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By Native News Online Staff

June 01, 2023

This week and next in Indian Country, there is an abundance of festivals, art markets and powwows.

The Indigenous Futurisms Festival invites you to explore the past, present and future through Indigenous perspectives. As well, the Monacan Indian Nation is hosting its 30th annual powwow in Monroe, Virginia. Finally, Northern Arapaho filmmaker Ernest M Whiteman III presets a three-part magic act designed to import the ideology of Native American self-representation in media.

Here is Native News Online’s weekly round-up of arts, culture and entertainment offerings around Indian Country.

Indigenous Futurisms Festival Northwest
Saturday, June 9 – Sunday, June 10, 2023
Tacoma, WA

Indigenous Futurism is a movement of art, literature, comics, games, and other forms of media that express Indigenous perspectives of Indigeneity’s past, present, and future. 

This festival seeks to explore, expand, and celebrate the regionality of Indigenous Futurisms. Specifically, how each tribe, nation, and community can foster and promote dynamic understandings and representations.

Over the weekend, there will be many performances, artists, activists, elders, and youth, all seeking to engage in conversations and explorations of Indigenous Futurisms. This event is free and open to the public. Day one starts at 10 am. 

Indigenous Dance Exposition: A Cultural Experience
Friday, June 2, 6 pm – 8 pm
Scottsdale, AZ

This is a free cultural event that features various Indigenous dancers. Different dancers will perform about every 30 minutes and explain the meaning, origin, and backstories of their dance category. 

Viewers will get a unique opportunity to watch contest-winning dancers demonstrate their life’s work through their footwork, intricate beading, and regalia. There will also be over 200 Native small businesses present for attendees to shop around. 

The event is hosted at the Native Art Market, the first and only Indigenous-owned gallery in Old Town Scottsdale.

New West Craft Indigenous Market
Saturday, June 10,  2 pm
New Westminster, BC

Partnering with Shop First Nations, New West Craft is hosting an Indigenous Market to celebrate Indigenous makers, artists, and small-business owners. Featuring over 35 vendors, attendees will get the opportunity to shop for local artists. There will also be a Indigenous Food and the Expressions of Reclamation Series featuring Indigenous performances like storytelling, dance, music, and art. 

New West Craft is a handmade market hosted by the Arts Council of New Westminster. They are also partnering with Buffalo Heart Medicine Healing Society, a local educational consultant group. 

Indigenous People Festival
Saturday, June 10,  10 am – 4 pm
Seattle, WA

Hosted by the Seattle Indian Health Board and the Seattle Center, this is a free event that happens annually to celebrate Indigenous arts, culture, and cuisine. 

Featured will be Native vendors, various cultural performances and expressions, and dance, all in celebration of Native pride.

Monacan Indian Nation Powwow
Saturday, June 3 – Sunday, June 4
Monroe, VA

The 30th Annual Powwow hosted by the Monacan Indian Nation is happening this weekend. Gates open at 10 am on Saturday. There is a general admission fee for adults and seniors. Attendees can dance, listen to the drumming, eat Native foods, and buy Native crafts. 

A Brief History of the Reintroduction of the Native Americans into Illinois – LIVE at Stupey Cabin
Saturday, June 3
Highland Park, IL  

In this presentation, Chief White Winnebago will introduce participants to the culture and history of the HoChunk nation. He will examine the history of his tribal territory and settlements, how his family was relocated into Starved Rock, tribal names and culture, his regalia, and artifacts.

Gerald Savage—HoChunk Ska Ga in his native language—is a member of the HoChunk nation. He grew up with his grandparents, who raised him in the tribal ways. His grandfather was Chief Walks With the Wind, and HoChunk Ska Ga is Chief White Winnebago.

No One Ever Sees Indians: Native Americans in Media 
Tuesday, June 06
Chicago, IL

Ernest Whiteman III’s presentation is structured as a three-part magic act designed to import the ideology of Native American self-representation and first-voice in media. He looks at how media representations have influenced our interactions with Indigenous peoples and informed audiences’ perceptions of Native peoples and issues. The acts are separated by personal anecdotes that reflect the lived experience versus the authorship of expertise of Native representation.

Ernest M Whiteman III is a Northern Arapaho filmmaker, artist, writer, and media educator.

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Native News Online is one of the most-read publications covering Indian Country and the news that matters to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other Indigenous people. Reach out to us at [email protected].

Happy June! There are lots of great events this weekend, including the kickoff to Pride Month, John Legend at Wolf Trap and the conclusion to The National Philharmonic’s season. Have a great weekend! 

