Lokotah Sanborn

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TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Penobscot Descendant

MEDIUM: Diverse Arts

ARTIST STATEMENT
I utilize a variety of mediums in my work to challenge the colonial gaze that denies Wabanaki modernity. Through archival documents, photo, video, and audio I showcase Wabanaki history, contextualize Wabanaki present, and inspire our futurisms. My work exposes the byproducts of capitalist systems through themes of alienation and the surreal, foregrounded by the continued perseverance, hope, and adaptation of the Wabanaki people.

BIOGRAPHY
Lokotah Sanborn is an interdisciplinary artist of Penobscot descent. His art, which spans film, music, graphic design, and photography, celebrates the perseverance and power of the Wabanaki people amid ongoing resistance. Lokotah's art is informed by years of community organizing for Wabanaki land return, cultural continuity, and Tribal sovereignty.

Lokotah works for Sunlight Media Collective, an organization of indigenous and non-indigenous media makers documenting stories at the intersection of Wabanaki rights and environmental justice.

He is a Tribally-certified artisan by the Penobscot Nation under the Indian Arts and Crafts Act.

 

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David Lonebear Sanipass

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TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Mi’kmaq

MEDIUM: Painting; Jewelry; Woodwork

ARTIST STATEMENT
My name is David Lonebear Sanipass, I grew up in northern Maine. I am from the Mi’kmaq Nation. I am a carver, make flutes, I paint and sketch. As an artist you want to be able to represent your art. I find the best way is to be able to talk about what it means. Some of what I do is so intricate you’re not really looking at what it means. The representation has been lost through interpretation. Part of the beauty isn't appreciated because it doesn’t speak to you. We have found a way for my art to speak with you, to come from my spirit, so it can be better appreciated and you will know more where I am coming from.

 

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Theresa Secord

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TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Penobscot

MEDIUM: Basketry - Ash, Basketry - Other

BIOGRAPHY
Theresa Secord (b.1958) is a traditional Penobscot basket maker and the founding director of the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance (MIBA). During her 20 years of leadership, MIBA was credited with saving the endangered art of ash and sweet grass basketry by: lowering the average age of basket makers from 63 to 40; and increasing numbers of weavers from 55 to more than 200; in the Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy and Penobscot tribes. Over the course of 30 years, Theresa taught more than a dozen apprentices the endangered art of ash and sweet grass basketry. Now, some of her apprentice’s apprentices- have apprentices!

Theresa has been honored several times for her advocacy. Among the most notable, the National Endowment for the Arts bestowed her with the prestigious life time achievement award, the National Heritage Fellowship, in 2016. In 2003, she was awarded the Prize for Creativity in Rural Life by the Women’s World Summit Foundation, granted at the UN in Geneva Switzerland, for helping basket makers rise out of poverty.

She has won a number of first place ribbons for her own basketry at the Santa Fe Indian Market, the Eiteljorg Indian Art Market and the Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair and Market. Her baskets are in many private and museum collections.

In addition to weaving baskets, Theresa continues to help other artists achieve their own goals of art and economic self-sufficiency, through work for national Native arts organizations; First Peoples Fund of Rapid City and the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation of Portland, OR.

In Maine, Theresa sits on the Governing Board of the Colby College Museum of Art, has consulted to the Portland Museum of Art on the Portland Biennial, and has co-curated a number of local Wabanaki basketry exhibitions.

 

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Richard Silliboy

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TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Mi’kmaq Nation

MEDIUM: Basketry - Ash

ARTIST STATEMENT
Richard Silliboy is a Mi’kmaq basketmaker. He has been harvesting ash and weaving potato baskets, pack baskets, and other traditional styles for decades. Growing up in Houlton, Maine, Richard’s mother taught him basketmaking. Richard often conducts workshops on basketry. He served as the President of the Maine Indian Basketmakers’ Alliance for ten years and now serves on the Board of Directors. He also has made presentations at various conferences about the significance of tribal history and traditions. Richard has been invited to attend various conferences. He is highly respected for his knowledge of brown ash and his concern for the threat of the emerald ash borer, an insect that has decimated brown ash trees in the Midwest.  He has also been asked by the Maine Arts Commission and the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance to take on apprentices to learn brown ash basketmaking. Integral to the Micmac culture is the belief in giving back to the Creator, and there has been a tradition among Micmacs who harvest a natural resource to leave something behind after the harvest, such as tobacco or some other item. Richard continues to harvest brown ash trees, and his giving back has taken on an even broader meaning through his willingness to share his knowledge of brown ash basketry with others.

 
 

UPCOMING DAWNLAND FESTIVAL OF ARTS & IDEAS

Organized by the Abbe Museum, the Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas is a unique multi-day event is an evolution of our popular Abbe Museum Indian Market (AMIM) and Native American Festival that featured invitation-only Native arts markets and performances. The Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas includes those elements but will also spotlight conversations by Wabanaki and other Indigenous leaders on some of the biggest questions of our time, including climate, democracy, and food systems.

The Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas is FREE and open to the public.

