Program and Event

Ambassador's Fund Grant Will Aid Lao National Museum

Ambassador Huso and Dr.  Thongsa sign the grant agreement.

H.E. Mr. Boua Ngeun Xaophouvong presents a certificate of appreciation to Ambassador Huso

On September 27, Ambassador Ravic Huso signed a grant for $26,821 for the preservation of the collection at the Lao National Museum. Mr. Thongsa Sayavongkhamdy, Director General of the Museums and Archeology Department, signed the grant on behalf of the Lao Ministry of Information and Culture. Mr. Thongsa said that the program will not only help the museum but will also promote mutual understanding between the peoples of Laos and the U.S. H.E. Mr. Boua Ngeun Xaophouvong, Vice Minister of Information and Culture, and invited guests from the cultural community also attended the signing ceremony. 

The funds for the project come from the Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP), established by the U.S. Congress in 2001 to support heritage preservation in countries around the world. This grant will provide the National Museum with secure storage for the collection, improved conservation facilities, and a department for documenting the artifacts. Museum staff members will prepare the rooms allocated for storage; provide shelving and materials to protect artifacts awaiting conservation, inventory or display; provide equipment and facilities to properly analyze and clean artifacts; and set up a documentation department to catalogue and inventory the collection.

Museum staff will also receive training on the use of the new equipment and international inventory standards.

The preservation of this collection at the Lao National Museum is the fourth AFCP project in Laos. Past projects include:

-- mapping, archiving, and exhibiting menhirs (ancient standing stones) in Huaphan province (2001);

-- construction of a tourist center in the Huaphan Menhirs Archeological Park (2003);

-- physical and digital conservation and cultural heritage outreach at Wat Sisaket in Vientiane (2004);

-- inventory and improved display of artifacts at the Ho Phra Keo Museum (2005).