Capital Pride Begins This Weekend 

The D.C. area’s annual Pride Month celebration, “Capital Pride,” will begin this month and run through June 11. Celebrations will include an opening party, block party and annual Pride Parade and Pride Festival and Concert. More information on Pride events can be found here. 

See “Carmina Burana” and “Hailstork’s Fifth Symphony”  

The National Philharmonic concludes with the world premiere of Hailstork’s “Fifth Symphony.” Hailstork is known for creating compositions influenced from African-American and European traditions. Also at The Music Center at Strathmore Sunday is “Carmina Burana” with guest soloists soprano Danielle Talamantes, tenor Robert Baker and baritone Brandon Hendrickson. More information on tickets can be found here. 

The National Philharmonic finishes its season at the Strathmore this weekend. Courtesy National Philharmonic.

George Washington Whiskey Tasting at Mount Vernon 

A rare opportunity to taste Mount Vernon’s unique distilled spirits is at Washington’s Distillery this Saturday. Guests can sample three distilled spirits made by using 18th-century distilling methods and techniques. Attendees can also discover the history of George Washington’s whiskey production from Mount Vernon’s Historic Trades team. Tours of the Distillery and Gristmill will also be offered. More information on tickets can be found here. 

Taste some whiskey this weekend at Mount Vernon. Photo by Dan Chung. Courtesy Mount Vernon.

Touchstone Gallery Introduces “Persian Perspectives: Celebrating Iranian Women Artists of DC” and “River Trees Sky” 

Touchstone Gallery is opening two exhibits: “Persian Perspectives: Celebrating Iranian Women Artists of DC” and “River Trees Sky.” “Persian Perspectives” features works from artists like Parinaz Ziai Bahadori and Saya Behnam as well as the vibrant world of Iranian artists working in the D.C. area. “River Trees Sky” is a solo exhibit by Mary Lagnaoui inspired by how the weather and seasons change colors of the landscape. More information on Touchstone Galley can be found here. 

“The Tiger and the Orchids” by Roya Chadab, In the exhibit “Persian Perspectives: Celebrating Iranian Women Artists of DC.”

Dupont Underground Introduces “The Ground We Stand On” 

A new exhibit from Dupont Underground introduces 25 queer changemakers during Pride Month. The exhibit will showcase the journeys of past and present changemakers who’ve left a mark on D.C. There’ll be planned events throughout the exhibit, including a drag show called Drag Underground, a poetry slam, and a closing dance celebration called Queer Disco. More information on the event can be found here. 

“Dolly” Closes Out the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington’s Season 

The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington finishes its 2022-2023 season paying homage to country music icon Dolly Parton. The concert will be at Lincoln Theatre and will celebrate Parton’s 50+ year career with her hits like “9 to 5,” “Islands in the Stream” and “Jolene.” You can get tickets to the show here. 

See John Legend at Wolf Trap 

Grammy winner John Legend will be at Wolf Trap Friday and Saturday evening for a solo performance of his hits like “All of Me” and “Ordinary People.” He will also be chatting with the audience about his life and career, playing songs from his most recent album “Legend.” More information on the limited number of tickets left can be found here.   

John Legend will appear at Wolf Trap this weekend with limited ticket availability left. Courtesy Wolf Trap.

‘Sharing Honors and Burdens’: Renwick Invitational 2023 

The Renwick Gallery introduced a new exhibit May 26 that focuses on fresh and complex visions from a half dozen Native American or Alaska Native artists. With over 50 pieces, attendees can see traditions shining through that honor family and community. The invitational, an annual affair, allows Renwick to highlight revolutionary new voices in the world of art. More information on the exhibit can be found here. 

The Renwick Gallery introduced a new exhibit May 26 that focuses on fresh and complex visions from a half dozen Native American or Alaska Native artists.

tagsAlaskan artDolly PartonDolly”Drag UndergroundDupont Undergroundgay men’s chorus of washingtonGay Pride MonthGeorge Washington’s distilleryJohn LegendLGBTQ+Lincoln TheatreMt. VernonNative American artsPersian ArtQueer DiscoThe Renwick GalleryTouchstone GallerywhiskeyWolf Trap

CINCINNATI (WXIX) – A Cincinnati native is working on becoming a beauty business mogul specializing in permanent makeup.

Amber Harrison is the owner of Brow Envy, which currently has three locations in Ohio.

Her business all started when she was looking to get her eyebrows done. When she couldn’t find anyone in the area, she decided to create her own business.

The permanent makeup artist says making each person she works with feel beautiful is what made her fall in love with the trade.

She left her corporate job and capitalized on her tattooing skills.

“One of the things I was really craving was seeing that like instant transformation and I love a before and an after,” explains Harrison. “So, being able to be creative. It started with that. And then going above and beyond that, I realized I just like giving people confidence.”

