Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) is holding a contest to solicit a design for next year’s Celebration, a biennial dance and culture festival that celebrates Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian cultures.

SHI is seeking a Northwest Coast art design that depicts the theme: “Together We Live in Balance,” which incorporates two significant concepts.

“Southeast Alaska Natives have learned that social and spiritual ‘balance’ is essential to maintain a healthy society and our relationships to past and future generations,” said SHI President Rosita Worl. “We also recognize that this same concept of ‘balance’ applies to living in our environment and to maintaining balance among the animals and fish populations on which we depend.

“The reference to ‘together’ is an acknowledgement of the importance of unity among our peoples and communities to ensure that the strength of our society is maintained.”

SHI is requesting sketches of proposed Celebration art, as opposed to finished pieces. The process is similar to a request for proposals. The sketches must be clear enough that reviewers can understand and interpret the concept.

The winning artist will receive $1,000 and the design will appear on materials, including t-shirts and a program, associated with the event, which is one of the largest Native gatherings in the state, drawing thousands of people to Juneau every even year. SHI will also publish an article about the artist in the Celebration program.

The institute may also purchase additional entries for other uses, such as illustrating programs.

The deadline to apply is Jan. 12, 2024. Celebration 2024 is scheduled for June 5-8. The application link is https://sealaskaheritage.wufoo.com/forms/r4xzdsv1s2qz7w.

Caption: Dakhká Khwáan Dancers, who were named lead dance group for Celebration 2024. Photo by Nobu Koch, courtesy of Sealaska Heritage Institute. Note: Media outlets are permitted to publish this photo for coverage of this story.

Emory University’s Arts and Social Justice Fellows Program (ASJ) presents a project showcase and community conversation on Tuesday, Dec. 5, at the Switchyards Downtown Club. Doors open at 6 p.m. and programming begins at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, but advance registration via Eventbrite is recommended.

Inspired by faith in the power of art to open spaces for conversation, community-making and collective action, the ASJ program brings Atlanta artists into Emory classrooms to help students translate their learning into creative activism in the name of social justice. Each artist is paired with an Emory faculty member to co-teach an existing course and design a relevant creative project for the students to produce throughout the semester.

“Through the Emory University Arts and Social Justice Fellows Program, we are harnessing the transformative power of art and education to drive conversations, promote empathy and inspire action on the critical issues of our time,” says Carlton Mackey, co-director of the ASJ program and assistant director of education, community dialogue and engagement at the High Museum of Art.

In addition to exposing students to new and creative ways of thinking about social change, these partnerships between Atlanta artists and Emory faculty build a bridge between the university and the city in which it resides.

“Our mission is to bridge the gap between the academy and the vibrant Atlanta arts community. Together, we are using creativity, scholarship and social connections to create a more just and compassionate society,” says Mackey. “The Arts and Social Justice Fellows Program represents a dynamic collaboration that fosters innovation and redefines the way we engage with the world. We invite everyone to join us on Dec. 5 for an evening of thought-provoking performances, installations and meaningful dialogues that embody the spirit of change and unity.”

Featuring opening remarks from Barbara Krauthamer, dean of Emory College of Arts and Sciences, the program will include live dance, spoken word, musical and theater performances. Prior to the performances, attendees are invited to explore multimedia art installations created in collaboration with Emory students, artist fellows and additional Atlanta-based artists.

Courses and faculty/artist pairings

Black Church, Black Music

Emorja Roberson, assistant professor of music and African American studies at Oxford College, with Adán Bean, writer, emcee and spoken word artist 

Dance Pedagogy

Lori Teague, associate professor of dance, with Antonio David Lyons, actor, poet, musician, playwright and artivist

Healing Justice is Social Justice: Narrative Medicine

Khaalisha Ajala, assistant professor at Emory University School of Medicine, with Meredith Gordon, clown and actor 

Immigration as Social and Structural Determinant of Health

Amy Zeidan, assistant professor at Emory School of Medicine, with Kelly Taylor Mitchell, artist, assistant professor of art and visual culture at Spelman College 

Information Visualization

Emily Wall, assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science, with W.J. Lofton, poet 

Introduction to Native American History

Loren Michael Mortimer, provost postdoctoral fellow in Native American History, with Bird Harris, painter and social practice artist

NRSG 726D DNP Project Development I

Shawana Moore, associate professor in the School of Nursing, with Nia Jackson, visual artist

About the Arts and Social Justice Fellows Program 

Amid a groundswell of national attention to racial and social injustice in the summer of 2020, Emory professors and students joined with Atlanta artists later that fall to explore how creative thinking and artistic expression can inspire change.  

