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The buses are back. The galleries are ready. Art Week Tokyo (AWT) returns for a third edition this week with greater ambition. The number of participating institutions and galleries remains more or less the same as that last year, but with the launch of a curated sales platform, thoughtful gallery exhibitions, and a symposium focusing on curators, the annual event is aiming much higher than just luring high-net-worth international visitors.
“Art Week Tokyo is a great occasion to introduce Japanese art to visitors coming from abroad,” noted Hozu Yamamoto of Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, which returned to AWT this year as one of the 50 participating institutions and galleries.
The gallery sold out all the works on show and gained many new customers during a very successful iteration of AWT in 2022. This year, the gallery presents a solo exhibition of Japanese-American photographer Yasuhiro Ishimoto. Yamamoto conceded that sales of photography work can be challenging (works are priced at five-digit or less in dollars), but he was still adamant about staging the show, as Ishimoto brought new perspective to Japanese aesthetics and beauty.
At Art Week Tokyo 2023’s video program curated by Chus Martínez. Photo: Vivienne Chow.
“At normal art fairs, it is difficult for people to understand Japanese art history. Here at AWT, we can take more time to explain and discuss these topics in detail,” Yamamoto added. “We want to show important works to the audience.”
Organized in collaboration with Art Basel, AWT was set out as an alternative to the traditional art fair model. By bussing art exhibition-goers and international visitors around galleries scattered across the Japanese capital, the gallery weekend model was intended to stimulate locals’ interest in contemporary art and introduce foreign visitors to Japanese contemporary art, which has long been undervalued.
This year, however, it’s not just about Japanese contemporary art. Many participating institutions and galleries have presented contemporary art from the country alongside works by global artists. Besides the ambitious institution exhibitions, galleries are also making bold moves.
Take Ninagawa opened a stunning exhibition of the late British artist and filmmaker Derek Jarman at its new space. The show features not just Jarman’s films, Electric Fairy (1971), the artist’s first, and Imagining October (1984), but also includes a selection of rarely seen dark walled works known as Black Paintings created between 1986 and 1991. SCAI The Bathhouse, located at a 200-year-old former public bathhouse, is holding an elegant show of textured paintings and sculptures by the New York-based Mexican artist Bosco Sodi in the exhibition “Galaxy.”
Gallerist Yuuki Imai of Kayokoyuki introduces the paintings of legendary painter Nobuya Hitsuda to a visiting crowd. Photo: Vivienne Chow
Other galleries have opted to show homegrown heroes. Waiting Room gallery is presenting a solo show of the Kyoto-based, 1975-born Saori Miyake, featuring a new series of cyanotypes and video works. Kana Kawanishi Gallery is staging a solo exhibition of Akira Fujimoto’s walled works created out of marine plastics found along Japan’s coastline. Works by the legendary Nobuya Hitsuda (b. 1941), who has taught artists such as Yoshitomo Nara and Kyoko Murase, can be found at his solo show at Kayokoyuki gallery.
Among the most delightful (re)discoveries was Yoko Terauchi (b. 1954), whose philosophical practice is vividly introduced in a solo show at Hagiwara Projects, which has quickly earned her a new fan base. Terauchi moved to London in 1979 and lived there for 20 years before returning to her native Japan. She exhibited at Victoria Miro and Chisenhale Gallery during her London years, an unusual achievement for an Asian woman artist in the west at the time.
“With each edition of Art Week Tokyo, I am reminded of the breadth, depth, and quality of contemporary art in Japan,” Atsuko Ninagawa Art Week Tokyo director and owner of Take Ninagawa, said in a statement. This year’s AWT also features a moving-image program curated by Chus Martínez. “I believe Art Week Tokyo is only scratching the surface of its potential to be a transformative art event for the city and beyond.”
Japanese artist Yoko Terauchi introduces her artistic practice to exhibition-goers at her solo show at Hagiwara Projects.
As the world’s third biggest economy, Japan’s global art market share by value accounts for only one percent of the total, according to the Art Basel UBS 2023 art market report. But this percentage should be higher, according to Hayashi Yasuta, director of the arts and culture division of Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs.
“Japan has indeed come a bit late to promote contemporary art,” Hayashi noted in an interview. “It’s not just about the art fairs. We want to be a part of the global discourse, including museums, academics, in addition to art fairs.”
