Call for Stories & Reflections - Art & Heritage Exhibit (May 2026)
Ahead of Chúng Ta Cùng Nhau Vietnamese-Edmonton Cultural Society’s 2026 Asian Heritage Month exhibit, we are calling for submissions of additional stories, reflections, and other artwork from Vietnamese-Edmontonians.
These submissions may be included in our May 2026 exhibit, or shared on the Chúng Ta Cùng Nhau website and social media as part of an ongoing online archive, or used in print, displays or as spoken word reflections.
Please review accepted submissions:
Types of Submissions
One-page written reflections
Short, written stories
Poems
Short-form video reflections (under 3 minutes)
Short films (under 10 minutes)
Photos of Vietnamese families during their early days in Edmonton
Photos of families at refugee camps
Photos of family heirlooms or objects of meaning from Vietnam
Photos of families from Vietnam before the Fall of Saigon
If submitting photos, please also submit context about the photos.
Topics, Themes or Prompts for Reflections & Stories
What does it mean to be Vietnamese-Canadian?
What questions do you have about your Vietnamese-Canadian identity?
Why are you interested in preserving your Vietnamese culture?
What is your connection to the Fall of Saigon?
How did you or your family end up in Edmonton?
Did Edmonton’s Chinatown play a role in your childhood? What does Chinatown mean to you in relation to your Vietnamese experience?
How would you describe your relationship with Vietnam?
Do you have a special memory or connection to a specific Vietnamese food or dish?
What does the boat and sun/moon in the Chúng Ta Cùng Nhau logo make you feel or think? (read more about the logo meaning)
You do not need to speak to all prompts - please use these as suggestions to help guide your submission.
Please submit reflections via email to chungtacungnhaucommunity@gmail.comor through this Google Form.
Deadline to submit:
April 27, 2026.
Note: You retain full ownership of your submission, but grant Chúng Ta Cùng Nhau permission to share your submission as part of ongoing efforts to explore our generational identity and heritage.
If you would like to remain anonymous, please indicate that in your submission.
We will continue to collect and accept submissions year-round to contribute to ongoing archiving efforts, however the April 27, 2026 deadline is specific to reviewing and including submissions in our May 2026 art and heritage exhibit.
Where We Came From
(and where we go from here):
A Vietnamese Art & Heritage Exhibit
Venue: The Bowladrome Gallery
ArtsHub Creative Studios
Downtown Edmonton (Boyle Street) - 10131 97 St.
Dates: May 8-June 6, 2026
Supported by:
The exhibit will feature community stories and reflections, portraits, art installations, and immersive vignettes designed to help both Vietnamese-Edmontonians and the broader public better understand and reflect on the Vietnamese-Edmonton story. Through themes of migration, identity, family, resilience, and belonging, the exhibit invites visitors to come together and connect with lived experiences that are deeply personal, while also widely relatable across communities.
Where We Came From (and where we go from here): A Vietnamese Art & Heritage Exhibit includes event days (Opening Reception, Stories & Reflection Speaker Series, Lunch & Listens, Closing Workshop) along with gallery open days.
Stay tuned as we share more public exhibit details ahead of Asian Heritage Month this May 2026!
Thank you to Boyle Street Community League and Edmonton Heritage Council for their support of this exhibit, which explores Vietnamese-Edmonton heritage and takes place in the Boyle Street community.
About the Neighbourhood
Boyle Street is one of Edmonton’s oldest neighbourhoods- home to Boyle Street Plaza, Okîsikow (Angel) Way, Kinistinâw Park, Downtown Farmers Market, and Chinatown South. The neighbourhood borders the beautiful North Saskatchewan River Valley. Its western edge (97 Street) was once Edmonton’s downtown when the area was under the Hudson’s Bay Reserve Lands; after they were sold, development began and what we now know as downtown Edmonton was born. Boyle Street is walking distance from Edmonton’s Arts District with Royal Alberta Museum, Art Gallery of Alberta and more. It also is situated in close proximity to Little Italy and Chinatown North, excellent cultural destinations in our city. The community is diverse with residents from all walks of life. Chúng Ta Cùng Nhau looks forward to bringing more visitors to the Boyle Street community during the exhibit period, and to welcome Boyle residents to the exhibit!
About the Edmonton Heritage Council
The Edmonton Heritage Council has empowered Edmontonians to explore, preserve, and celebrate their shared heritage through community partnerships, grants, and innovative initiatives since 2009. The EHC’s mission is to connect people to the stories of our city by helping Edmontonians research, preserve, interpret, and advocate for our heritage.
We thank you for supporting Chúng Ta Cùng Nhau's efforts to:
Bridge younger and older generation Vietnamese-Edmontonians
Celebrate and preserve Vietnamese arts, culture and heritage,
and help Vietnamese-Edmontonians connect more deeply with their heritage through different arts, culture and heritage events, stories and education projects.