A community-based design initiative · 2007–present

Keeping culture alive, together.

In the Kam village of Dimen, traditional knowledge lives in making, storytelling, and everyday life. The Kam Heritage Project brings community members, artisans, and students together through documentation, education, and design.

Discover the project Meet Dimen

Dimen village with people gathered beside the river and traditional buildings

Dimen, Guizhou ProvinceChina

THE PROJECT

A living heritage.
A shared future.

In cooperation with the Dimen Dong Cultural Eco Museum, Marie Anna Lee and University of the Pacific students have worked with the Dimen community to document cultural heritage, strengthen local identity, and explore opportunities for sustainable livelihoods.

Three closely connected areas of work guide the project.

Kam artisan working with traditional textile materials outdoors

01 / HERITAGE

Preserving traditions

Documenting crafts, stories, songs, and traditional knowledge through research, photographs, and film.

Explore cultural preservation ↗

Children in Dimen participating in an art and printmaking workshop

02 / IDENTITY

Learning together

Workshops, student projects, and creative exchanges that celebrate local identity.

Explore community education ↗

Kam artisan with a child, sharing a traditional textile technique

03 / LIVELIHOODS

Supporting artisans

Design collaboration and craft initiatives exploring sustainable income while respecting local knowledge.

Explore living wages ↗

Kam artisans and participants demonstrate printing techniques at Smithsonian Folklife Festival

PROJECT MILESTONE · 2014

From Dimen to the Smithsonian

As part of the Kam delegation at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, DC, artisans and collaborators shared traditional crafts and led hands-on screen-printing activities.

Explore the festival ↗

GO DEEPER