NIU students contribute to exhibit at Chicago Cambodian museum

Cambodian exhibit "Remembering the Killing Fields"
Lauren Bell, NIU student, and Khmer Rouge survivor and now Chicago resident King Heng Vinh attend the opening of the Remembering the Killing Fields exhibit on September 15. (Courtesy Photo)

Thursday, September 22, 2011
Shelby Devitt
Northern Star (Chicago, Illinois, USA)

NIU students contributed to a new exhibit and memorial at the Cambodian American Heritage Museum, 2831 W. Lawrence Ave. in Chicago.

The exhibit, "Remembering the Killing Fields," documents the stories of survivors of the Khmer Rouge genocide who now live in the Chicago area, said Elizabeth Denius, communications manager for NIU's Center for Southeast Asian Studies.

"This kind of project is an important project because it gives NIU students an opportunity to participate in an oral history of one of Cambodia's most historic events," said James Collins, director for the Center of Southeast Asian Studies. "It's something that the center very much supports."

Far Beyond the Killing Fields

05.03.10
Nancy Loo
BIG tiny World - a blog by Nancy Loo

The Albany Park neighborhood is among the many reasons I love Chicago. Where else can you find a Middle-Eastern/Mexican restaurant near a Korean restaurant, not far from a store where you can buy a hijab?

I was in Albany Park today to emcee the kickoff of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month at the Cambodian American Heritage Museum. It's yet another event I committed to before I knew I would no longer represent a television station at this time. After I commented about that in my opening remarks, everyone was eager to know which station they should switch to watching. I will certainly share such information when it's appropriate.

More importantly on this day, the celebration of Chicago's vibrant and diverse Asian community. I strongly urge every Chicagoan to visit the Cambodian American Heritage Museum. It is small but packed with important artifacts and information about Cambodia's history, including the Killing Fields genocide. Reflecting on such brutality and human suffering certainly makes my job situation seem extremely trivial.

Now, today was just the kickoff to Asian American Heritage Month. There are performances and events all over Chicago in the next few weeks. Click here to link to the city's Department of Human Relations website. You can access the calendar of events on the lower right hand side of the homepage.

Cambodian Museum may re-open downtown [Seattle]

Tuesday, August 28, 2007
By Kat Lewin
Robinson News (Washington, USA)

The Cambodian Cultural Museum in White Center may be opening in a new and improved locale downtown.

The museum is temporarily closed due to damage from flooding that occurred last January. The museum will reopen in a new location by next year.

Museum founder Dara Duong said the Cambodian Cultural Museum is in the early stages of working with the Wing Luke Asian Museum in downtown Seattle. No date has been set, but Duong said that the museum may be moving into a permanent space "sometime in December or January next year."

"We want to keep this story alive. We want to share it with the community, with schools and children," Duong said. "The old location is not really good for us to receive students and visitors because it's not accessible from public transportation and it is close to an adult video store."

This is not the first time the museum has experienced flooding during its three years in its former location. The museum was located at a below street-level property on 16th Street, and was prone to flooding two or three times a year. The flooding threatened to permanently damage the pictures and artifacts on display in the museum.

"The site could only ever have been a temporary location, because the basement was not an appropriate location," said Matthew Steinbrueck, museum treasurer. "The flooding was a good excuse to take action and find other ways to make the museum continue."


Steinbrueck said that the museum board originally wished to stay in the White Center area, but could not garner sufficient financial support. The White Center Community Development Association offered relocation support, but Duong said they could not provide a long-term solution.

"It's a loss for White Center," said Rob Watt, community development director for the White Center Community Development Association. "The landlord was going to make him pay for the improvements. It just didn't seem right."

Duong added that the museum owners are still "very interested in working with any other local agency in White Center if they believe that this will benefit this group."

According to Duong, the museum has entered into a verbal agreement with the Wing Luke Asian Museum, and a written agreement is being reviewed. After a decision is reached, museum coordinators will work together to work out a timeline.

A spokesperson for the Wing Luke Asian Museum declined comment because "it's all in early stages and nothing has been finalized."

Until the Cambodian Cultural Museum's relocation next year, Steinbrueck said that the museum will continue to put on displays and presentations. The museum also remains involved in charity work to support a school in a rural village in Cambodia.

"I'm glad that the museum is maybe moving but it's not closed," Steinbrueck said. "It will continue to exist. It's an important collection that should be preserved and continued as a resource available to the local people here."

Kat Lewin may be reached at katl@robinsonnews.com

For additional information about the museum, click on the link below:
http://www.killingfieldsmuseum.com/