HOME 2024 COMMUNITY, CULTURE & CITIZENSHIP CELEBRATION
FREE
We will be running a free shuttle bus between the Park & Ride lot to the west of the Brown Deer Road exit of I-43 and the sculpture garden. Feel free to drop your party off at Lynden before parking at the Park & Ride. The final shuttle of the day will depart Lynden at 4 pm.
Some of the ramps at the Brown Deer exit are currently closed, so consider alternate routes for getting to Lynden. Plan your route ahead of time, and check for any traffic conditions and changes to your route on the morning of the event. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation's website has information to help you plan your journey: https://511wi.gov/.
For further information on free transportation options to Lynden, please contact us at info@lyndensculpturegarden.org or call 414-446-8794.
The HOME Refugee Steering Committee at the Lynden Sculpture Garden invites you to observe World Refugee Day in a series of outdoor events and programs that celebrate Milwaukee’s refugee communities through art, food, fashion, and performance.
In August 2024, we join with the Community Center for Immigrants for a day of celebrating the citizenship and naturalization of new Americans from Milwaukee’s refugee and immigrant communities.
The centerpiece of the event is a naturalization ceremony for 55 new Americans. The ceremony will begin at 11:30 am.
For this HOME Celebration of Community, Culture, and Citizenship, emcee Paul Vang of the Hmong community presides over a day that includes a craft market; performances by Dian Novita (Indonesian), Hmong dance troupe LIVIA, and Golden Melody Band U.S.A (Burmese); hands-on batik dyeing with artist-in-residence Arianne King Comer; and a tour of trees on the grounds by Lynden staff. Community Center for Immigrants will host a school supply giveaway and free lunch featuring food from refugee chefs/refugee-run businesses: Amir’s Roti (Rohingya), Blue Star Cafe (Somali), and Kha Sushi Land (Burmese). Asher Imtiaz/Indus Images will provide individual photo portraits to each of the new citizens.
We will be joined by refugee-serving organizations Independence First, Literacy Services of Wisconsin, and the United Nations Association of Greater Milwaukee. Aurora St Lukes Family Medicine Clinic will provide free health screenings, including blood pressure and blood sugar testing and accessible health education on topics such as diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, asthma, reproductive/sexual health, and mental health.
Welcome the new citizens; bring your dancing shoes and learn some new dances; dye a T-shirt to take home; or simply pack a picnic and a blanket to enjoy the outdoors with friends, family, and community.
Program
Time | Event |
---|---|
11:00 am – 4:00 pm | HOME Craft Market |
11:30 am | Naturalization Ceremony – with Star Spangled Banner performed by Saung Hnin |
11:30 pm – 3:30 pm | T-shirt batik dyeing with Lynden’s artist-in-residence Arianne King Comer |
12:00 pm | CCI Back-to-School Supplies Giveaway (while supplies last) |
12:30 pm | Lunch featuring food from Amir’s Roti (Rohingya), Blue Star Cafe (Somali), and Kha Sushi Land (Burmese)—while supplies last |
1:30 pm | Tree Walk with Lynden Land Staff |
1:30 pm | Dian Novita (traditional Indonesian) |
2:00 pm | LIVIA (diverse and modern K-pop dance group) |
2:30 pm | Golden Melody Music Band U.S.A. (Burmese music) |
Program and timing are subject to change. |
Craft Market Participants
Arianne’s Artist Way – Lynden artist-in-residence Arianne King Comer’s intricate batik designs on scarves, handkerchiefs, lampshades, and more are available for purchase at the front desk.
Be the Change! – Face painting by the HOME Program’s young women and girls’ art and leadership group.
Catherine Art Studio KJ – Paintings by Catherine Kimbakimba, youth participant in HOME Be the Change! (Congolese).
Erni Supitasari's Rempeyek - Savory Indonesian crackers for snacking and toppings originating from Java (Indonesia)
Fairouz – Jewelry and handmade bags curated by Suheir Rashid (Syrian).
hmodern made – Handmade hair accessories, jewelry, and hand-decorated wearables made by Ashley Xiong (Hmong).
Made By Maixia – Journals, notebooks, stationery, zines, art prints, glasses, and coasters by Maixia Xiong (Hmong).
Maly Aroma Boutique – Candles by Malyellen Vang (Hmong).
Mchete's African Treasures – Authentic handmade jewelry, men's and women's African clothes, artwork, beadwork, and African fabrics curated by Monica Ashery (Tanzanian).
Olive Essence Soap – Handmade natural soaps, scrubs, hair cream, and bath salts by Gharam M. Amer (Syrian and Turkish).
Puffy and Fluffy – Crochet plushies and hijabs, and ma'moul (date filled cookies) by Dana and Reem Barbarawi (Palestinian).
Royal Beauty – Organic and homemade hair oil and facial products by Enas Alwedyan (Jordanian).
Rumaneh Nourish – Natural skincare products along with Palestinian inspired home goods by Bisan Musa (Palestinian).