It took her a while to find her own confidence as she transitioned into the beauty industry after working for an insurance company for several years.

“I was doing insurance claims litigation, and I just woke up one day and realized I don’t love this,” Harrison recalls. “I just woke up one day and realized I wanted to do something more creative.”

While on the journey of discovering what to do next, Harrison says she learned about microblading.

“First, I wanted my brows done, and I couldn’t find anyone near Cincinnati doing it back then, so that led me to finding a class and realizing, ‘Oh, I can maybe learn to do it myself,’” says Harrison. “I thought maybe I could stay home with my three kids and do it as a side hustle.”

It turned into much more than that after her calendar booked up and her phone continued to ring off the hook.

“Within a couple of months, I quit my day job and started doing this full time, and then slowly but surely, I started growing and hiring team members,” Harrison explains.

Harrison expanded Brow Envy from Cincinnati to Columbus and Liberty Township.

She even opened an academy where she teaches the art of microblading to bring in another generation of permanent makeup artists.

However, she says her journey to success didn’t come without some snags along the way.

“I didn’t have a fancy business plan or investors,” Harrison recalls. “It’s just kind of a matter of starting and figuring it out as you go. It’s going to be way harder than you think, so lean into that. If you kind of accept that when the bumps come, it’s less scary and jolting, you can just kind of roll with it.”

Rolling her into a space that she says brings her and her team joy every single day.

“Seeing people live out their dream and putting themselves first again because most of our clients are women,” says Harrison. “I find that in our community, we’re always taking care of everybody else, so it’s really exciting to see women coming in here and being this is something I want to do for me and I’m going to invest in myself, and the same for my team members. Just seeing them get up every day and doing something that they love. That’s definitely my bright spot.”

Harrison says when she was younger, she thought about being a teacher, so in a way, it has all come full circle.

While she’s enjoying the space she’s in right now, Harrison says there could be another new Brow Envy location in her future.

This story is part of a weekly segment called Breaking Through.

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A new artist-centric retail & creative space called Cocodrie – Curated Curiosities is coming soon to 515 Jefferson Street in the historic Moore’s Studio space, formerly Subway, in Downtown Lafayette.

Founded by local artist, Colette Amie Bernard, Cocodrie will be a space for emerging and established artists fostering a creative environment to sell & create. The space will offer large rentable racks for vintage clothing and a carefully curated selection of artist-made goods from Colette’s personal connections around the world. Monthly art workshops & events will also be hosted for those looking to expose themselves to a greater variety of specialized art.

“I started doing pop up markets over the past year and that led me to wanting to having a permanent brick and mortar,” said Bernard.

The coming soon space for Cocodrie will require significant renovations to transform the former Subway restaurant into the artist-centric space that Colette envisions. While the space is relatively cleared out, it does need a good cleaning, fresh coat of paint, and that artist touch that is missing. The space also includes large freezers left behind from the previous tenant that cannot be easily removed. Colette says that she is super excited to turn the former subway freezers into creative darkrooms for classes and rentals. And since the freezers are non-functional at the moment, this will allow for Colette to create a multifunctional space that embraces artistic experimentation.

Colette, a native of Acadiana, draws inspiration from her experiences as a queer person navigating the online landscape. Her works explore the intersection of traditional and digital techniques, creating a unique artistic expression loved by many who follow her.

Photo of Artist Colette with store keys

In pursuit of artistic exploration, Colette attended Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York graduating in 2021 with a Bachelors in Fine Arts, specializing in Sculpture and Integrated Practices. In addition to her sculptural work, Colette has gained a sizable following of over 350k for her easily digestible and accessible art-related videos on TikTok. Segments such as “Artist of the Day,” “Public Art Series,” and “Art World Drama” have also caught the attention of publications such as the New York Times and ArtNet News, which is no small feat for artists.

No tentative opening date has been set yet for Cocodrie. However, there is a way to RSVP for the launch party as well as applying to become a vendor.

You can learn more by visiting & following the instagram @cocodriebycolette. You can also follow Artist Colette’s IG @ArtistColette. Here is the link to RSVP or become a vendor, https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdCQZeXrhfOXTWSVQv_qJOM119W4_k1jy2RBxI5MVoSyT07Uw/viewform.

Plus: coffee-inspired jewelry, an exhibit of natural ceramics and more recommendations from T Magazine.

