The Center for Cultural Vibrancy was thrilled to welcome a sold-out audience for Commonwealth Crossroads: Immigrant Traditions in Virginia, an unforgettable night celebrating the extraordinary cultural richness and living traditions that immigrant communities bring to Virginia.
Guests experienced a remarkable range of performances, demonstrations, and artistic traditions, including a Quechua ceremony of welcome by Señora Julia Garcia; Vietnamese music from the internationally acclaimed Nguyen Family Band and Dan Bau master Phuong Nguyen; Mongolian music and dance featuring Mongolia’s Cultural Envoy Gankhuyag (GanNa) Natsag and Morin Khuur master Uyanga; Bolivian dance traditions performed by Tradiciones Bolivianos; Cambodian dance and costume traditions presented by National Heritage Fellowship recipient Sochietah Ung; and an Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony shared by Lemlem Gebray and her daughters.
Audiences also had the opportunity to experience traditional Guatemalan backstrap loom weaving by Ashley Juarez Lopez and view the stunning Alfombra (sawdust carpet) installation by internationally acclaimed artist Ubaldo Sanchez alongside performances by Marimba Maya AWAL celebrating ancient Mayan musical traditions.
The evening offered a powerful and joyful reflection of the diversity, creativity, and resilience of America’s immigrant traditions, while giving guests the chance to engage with these living cultural practices up close through craft, music, dance, food, and storytelling. Guests also got to enjoy traditional foods prepared by Chef Mamusu of Liberia and Sosan Bakhshi of Afghanistan, adding another memorable layer to the celebration and community spirit of the evening.
Commonwealth Crossroads served as the perfect kickoff for the museum’s new exhibition, We the People: The World in Our Commonwealth, and we extend our deepest thanks to our hosts and partners at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, as well as our supporters at the VCU Humanities Research Center and the Virginia Folklife Program at Virginia Humanities, whose collaboration made this extraordinary gathering possible. Most of all, thank you to everyone who attended and helped create such an energetic, welcoming, and meaningful celebration.
At the Center for Cultural Vibrancy, we believe that supporting artists and tradition bearers is essential to building deeper understanding across communities and contributing to a more empathetic and connected world. Events like Commonwealth Crossroads: Immigrant Traditions in Virginia reflect our commitment to uplifting living cultural traditions, creating opportunities for meaningful exchange, and honoring the artists, performers, and culture bearers whose knowledge and creativity continue to shape Virginia’s cultural landscape. We are deeply grateful to our participating artists and everyone who joined us in celebrating these traditions and the communities that sustain them.
