Tag: House of Welcome

In the Spirit

Nkwnqwa
1mm hemp, brain tanned hide, dentalium, vintage beads
Annette Pierre (Kalispel)
“This basket was inspired by a story told to me by Kalispel tribal elder Francis Cullooyah about my great-grandfather Charlie Nick. His Indian name was Nkwnqwa, which means One Stick. He was given that name because at stick game he was renowned for being able to win a game with just one stick remaining. The basket has 200 spokes and over 90 rows. Not including the bottom, there are over 18,000 twists. Each row took me 2 hours to complete.”

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

Wolf Headdress, Red Cedar, acrylic paint, safety helmet layer. Stephan Smith (Quinault/Makah)
“This headdress is from my Makah side from the style and shape. My first full-sized headdress that was completed in a year. I was gifted the Cedar block from Makah artists Nytom. During the carving process the design changed after being more involved in carving. I had the opportunity to help out on dugout canoe that really helps shape the final design.”

In 2006, the Washington State Historical Society and the “House of Welcome” Cultural Center at Evergreen State College began a partnership with the intention of celebrating the best emerging Native artists in the region. Through their efforts, an annual exhibition was created that provides a public venue for heightened exposure while highlighting the awe-inspiring efforts of up and coming artists. The result was the first In the Spirit art exhibition. 

May a Calm Breeze Soothe Your Aching Heart
Seed beads in various sizes including antiques, buffalo split, 
dyed porcupine quills, nymo thread, acrylic paint, fire polish beads, Dentalium shells
Megan McDermott (Little Shell Chippewa, Blackfeet, Cree)
“I have faced a lot of hardship, pain, and anger. Having PTSD makes it difficult to focus or breathe. It’s a constant dark heaviness. Feeling the caress of the wind and the smells can lift those burdens from me for a little bit. I can breathe. I can feel life around me. None of my problems solved, nor the pain erased or forgotten, but I can exist for a moment because of the breeze.”

Over time, this annual exhibition has become an established regional event featuring works from new and established artists alike. Their creations span the gauntlet of artistic mediums and tribal heritage. While largely focused on Coast Salish artists, the exhibition also includes plains and pueblo artistry from non-Salish tribal members who call the Pacific Northwest home.

Now prepping for its 20th annual unveiling at the Tacoma Art Museum, In the Spirit will be free for all visitors and art enthusiasts on Saturday, August 9 from 10:00am – 5:00pm. Building on past successes, In the Spirit will also feature a number of cultural performances and arts market outside the main gallery to entice even more to attend the family-friendly opening. 

Frybread Trails. Acrylic on Canvas
Shana Yellow Calf (Northern Arapaho)
“This piece is one of the pieces from the children’s book I am working on. It’s called Frybread Trails. The Frybread Crew is composed of Bigfoot, Coyote, MC Blackbird, Otter aka Bob, BIG E (Bear), and the 3-legged dog. They are headed to Neah Bay to visit the Little People.
Little People legends span from Alaska all the way to the plains. This day, the Frybread Crew are arriving to attend a potlatch, taste some salmon, and enjoy some local frybread. With each stop the Frybread Crew makes, they always arrive in a different mode of transportation. And Big E always seems to have a fishing pole or frybread in hand.”

The stunning creations accompanying this article were on display at last year’s exhibition. They are but a glimpse into the wonderful world that is created when indigenous imaginations are let loose to roam freely and create unburdened in an art gallery.

sgʷigʷialʔtxʷ at 20: Building upon the past, visioning into the future

Kookaburra/Recalecense Richard Rowland (Native Hawaiian). 2005. Clay, marsupial bones, umbrella, stove top element, obsidian. “The works I sometimes make are directly associated with the idea of transformation, adaptability, and the responsibilities I feel toward my culture and toward my community of people, animals, and the whole natural world. I use natural materials in an organically abstracted way that expresses who I am and where I came from – mainly my ancestral beginning, which are deeply rooted somewhere between the landscape and the heavens.”
Kookaburra/Recalecense. Richard Rowland (Native Hawaiian). 2005. Clay, marsupial bones, umbrella, stove top element, obsidian. “The works I sometimes make are directly associated with the idea of transformation, adaptability, and the responsibilities I feel toward my culture and toward my community of people, animals, and the whole natural world. I use natural materials in an organically abstracted way that expresses who I am and where I came from – mainly my ancestral beginning, which are deeply rooted somewhere between the landscape and the heavens.”