The hope is for AWT and Art Collaboration Kyoto (ACK), both government-backed initiatives, to rectify this by fostering an ecosystem where museums and art patrons can work closer with each other. The aim is also to interest more people in buying art in the future by giving them more benefits, Hayashi noted. He added that bridging the local art world with the global one remains the government’s ambition: “We are thinking about the next 50, 100 years.”
Gallerist Kana Kawanishi (right), introduces the work made of marine garbage by artist Akira Fujimoto during Art Week Tokyo 2023. Photo: Vivienne Chow.
As there are more contemporary art activities in the country, particularly the commercial ones, Hayashi hopes that industry players will be more active in responding to the art market report’s requests for data so that the team can have more accurate data to work with.
The Kyoto-based Japanese artist Kohei Nawa recalled that when he graduated from art school in the late 1990s, he was devastated. He did not know how to get into the art scene as it was very quiet at the time. But dramatic changes were observed over the past 20 years in the country and he is now more hopeful than before. As a professor at Kyoto University of Arts and Design, he has spotted a lot of young, talented artists.
“There are a lot of good artists in their 20s and 30s now. However, there aren’t so many young curators in Japan. New initiatives and platforms can be helpful to artists by bringing people in,” said Nawa.
Installation view of AWT Focus at Okura Museum of Art, Art Week Tokyo 2023. Photo: Vivienne Chow.
While AWT is billed as an alternative to traditional art fairs, the art fair still appears to be necessary. The newly launched AWT Focus, curated by Kenjiro Hosaka, director of Shiga Museum of Art, Otsu, is perhaps closest to what an art fair could be.
This selling platform curated under the theme, “Worlds in Balance: Art in Japan from the Postwar to the Present,” at the century-old privately owned Okura Museum of Art features more than 100 works from 64 Japanese and Japan-based artists from across generations, each contributed by an AWT participating gallery. Some galleries said sales have been made at AWT Focus.
“This is the third year of AWT and it has already established its presence. It needs to keep evolving. AWT Focus shows how this initiative can evolve,” said Vincenzo de Bellis, Art Basel’s director of fairs and exhibition platforms. Rather than simply staging another fair in another city, AWT’s success can be referenced by cities outside of the locations of the four current Art Basel fairs. He revealed that new events may take place in 2025 or beyond.
“This is a very interesting model. By spotlighting a specific culture, it sheds light for international visitors coming in. It’s interesting for us to see how it will play out for other projects in the future. Asia is major market for us. We want to show our presence,” he said.
To gallerists, traveling to art fairs will still be necessary. Kayokoyuki has exhibited at Paris Internationale and Nada Miami. Waiting Room has also shown at Nada Miami. “AWT is a great opportunity but we still need to go to fairs. We just need to be very strategic,” noted Tomoko Ashikawa, director of Waiting Room.
Yamamoto of Tokyo Gallery + BTAP said that exhibiting at art fairs overseas are still necessary as selling expensive works domestically is very difficult. “We need to go abroad to sell works at higher price points,” he noted.
Art Week Tokyo 2023 runs through November 5.
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“Maternal care” by Javier Aznar González de Rueda (Spain). Overall Winner.
“In Ecuador’s largest protected area, Yasuní National Park, I was able to observe maternal care behavior in the stink bug Antiteuchus tripterus over a two-week period. The female bug guarded its clutch of eggs on a small branch. This behavior has been reported for other true bug species. To my surprise, it turned out that the mother bug not only protected the eggs but also the newly hatched larvae up to their first molt. In Ecuador’s rainforest, the stink bug’s brood is vulnerable to attack by numerous predators and parasitoids such as ichneumon wasps. Maternal care significantly increases the offspring’s chances of survival. The rainforest is a highly complex ecosystem with countless organisms in a vast interconnected web of life.”
Spanish nature photographer Javier Aznar González de Rueda impressed judges with his image of a female stink bug guarding her clutch of eggs in Ecuador’s Yasuní National Park. For his efforts, he was named Photographer of the Year in the German Society for Nature Photography (GDT) European Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.
In doing so, he beat out professional photographers from 42 countries, and his image of this insect topped the nearly 18,000 photographs entered into the contest. His photo highlights the complex ecosystem of the park and the interconnected nature of the species that live there, as the mother wards off potential predators and parasites.
“Do we humans really believe that insects bond with their offspring?” muses jury member Mark Littlejohn. “That they are capable of displaying parental feelings? And are humans capable of connecting emotionally with insects?
