HISTORY

Founded in 1991 by a group of Vietnamese American journalists, artists and friends, Vietnamese American Arts & Letters Association (VAALA) is a community-based, 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization.  VAALA has organized numerous cultural events such as art exhibitions, book fairs, book signings, recitals, plays, lectures, the biennial Vietnamese International Film Festival (ViFF), the biennial Cinema Symposium, the annual Children's Moon Festival Art Contest and year-long art and music classes.  VAALA developed smART Program, which offers free art workshops for non-profit youth organizations in the Orange County and Los Angeles areas.

mISSION

VAALA's mission is to connect and enrich communities through Vietnamese art and culture.

OBJECTIVES

• To produce artistic programs that promote the vitality of Vietnamese arts and culture
• To implement the arts as an educational tool for exploring the Vietnamese experience, focusing on the diaspora
• To provide a space for artists and audiences of all backgrounds to interact in an ongoing dialogue
• To facilitate communication, tolerance and understanding among people of diverse identities
• To advocate inclusiveness by utilizing the arts to transcend boundaries both within the community and globally