“Art for Hope,” a week-long fundraiser for flood-affected communities across Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady Region and northern Thailand’s Nan Province, began at Vimutti Art Garden in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on Saturday.
The event features art exhibitions and musical performances at Memories of Chiang Mai until Aug. 29. All proceeds generated from art sales and donations will go directly to relief efforts in Thailand and Myanmar, including to the Irrawaddy Delta People’s Network (IDPN).
“For those who are far from home in Chiang Mai and wish to help relieve the suffering back in our country, we can all join hands through this initiative and donate together to build good karma for our future lives”, Soe Ya, one of the event organizers, told DVB. “Everyone is invited to visit, enjoy poetry, art, and music, eat and drink, and donate to flood relief at the same time.”
Event attendees and artists at the Vimutti Art Garden emphasized the role of creative expression in fostering solidarity across borders.
“Art has always been a tool to send a message,” said participant Lisa Fanfani. “If we stand together, real change happens.”
The event comes in response to severe climate disasters impacting both countries. In Thailand, heavy monsoon rains triggered flash floods across four districts in Nan Province.
In Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady Region, roughly 40,000 acres of farmland have been submerged, affecting nearly 39,000 residents across 138 villages of Lemyethna Township. Floodwaters have spread toward Hinthada, Kyonpyaw, and Yegyi townships.
“Art for Hope” is at Vimutti Art Garden, located inside Memories of Chiang Mai, from Aug. 22-29.
