In Vietnam, if children have extraordinary fingertip whorls they’re said to have Hoa Tay, or Flower Hands, a sign of artistic gifts. The exhibition “Hoa Tay (Flower Hands): Southern Artists of the Vietnamese Diaspora” is on view at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art through September 21, 2025.
The May 4 Museumgoer story in the Times-Picayune | New Orleans Advocate visits the exhibit, which was timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon on April 30.
“The Republic of Vietnam fell 50 years and a few days ago, launching a diaspora spanning decades,” the story begins. “For many, the flight to safety began aboard perilously overcrowded boats. Others followed the exodus years later.”
The American South was “a destination for many due to the region’s subtropical climate, its shrimping and fishing industries, and the sponsorship of Catholic Charities,” the story continues. “The Louisiana population of those with Vietnamese lineage is estimated to exceed 30,000.”
Read the story here. Listen to a podcast interview in the gallery with co-curators Uyen Dinh and Selina McKane here. WWNO Museumgoer coverage here.
Photos accompanying the podcast conversation are here:
Special thanks to Uyen and Selina, and to you for reading and maybe listening.
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