“From an early age, the fate of dolphins, elephants, and other large charismatic animals touches our hearts. Yet all life deserves to be cherished and protected. The beautiful photograph by Javier is about exactly this—unconditional love. In all its forms and manifestations. This aspect was crucial to the decision by the jury.”
This winning image is just one of many excellent photographs to earn a win in the competition. In addition to the overall winner, nine category winners, two special prizes, and two youth winners were also named. Highlights include Roberto Bueno‘s mysterious photo of lichen overtaking dinnerware in an abandoned farm in Portugal, which won the Plants and Fungi category, as well as Jens Cullmann‘s dynamic photo that won the Mammals category. In the image, he captures the frenetic energy of a lion as it attempts to take down a member of a buffalo herd.
A staple of the wildlife photography community since it began in 2001, the European Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest once again proves to be a valuable outlet for creativity. Scroll down to see more of this year’s winners, and check out the full gallery online.
“Last dance?” by Jens Cullmann (Germany). Winner, Mammals.
“It was the height of the dry season in Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe. The days were hot and dusty, and water was a rare commodity in the southern part of the park. One of the last available watering spots was Chitake Springs. However, the springs are located in a gorge and are part of the territory of a large pride of lions specialized in preying upon buffalo herds that come to quench their thirst. In the dust kicked up as the buffaloes fled the gorge after drinking, the lion took its chance.”
“Silence” by Jan Piecha (Germany). Runner-up, Birds.
“The small town Tissamaharama in the south-east of Sri Lanka is the starting point for safaris to the famous Yala National Park. While in town, I enjoyed strolling through the rice fields in the evenings and stopping in at a flying fox colony at the shore of Lake Tissa. My walk took me along a lakeside promenade with elegant and stately trees. In one of them, I discovered this sleeping intermediate egret (Ardea intermedia).”
“Nighttime squadron” by Catherine Holmes (United Kingdom). Winner, Underwater World
“This image was captured in a quiet, shallow bay of Isla Espirito Santo (Mexico). The photograph shows a squadron of juvenile Munk’s devil rays (Mobula munkiana) feeding on plankton attracted to a green light hanging off the stern of our boat in the dark of night. I used a slow shutter speed to capture the graceful, synchronized movements of the rays as they appeared to fly through the darkness.”
“Lichen dinner” by Roberto Bueno (Spain). Winner, Plants and Fungi.
“I found this unusual situation at an abandoned farm near Sintra, Portugal. A complete place setting had been left behind on a stone table. I was very surprised to see that the whole ensemble was covered in lichens. The table stood under a huge tree which most likely provided the shade and moisture needed for the lichens to grow over the course of decades.”
“Paradise” by Florian Smit (Germany). Runner-up, Landscapes.
“The photograph shows the fascinating landscape of an island in the west of Norway. The island is dotted with small lakes and many of its pines have a bonsai-like appearance. The scenery is reminiscent of a tropical landscape. The image was taken early in the morning before sunrise, while the fog was still wafting amongst the trees.”
“Tightrope artist” by Alberto Román Gómez (Spain). Winner, Young Photographers | 14 years and under.
“One afternoon in spring, my father and I set out to photograph birds. We drove to an agricultural area with many bird species. We decided to park the car and walk along a path through the fields. Almost immediately, I spotted a western yellow wagtail (Motacilla flava) moving cautiously from one stalk to the next – sometimes almost losing its balance and looking more like a tightrope walker than a bird.”
“Octopus tango” by Francisco Javier Murcia Requena (Spain). Underwater World, Highly commended
“This photograph was taken in the early morning hours during a dive along the Mediterranean coast of south-east Spain. Already from a distance, I could see two common octopuses (Octopus vulgaris) intertwining their arms and moving continuously—a very unusual behavior. Perhaps a mating ritual or maybe a form of territorial defense requiring the animals to compare tentacle lengths?”
“Defeated” by Roberto Garcia Roa (Spain). Runner-up, Plants and Fungi.
“In August 2021, I found this spider near a small river in the Peruvian Tambopata rainforest. It was infested with a parasitic Ophiocordyceps fungus. This so-called “zombie fungus” infects arthropods by penetrating their exoskeleton. The fungus is able to control the behavior of its host. In this case, the spider was “compelled” to seek a location favorable for the growth of the fungus. After killing the host, the fungus fully metabolizes the inner organs of the spider and produces fruiting bodies that release spores to infect new victims.”