This event is supported in part by grants from the Henry Luce Foundation and Maine Office of Tourism, along with a partnership from the College of the Atlantic.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

Date: July 12-14, 2024

Location: College of the Atlantic in beautiful Bar Harbor, Maine

Contact: Dawn Spears, Festival Producer (dawn@abbemuseum.org | 207.288.3519

For event updates, please visit: https://www.dawnlandfestival.org

 

Tol-pi-yiné Simbola

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TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Picuris Pueblo

MEDIUM: Jewelry

BIOGRAPHY

Tol-pi-yiné is a metalsmith from Picuris Pueblo, New Mexico but makes his creations from a small studio space in the heart of Downtown Santa Fe. 

"My mother taught me to make jewelry when I was 12 years old while she was homeschooling me and I was fortunate enough to create jewelry and participate in the prestigious SWAIA Indian Market in Santa Fe, NM for 7 years as a youth. Creating jewelry for the Indian Market became my art class and I was able to explore basic fabricating techniques. Years of experience and inspiration from the top of the line Native Artists I was surrounded by, made me even more creative and willing to experiment."

Tol-pi-yiné's newest creation "Dragon Skinn" is a stand-out contemporary line of jewelry that resembles the scales or 'skin' like texture of the mythical creature, created by meticulously and repeatedly stamping from both sides with a single diamond repoussé stamp. 

"When I think of typical “Native American” art, I think pottery, paintings of plains and horses, sculpture, basketry, sacred things with natural color, and certain geometrical shapes. Sterling silver is not always one of these - especially in the hands of someone like myself. Growing up traditional but also having influence of the modern world has given me a different perspective on designs as a jeweler. Even though I keep a certain aesthetic, I like to try new things to see what may come from my inspirations at the time. I don't center my work around turquoise or traditional influence - but rather let my stamp work and fabrication speak for themselves. Everything I create is one of a kind, and no two pieces are the same."

 

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Sarah Sockbeson

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Photo by Robin Farrin

Photo by Robin Farrin

TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Penobscot

MEDIUM: Basketry - Ash, Jewelry

ARTIST STATEMENT
I have been an artist my entire life.  Even at a young age, I was intrigued by Native art in particular.  Being Penobscot, I had seen baskets in museums and in the homes of my family members and was always fascinated by them.  I was also told stories about my great-grandmother who was a basketmaker in the early 1900s.  I wanted to be a part of this tradition, but unfortunately, in my family, it was not passed down to my generation.  I still found ways to practice art, and in high school I began painting and experimenting with various mediums.  I found it was a great outlet for my artistic abilities.

In 2004, I apprenticed with Jennifer Neptune as part of the Maine Arts Commission Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program.  I was honored to have the opportunity to work with a skilled masterweaver, such as Jennifer.  She showed me first how to split the ash splints, how to prepare my material, and taught me the traditional techniques necessary to weave ash and sweetgrass baskets. Since then, I have sharpened my skills with each basket woven.

Although I am using traditional material and techniques, my style comes from the place I live today, in this modern society. Basketry, to me, is a fine Art and in order for the tradition to survive, it must evolve.  It is important for my work to appeal to a modern audience, while still remaining true to cultural traditions. When creating art, whether it be painting, drawing, basketry, or any medium, my top priority is always quality and attention to detail.  I take pride in every project I set out to do, and I am constantly striving to be better at what I do.  When I can create something that surpasses my initial vision, it gives me a real sense of accomplishment.

As for my inspiration, I look to the past, present and future.  I see it as being vitally important to acknowledge the traditions of the past.  I have a responsibility to honor my ancestors that have practiced the art of basketry long before I was alive. It gives me great pride knowing that I am able to perform this tradition in almost every way it was done years ago. To create a work of art out of a raw material such as the ash tree is almost magical.  When I look at some of my creations, even I sometimes wonder how they came to be.  As I weave, it is almost like having a spiritual connection with the past.

Living in this present day, my goal is to embrace the modern world and combine natural elements with bright innovative colors along with original designs to create a fresh approach to a timeless art form.

Not only do I aspire to create things that are visually appealing and a reflection of myself, but I also strive to preserve Wabanaki basketry to ensure that it is not lost or forgotten.  I see it as part of my duty, since obtaining this knowledge, to pass it on.  It is personally important to me, not just as an artist, but also as a Native American to create art that will inspire future generations, and keep the tradition of Basketry alive.

 

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UPCOMING DAWNLAND FESTIVAL OF ARTS & IDEAS

Organized by the Abbe Museum, the Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas is a unique multi-day event is an evolution of our popular Abbe Museum Indian Market (AMIM) and Native American Festival that featured invitation-only Native arts markets and performances. The Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas includes those elements but will also spotlight conversations by Wabanaki and other Indigenous leaders on some of the biggest questions of our time, including climate, democracy, and food systems.

The Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas is FREE and open to the public.

