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519 Sargent Avenue
Location Map
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Location: N side bet. Young & Langside; South & West Face
Occupant: Asia City
District: West End
Neighbourhood: Spence
Artist(s): Reid Edgeworth
Year: 1999
Sponsors: Winnipeg Development Agreement, West End BIZ, Project Peacemakers
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Commemorative Plaque: "The Vietnamese mural is attributed to the Vietnamese
settlers who arrived in the West End in 1975. It is our way of honouring them
for the contributions they have made in building and creating this multicultural
area of the City of Winnipeg. They have earned our respect, and the Mural is
our way of saying thanks. We commend their achievements and resolve that we
will try to follow them in action and attitude."
"For this, we set aside this special place in our community, a site that is part
of our history and serves as a Memorial to their labour and sacrifice, to be
remembered for generations to come."
Reid Edgeworth: "Vietnam is divided into three distinct cultural regions, each
with its own unique geography,
architecture and customs. Traditionally, each region is represented by a female
icon wearing a
costume associated with her region. The composition of the Mural focuses on the
three figures with
the hope of capturing a sense of the mystery and beauty surrounding Vietnamese
culture. The
placement of the three figures echoes their location on the map."
"The southernmost figure appears closest to the viewer. She carries an umbrella
and wears a
traditional flowing tunic (Ao Dai). Rice farming, one of the major industries of
the south, is
represented through the image of the lone farmer working diligently in the
field. On the far left is the
Ben Thanh supermarket-a familiar sight to the people of the south. Above the
doorway of the
supermarket is a tiny version of the map of Vietnam. Below the supermarket is an
inspirational
Lotus flower known for its beauty."
"The north is represented by the figure at the northernmost point of the Mural.
She has her hair tied
back and is wearing a traditional Three Flaps dress (Ao Ba Ta). Nearby is the
One-pillar Pagoda
(Chua Mot Cot), which is known for its unique architectural design. Below the
temple is a small
glimpse of the terraced farmland that is associated with the north."
"Wearing a student's dress and a Classic Conical Coolie hat, the figure on the
right represents the
central region. She is standing in front of the Celestial Lady (Thien Mu)
Pagoda. Lush forests and
cascading waterfalls are found in this central region. Vietnam's extensive
eastern coastline is
represented through the small sailing boat (Thuyen Buom) with the bright orange
sail."
"Each figure is graced with the portrait of a young woman from the Vietnamese
community of
Winnipeg. Each woman was chosen for her upstanding character and bright future.
The portraits tie
the traditions of the old world to the heritage of the next generation in
Canada."
"Kelvin Tran was the liaison between the Vietnamese people of Winnipeg and
myself. Kelvin was a
great help in insuring the appropriateness of the imagery."
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