“Brookesia superciliaris” by Petr Bambousek (Czech Republic). Highly commended, Other Animals.
“Brookesia, also called leaf chameleons, are a group of Old World lizards endemic to Madagascar and are considered to be the world’s smallest chameleons (< 10 cm long). They are terrestrial and forage among fallen leaves. The ability to change their skin coloration to match the environment and the tendency to stay still under threat make leaf chameleons almost invisible to their predators. In this photo taken from a distance, I have tried to depict Brookesia superciliaris in its typical habitat.”
“Pen and inkwell” by Jonathan Lhoir (Belgium). Highly commended, Birds.
“I’m lucky enough to live close to the Camargue, a perfect place to photograph pink flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus). This image shows a flamingo searching for prey in a muddy pond. The photograph was taken late in the day, with light cloud cover. Positive exposure compensation produced the high-key effect. The result reminded me of a paintbrush covered in ink.”
“Nest building” by Solvin Zankl (Germany). Runner-up, Other Animals.
“The two-colored mason-bee (Osmia bicolor) is a solitary bee species that nests in empty snail shells. After mating, the female bees search for suitable empty shells, which they then provision with masticated pollen and nectar. After laying eggs on the provision balls, the bees seal the shells and camouflage them with plant material. This bee is gathering dry twigs to cover her nest – ‘the more, the better’, she seems to think, flying back and forth to accumulate an impressive pile.”
“Bird in forest” by Csaba Daróczi (Hungary). Winner, Birds.
“In the winter of 2022-23, I regularly visited a nearby forest to take photographs. Almost every week, I chose a new topic that I perfected over the course of several days. That is how I found this hollowed-out stump surrounded by tall trees. The opening is approximately half a meter in diameter. I put my GoPro camera inside, and the results were amazing. After a few days, I realized that the composition was missing something—an animal. I placed sunflower seeds in the hole and, soon enough, the first birds appeared, including this great tit (Parus major).”
“Wrapped up” by Marella (France). Runner-up, Man and Nature.
“Every summer, a small part of the Rhône Glacier in the Swiss Alps is covered with white fleece blankets to protect the ice from melting even further and to preserve the blue ice grotto—one of the region’s largest tourist attractions. This image is part of the long-term project Evig, which explores the glistening, eternal, yet also fragile beauty of glaciers using digital black and white photography and cyanotype printing.”
“Glencoe Highlands” by Dario Fernando Marelli (Italy). Highly commended, Landscapes.
“The spectacular valley of Glencoe and its eponymous village lie in the north-west Scottish Highlands. Glencoe played a tragic role in the history of the country in the 17th century; a feud between two opposing clans ended in a bloody massacre. Looking at today’s idyllic landscape with centuries-old pine trees, it is hard to imagine that this was once the site of a terrible tragedy.”
“Lost at sea” by Angel Fitor (Spain). Winner, Man and Nature.
“Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) spend their lives unhurriedly roaming the high seas – the largest habitat on Earth – in search of edible morsels drifting in the water currents. As omnivores, the sea turtles feed on a wide variety of items, including jellyfish, salps, bits of seaweed and carrion. Because of their broad dietary interests, the animals are inevitably attracted by the brightly colored, eye-catching pieces of plastic drifting around in the world’s oceans. Many loggerhead turtles perish in agony due to intestinal blockage, just one of the many health concerns of ingested plastic.”
“Volcanic swirls” by Joel Delmas (France). Winner, Landscapes.
“This photograph was taken on Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland during the Geldingadalur eruption in 2021. I was there leading a photo workshop and the participants were thrilled to be able to photograph a volcanic eruption. The spiralling structures in the image arose as lava pushed out of a crack in an old lava field far from the main crater. The greatest challenges were to not overexpose the centres of the swirls and to prevent the drone from overheating and crashing on the hot lava. Despite being very careful, several small plastic components melted while the drone moved in close enough to get this risky shot.”
“Start of the cycle” by Aaron Gekoski (United Kingdom). Highly commended, Man and Nature.
“In South Africa, there are more than three times as many lions in captivity as in the wild. Every stage of the life cycle of a captive lion is fraught with suffering. Cubs are taken away from their mothers shortly after birth. This brings the female back into oestrus and increases the number of times per year that she can breed. Lion cubs are used as props for tourists who pay for the photo opportunity. Once cubs are too old to be handled in this way, they are often sold to ‘walking with lions’ operators. In the next life phase, lions are brought to hunting facilities to be shot by trophy hunters paying a great deal of money to bag a lion in a small enclosure. Lion skeletons are then exported to Asia where the teeth and claws are fashioned into jewelery and the bones are used as substitutes for making tiger bone wine. It is estimated that a lion born in captivity is worth up to $150,000 over the course of its lifetime.”