This event is supported in part by grants from the Henry Luce Foundation and Maine Office of Tourism, along with a partnership from the College of the Atlantic.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

Date: July 12-14, 2024

Location: College of the Atlantic in beautiful Bar Harbor, Maine

Contact: Dawn Spears, Festival Producer (dawn@abbemuseum.org | 207.288.3519 )

For event updates, please visit: https://www.dawnlandfestival.org

Dawn Spears

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TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Narragansett/Choctaw

MEDIUM: Clothing, Diverse Arts, Painting/Illustration

ARTIST STATEMENT
My work reflects all facets of life. My mother Diosa Summers, Choctaw was an artist and educator who inspired and encouraged creativity in me and my siblings at an early age. I grew up being exposed to many forms of artmaking, assisting her was my introduction to art. It was inevitable that I would end up with similar interests.  I am a mother of three, a wife of thirty-six years to Cassius and a grandmother of seven, I find as an artist, that being able to create original art that has elements of my culture and tradition, is my best form of expression, I use symbolism and the rich colors of our natural world as inspiration for my abstract paintings and designs.

 

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Frances Soctomah

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TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Passamaquoddy

PANEL TITLE: Arts Transforming Our Futures

MEDIUM: Basketry - Ash, Beadwork

BIOGRAPHY
Frances Soctomah (she/her) is a Peskotomuhkati (Passamaquoddy) artist from Motahkomikuk who engages video, audio, animation, graphic art, and traditional Wabanaki arts practices to explore and articulate relationships between people, Mother Earth, and our non-human relatives. Family, memory, responsibility, reciprocity, and interconnection are concepts often woven throughout her work. She grounds her practice in story, incorporating teachings from conversations with her family and community members.

Frances is one of eleven children who come from a long line of Passamaquoddy artistry. She began her journey as an artist at age seven when her late-grandmother Molly Neptune Parker – a renowned basketmaker and matriarch of four generations of weavers – began teaching her to make brown ash and sweetgrass baskets. While learning to weave fancy baskets in styles passed down to her family through generations, Molly shared stories of growing up in Motahkomikuk and the many places she lived. She passed down teachings from their ancestors, often reflecting on how our relationships with each other have shifted through time. The stories of community and connection that were woven during their time together inspired Frances to seek out other teachers in her community. She later apprenticed with Gabriel Frey, a Passamaquoddy cultural knowledge carrier, to expand her knowledge of basketmaking and harvesting practices as well as Jennifer Sapiel Neptune, a Penobscot cultural knowledge carrier, to learn traditional bead embroidery techniques.

Creating in community paved the way for Frances to expand her arts practice to include digital material, centering and amplifying voices from her community and through her work. In 2019 she enrolled in the Intermedia Master of Fine Arts program at the University of Maine. She is expected to complete her studies in December 2022.

In addition to her creative practice, Frances is committed to supporting spaces for Wabanaki artists to create, connect, thrive, and be seen. She is active in art, museum, and nonprofit circles where she advocates for cultivating sustaining relationships with Wabanaki artists.

 

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Jannette Vanderhoop

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Vanderhoopm, Jannette.jpeg

TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Aquinnah Wampanoag

MEDIUM: Diverse Arts, Jewelry

BIOGRAPHY
Jannette Vanderhoop is from the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe (Gay Head) on Martha’s Vineyard. Her modus operandi is to “educate people to respect nature through art” and so, she produces her work as a form of environmental expression. By utilizing random parts of the natural world, including found and reconstituted materials, there is no lack of inspiration or originality. She has mastered concepts of color, shape and design experimenting with materials and techniques.

Using locally sourced wampum shells from the rugged coastline of Martha’s Vineyard, Jannette’s organic, colorful jewelry is appreciated for both its eccentricity and it’s simplicity. Meant to inspire both the wearer and the viewer and connect them to the essence of the sea. Each colorful piece she makes is a wearable art object that nods to her culture and the history of her tribe while also celebrating her connection to the land.

 

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Tiffany Vanderhoop

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TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Wampanoag

MEDIUM: Jewelry

ARTIST STATEMENT
I think about my work as bringing 12,000 + years of Wampanoag traditions into unique contemporary fashion for all to enjoy.

My surroundings and the people in my community inspire my work. I frequently use natural mediums like deer (antler/bone, hair, and leather), plant fibers, wampum, and other shell jewelry, in addition to glass beads, paints, and metals. Each piece is one of a kind and handmade with the love and skill inherited from my ancestors, teachers, and the land.

 

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Jimmy Yawakia

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TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Zuni

MEDIUM: Sculpture

BIOGRAPHY
​As a child at Zuni Pueblo, Jimmy Yawakia started carving using whatever materials he could find. He learned to carve from his stepfather and brother and first started by carving serpents from cottonwood roots. He next carved from antler and then moved on to turquoise and coral. Jimmy learned well and by 1990, one of Jimmy’s fetish carvings was featured in the publication The Fetish Carvers of Zuni by Rodee and Ostler. As a young man, he spent many years working as an Emergency Medical Technician, but eventually decided to quit his job due to the emotional stress of the profession. He often recalls that when he stopped working as an EMT and started carving full-time he soon found working in stone became extremely healing for him and he knew he was hooked. Jimmy says that his fetishes are “his children” and speaks quite specifically about the meaning of each fetish he has carved. He thinks deeply about the stone and its meaning and through a spiritual synergy with his materials, which often involves praying with the material, he creates a carving which evokes the spiritual essence of the animal.