Far East Focus for Folk Art

In 1969, the mountain village of Longcheng in northern Laos was a thriving place with a huge marketplace, where people would gather to buy everything from chickens to electronic goods.

Only six years later, villagers were escaping from Communist-led Pathet Lao troops, who would eventually control the government. Thousands fled rather than be forced into work at collective farms.

The tale is told in elaborate story-panel form in a tapestry by Lee Noua, who lives in a refugee camp in Thailand. She depicts every detail--from bulbous planes representing the evacuation of Americans to the bobbing heads swimming across the Mekong River into Thailand.

Embroidered on a cotton blend material, the work was one of thousands available at the Festival of Folk Art on Sunday, located on the South Lawn of the Natural History Museum at Exposition Park. This year, the annual festival featured pieces from the Far East.

Noua’s sister, Shua Lee of Lompoc, came to California four years ago. Lee brought the embroidered tapestry to the festival, and hoped to get $400 for it. She said she would mail the proceeds to Noua in Thailand so that she might be able to leave the camp.

Most other works weren’t quite as ornate or symbolic. Framed

Japanese-style woodblock prints were popular at about $50, as

were Chinese wood carvings, some available for as little as $1 or so.

“The place is full of bargains,” said Maria Bli, 35, of San Marino. Bli had bought a small Laotian tapestry depicting Jesus Christ’s birth. The piece had been priced at $40, but she bargained it down to $30.

There was plenty to see for those not exclusively interested in spending money. Crowds gazed at the Khmer Women Weavers of Long Beach as they made silk fabrics on an old-fashioned wooden loom. And various performances were held at the Rose Garden entrance to the museum, including traditional Cambodian dances by girls aged 8 to 16.

Hope Keimon, 37, of Sunland said she especially enjoyed the festival because it highlighted the works of many Asian-Americans. “They’re such a big part of L.A.,” she said.

Organizers estimated that 8,200 people came for the festivities, which lasted from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.