In Minneapolis' 8:00 Morning rush hour; what's that?

Was I really in Minneapolis?  Yep, but just for the weekend of March 24th through the 26th.  I was one of the grant awardees to receive the First People’s Fund “Artist in Business Leadership” program.  For three days, several Native American artists from around the country met for a marketing seminar in Minneapolis at the new “All Our Relations” gallery/coffee shop facility.

"Twilly", Roni and Lauren were crammed in the back seat of our escort's cushy van!

During the afternoon of the first day, we visited the Minneapolis Institute of Art.  I am not one who enjoys visiting museums.  I have this ingrown pattern of thought that I think stemmed from our own local Alaska State Museum in Juneau, where as a child, the museum was dark, grungy, lifeless with stale air and I saw no purpose in looking at these dark mysterious objects, let alone hang out in spooky “haunted house” of sorts.  Like the only thing to do in a museum was to tell ghost stories and play boogie man! – Thank goodness I have grown out of that mode!

The entry to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts

Our tour guide was the Associate Curator of Native American art, Joe Horse Capture originally from Montana.  Joe’s father was the first Native American curator.  Joe is presently the only Native American curator of a significantly large museum in the nation.

Joe Horse Capture introduced the drift-wood mosaic created by Annishnabe artist George Morrison

A close-up of the wood mosaic by George Morrison - I liked this piece immediately even before Joe Horse Capture pointed it out to us

I’ve kept the text to a minimum in this blog entry; I want to show images of a few pieces of work collected for this museum.

At the introduction of the tour, Joe Horse Capture explains how he curated the entire display of Native American art at this museum organized by region and not by the political state or national boundaries. The map has no reference to geographical borders, no division of lands, nor reference to Canada, Mexico and the U.S. - The map is laid out with reference to the location of tribes

A carved ceremonial headdress by George Hunt in the foreground; a reproduction of a carved and painted house screen by Gordon Locksley in the background - the museum is hoping that George will eventually donate the house screen..

1st People's Fund Executive Director Lori Pourier, Program Coordinator Miranne Walker, and Montana Cheyenne artist Alaina Buffalo Spirit take a rest

Joe Horse Capture says he has collected 42 pair of Plains Indian tribe moccasins - there are approximately 22 pair displayed in the glass case

A close-up of some of the moccasins - notice the child moccasins in the center

A beaded, leather Plains Indian "war shirt" stood in the center of the round of moccasins

Two cradle boards from the late 1800's; the one on the left is quillwork, the one on the right is beaded - the beaded bonnet is modern day

A beaded, leather travel satchel from the 1930's

Lauren, Miranne, Carol and Stephanie prepare for the group photo shoot

Group shot