Community members are invited to celebrate the completion of a new handwoven mural reflecting the textile traditions of Palestinian, Filipino and Hmong communities on Aug. 31 in south Sacramento.
The mural celebration will take place from 10–11 a.m. at the Valley Hi–North Laguna Library (7400 Imagination Parkway). Registration is not required but is encouraged through Eventbrite.
The event will showcase the 8-by-30-foot mural installed at the library and recognize the artists from Culture through Cloth and community weavers who created it. It also will highlight contributions from other project partners and the Office of Councilmember Mai Vang, which represents the area and helped coordinate and support the project.
“At a time when so many of our communities are being made to question whether they belong, this mural sends a powerful message: you belong here, and your culture belongs here,” said Councilmember Vang. “This mural was created through the hands, traditions and stories of our community, and now it has a home right here in South Sacramento.”
Titled “Threads of Belonging,” the mural was created by artists Pachia L. Vang, Jamie P. Cardenas and Ren Allathkani of Culture through Cloth. It incorporates traditions rooted in Hmong paj ntaub, Ilocano kusikus weaving and Palestinian tatreez embroidery.
The project is the culmination of months of public workshops and collective weaving. Culture through Cloth held five workshops this year, providing more than 100 participants with opportunities to learn about the textile traditions represented in the mural. The project also included open studio sessions, where at least 40 community weavers helped create the mural.
“Traditional textiles protect and heal. At a time of division, it feels important for me to use my art practice as a cultural bearer to bring people together,” said Pachia L. Vang, a Hmong textile artist involved in the project. “This project is not only a celebration of our rich textile traditions, but also of the diverse landscape that makes up Sacramento and who we are. The workshops we hosted are more than hands-on learning experiences. They are opportunities to make space for slowing down, to be still and to create in community with one another despite all the different places we have come from.”
The mural includes three motifs representing the featured textile traditions:
- The Hmong paj ntaub “House,” honoring family, memory and home across the diaspora.
- The Ilocano kusikus “Whirlpool,” representing nature and ancestral memory.
- The Palestinian tatreez “Poppy,” reflecting the connection between Palestinian land and people.
Together, the designs explore migration, memory, resilience and belonging while demonstrating how textile traditions can preserve cultural knowledge and connect people across communities.
The City of Sacramento supported the project but did not provide project funding. The City’s Office of Arts and Culture worked with the Office of Councilmember Vang through the Art in Public Places program to provide planning, permitting and licensing assistance for the installation.
“The Office of Arts and Culture’s Art in Public Places program is thrilled to support Council District 8 and Culture through Cloth’s ‘Threads of Belonging’ temporary installation and workshops at the Valley Hi–North Laguna Library,” said Donald Gensler, the City’s Art in Public Places Manager. “By involving the community in the creative process, this building-scale artwork weaves threads of color and culture together on a library exterior wall. Artist-driven public art like this highlights Sacramento’s diverse cultures and artistic talent while creating opportunities for cultural learning and expression.”
“Public art has the power to bring people together. ‘Threads of Belonging’ celebrates our community’s rich diversity and culture,” said Sacramento Public Library Director and CEO Peter Coyl. “The mural serves as a welcome to all who walk through our doors and a reminder that everyone belongs here.”
The temporary mural, which will remain at the library for two years, received support from the Asian American Liberation Network, community sponsors and fundraising efforts. The participating artists also secured partial funding through the National Academy of Design’s Abbey Mural Prize, with the District 8 Council Office serving as a partner on the grant application.
This project was made possible in part with support from the National Academy of Design/Edwin Austin Abbey Memorial Trust Fund for Mural Painting.
This program is neither sponsored nor endorsed by the Sacramento Public Library.
Please note: The Valley Hi–North Laguna Library is closed on Mondays. This is a special event taking place outside the library’s regular operating hours.
Header image: Members of BEC Industrial, a project sponsor, are pictured installing the mural.
