USAlive
By huong

On a cold, bitter January 20, 2009, before sunrise, I – joined by 1.8 million people – stepped on to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to witness history—the Presidential Inauguration of our 44th President, Barack Obama. I was part of a new era of America, the country that had gently but securely adopted me after my escape from Vietnam in 1975.

My past suddenly slipped into the darkness and a renewed sense of hope emerged in front of me, brightly illuminating the future, suddenly within reach. I was not alone. I was arm and arm with daughters and sons of other immigrants, some refugees like me, and others who took a different road to their freedom. I was surrounded by a family of black, white, yellow, and brown--all siblings of humankind—all standing for a purpose, for peace.

We may have arrived at that moment differently, but at that moment we were all the same. We all had hopes and dreams. Together we were smiling past our frozen lips, speechless, with pounding hearts. America was alive. Yes, we can.. In USAlive A people’s conversation about Obama’s first 100 days in office – I have worked to capture the electricity and recent transformation of our nation since Barack Obama was sworn in as President of the United States of America.

The mural is an opus of 100 canvases, showcasing who we are as a people and the true spirit that sustains us all.,This Exhibit celerbates renewed American Patriotism and Hope.We are citizens of America and of the World. Please join the artist for this Opening of her USAlive-Inauguration relived Experience. Intern Credits: Mang - Silva - Kyle Mickalowski - Ray Lopez

See a preview of the new USAlive pieces here.

Highlights of the Washington DC Peace Mural Exhibition

We are pleased to share these highlights and memories of the recent Washington DC exhibition held in Georgetown from Nov. 29, 2008 through Jan. 30, 2009. If you have videos or photos to share, please forward them to info@peacemural.org.

Please offer us your feedback on the DC Exhibition by taking a few moments to submit this Survey Evaluation; Thank You!

All Events At the Wash DC Exhibition 11/29/08-1/30/09 (44)



View from the 2nd Floor Atrium: Peacebuilder's Reception, National Peace Foundation, January 10th.
Washington Post Story (12/18/08)

War & Peace, an Epic Mural/Foreign Policy in Focus (12/5/08)

Grand Opening Weekend

Over 300 people participated in the Grand Opening Weekend (Dec. 6-7, 2008). Festivities began on Saturday with a special reception honoring Poets Against the War and its local affiliate, DC Poets Against the War. The reception was highlighted with the unveiling of over 100 poems that were submitted by poets across the country and published to the Peace Mural.
Festivities continued on Sunday as guests gathered with the DC Peace Marching Band in neighboring Francis Scott Key Park. From the park, peacemakers followed the marching band as they worked their way around the block surrounding the gallery, then marching up M Street and into the gallery entrance. Once inside, a program featuring Huong and other speakers welcomed guests and invited them to explore the exhibition, culminating with Huong and representatives of Code Pink facilitating the austere unveiling of the No Torture panels located on the second floor of the exhibition. Throughout the weekend there were a variety of special events including repeat performances of the Mountain of Peace, poetry readings, a Blessing Tree ceremony, and a presentation on the Global Oneness Pledge, and a special performance by the World Children's Choir.

The Wall of Injustice

The Peace Mural is an work in progress. Several new elements were added during the Washington DC Exhibition, including the The Wall of Injustice that divides Israel and Palestine. The collaborative project involved several artists, was overseen by Huong, and was inspired by guest artist Cherie Redlinger. The Wall is a fitting reminder of the current crisis in Gaza and the anguish of war in our midst this very moment. For more background, see: The Making of the Wall of Injustice.

The Mountain of Peace

Among the featured performances at the DC Peace Mural were vignettes from Frances Key’s musical theatre production, The Mountain of Peace. Topics of human rights, war, and peace were presented through songs, videos, and monologues. The performances featured students from Duke Ellington School for the Arts and the International Peace Performers. The production included Flag of Living Stars, a demilitarized version of the U.S. national anthem (Star Spangled Banner) by Francis Scott Key, namesake and ancestor. Frances' work complements Huong's Flag at War series, a component of the Peace Mural that was exhibited in DC. Both artists challenge us to reinterpret the meaning the American Flag in the context of a vision for a world grounded in peace and social justice.


(L) Entrance to the DC Peace Mural seen through the window frontage on M Street in Georgetown.
(R) Theatre of the Oppressed workshop with Hector Aristizibal, actor and human rights activist from Columbia.

About the Peace Mural

Nearly 15 years in the making, Huong’s Peace Mural is the culmination of searing memories that bring history to life and depict the universal pain of war and hope for peace. The complete mural includes nearly 2000 paintings. When fully presented, the mural stands 8' feet tall and 600 feet long. Exhibition of the mural often includes a number of free-standing pieces from Huong's private war/peace collection. The combined presentation captures highly evocative images and concepts depicting multiple themes including: Voices of Children; Voices of the Troops; Mothers in War; The Peace of all Nations; The Flag at War; The Displaced and the Disabled; The Cry of Refugees; and The Tortured.
Far more than simply an exhibition of art, the Peace Mural is highly interactive and participatory as it evokes civic engagement and calls forth from viewers a response through reflection, dialogue and action. Viewers are invited to “sign on” for peace by adding their own thoughts and comments to panels scattered throughout the mural. Exhibitions are typically accompanied with a series of community dialogues, educational events, artistic presentations and public actions. Most of these sidebar events take place on site at the exhibition and are sponsored by a variety of local partner organizations. The mural is both deeply spiritual and politically reflective as it calls forth citizen and community response. But most of all, it resonates a challenge and hope for peace in ways that only art can do. It inspires, it disturbs, and evokes personal responsibility. The Peace Mural is an expression of “people’s art” as it informs and shapes civil society and stimulates vibrant participatory democracy.


About the Artist HUONG: A young journalist at the time of the Vietnam War, Huong climbed aboard one of the last refugee boats before the fall of Saigon, wearing only one shoe and carrying her infant son in arms. She first settled in Alaska where she swapped her pen for a brush in an effort to”paint out” the passions within her. Eventually she launched an art career that has captured the attention of art audiences and critics internationally. Not unlike Picasso’s own war protest painting Guernica, Huong’s paintings collectively form a body of work addressing the global issues of war and peace. Through hundreds of painted canvases, the Peace Mural is a symbol of Huong’s determination to purge our culture from the ways of war and to advance an emerging culture of peace. Some of Huong's Other Works:
The War Pieces
The Peace Pieces
Let's Think Peace
The Flag at War

About the Peace Mural Foundation: Huong has recently given custody of her Peace Mural to The Peace Mural Foundation, Inc, a non-profit organization established to carryout a mission "to promote civic education and action for peace and justice through the arts." The Washington DC Exhibition was the Foundation's inaugural effort.