Rachel Hausmann-Schall artist residency and adult program manager | Official Website
Rachel Hausmann-Schall artist residency and adult program manager | Official Website
The Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, Wisconsin, has been awarded a $10,000 Challenge America Award from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). This grant will fund photographer Pao Houa Her’s residency at the museum as part of the "Belonging" project. The initiative coincides with an exhibition of her work titled "Double Exposure: Community Portraits," which will be displayed at the museum from June 7 to August 24, 2025.
"The NEA is proud to continue our nearly 60 years of supporting the efforts of organizations and artists that help to shape our country’s vibrant arts sector and communities of all types across our nation," stated NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. She added that it is inspiring to see creative projects like "Belonging."
Museum Director Matt Foss emphasized the museum's dedication to offering diverse visual arts experiences that promote community engagement. He remarked, “Pao Houa Her’s artwork and her concurrent artist residency reinforce that commitment. We’re honored the National Endowment for the Arts recognized that as well.”
The Challenge America grant program supports projects aimed at extending art access to populations with limited opportunities due to geographic, ethnic, economic, or disability-related barriers. Each award requires a matching cost share of $10,000.
Pao Houa Her is noted for her contemporary Hmong American artistry and was named a Guggenheim Fellow in 2023. Her personal history as a refugee informs her work in connecting with Hmong communities through portrait photography—a key inspiration behind "Belonging."
During her two-week residency in July at the museum, Pao will convert gallery spaces into interactive environments using local materials like flowers and fabrics as photographic backdrops. Residents will be photographed within these settings. The exhibition aims to engage visitors with photography through instructional didactics and video prompts while displaying previously completed portraits by Pao.
Support for Pao Houa Her's residency also comes from grants provided by the B.A. & Esther Greenheck Foundation and the Green Bay Packers Foundation.
For further details on other projects included in NEA’s grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.
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