Post by blackcrowheart on Sept 25, 2006 15:19:22 GMT -5
ARTSmobile exhibit on local Indian culture will visit 78 schools the next several years
By Doug Kreutz
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 09.19.2006
The rich cultures and vibrant arts of Tucson-area Indian tribes are the focus of a new traveling ARTSmobile exhibit for schools.
Housed in a modified moving van, the exhibit will travel to 78 schools in the Tucson Unified School District over the next several years.
But here's the thing: You don't have to be a kid to appreciate the colorful displays depicting traditions of the Tohono O'odham and Hiaki, or Yaqui, Indians.
We asked organizers to let the rest of us share the show.
To make that possible, they led a reporter and photographer on a tour into the ARTSmobile world of Tohono O'odham basket weavers, Hiaki mask carvers, saguaro fruit harvesters, musicians, dancers, and creators of ceremonial flowers.
The photos and captions on this page, and on Page E6, could serve as a sort of capsule-course version of what thousands of students will see.
"The exhibit you're focusing on has been about three years in the making," said Joan Ashcraft, director of the school district's Fine and Performing Arts Department. "It's been a dream come true."
Ruth Winslow, TUSD curator of artifacts and exhibits, and Jeff Turman, assistant curator of artifacts, played leading roles in creating an exhibit designed to be both compelling and true to tribal traditions.
"We expect to take it to 18 to 20 schools a year, spending a week at each school," Winslow said of the exhibit, titled "Sharing the Desert: The Tohono O'odham and the Hiaki."
Winslow credited Feliciana Martinez, a member of the Hiaki tribe and a TUSD art technician, with making sure the exhibit accurately reflects cultural and artistic details.
Martinez — the wife of the late Francisco "Chico" Martinez, a carver of ceremonial masks whose work is highlighted in the exhibit — said the show has been a source of pride for young members of her tribe.
"They find it very interesting," she said. "They say they are happy that something is being done to preserve our culture."
By Doug Kreutz
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 09.19.2006
The rich cultures and vibrant arts of Tucson-area Indian tribes are the focus of a new traveling ARTSmobile exhibit for schools.
Housed in a modified moving van, the exhibit will travel to 78 schools in the Tucson Unified School District over the next several years.
But here's the thing: You don't have to be a kid to appreciate the colorful displays depicting traditions of the Tohono O'odham and Hiaki, or Yaqui, Indians.
We asked organizers to let the rest of us share the show.
To make that possible, they led a reporter and photographer on a tour into the ARTSmobile world of Tohono O'odham basket weavers, Hiaki mask carvers, saguaro fruit harvesters, musicians, dancers, and creators of ceremonial flowers.
The photos and captions on this page, and on Page E6, could serve as a sort of capsule-course version of what thousands of students will see.
"The exhibit you're focusing on has been about three years in the making," said Joan Ashcraft, director of the school district's Fine and Performing Arts Department. "It's been a dream come true."
Ruth Winslow, TUSD curator of artifacts and exhibits, and Jeff Turman, assistant curator of artifacts, played leading roles in creating an exhibit designed to be both compelling and true to tribal traditions.
"We expect to take it to 18 to 20 schools a year, spending a week at each school," Winslow said of the exhibit, titled "Sharing the Desert: The Tohono O'odham and the Hiaki."
Winslow credited Feliciana Martinez, a member of the Hiaki tribe and a TUSD art technician, with making sure the exhibit accurately reflects cultural and artistic details.
Martinez — the wife of the late Francisco "Chico" Martinez, a carver of ceremonial masks whose work is highlighted in the exhibit — said the show has been a source of pride for young members of her tribe.
"They find it very interesting," she said. "They say they are happy that something is being done to preserve our culture."