Eat Here

A Bright New Cafe in Paris’s Bourdelle Museum

This spring, the recently renovated Bourdelle Museum in Paris’s Montparnasse district opened a luminous new cafe-restaurant, Le Rhodia, named after the French sculptor Antoine Bourdelle’s daughter. The spare, daffodil yellow dining room occupies the second story of a 19th-century artist’s studio where Rhodia Bourdelle and her husband, the Art Deco interior designer Michel Dufet, once lived. “We wanted it to feel like entering someone’s apartment,” says Marc-Antoine Servella, the co-founder of the Parisian architecture studio SAME, who oversaw the cafe’s design. He furnished Le Rhodia with a mix of midcentury flea market finds and custom pieces commissioned from French artisans in materials ranging from travertine to oak, while preserving a few original details like a wood-burning stove and a large oculus window (designed by Dufet in the spirit of the ocean liner cabin décor for which he was best known). Museumgoers can also dine outside on the mezzanine terrace next to a colonnade of watchful bronze busts. The menu offers refreshing fare, with culinary references to Bourdelle’s hometown in the southwest of France and a Latin American influence — a homage, says the French chef Jean-René Chassignol, to the dozens of students from Peru, Chile and Argentina who apprenticed with Bourdelle in these ateliers. Dishes, which skew on the lighter side, include a black-bean purée with pickled beets and corn nuts, and seasonal vegetable empanadas. Pastries, like the Rhodia brioche with orange-blossom cream or the honey-and-thyme-infused Madeleine d’Antoine, are served all day. instagram.com/lerhodia_bourdelle/.

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See This

Juan Pablo Echeverri’s Self-Deprecating Portraits

When the artist Juan Pablo Echeverri died at the age of 43 last year, he left behind more than 8,000 self-portraits taken in passport photo booths around the world. What had started as a diary of hair styles and piercings grew into a conceptual art project as Echeverri evolved as an artist. This summer, a grid assembled from about 400 of those photos will hang at James Fuentes Gallery in Manhattan; another has been on view at Between Bridges, the nonprofit in Berlin run by Echeverri’s former employer, the photographer Wolfgang Tillmans, who helped curate both shows.

Echeverri’s sudden death from malaria came just as his career was zooming up, with a show in León, Mexico, and work in the collection of the former president of his native Colombia. But it would be a mistake to see the portraits as a somber memento mori. “I don’t want to overburden the work,” says Tillmans, who prefers to see it as Echeverri was: sly, cerebral and self-deprecating. The title of the passport series, “Miss Fotojapón,” yokes together a joke about Colombia’s past failure to win the Miss Universe pageant with the name of a photo processing chain. The exhibit in New York also includes “Identidad Payasa” (2017), a series of double portraits where the artist shared the lens with street clowns in Mexico City. First, Echeverri would take their photos in full costume, then ask the clowns to recreate the look on him, a way of embodying their position. Tillmans says the photos show how much Echeverri empathized with the clowns — they were both artists, putting on a visual performance and wearing masks. “Are they to be taken seriously? Obviously, they’re being laughed at. It’s deep, but he played it light,” he says. “Identidad Perdida” is on view from June 7 to July 29, jamesfuentes.com.

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Stay Here

A New Boutique Hotel in Mexico City Vividly Updates a 1940s Apartment Building

The Texas-based hotel group Bunkhouse — known for its intimate, community-oriented properties like Hotel Saint Cecilia and Hotel San José in Austin — has lately expanded with openings in Salado, Texas; Louisville, Kentucky, and, most recently, Mexico City. Hotel San Fernando is in Condesa, the neighborhood known for its Art Deco architecture and sprawling, jacaranda-lined parks. Nineteen guest rooms now occupy the Edificio San Fernando, a 1940s apartment building whose jade-hued ceramic-tile floors and stained-glass windows were retained in a renovation by Bunkhouse and the Mexico City architecture firm Reurbano. Plum-colored archways border a sage green lobby, from which guests ascend a spiral stairwell to reach the rooms. The furnishings were mostly made in Mexico, including plywood furniture from the design studio La Metropolitana, red lamps with handblown, opaque glass shades by the Oaxaca studio Oaxifornia and works by local artists such as Pedro Friedeberg and Ricardo Guevara. Guests can enjoy meals on the rooftop, with pastries like vanilla conchas for breakfast and small plates including tostadas and aguachile from midday on. Hotel San Fernando opens June 1; rooms from $215, bunkhousehotels.com.

