Join the Ware Center in honoring the courage, sacrifice and resilience of a community shaped by loss — and in celebrating the power of storytelling to connect, heal and inspire.
The Ware Center for the Arts will present “Our Journeys,” a powerful multimedia exhibition created by Vietnamese Boat People, from Feb. 2 to 28. The exhibition, which can be viewed weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., is free and open to the public, as is a special exhibit opening event on Jan. 31 at 7 p.m.
Centering the voices of Vietnamese Americans, “Our Journeys” brings to life deeply personal stories of migration, memory and resilience. Through oral histories, cherished artifacts and interactive elements, the exhibition invites visitors to explore the emotional and historical threads that connect generations across the diaspora.
The exhibit will include local Vietnam diaspora stories by Alys Truong, Mai Nguyen Yeager, Ho-Thanh Nguyen and Thuat Nham ’81, the first Vietnamese woman to attend and graduate from Millersville University.
Exhibit Opening Event
The Jan. 31 opening event will feature artwork by local Asian American visual artists, including Libby Etheridge, Wendy Li yuen-Ting, Yen Elizabeth Keener, Aron Rook, Vu Quoc Nguyen and Baldwin Fellow Bri Nguyen. There will also be a display of traditional Vietnamese dresses curated by Julia Cao, delicious Vietnamese finger foods provided by the Rice & Noodles/Sprout family and a performance by Vietnamese American singer Lê Thanh Trúc (“Panda”). Maian McCauley, whose mother’s story will be featured in the “Our Journeys” exhibit, will share the poignant story of her family’s diaspora experience.
VBP Founder Tracey Nguyễn Mang will share ways to participate in the organization’s oral history project and offer book signings for the “Our Journeys” book, an exhibition accompaniment.
Vietnamese Boat People’s “Our Journeys” Exhibit
Since 2018, VBP has documented the untold stories of the Vietnamese refugee experience through its award-winning podcast, educational workshops, and grassroots storytelling initiatives. Our Journeys is the culmination of this work — transforming audio into a deeply human, visual and participatory experience.
The exhibition invites visitors through a self-guided collection of personal narratives and objects contributed by storytellers — each one carrying the weight of history, loss and hope. In the final section of the show, a global map invites guests to pause and chart their own journeys of migration, weaving together a collective story of displacement and homecoming. Guests are also invited to engage with conversation cards that prompt dialogue and personal storytelling.
“At the heart of ‘Our Journeys’ is the belief that storytelling is both inheritance and offering,” says Mang. “This exhibition isn’t just about where we’ve come from — it’s about where we’re going, and how sharing our stories can guide others forward.”
This exhibition was made possible with generous support from the Henry Luce Foundation, New Jersey Council for the Humanities, the Asian Women Giving Circle, and community donors, as acknowledged on the exhibition’s Wall of Hope. Local support for this installation provided by the Lancaster County Community Foundation.
Join us in honoring the courage, sacrifice, and resilience of a community shaped by loss—and in celebrating the power of storytelling to connect, heal, and inspire.