April 15, 2024

Firefly the Hybrid

April 15, 2024/ Jill Sawyer

TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Penobscot Nation

BIOGRAPHY
Firefly seeks to illuminate the beauty and healing power of indigenous culture through music, visuals and creativity. As a member of the Penobscot Nation he grew up in his people’s ancient village at Indian island, Maine. With live performance Firefly is helping to place Indigenous people in a modern context. He believes that through creative frequencies, we can begin to heal humanity and evolve to new levels of love, compassion and wellness.

As a traditional music keeper of the Wabanaki, Firefly has performed for many years throughout Maine. In 2020, Firefly took his creative performances to another level through cutting edge technology such as projection mapping and videography. This new evolution in his performances culminated in a national virtual performance with the Kennedy Center’s Arts Across America series and the release of his first album, “Sacred Fire.”

In February, 2023 Firefly debuted his futuristic combination of traditional vocals and electronic music to 6000 attendees at the historic Merril Auditorium in Portland Maine. In April, 2023 Firefly had the honor of being this first Wabanaki to perform at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. That same month Firefly’s World Premiere of “Militakwat” was performed at the University of Maine. A collaboration with the 127 year old Bangor Symphony Orchestra, Firefly created a 3 part movement rooted in Wabanaki songs. He is the first Wabanaki to collaborate with this orchestra in it’s 127 year history.

Connect with Firefly

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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

April 15, 2024

Hawk Henries

April 15, 2024/ Jill Sawyer

TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Chaubunagungamaug Band of Nipmuck

MEDIUM: Musician, Woodworker

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
Hawk is a member of the Chaubunagungamaug band of Nipmuck, a people indigenous to what is now Southern New England. He has been composing original music and making Eastern Woodlands flutes using hand tools for over 30 years.

Hawk will play a variety of different flutes. He also enjoys sharing his experiences and perspectives about Life in hopes of acknowledging and honoring the Sacredness in each person and all cultures. He creates a calming yet engaging and contemplative space while maintaining a note of humor. His music is a reflection of thinking that we each have the capacity to make a change in the world.

Hawk has had the honor of presenting at venues such as The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Harvard Medical School Graduation, and in the U.K. with the London Mozart Players. He also enjoys educational settings from kindergarten to university and small venues where he can engage the audience in dialogue.

As a seasoned flute maker, Hawk has flutes all over the world and in several museums. He has three original CD's; First Flight, Keeping the Fire and Voices. He is also featured on the compilation CD Tribal Winds. His music has been used in a variety of films and documentaries, some of which won or were nominated for Emmy awards.

Connect with Hawk

Website

April 15, 2024

Jennifer Kreisberg

April 15, 2024/ Jill Sawyer

TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Tuscarora

BIOGRAPHY
Mother, Singer, Composer, and Teacher - Jennifer (Tuscarora, North Carolina) comes from four generations of Seven Singing Sisters through the maternal line. She is known for fierce vocals, soaring range and lilting, breath-taking harmonies.

Jennifer has been singing since she was a child. When she was seventeen, she joined the critically acclaimed Native women's Trio ULALI. Her voice perfectly wove the high strand of Ulali's renowned harmony with incomparable skill and grace for over twenty years. Together, they created a new sound in Indian Country. Jennifer's sharp wit and stage presence infused Ulali’s shows with strong vocals, humor and camaraderie with the audience.

Jennifer is frequently called upon to guest lecture and conduct vocal workshops at universities, schools, in Native communities and at festivals throughout the United States and Canada. She has worked in film and television and has toured with renowned musicians throughout the world.

Connect with Jennifer

Website

April 15, 2024

J.J. Otero

April 15, 2024/ Jill Sawyer

TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Navajo

MEDIUM: Diverse Arts, Jewelry

BIOGRAPHY
JJ worked in IT for 25 years before moving into the art world full-time. Outside of a short stint painting, with some success, in 2010, JJ focused diligently on his musical craft, a true passion. JJ’s life was shaken up, and in 2016, he found himself moving back to the Navajo reservation, searching for a means to make a living. During this time of resetting, chores around the family home required JJ to be resourceful with materials such as wood, metal, and tools. His father, Chester, worked on a rickety table, barely holding up his chainsaws and chain sharpening equipment. JJ set out to find old 2x4’s and some screws and cobbled together a work bench and seat that his dad still uses today. More than a year and various woodworking projects later, his sister Cleo asked if he could make a cradleboard for her coming grandchild. That first cradleboard was the beginning of JJ’s career in the arts. JJ’s philosophy guides all things in his life: This moment is perfect and there’s nothing lacking. With this deep abiding fire, JJ continues to admire the texture and beauty of wood grain and continues to be amazed by the smell of freshly sawn wood. In addition, JJ’s unique stamping and texturing styles make his silverwork stand out, a newer passion in his ever-growing career!

Read full bio here >

CONNECT WITH J.J.

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April 15, 2024

Jennifer Pictou

April 15, 2024/ Jill Sawyer

TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Mi’kmaq Nation

MEDIUM: Diverse Arts

ARTIST STATEMENT
As an artist deeply connected to my Mi’kmaq heritage, I draw inspiration from the rich cultural tapestry of my ancestors’ resistance and survival, infusing my work with elements of tradition and history. Through the ancient techniques of glass beads, lampwork, and stained glass, I reclaim indigenous space and weave a contemporary narrative that honors the resilience and beauty of Mi’kmaq people in my homeland.

In the fiery torch, I mold molten glass into statements of today’s enduring issues and passions. Each bead and sculpture tell a story of strength and perseverance, reflecting the enduring legacy of my ancestors.

Within the delicacy of stained glass, I draw from the vibrant hues of ancestral objects and the natural world, using the Colonizer’s own medium of religious oppression to tell our story of survival and world views.

In my beadwork I delve into the cultural resistance of my ancestors to create one-of-a-kind statement pieces of intricate form and function. These represent a claiming of modernity and space within fashion.

Through all of my work I explore the themes of identity and belonging, using the interplay of light and color to reclaim and redefine Mi’kmaq narratives in a contemporary context. Each piece is a rebuttal of the prevalent ideas that we are no longer here, reminding viewers of the importance of preserving and honoring indigenous heritage in an ever-changing world.