A partnership between Emory Arts of Emory College of Arts and Sciences and the Ethics and the Arts program of the Emory University Center for Ethics, the Arts and Social Justice Fellows (ASJ) program was envisioned as an opportunity for faculty members to work alongside partnered ASJ Fellows to embed creative projects that reflect on social inequities into existing courses across the Emory curriculum. Throughout the program, the full cohort of faculty, artist fellows and their students will gather to learn about each other’s work and to exchange ideas across campus about the arts and social justice. The semester concludes with a public unveiling and citywide conversation to collectively consider the completed projects and the questions they raised. 

The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) says it will review some of its governance policies and work on “rebuilding of trust” as it faces intense criticism over the departure of its celebrated Indigenous curator Wanda Nanibush earlier this month.

The AGO’s response comes after dozens of people from Indigenous arts communities in Canada and other countries signed a letter this week calling on the gallery to publicly acknowledge and explain Nanibush’s quiet exit from a role she’s held for years. 

Citing unnamed sources with connections to the AGO, The Globe and Mail has reported that Nanibush’s “vocal opinions” on various subjects — including her support of Palestinian causes — had caused friction among AGO staff, supporters of the institution and those who complained about Nanibush’s stance. 

An open letter from AGO director and CEO Stephan Jost, posted Thursday on the gallery’s website, makes no mention of Nanibush or her departure but acknowledges “intense discussion in the cultural community about freedom of political thought, artistic expression and the importance of good governance.”

Jost said the AGO is aware of “several letters and social media posts in circulation speculating about internal conversations” at the gallery.

“I hear you. I am taking this seriously and I know there will need to be a rebuilding of trust,” Jost wrote in the statement, a copy of which was emailed to The Canadian Press in response to a request for comment on the controversy.

“The events of the last several weeks have shaken us individually and institutionally,” Jost wrote. “We are taking the time to deeply review and reflect on our commitments to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report so we can continue our efforts.”

He said the process “to better define the rights and limits of political and artistic expression” has started internally, “and, in addition, we will review some of our governance policies through a thoughtful and inclusive process.”

Letter says AGO ‘notably’ silent on Nanibush departure

Earlier this week, Indigenous artists, curators, educators and advocates called for a “genuine response” from the AGO on the matter and a public acknowledgement of Nanibush’s contributions to the international art world and decolonization efforts. 

Their letter said that while Nanibush’s appointment as the AGO’s first curator of Indigenous Art and co-lead of the gallery’s Indigenous and Canadian Art Department was highly publicized in 2017, her departure was “notably” silent.

“Many of us haphazardly learned of [it] only through a social media post,” the letter said.

Nanibush, an accomplished Anishinaabe-kwe curator, writer and community organizer from Beausoleil First Nation in southern Ontario, has not publicly commented on her departure from the AGO. 

She worked with various arts and community organizations before joining the AGO and won this year’s Toronto Book Award for “Moving the Museum,” a book she co-authored with AGO colleague Georgiana Uhlyarik.

Indigenous art workers being ‘pushed out,’ letter says 

The letter addressed to the AGO and arts institutions worldwide said that Nanibush’s case is just one example of Indigenous arts workers who have been “pushed out of institutions” in recent years.

It noted that Lucy Bell, a member of the Haida Nation who led the Indigenous collection and repatriation department at the Royal BC Museum, left the institution before a formal investigation concluded there was workplace racism and bullying at the museum; and that Kanyen’keháka artist and curator Greg A. Hill was dismissed from the National Gallery of Canada “with little transparency” on the reason. 

“The harms inflicted upon our community members working in these institutions MUST CEASE,” the letter said. “We are concerned about the safety and security of colonized people working in public institutions worldwide.”

Hill is one of the signatories of the letter, but he did not respond to an interview request. In a social media post last year, he said he was “fired” from the National Gallery of Canada because he disagreed with the way the gallery’s Department of Indigenous Ways and Decolonization was being run.