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Covet This

Cartier Revives Its Coffee-Inspired Collection

Cartier’s designers have a habit of creating precious jewelry based on everyday objects. The Juste Un Clou collection transforms a construction nail into diamond-crusted cuffs and collars, while the Cactus de Cartier, a set of spiky domes, imagines the desert plant as a cocktail ring. The Grain de Café collection continues this trend, using coffee beans as inspiration for bracelets, earrings, rings, necklaces and brooches. Originated by the house’s longtime director Jeanne Toussaint, the java-themed charms first appeared in the house’s designs in 1938. Prince Rainier III gifted Grace Kelly a cafe set for their 1956 wedding, and her necklace, studded with small gold bean pendants, served as one reference for the new designs. This June, the company introduces six new pieces to the collection, from a rope-style chain strung with five clustered beans to a two-toned ring set with dangling diamond-dotted beans. They’re all designed to move slightly, emitting an energizing jingle. From $7,250, cartier.com.

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View This

A Ceramics Exhibit in New York That Channels the Natural World

The French ceramist Ludmilla Balkis first began shaping clay into thrown pots, bottles and bowls as a way to let go of her former life in fashion — inspired by the delicate work of the British sculptor Lucie Rie, she wanted to find a natural creative rhythm free from the directive to produce on a fixed schedule. Balkis had trained as a fashion designer and worked under Phoebe Philo at Celine in London; she began making ceramics in 2015. Her paper-thin structures, sculpted from the reddish-brown clay she collects from the French seaside and mixes with sand to achieve a rougher texture, challenge gravity’s pull, threatening to collapse. Items she finds on long walks through nature in France’s Basque Country, where she keeps a studio, are often incorporated into the pieces. In her latest exhibition, “Stasis,” on view beginning next week at Roman and Williams’s Guild Gallery in New York, one white sanded stoneware basin is imprinted with twigs, while a trio of lanternlike vessels have raw edges flecked with dry wood ash. “In a way, the movements and techniques [between ceramics and fashion] are similar,” Balkis says. “Draping fabric around a mannequin consists of pulling and pinning material to create a three-dimensional design. In ceramics, I intuitively repeat that process — I’m creating around empty space, but I work on it like it’s an imaginary body.” “Stasis” will be on view from June 9 through July 15, rwguildgalleryny.com.

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Wear This

Floral Jewelry From Danielle Frankel

The bridal designer Danielle Frankel Hirsch has previously designed collections of pearl jewelry to accompany the silk halter-neck tops and tulle gowns she creates for her label, Danielle Frankel. But as part of her mission to shift wedding traditions in new directions, Frankel Hirsch chose a less expected medium for her latest accessories. “I began with the question ‘If we could cast flowers [in clay], what would that look like?’” she says. She began searching for references and found images of wilting flowers that were originally printed on cigarette cards and had been digitized as part of the George Arents Collection at the New York Public Library. Then she discovered an artisan based in Ukraine whose specialty is creating realistic floral sculpture, using clay molded over a wire frame. Frankel Hirsch is now selling an array of blooms, including lavender anemone and pink magnolia earrings, and lily and rose brooches. She expects brides will appreciate that every design is slightly different from the others and, unlike a bouquet, they can be kept forever. From $1,250, daniellefrankelstudio.com.

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From T’s Instagram

T Menagerie: An Artist and Her Dove

Returning for its 31^st year, the Eiteljorg Indian Market and Festival will run from June 24-25 at the Eiteljorg Museum, 500 W. Washington St., Indianapolis.

Nearly 120 Native artists from across the U.S. and Canada will be at the museum to sell pottery, jewelry, beadwork, weavings, paintings, carvings and more, as well as presenting cultural performances through music, dance and storytelling.

“Since its inception in 1993, the annual Eiteljorg Museum Indian Market and Festival has grown in stature to become one of the top Native American art markets in the country, as well as a must-do event on the downtown Indianapolis summer calendar. Artists, performers and thousands of market-goers and art buyers have come together at the Eiteljorg to celebrate Native arts and cultures,” said Alisa Nordholt-Dean, vice president for public programs and Beeler family director of education at the Eiteljorg.

Admission for the festival is $25 for non-members at the gate. Eiteljorg members will be admitted for free, with reduced admission available for two adult guests of a member for $20 each. Advance discount tickets are available now for $20 and may be purchased online at Eiteljorg.org/IndianMarketandFestival or by calling 317-636-9378. Attendees ages 17 and younger will be admitted for free during market weekend. Tickets for the market and festival includes admission into the entire museum, galleries and other exhibitions.

For an early start on shopping, registration for the Market Morning Breakfast at 8 a.m. June 24, is available by contacting Jennifer Hiatt by emailing to jhiatt@eiteljorg.com or by calling 317-275-1360. Members can reserve for $50 and non-members can reserve for $60.