“Inside a tree den” by Jan Piecha (Germany). Highly commended, Mammals.
“I have been photographing raccoons (Procyon lotor) for several years and have had the opportunity to accompany various individuals with my camera. This female was raising her offspring in a large tree den and was not bothered by my presence. During the day, she would lazily let her head hang out of the burrow. In the evening, she would climb down the tree trunk with me standing right there. With a self-made, extra-high tripod, I was able to observe and photograph special moments in her family life.”
“Treasures of the sea” by César Llaneza Rodríguez (Spain). Highly commended, Plants and Fungi.
“This photograph was taken as part of my project On the sea shore. It shows diverse seaweeds washed up together on the shore by waves. At the center of the image, there is a shark’s egg – most likely from a small-spotted catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula). For this type of motif, I pay special attention to focus placement to ensure a balanced composition. To enhance the color contrast, I added side lighting using an LED panel with warm colors.”
Soaring Winners of the 2022 Bird Photographer of the Year Competition
Germany’s Nature Society Crowns the 2022 Nature Photographer of the Year
Marine Biologist’s Photo of a Golden Horseshoe Crab Wins Wildlife Photography Awards
Photographer Wins Prize for Heartbreaking Story About the Plight of Endangered Forest Elephants
Amid fears that a new war could threaten the world economy, New York’s coming auctions will test a growing consensus that the $60 billion art market is headed toward a down cycle.
Major auction houses are hedging their bets in the fall season of sales that begins Monday, offering fat guarantees to sellers to secure their works — and pricing some of their top items more conservatively after the spring season demonstrated weakness in the blazing-hot $60 billion art market. And now, sellers are trying to anticipate how the uncertainty of a new war in the Middle East will affect them.
Auctioneers at the three rival companies, Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Phillips, have been digging deeper into private collections for one-off paintings that might spice up their modern and contemporary art sales, given the thinning availability of estates to draw from (typically driven by deaths and divorces).
“We have built the sale in a very old-school way,” said Alex Rotter, chairman of Christie’s departments overseeing 20th- and 21st-century art, who said that his team shopped around individual collectors to acquire works by Joan Mitchell ($25 million to 35 million), Claude Monet ($65 million) and Francis Bacon ($50 million). “We went for paintings that would create the most buzz.”
However, the company lost one of the season’s biggest bounties to rivals at Sotheby’s, which is presenting 31 artworks from the estate of Emily Fisher Landau, a philanthropist who died earlier this year, on the evening of Nov. 8 (there is also a day sale). That collection is estimated at more than $400 million and carries a Sotheby’s house guarantee — a minimum price guaranteed to the family. It contains one of the most expensive Picasso paintings to reach the market, carrying an estimate over $120 million: “Femme à la montre,” a portrait from 1932 of the artist’s mistress, the young Marie-Thérèse Walter. (The current auction high for a Picasso painting, set in 2015: $179.3 million.) Other lots include a 1958 Mark Rothko painting that was completed in preparation for his famous commission at the Four Seasons restaurant in New York’s Seagram Building and a 1964 Ed Ruscha painting whose appearance at auction coincides with a lauded exhibition on the artist at the Museum of Modern Art. Both artworks carry estimates that hover above $30 million.
“We have to go out there and get our supply,” said Brooke Lampley, Sotheby’s chairman and worldwide head of global fine art sales. “Season to season, people are evermore interested in what the big collection of the season will be.”
Sotheby’s and Christie’s expect that the November auction season could bring their companies upward of $1 billion each. But despite the claims of some auctioneers who said there are masterpieces around every corner, art advisers and market experts have noted the broader market’s lack of stellar inventory and buyer focus.
“We are experiencing a recalibration in the market after the comeback that we saw in 2021 reached its peak last fall,” said Drew Watson, head of art services for Bank of America’s private bank, who was referring to the $1.5 billion sale of artworks collected by Paul G. Allen, the Microsoft co-founder. “We were already seeing signs of the market softening at this time a year ago, if you looked at day and evening sales. There was less depth of bidding.”
