Submitted photos
Painter and poet Kelly McQuain at work in his backyard studio in Philadelphia.

WARDENSVILLE – Artist and Elkins native Kelly McQuain’s work is featured at the Grasshopper Gallery at the Lost River Trading Post in Wardensville in a new solo art exhibit titled “Ways of Seeing,” which will run through Aug. 28.

The show features nearly 40 new paintings and decorative objects celebrating the sacredness of our bond with nature, now during an era of increasing climate concern. The artist’s imaginative, fable-like depictions of fauna and flora feature images that frequently overlap–visual components pouring into one another in a way that evokes fluidity and the interdependence of life. Often, McQuain’s paintings look like one thing far away but something different close up.

McQuain’s wild creatures evoke dream-like stories designed to spark the imagination. Think of his imagery as avant-garde folk art filtered through a lens of 21st century psychedelia. Birds, ranging from scarlet raptors to blustering roosters, are a recurring motif, as are fish, goats and other whimsies yet to named–or tamed, for that matter.

McQuain’s imagery is inspired by his upbringing in Elkins, surrounded by the Monongahela National Forest. In several works, Appalachian textile designs and geometric underpainting morph into floral abstractions intermixed with farmland and woodland creatures.

McQuain was diagnosed with ADHD (inattentive type) as an adult. He describes the condition as akin to listening to a dozen radio broadcasts at once. This diagnosis accounts for why, growing up, McQuain was considered a distracted daydreamer by caregivers. It also explains why he found refuge in drawing and painting early on. McQuain’s day job is as a creative writing professor in Philadelphia, and his diagnosis prompted him to learn more about divergent mindset not only for himself, but to help his students become better creative problem-solvers no matter their thinking style.

McQuain’s artwork has won awards and received recognition in recent shows at Philadelphia City Hall, the Barnes Collection, the National Liberty Museum, the William Way LGBTQ Center, Cerulean Arts Gallery, and the Millay Arts Center.

In fall 2023, he was chosen as the Featured Artist for the annual international Art Ability exhibition held in Malvern, Pennsylvania. This annual show features work by artists coping with disabilities. In addition to ADHD, McQuain lives with HNPP, an inherited genetic nerve disease that falls under the muscular dystrophy spectrum that causes chronic pain and often affects the use of his hands. But he refuses to let his difficulties stop him. In fact, his advocacy for promoting the healing power of the arts led to 6ABC Action News naming him a Philadelphia “Hometown Hero” in November 2023.

That designation aside, McQuain considers himself a “Phillybilly”–part Philadelphian but still firmly a West Virginian, too.

“You can’t grow up in the Mountain State without forever remaining a little hillbilly at heart,” he said.

For more information, go to www.KellyMcQuain.wordpress.com.

By Jeremy Appel, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

(ANNews) – The Rubaboo Arts Festival is returning to Edmonton for its 15th year from July 19 to 28, with something for everyone.

Christine Sokaymoh Frederick, the festival’s artistic producer, told Alberta Native News that attendees “can expect a whole great big stew of lots of different kinds of offerings.”

You Are Loved is the theme of this year’s festival, which Frederick said was inspired by a painting from local artist John “JCat” Cardinal.

Frederick asked if she could use the painting as the event’s poster. When she asked Cardinal what the Cree syllabics at the bottom meant, Cardinal translated them as You are loved.

“I immediately was smitten with this whole idea,” explained Frederick, whose family comes from Saddle Lake Cree Nation and Kikino Métis Settlement.

Since it’s the 15th anniversary of Rubaboo, she thought this theme would be a good way of conveying her gratitude for all the artists, community members, producers, crew, sponsors and donors who have helped the festival over the years.

Rubaboo is a Métis-Michif language word that refers “to the stew that Métis trappers would have late in the trap season, during the darkest, coldest time of the year,” Frederick said.

The stew is made of whatever the trapper happens to have in their cupboard, “so it was always a little bit different,” she added.

“For us, the arts are that food that feeds our spirits,” said Frederick.

This nourishment “helps us to grow as a community and revitalize our collective identity as Indigenous people, and to celebrate so we can see the dawning of the new spring,” she said.

The festival has had “tremendous growth” from its humble beginnings as a week-end theatre showcase, said Frederick.

“When we first started out in 2009, there was not a single Indigenous arts festival in Alberta. There were only a few scattered across Canada,” she said.

Not only is Rubaboo now an Edmonton mainstay, but it has increasing access to funding opportunities, professional development, venues and, most importantly, “to each other,” Frederick noted.