Several foods trucks will be available throughout the weekend. Performances for the festival include:

• Yellow Bird Dancers of Phoenix, Arizona, a professional family dance company performing songs, dances and stories, and led by Ken Duncan (San Carlos Apache Tribe);
• Firefly the Hybrid of the Penobscot Nation, a multimedia artist from Maine who performs traditional and contemporary music;
• Randy, Rykelle and Raven Kemp, a family of storytellers, artists and musicians from the Choctaw, Euchee and Muscogee Creek peoples of Oklahoma; and
• The Levi Platero Band (Navajo Nation), an award-winning act that performs guitar blues and rock.

For more information on the Eiteljorg Indian Market and Festival, visit the website at eiteljorg.org/indian-market-and-festival.

Making music under the name Slowspin, Zeerak Ahmed blends North Indian classical vocal traditions with modern shoegaze, psychedelic rock, folk, ambient and experimental sounds.

Ahmed first came to the United States to attend Hiram College in 2009, and she has lived in Cleveland since 2019. She spent most of the COVID-19 pandemic teaching at the Cleveland Institute of Art and composing music.

The Pakistani-born multimedia artist released her first full-length, “Talisman,” last month. She collaborated on the album with a group of notable musicians and producers in Brooklyn, New York.

“We just swam in sound,” Ahmed said. “It’s like the first time I wrote the song is the recording you hear. And I build around that. Let all the deep sounds of the lows and the highs – and the flutes and all the textures in between the two – wash through you.”

Learning to make music in Pakistan

While this is Slowspin’s first full-length release, the artist is not new to making music.

Her journey began in her hometown of Karachi, Pakistan, where she grew up in a strong creative and musical family.

Ahmed began taking vocal lessons in Pakistan around age 15.

Electronic music started to grow in popularity within the region’s underground music scene, and Ahmed was fascinated by the digital technologies used to produce the sounds.

She came to the U.S. to study visual arts, and Hiram’s quiet campus gave her the space and inspiration to begin writing her own music.

“I was spending a lot of time, just me, myself, my acoustic guitar on GarageBand, recording these little melodies,” she said. “That felt like my truth.”

Ahmed realized she could best express herself through sound, rather than the visual arts she originally pursued.

She told her parents, “I want to actually use my voice to say the things that I want to say.”

She fell in love with Ohio for its green, natural beauty, which she said contrasts with Karachi’s landscape.

“All my friends were going to schools they either visited or heard of before. I was going to a school that nobody knew of. The third day I called my dad. I was like, ‘Biggest mistake. There are more cows than people. I’ve never seen so much land.’ I’m joking about the cows. It was just fantastic,” she said.

After college, she returned to her hometown in 2012. Around this time, she became a formative member of the independent music scene in Karachi, where she was part of the “muhajir,” or immigrant community.

Countercultural music was a primarily male-dominated space, and she said that presented challenges despite her successfully releasing an EP and working with an indie record label there.

“I knew I was coming into this place, which politically was going through its own turmoils. And there was a great risk being at shows or having shows,” she said. “That, added with the constant threat of being this female always at the risk of being objectified, and that taking over, as opposed to your craft being respected and given attention.”

She said in the last decade, she has noticed a shift in her native Pakistan with more women being embraced by the underground music scene.

“They’re doing phenomenal work, and there’s a lot more support,” she said.

Creating her debut full-length album

Ahmed has traveled between Pakistan, Germany and the U.S. releasing six total Slowspin EPs and creating voice-based sound sculptures and installations.

Her distinct sound is rooted in the Hindustani classical vocal style, with elements like ambient soundscapes accented by plucky folk guitars.

On her debut LP, Ahmed worked with producer Grey Mcmurray, noted for his collaborations with artists like Gil-Scott Heron and John Cale.

Over the course of three days, Ahmed and Mcmurray conducted an extended improv session with Shahzad Ismaily, Aaron Roche and Greg Fox at Figure 8 recording studio in New York.

The three days of sound experimentation turned into three years of writing “Talisman.”

“It’s got songs that belong to lyrical traditions, poetic traditions, I don’t know, 700 years old or older. But there’s also so much of my own writing there as well,” Ahmed said.

She said her compositions and the arrangements on the album represent her journey as a migrant experiencing new things and longing for those she had to let go of.

The 10 songs feature vocals in English as well as Urdu, Farsi and Purbi. The lead single, “Hamari,” pulls from a devotional poem by Muslim Sufi poet Nawab Sadiq Jung Bahadur Hilm.

Other tracks tie universal feelings of love and loss with the migrant experience, all accented by dreamy production and instrumentation.

A migrating artist

Ahmed returns to Pakistan every year and works with Karachi Community Radio, which features emerging artists in the region’s electronic music scene.

In 2019, Ahmed met her now-partner while visiting college friends in Cleveland.