During the spring auction season in May, three paintings by Jasper Johns offered at Christie’s failed to reach their low estimate. Paintings by other artists were withdrawn before the auctions started, signaling a lack of confidence in the market or inflated prices. Celebrity auctions have helped attract crowds in the meantime, with consignments from Barbara Walters and Freddie Mercury drawing collectors willing to spend thousands of dollars on mementos.
Watson said there was a noticeable uptick in guarantees from auction houses and third parties, which provide consignors with a confirmed minimum sales price.
“It has become an increasingly important tool for auction houses to coax high-value properties into the market,” Watson said. “For buyers, it is also an important signal of confidence. It gives potential bidders something to bid against. And it only takes two bidders to create an auction.”
Robert Manley, deputy chairman at Phillips, said that his auction house has guaranteed the 30 artworks from the Triton Collection Foundation in the Netherlands, which includes pieces by Fernand Léger and Pablo Picasso. The entire collection, to be auctioned Nov. 14, has a high estimate of $100 million.
In another noticeable downshift, Manley said that rampant speculation in the ultracontemporary market for young artists born since 1975 — many without a museum provenance — had decreased.
“I hate to use the word sanity, but people are more measured,” he said. “It is still not unusual for young artists to rocket up to $200,000 or $300,000. But over the last few years, artists were quickly going to $800,000 and $1 million.”
What is behind this more cautious market? Magnus Resch, an art market economist, said that higher interest rates and the global uncertainty of two major wars, in Europe and the Middle East, could dampen next week’s sales.
“People are just less active in times like these,” Resch said. “There is a large group of buyers who have Israeli connections. It is understandable that buying luxury items is not on their minds right now.”
For major collections, auction houses often set their estimates about six months in advance, although regular evening sales have more flexibility; nowadays, they are finalized a few weeks ahead of the sale. But the economic volatility of global conflicts might widen the gap between expectations and reality, some auctioneers fear.
“I am not painting you an elephant in every corner,” said Rotter, the Christie’s executive. “To say anything that happened this year will have no impact would be irresponsible.”
November 02, 2023
This week in Indian Country, there are plenty of events for everyone to enjoy. From powwows to Indigenous People’s Day celebrations to California’s Indigenous Film Festival, here is Native News Online’s weekly round-up of arts, culture, and entertainment offerings around Indian Country.
Native American Festival and Powwow
Stone Mountain, GA
November 2, 2023
Featuring dance, music, authentic craft demonstrations, cooking traditions, storytelling, wildlife presentations and more. Ongoing activities include: a living history tipi village, primitive life skills, interactive demonstrations of local and regional native cultures, dance and drum exhibitions, live music, wildlife, native foods, weaponry, various arts and crafts demonstrated by renowned native artists and much more.
American Indigenous Arts Celebration
Clewiston, FL
November 3, 2023
The American Indigenous Arts Celebration in Big Cypress, a culture extravaganza in the Everglades, will feature Native American arts, crafts, food and live entertainment for everyone.
Culture Queen Kids Hour: Native American Heritage Month
Washington, DC
November 4, 2023
Grammy-nominated teaching artist Culture Queen cordially invites your royal children to create cultural holidays celebrating the people, milestones, and things that matter most to them through fun, interactive, and engaging music, movement, storytelling, and craft activities.
California’s American Indian & Indigenous Film Festival
Temecula, CA
November 2-4, 2023
In its fifth year, California’s American Indian & Indigenous Film Festival has grown in both size and prestige — the latter thanks to programming that includes the big-budget Western/drama “Hostiles,” a film starring Christian Bale that’s already generating awards buzz. The festival returns to Pechanga Resort & Casino, and due to increased attendance, the entire festival will take place at the resort.
Choctaw Apache Veterans Day Powwow and Native American Art Festival
Noble, LA
November 3, 2023
This festival is held twice a year and features will include arts and crafts, an art walk, demonstrations and a wild game cook off. All Dancers and guest drums are welcome.
Native American Heritage: Li’l Feathers and Whisperhawk
Salt Lake City, UT
November 4, 2023
Join the City Library in celebrating Native American Heritage Month with some local talent. Enjoy performances by Granite School District’s youth Powwow group Li’l Feathers, and singer-songwriter Whisperhawk, a local folk/rock performer who is also one of The City Library’s featured HUM artists. Dave John, of KRCL Living the Circle of Life, will join as emcee.