 

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News 

 

The House of Welcome Longhouse Education and Cultural Center located at Evergreen State College in Olympia is celebrating 20 years of groundbreaking work. Work that emphasizes promoting indigenous arts and cultures through education, cultural preservation, and creative expression. The House of Welcome celebrates the essence of that work with its latest exhibition, Building Upon the Past, Visioning Into the Future.

 

We Are One Bond Chholing Taha (Cree/Iroquois). Acrylic on plywood.
We Are One Bond. Chilling Taha (Cree/Iroquois). Acrylic on plywood.

 

 

Curated by Longhouse staff members, Erin Genia (Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate) and Linley Logan (Seneca), the exhibition features the works of artists from this land, local Squaxin Island, Skokomish, Puyallup and many other Salish tribes. Tribes from across the nation are also represented, from Alaska, the Plains, and across the Pacific Rim, including Kanaka Maoli artists from Hawaii and Maori artists from New Zealand.

 

Hummingbird Moon Malynn Foster (Squaxin Island and Skokomish). 2015. Acrylic, pastel, mixed media on canvas.
Hummingbird Moon. Malynn Foster (Squaxin Island and Skokomish). 2015. Acrylic, pastel, mixed media on canvas.

 

`Works on display include paintings, drums, carving, beadwork, photography, baskets, and jewelry.

The subjects and techniques exhibited by the Longhouse artists draw from a diverse range of stylistic traditions, which arise from cultural teachings, ancestral lineages, and each artist’s unique experiences as indigenous peoples.

The exhibition was on display from March 31 – May 11. The House of Welcome was gracious to allow syəcəb staff a private tour of the exhibition so that we could share amazingly creative and exceptional Native art with our readers.

 

Supernatural Seawolves Joe Seymour (Squaxin Island and Acoma Pueblo). 2015. Acrylic on paper. “Supernatural Seawolves is a reproduction of an old spindle whorl that I studied at the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) in Washington D.C. My trip to the NMAI was made possible through the National Native Creative Development grant through the Longhouse. The design shows two double-headed seawolves. I created this print while working with Lisa Sweet in Artistic Inquiry: Relief Printmaking program during the 2015 Spring quarter at TESC.”
Supernatural Seawolves. Joe Seymour (Squaxin Island and Acoma Pueblo). 2015. Acrylic on paper. “Supernatural Seawolves is a reproduction of an old spindle whorl that I studied at the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) in Washington D.C. My trip to the NMAI was made possible through the National Native Creative Development grant through the Longhouse. The design shows two double-headed seawolves. I created this print while working with Lisa Sweet in Artistic Inquiry: Relief Printmaking program during the 2015 Spring quarter at TESC.”

 

Cedar Bark Fedora Patti Puhn (Squaxin Island). 2016. Red and yellow cedar bard, sinew, pheasant feathers.
Cedar Bark Fedora. Patti Puhn (Squaxin Island). 2016. Red and yellow cedar bard, sinew, pheasant feathers.

 

Swimming Together In 2015, Artist-in-Residence and Longhouse grantee Nora Naranjo Morse (Tewa) conducted a two-week workshop to create a clay fish installation that will be installed on the future Indigenous Arts Campus at the Evergreen State College. In preparation for the workshop, Nora harvested and processed clay from Santa Clara and Taos Pueblo in the traditional way. Under the guidance and expertise of Nora, the Longhouse staff team joined with community artists to hand-build ceramic fish from the beautiful micaceous clay provided. Together, the tribal participants represented many different regions of the U.S. At the start of the workshop, the group came together to tell fish stories form their tribes. “Swimming Together” represents the connection of Indigenous peoples to the land and sea, and people of many cultural backgrounds working and learning together. This installation is a selection of the fish created during the workshop.
Swimming Together. In 2015, Artist-in-Residence and Longhouse grantee Nora Naranjo Morse (Tewa) conducted a two-week workshop to create a clay fish installation that will be installed on the future Indigenous Arts Campus at the Evergreen State College. In preparation for the workshop, Nora harvested and processed clay from Santa Clara and Taos Pueblo in the traditional way. Under the guidance and expertise of Nora, the Longhouse staff team joined with community artists to hand-build ceramic fish from the beautiful micaceous clay provided. Together, the tribal participants represented many different regions of the U.S. At the start of the workshop, the group came together to tell fish stories form their tribes. “Swimming Together” represents the connection of Indigenous peoples to the land and sea, and people of many cultural backgrounds working and learning together. This installation is a selection of the fish created during the workshop.