from the Norwegian Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs and by the Canada Fund of the Canadian Embassy. DC-Cam is currently seeking additional funding to sustain the publication of the magazine, as well as to produce an English-language print edition alongside the current Khmer-language version. For contribution and additional information or media inquiries, contact Mr. Youk CHHANG, Director, Documentation Center of Cambodia, in PhnomPenh at phone ( 855-23) 211-875, fax ( 855-23) 210-358, or email dccam@bigpond.com.kh.
Joom Noon - A Gift
Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF) runs an income generation project in the remote northern province of Preah Vihear, Cambodia, producing silk products sold under the label Joom Noon, which means “gift” in Khmer. Joom Noon scarves and shawls are expertly fashioned by hand, from the harvesting and spinning of thread, to the dyeing and weaving of the silk.
Begun three years ago with five women, all of them landmine victims, the project now employs over 70 farmers, spinners, dyers, and weavers, just over half of whom are women and 75% of whom are disabled. All income from the sale of the scarves returns directly to the project, helping a remarkable micro-enterprise continue to thrive and grow. Joom Noon products are hand finished in a variety of sizes, ranging from 25 cm x 130 cm (10 in x 50 in) to 50 cm x 150 cm (20 in x 60 in) to 100 cm x 200 cm (40 in x 80 in). Because they are hand-woven, product sizes and colors may vary slightly.
For more information, call VVAF at (202)483-9222, visit http://www.vvaf.org or e-mail joomnoon@vi.org.
New Arts Center in Phnom Penh
Cross the street from the National Museum towards the Art School and you will pass a newly opened storefront known as Reyum. The yellow building houses a gallery space on the ground floor and a number of office spaces and meeting rooms that are used for a variety of research, publishing and student training projects. Last fall, the gallery presented “Lakhaoun Khaol and Khmer Lacquer making,” a survey of Cambodian laquer masks and their use in the theater of Vat Svay Andaet. A subsequent exhibition, “The Legacy of Absence: A Cambodian Story” assembled work by contemporary artists who were asked by Reyum to address the legacy of absence that follows genocide. Each of these exhibitions is accompanied by an illustrated catalogue in Khmer and English.
Reyum aims to address students and intellectuals drawn to the art school as well as international tourists visiting the National Museum and downtown Phnom Penh. Reyum is beginning to publish children’s books, teaching manuals, and more general art books in Khmer. Through its series of ongoing exhibitions, lectures, concerts and publications, Reyum wishes to address both the students and intellectuals drawn to the only art university of Cambodia, and the diverse group of international tourists who come to the Museum and surrounding areas. Reyum thus hopes to provide a meeting ground where definitions of what is considered specifically Cambodian can join and be exchanged with the international community.
Reyum is located at #47 Street 178, across from the National Museum in downtown Phnom Penh. They can be reached via e-mail at reyum@camnet.com.kh or by telephone, (855-23) 217-149 or(855-12) 806-150.