Native American Day
Millsboro, DE
November 4, 2023
The Nanticoke Indian Association, Inc presents Native American Day at the Nanticoke Indian Museum. The celebration includes free admission to the museum as well as featured speaker: Drew Shuptar-Reyvis, museum tours, traditional dance performances, traditional drumming and singing, storytelling, Native American vendors and more.
Etowah Heritage Day
Cartersville, GA
November 4, 2023
Kick-off Native American Heritage Month with a guided tour at Etowah Mounds. Dress for the weather. Tours to the mounds are about 3/8 mile long, go to the top of a six story mound, and can be up to around an hour long, depending on the guest’s questions.
Celebrate Native American Heritage
South Windsor, CT
November 4, 2023
Pull up a log or layout a fur and join Abenaki elder and national storyteller Willow Greene who will bring with her a small, beaded pouch and asks volunteer audience members to reach in and pick out a stone. Since each stone relates to a different story, every one of Willow’s storytelling events is unique. Her stories talk about a variety of subjects, and may include how Gluskabe came into the world, why the sun shines the way it does and why skunk smells so bad. Gather around Nowashe’s central fire pit for this family-friendly event.
Native American Cultural Presentation
Creswell, OR
November 4, 2023
Come join at the Creswell library in honor of Native American Heritage Month, with Deitrich Peters of the Grand Ronde Tribe. Deitrich (Deitz) has graciously agreed to share elements of his regalia and will play flute music, talk about his culture, and answer questions. Bring the whole family.
Los Angeles Powwow
Los Angeles, CA
November 4, 2023
The United American Indian Involvement (UAII) is gathering people in Los Angeles for a one-day contest powwow. Featuring amazing vendors, artists, musicians, community orgs, and some amazing drums and dancers all highlighting the best of Southern California. All Vendors, Dancers, and Drums are welcome.
Choctaw Powwow to Open Native American Heritage Month
Durant, OK
November 3-5, 2023
The 18th Annual Choctaw Powwow is the first event of November’s Native American Heritage Month scheduled for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Regarded as one of the nation’s largest powwows, the event runs at the Choctaw Event Center. Admission to the powwow is free all three days.
Cherokee Nation Debuts Season 9 of “Osiyo, Voices of the Cherokee People
Verna Volker Takes Native Women Running to the TCS New York City Marathon
A “Reservation Dogs” Feature Film in the Future?
Former “American Idol” Singer Charly Lowry Set to Perform at the Kennedy Center & Library of Congress
November is celebrated as “Native American Heritage Month.” At Native News Online, we amplify Native voices and share our relatives’ unique perspectives every day of the year. We believe every month should celebrate Native American heritage.
If you appreciate our commitment to Native voices and our mission to tell stories that connect us to our roots and inspire understanding and respect, we hope you will consider making a donation this month to support our work. For those who commit to a recurring donation of $12 per month or more, or make a one-time donation of $150 or greater, we’re excited to offer you a copy of our upcoming Indian Boarding School publication and access to our quarterly Founder’s Circle meetings and newsletter.
SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — November is Native American Heritage Month, and San Diego County has the largest number of tribal governments and reservations in the U.S.
10News is committed to celebrating that rich history and culture. Anchor Lindsey Peña interviewed a woman paving an artistic path in the Gaslamp Quarter.
The Exclusive Collections Gallery is the Gaslamp’s first individually-owned Native American business.
“I’m really excited to represent our people. It’s also a little sad that it’s taken us this long, but you know — here we are,” says Ruth Ann Thorn, the gallery’s founder.
Thorn is a proud member of the Rincon Band of Luiseno Indians. A fixture in the San Diego art scene for some time now, she’s passionate about being an ambassador for creatives.
“Art is for everyone is really our tagline — that means we want to expose people to a lot of different styles,” she says.
Featured prominently in the gallery is the work of Native American artists from all over the country, like Jeremy Salazar.
“He grew up on the Navajo Reservation, his father is an artist and he utilized his art really to feed his family. I had never seen anything so detailed, and it’s realistic but it’s also contemporary,” Thorn says.
George Rivera’s pieces are another staple of the gallery.
“It’s one of the few stainless steel castings I’ve ever seen. It refers to the Lakota Tribe, or the Dakota Tribe, who were overtaken by the colonies by killing off millions of buffalo,” Thorn explained.
Thorn says the gallery enables her to share what Native American art really is, as opposed to what people think it is.
“We are a modern day people, so we have artists that are coming in still holding on to their culture, but bringing in contemporary views of that art,” Thorn says.