“And here we are. I wasn’t too sure about Cleveland being my new home, but March of 2020, I was visiting my partner and seven days later, so seven days into the trip, I got a text from Emirates saying, ‘Due to the global pandemic, all flights back are indefinitely canceled,’” she said.

Aside from making music, Ahmed is still heavily involved in other art forms, teaching liberal arts and visual arts at the Cleveland Institute of Art.

In 2022, she received the CAN Triennial Prize for her Akron Art Museum sound installations.

Her current work focuses on archiving South Asian female folk music traditions and creating new visual work from these histories.

“There’s something deeply comforting. There’s something deeply spiritual and powerful about sound. And it really, really resonated with me. The notes, the ways to channel sound through the body,” she said. “I thought that was incredibly powerful and it was very healing. That became a kind of guide throughout my life.”

Ahmed plans to relocate from Cleveland to New York to pursue music full time. Before then, she will perform as Slowspin at Cleveland’s Re:Sound, a festival for new and experimental music, June 11.

The following events are planned for this weekend throughout the region:

• The Roots Picnic returns to the Mann in Fairmount Park on Saturday and Sunday. Usher will bring his Las Vegas residency performance to Philly, and Ms. Lauryn Hill will co-headline and perform the entirety of “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the seminal album’s release. Award-winning American comedian, screenwriter, television and film producer, and actor Dave Chappelle will make his Roots Picnic debut performing with The Roots. The lineup also celebrates local talent, including a headline set from Lil Uzi Vert, the return of Eve during Black Thought’s Live Mixtape set, DJ Drama, Kindred the Family Soul, a State Property Reunion, and more. For schedules, tickets and more information, see therootspicnic.com.

• The epic struggle between good and evil comes to life as SALT presents “Jekyll & Hyde,” opening Friday and running through June 18 at its West Chester location. The show is based on the classic story by Robert Louis Stevenson and features a score of pop-rock hits performed by a live orchestra and some of the best local talent. “‘Jekyll & Hyde’ explores the darker depths of humanity, and brings to light that all people are commingled with both good and evil; all are capable of the dark night of the soul,” said Lauren McComas, president and artistic director of SALT Performing Arts. “While this is not our typical family-friendly feel-good show, it’s an important piece of art, and we are excited to present it with such incredible talent.” This weekend’s show times are 7 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Friday is Dressy Attire & Champagne Opening Night. For tickets and more information, visit saltpa.com/jekyllandhyde.

• The Bryn Mawr Twilight Concerts series kicks off Saturday with a performance by Lucy Kaplansky with opener Cabin Dogs at 7 p.m. at the Bryn Mawr Gazebo. Kaplansky started out singing in Chicago folk music clubs as a teenager. Then, barely out of high school, she took off for New York City, where she found a fertile community of songwriters and performers including Suzanne Vega, Steve Forbert, The Roches and others. With a flair for harmony, she has performed on Shawn Colvin’s Grammy-winning “Steady On,” and on Nanci Griffith’s “Lone Star State of Mind” and “Little Love Affairs.” Tickets cost $15 for ages 13 and older at brynmawrtwilightconcerts.com.

• Night Lights, a sky lantern festival inspired by the traditional Thai Lantern Festival, comes to Maple Grove Raceway, near Mohnton, on Saturday and Sunday from 5 to 10:30 p.m. The highlight of the evening is the lantern release an hour after sunset. There will be fire pits, s’mores kits, games, food, snacks and alcoholic beverages. Fred Lee will provide live music. Tickets are required for ages 7 and up and cost $54.50 in advance for Saturday and $39.50 in advance for Sunday at nightlightevents.com. If not sold out, tickets will be availabe at the gate for $74 and Saturday and $64 on Sunday.

• The Hawk Mountain Arts Tour, featuring more than 30 artists and businesses stationed throughout the Kempton valley plus a satellite location hosted by the Hamburg Area Arts Alliance at Etchberger Memorial Park, will be held Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Artists at the various stops will display pottery, wood and metal sculptures, and fine art paintings. The free driving tour takes place within a 25-mile radius of scenic Albany Township, and a printable map of the stops can be found online at hawkmountain.org/artstour. Printed maps will also be available to pick up at the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary’s Visitor Center, which is the first stop on the tour, featuring six local artisans. For information about participating artists, driving directions or other event details, visit hawkmountain.org/artstour.

• The Widoktadwen Center for Native Knowledge, City of Reading Public Works and PA Department of Health present the inaugural Good Medicine Indigenous Wellness Celebration on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Riverfront Park in Reading. Learn about Native American approaches to health and wellness and connect with local nonprofit and healthcare resources. The event kicks off at 10 a.m. with a Rally for the River, sponsored by American Rivers and co-hosted by Barrio Alegrίa and Berks Nature. Speakers will discuss the history of the Schuylkill River and how our health is intricately connected to the health of our land and water. There will be healthy cooking demonstrations, health education, vaccines, Native American dance demonstrations, music, arts and crafts and more. This family-friendly event is free and open to all. Visit widoktadwen.org/events/ for more info.

