HELEN NGUYEN
COASTAL MAINE & ACADIA NATIONAL PARK
October 2023
Huệ Helen Nguyễn is a Vietnamese artist who comes and learns from a lineage of storytellers and artists. She believes that her role as an artist is to reflect the times and to “make the revolution irresistible” (Toni Cade Bambara). Her spark for art and passion for social justice is what led her to The Wayfaring Band. Their values of disability justice and anti-ableism is what first drew her in and she hopes to continue to embody their shared values and her own. Helen truly believes everyone is an artist and wants to challenge the capitalist beliefs that just because someone isn't creating art as a job doesn't mean you're not an artist. She teaches and learns from artists with disabilities and hopes to continue to co-create art and futures together that is life-affirming and liberating for us all.
We all are artists and masterpieces in progress and Helen is so honored to create a collective zine that showcases the band members and some of their artistry during our time together in Maine-- home to the Wabanaki Nations. In this zine, Helen combined her favorite art mediums-- scrapbooking and digital art-- to design and document first and favorite moments throughout the trip. Using tickets, stickers, photos, etc. that she collected and captured, she hopes this piece brings moments of reflection and reminisce. The zine includes education, questions, a coloring page, crossword puzzle, etc. to make it more interactive and inclusive-- because art should be accessible! Helen is so grateful for her time as an artist-in-residence and for all the bonds and memories created during their time in the East Coast.