“We’ve seen a lot more inclusion in programming at other institutions — like the Citadel Theatre, like the Fringe Festival — and we’ve seen a proliferation of the opportunities for Indigenous artists,” she said.

This year’s festivities are divided between Brighton Block on Jasper Avenue and Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre on Gateway Boulevard.

The festival’s opening gala reception on July 19 will feature performances from artist Michelle Thrush and musician Cikwes.

The following day, Frederick said, there’s a “special, unique fusion performance” honouring Troy Emery Twigg, Taran J. Kootenhayoo and Bishop Pipestem — three Indigenous artists who recently passed into the Spirit World.

“It’s our way to honour the work that they’ve done and their contribution to not only our festival, but the Indigenous art scene here in Alberta and in Canada,” Frederick explained.

Those looking for family-friendly entertainment from July 19 to 21 will not want to miss Silly Billy, a dance show involving a rare white buffalo who goes on a journey of self-discovery while trying to find a magic unicorn named Silly.

“I think it’s just going to be really wonderfully uplifting,” said Frederick.

From July 26 to 28, attendees will be able to see Talk Treaty to Me, a Sterling Award-winning Edmonton Fringe show from Teresa Cutknife and Samantha Fraughton, which Frederick explained “uses both theatre and puppetry” to provide different perspectives on Treaty 6 relationships.

A dance party centred around the You Are Loved theme is on July 26.

Visit www.dreamspeakers.org to get tickets and the full schedule.

Joshua Berk

A necklace for sale at the NAACM.

Eugene’s Native American Arts and Crafts Market (NAACM) had their first market of the 2024 season in the Farmers Market Pavilion on July 7. The market brings out many vendors from different indigenous backgrounds to sell their products.

“I do a lot of diverse stuff. I sculpt my masks that are out of clay. I hand paint them and then adorn them with rabbit fur and a little jute cord,” Heather Johnston, a NAACM vendor, said. “They’re little spirit masks. Kind of like a guardian or an Alaska dream catcher if you will.”

Johnston also makes bigger masks than the small ones on display, but those sold fast at the start of the day.

Johnston is from Southeast Alaska with Unangan and Alutiiq ancestry. She is a full time artist currently residing in Dallas, Oregon, since 2010 and selling her artwork at various markets including Phoenix and Santa Fe.

“In kindergarten I took my crayons to recess and I colored on the school. I made a mural. My punishment was I needed to clean that off,” Johnston said. “My parents knew right then and there that I was going to be an artist.”

A lot of her inspiration came from her father, Don Johnston, a master basket weaver and carver. At this market, Johnston’s daughter joined her.

“I have seven kids, and so many of them are inspired to be artists, too. It’s really spectacular,” she said.

Johnston sells a large variety of art from ledger style maps, sheet music and hymnals to paintings with acrylics and oils. Some of Johnston’s most impressive works are done with only ink.

“I draw with pens, so anything, any of my masks, that’s all freehand with ink,” Johnston says.

Another one of the artists, Erika Lincango, is a Bilingual Bicultural Teacher at 4J School District as well as an indigenous Ecuadorian artist with Quitu Panzaleo heritage.

Her brand “Sisa Achik” — Kichwa for “flower light” — features environmentally inspired artwork. Lincango has been a Eugene resident for 20 years.

“As soon as I was able to speak English, I started sharing my crafts with the community,” Lincango said. “I was part of Saturday Market before, and also I was part of the Latino Market many, many months ago. And now I’m part of the Native American Market.”

Licango draws influences from the eucalyptus forests in the mountainous capital of the nation Quito, as well as from her visits to her relatives in the Tsa’chila rainforests.

“During the time that I have been here, I have been interested in sharing a little bit of my culture through my crafting,” Lincango said. “The crafts that I’m sharing here feature a lot of tropical seeds and organic fibers.”

She uses a lot of tawa seeds — also known as tagua — from Ecuador. The seeds are known for their ivory like appearance and ability to be carved at certain stages. But bringing seeds across international borders is a challenge. Lincango works her way around this by buying beads made of Tawa seeds and bringing them home to use in her artwork.

“So in that way I support Native artisans that are working with the seeds in the local forest,” Licango said, pointing to a piece of jewelry made from coconut. “Everything that you see is a part of the forest.”

Licango has many types of jewelry with a wide range of natural influence, including some jewelry made from butterfly wings and others from eucalyptus that still carries the scent.

NAACM has several talented vendors selling their goods and runs every first Sunday of the month from July through December.

Don’t miss out on the work of these talented artists at the upcoming NAACM dates. Make sure to check out their work and the work from other artists at the next market.