15mins | 35mm Color | Vietnamese w/E.S.
DIRECTOR: Howard Duy Vu
Seven-year-old Vinh must slowly re-adjust his vision to understand why his father has been absent from the picture for so long. This richly
textured film, with images reminiscent of still photography, embraces the idea that memory is like a picture frozen in time.

 

October 05, 2004 @ 7:30 PM
AVA Co-presenting NAATA's Fall Asian Film Series
Featuring: SPIRITS (OAN HÔN) by Dir. Victor Vu (2004, Vietnam/USA, Video, 105mins)
Memories and obsessions haunt a struggling writer as he meets two mysterious women<one a spirit, the other harboring her own<in this eerie and chilling ghost story. Set in Vietnam but shot entirely in Southern California, SPIRITS is a karmic parable, which uncovers a troubled history between this world and the other.
Co-presented by: Association for Viet Arts & In Person: Director Victor Vu

TICKET PRICES: $8 General Admission * $7 NAATA, YBCA Members, Students/Seniors

Link to Schedule

March 21, 2004 :
AVA co-presenting "The 22st San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival"
AVA is proud be co-presenting the Vietnamese movie First Morning by Victor Vu at "The 22st San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival". With more than 20 films and videos from six countries, the 22st SFIAAFF offers a special San Jose edition with compelling reflections of Asian American and the Asian diaspora. The Festival unspools March 21 at 7:30, Camera 3 Cinema in San Jose. Contact Mai Bui, maibui@vietarts.org to reserve tickets.
November 2003 :
East Coast West Coast II
The Vietnamese American Studies Center at the San Francisco State University is once again bringing together a group of established and up-and-coming artists and performers for an unforgettable night of comedy, spoken-word, modern dance & slam-poetry. Award-winning filmmaker Tony Bui (THREE SEASONS) will serve as the MC for the evening. Admission will be $10. more
 

U. S. Postal Mail: AVA, P. O. Box 90088, San Jose, CA 95109-3088

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Web design by Liem Nguyen
Web Maintained by Q. Thang Do
updated 3/03