• Joan Osborne headlines the Upper Merion Concerts Under the Stars series at the Upper Merion Township Building Park on Friday at 6 p.m., with opener Jonah Tolchin. Osborne is an eight-time Grammy nominee and multi-platinum-selling recording artist. A native of Kentucky, she moved to New York City to attend NYU Film School but dropped out after becoming involved in New York’s downtown music scene. Her 1995 album, “Relish,” was a critical and commercial success and spawned the international hit single and video “What If God Was One of Us,” as well as “St. Teresa.” General admission tickets cost $25 for ages 13 and older at concertsunderthestarskop.com. A VIP option is also available.

• Turks Head Music Festival returns to Everhart Park, West Chester, on Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Throughout the day, the two stages will feature eight local bands performing different genres of music, including rock, pop, folk, R&B, country and blues. Scheduled to perform, in order of appearance, are Tom Wang, Katie Barbato, Tree Walker, Will Borda, Strange Neighbors, Lost Northern Tribe, Flux Capacitor and Steve Liberace. The festival also features approximately 70 artists and vendor booths set up throughout the park to sell their products and high quality arts and crafts. Local vendors will be selling food. Admission is free. For more information, see turksheadfestival.com.

• The GoggleWorks Center for the Arts in downtown Reading will host a First Friday celebration from 5 to 9 p.m. featuring live performances, food trucks, a beer garden, vendors and other arts-related activities, including an opening reception for the National Juried Art Exhibition, featuring drawings, paintings, prints, collage and photographs. At 8:30 p.m. will be a public premiere of “From the River,” a documentary on the history of the greater Reading area, by local filmmaker Tracy Schott. Tickets for the film are $10 for general admission, $8 for seniors and $7 for students. For more information, see goggleworks.org.

• Luis Angel, also known as El Flaco, a Mexican singer, songwriter and musician who performs banda and other forms of Mexican folk music, will perform Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Santander Performing Arts Center, Reading. Angel became famous in 2003 when he joined the Mexican folk band Banda Los Recoditos, with whom he went on to release multiple albums and tour the world. He began his solo career in 2020 with the release of his debut single. “Reflexion.” Tickets start at $59.50 at santander-arena.com.

An exhibit at the Baltimore Museum of Art is exploring how hip-hop has influenced contemporary art culture.The exhibit is called “The Culture” and it’s attracting thousands of visitors interested in work centered around hip-hop.It comes as fans celebrate the 50th anniversary of the genre.When you walk inside the exhibit, you’ll hear a hip-hop soundtrack playing and you’ll see more than 100 works by majority Black artists. Some are from Baltimore, each with their own story behind their work and what “The Culture” means to them.”We are talking about trendsetters. We are talking about what it means to stand up and scream and just be mad and angry but also be positive, be happy, be joyous. That’s what hip-hop is,” said Charles Mason III.Mason grew up in Baltimore. He said everything from graffiti on buildings to people singing and dancing on the street have inspired his work. But the drawing that hangs in “The Culture” exhibit is inspired by his father.”(I’m) celebrating my father in both life and death. Like, he’s here with us, and my parents are still together, but celebrating him now and celebrating who I am and who I want to be,” he said.Just a few steps away from Mason’s drawing, you’ll find a painting by west Baltimore native Megan Lewis.”This is oil, glitter and acrylic on fabric,” Lewis said.When Lewis learned about this exhibit and heard the word hip-hop, she said an image came to mind.”I immediately thought of Black women and our contributions to hip-hop and how we don’t always necessarily get the credit that we deserve,” Lewis said. “I immediately thought of lemons, lemonade and how black women continuously turn lemons into lemonade.”Just down the hall, Baltimore-based artist Murjoni Merriweather tells a different story about Black women through braided hair.”I actually hand braid all the hair, and then I adhere them to surface sculptures that I sculpt myself. That is more so about celebrating Black hair (and) different hairstyles,” Merriweather said.But this exhibit is not just about seeing the artwork, it’s about letting people see themselves in the artwork.”I want us to be able to see ourselves in the world,” said Merriweather. “You come into this space, and you see something familiar in your own culture. Then you feel loved. You feel cared for.”You can enjoy the exhibit for free June 18. The exhibit will stick around until July 16 before it moves on to St. Louis, Cincinnati and then Toronto. You can learn more about the exhibit on the BMA website.