Later in November, the gallery will host its annual Native American Art Show for the first time at the new location.
“We have a huge group of native people, like the top of the different genres of art, painting, sculpture. We even have an artist that takes tin cans and makes baskets — California native baskets — out of them,” Thorn says.
Thorn’s hope is to give those creators a platform and the opportunity to have meaningful interactions with the community.
“A lot of these artists take their proceeds back to their tribes, and they feed their tribes and bring water and those types of things, and also for the people to be able to participate and learn about the first people,” she says. “There can be an understanding, and there can be a bridge and that’s what the arts have always done historically.”
The Native American Art Show at the Exclusive Collections Gallery in the Gaslamp District is scheduled from Nov. 10 through Nov. 12.
The show goes from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, while the Sunday show takes place from 1 to 4 p.m.
Everyone is welcome and admission is free.
Before reading one of her poems in the University of Montana’s Payne Family Native American Center, Associate Professor Heather Cahoon looked out the window.
More than 100 audience members waited in anticipation.
“Let me see how much snow is out there,” she said, laughing. Cahoon studied the frosty Oval. “I think there’s enough. I think it’s OK. What do you think?”
Audience members turned their heads to face Arleen Adams, an elder of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Adams nodded, and Cahoon read.
Associate Professor Heather Cahoon shares poems while speaking at the first night of the Stolen Waters Summit at the University of Montana’s Payne Family Native American Center on Wednesday. The summit brought together Indigenous water protectors, writers, activists, farmers and artists to celebrate environmentalism and stress the importance of protecting Earth’s natural resources.
In many Indigenous traditions, there are certain stories — particularly animal stories — that can only be told when snow is on the ground. Winter is considered a safe time because the animals will either be sleeping or, with snow on the ground, their tracks will be visible. The concept emphasizes one of the many ways in which Indigenous cultures and stories are inextricably tied to land and to animal relatives.
Wednesday evening kicked off the Stolen Waters Summit at UM. The first event of its kind, the summit brings together Indigenous water protectors, writers, activists, farmers and artists to celebrate environmentalism and stress the importance of protecting Earth’s natural resources.
While Tara Houska, a prominent Indigenous rights activist, had a last-minute conflict and could not attend Wednesday’s event, Cahoon and Chris La Tray, Montana’s Poet Laureate, shared poems and engaged in a meaningful discussion with audience members about storytelling, water, colonization and art.
More than 100 audience members listen to Associate Professor Heather Cahoon speak from the University of Montana’s Payne Family Native American Center rotunda during the first night of the Stolen Waters Summit.
La Tray, a citizen of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana, invited audience members to think of a typical Western painting — the kind that shows Native Americans living out in the plains surrounded by nothing but tipis and fields of grass.
“Most of those are bullsh*t,” La Tray said. “People have needed to live next to water sources as long as people have been people. … Water is the thing that connects all of us together in a way that nothing else does.”
La Tray and Cahoon shared their own poems about dreams, land and violence and then read work by other artists, including Joy Harjo, the first Indigenous U.S. Poet Laureate, and James Welch, Blackfeet and Aaniiih author.
Cahoon told the audience that she does not use Salish stories in her work unless they have already been written down. If stories are only shared orally, she will not write them. La Tray said that colonization efforts were aimed at erasing those stories in an attempt to erase Indigenous cultures and traditions.
Arleen Adams, an elder of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, opens Wednesday night’s Stolen Waters Summit at the Payne Native American Center on the University of Montana Campus.
“We reached the point about 500 years ago, where there was pretty much a concerted effort to kill everybody who passed that wisdom down,” La Tray said, referring to colonization and assimilation policies. “It’s important to think about (this) when we consider, what is the source of our wisdom? … Where do we find wisdom? The wisdom is still in the river. The wisdom is still in this land.”
La Tray encouraged audience members to be intentional about forming relationships with the land.
“If you’re there, you fall in love with it, right?” he said. “And anything you love, you’ll want to protect. … Water is life. We cannot live without water. Nothing can live without water. It’s so simple, yet, it is so hard to protect.”
The conference — which was planned by UM Environmental Studies students and Indigenous graduate students — focuses on the Missouri, Columbia, Colorado and Rio Grande rivers, and speakers will discuss traditional ecological knowledge, the legacy of dams on reservations and food sovereignty movements.
Thursday, Nov. 2
Friday, Nov. 3
For more information, visit stolenwaters.org.
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