About the Artists
Paul Vang (emcee) has spent the better part of a decade working to empower immigrant, refugee and BIPOC communities here in Milwaukee. He taught high school chemistry in the Milwaukee Public Schools, where he focused on issues of educational equity among marginalized students within STEM. Afterwards, he served as a Democracy Organizer for the Hmong American Women’s Association, where he and his team worked to address the barriers that Southeast Asian immigrants and refugees face when in the process of naturalizing and securing their right to vote. He is currently pursuing an MBA in Supply Chain Management with a certificate in Energy Analysis and Sustainability at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Arianne King Comer is an art consultant, indigo and community arts advocate, lecturer, teacher, and textile artist. She is interested in the cultural traditions of the African Diaspora, and much of her research focuses on indigo cultivation and dyeing. She has been a CALL & RESPONSE artist-in-residence at Lynden since 2017 and is a founding member of the HOME Refugee Steering Committee. In 2020, she began HEALING COATS, working with local refugees, steering committee members, CALL & RESPONSE artists, and friends and colleagues from across the country on an exhibition of wearable art.
Golden Melody Music Band U.S.A. is led by Burmese Muslim Mohammad Hasan, alongside volunteer singers, and is managed by Burmese grassroots community worker Moe Aung. Hasan captures his audience with a nostalgic style and persona, both poised and enigmatic, and with sounds of yesteryear. He plays international music, oldies, and classic rock songs in Myanmar, English and Hindi (Bollywood). Hasan and his rotating band members perform at farmers’ markets, community fundraisers, and practically anywhere that they are called for. At the Lynden Sculpture Garden, Golden Melody has performed at HOME celebrations since 2019. In 2021, inspired by community activism and the Spring Revolution in his homeland and locally, Hasan advised and arranged music for the Spring Star Music Band consisting of musicians from the Karen, Kachin, Chin, and Burmese communities.
Saung Hnin (singer) was born in Burma. At the age of eleven, she came to the United States for her education --a country which has given Saung the opportunity to keep pursuing her dreams. As of 2024, Saung is pursuing her ambition to become a nurse while working as a medical assistant. Saung is a member of C&K Band and she enjoys volunteering at fundraising events. She prefers to utilize music as a means of raising awareness and inspiring people, to bring awareness to the struggles of her people, while being a personal release when things get tough. In 2023, she became an American citizen, which she considers as one of her best moments in life.
Asher Imtiaz (Pakistan) of Indus Images (photo portraits of new citizens) believes that everyone deserves to have their story told and their dignity honored through the power of photography. Indus Images partners with others to tell these stories. They also provide professional portrait services to individuals and families who cannot afford them, ensuring that cherished memories are captured and celebrated.
LIVIA is a dynamic, Milwaukee-based K-pop/hip-hop cover group that formed in 2022 through the group members' shared interest in dancing. LIVIA brings together dancers from all kinds of backgrounds and talents. They hope to engage their audiences with the vibrant community of K-pop enthusiasts and to create opportunities to showcase their passion.
Born and raised in East Java, Dian Novita (Indonesian dance) has a deep love and passion for dancing. Through her performances, workshops, and interactions with the community, she shares the richness and diversity of Indonesian traditions, allowing others to experience the magic of her country's cultural expressions. She will be performing Jaripah Dance, a traditional dance from the Indonesian island of Java, specifically from the region of Banyuwangi. It is a vibrant and expressive dance that is accompanied by traditional Javanese gamelan music. Jaripah Dance reflects the rich cultural heritage of Java and embodies the community's values, traditions, and beliefs.
About HOME
HOME is the theme of our work with refugee community leaders, community members, Call & Response artists, and allies. The HOME Refugee Steering Committee is building a space of leading, coming together, and celebrating refugees. For all HOME 2024 programming, click here.
About Community Center for Immigrants
CCI’s mission is to facilitate integration and foster self-sufficiency in the immigrant community by providing English and Citizenship education programs and immigration legal services. Our goal is to develop the literacy and civic knowledge required to obtain U.S. citizenship and actively participate in American society.
HOME 2024 is sponsored in part by the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, Bureau of Refugee Programs; Community Center for Immigrants; Anthem Blue-Cross Blue-Shield; Hanan Refugees Relief Group; Engauge Workforce Solutions; Medical College of Wisconsin – Office of Global Health (Our City of Nations Conference);Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition; Wisconsin Muslim Civic Alliance; Institute of World Affairs – UWM Center for International Education; Wisconsin Conservation Voters; United Nations Association of Greater Milwaukee; and American Red Cross Wisconsin Region.
Special thanks to staff members and organizers from Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, Milwaukee Public Library, Milwaukee Consortium for Hmong Health, Inc., Jewish Social Services Madison, Hmong American Peace Academy, the International Newcomer Center of the Milwaukee Academy of Chinese Language, Clement J. Zablocki School, and South Division Newcomer Center for their support and involvement.