The AGO’s chief executive said in his letter that the gallery “remains fundamentally and fully committed to showing, acquiring and programming Indigenous art, voices and stories. 

“Our support of Indigenous artists remains strong, and respectfully, we do not take this for granted. We understand that these relationships will take work to re-establish and can only go ahead collaboratively,” Jost’s letter said.

Moundsville native
Hannah Lynch is featured on the new “Go 1st House Band:
Coffee Shop Edition” album that is available to stream today on all platforms. (Photo
Provided)

MOUNDSVILLE — A Moundsville native is one of the featured artists on a new album being released today by Go 1st Records, a record label run by West Virginia University students.

WVU student Hannah Lynch, 20, is featured on the compilation album titled “Go 1st House Band: Coffee Shop Edition.”

She sang on the album’s track “Westward” and also on the piano-decorated melodies of “Secrets.” This is the second acoustic album that WVU students have written, recorded and produced together.

“The Go 1st House Band is composed of students at West Virginia University who have all come together to create this album,” said Elizabeth Smith, album release manager for the project and featured performer on “Facade.”

She noted the creative process began last spring. Students met in small groups to compose each track together.

“The House Band provides students the opportunity to not only write music together, but also produce the music from start to finish,” Smith said.

Lynch, daughter of Amy Lynch and a John Marshall High School graduate, described being featured on the album as “an honor.”

“With the upcoming release of our GoFirst Records Mixtape later on in the spring that will feature these songs with a more in depth production process, this album felt like a great opportunity to offer my song to the public in its rawest form,” she said. “I think this version offers to the listener a reflection of the intimacy that exists between me and my guitar.

“It offers a similar atmosphere to when the song was being written,” she added.

Lynch said she has been singing for as long as she can remember.

“Growing up, I was too shy to sing in front of people — even my own family,” she said. “But in sixth grade, when I thought I was singing at home alone, my mom had heard me singing a song in my bedroom.

“She immediately threw me into the middle school choir,” Lynch continued. “I always had a unique voice compared to the other kids and I never really grasped onto the techniques we were being taught, but I still really enjoyed it.”

Lynch said it was during her choir time that she began to gain confidence to sing in front of others.

“I am very thankful for that opportunity. That time in my life helped me to find my voice,” she said.

Lynch said she penned the song’s lyrics as well as the guitar music.

“When I brought the song to my friend and talented guitarist Drew Grove, he added embellishments on top of my playing that fit the song perfectly and completed the sonic atmosphere I was striving for,” she said.

Lynch said her family including her mother, brother Isaac Renzella and grandmother, Mary Anne Lynch, have been incredibly supportive of her love of music. She is majoring in music industry and minoring in music technology at WVU. She is also an applied percussion major.

“I’m hoping to begin playing live during the spring semester. I plan to play out with my talented and great friend Drew Grove, but we also have ideas of getting a band together,” she said. “We’re excited to see what the future holds for us.”

The album can be streamed today on all platforms.

“This song, ‘Westward,’ means a lot to me. Not only is it the first song I have written that I am incredibly happy with, but also the first song that is 100% and completely my own that has been completed and recorded in full,” Lynch said. “It feels so great to be able to share my creation, my feelings, and my message with the public like this.

“I am beyond thankful for this opportunity as well as everyone who decides to take a listen. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

For years, Dusty LeGrande has added his own touch to clothing, his way of teaching people about Indigenous history.

“Clothing is a very powerful tool for having a voice even when you don’t want to vocally speak things,” he explained.

It inspired his street wear brand in 2018 called Mobilize Waskawewin.

LeGrande’s designs have hit heights he never imagined.

He’s behind the merchandise at the FIS Snowboard Big Air World Cup.

“Indigenous art is not just what you see visually. It’s infused with story and teaching,” he said.

He created Star Homie, the logo featured on the trophies.

“Last year was introducing Star Homie, he was embraced well by the fans, by the athletes and so this year we’re like, ‘OK so now let’s tell the people what he’s about,'” LeGrande said.

Star Homie is based on an old form of rock art.

It depicts the North Saskatchewan River, once a meeting place. The star represents the Cree teachings, and the circle within it, the great mystery.

“So those three elements are what creates Star Homie. You can see them around here and then you can see them within the character itself,” he explained.

“This is kind of the river part, the pieces on the head are the star and the little circle within is the great mystery. And I’ve been taught that the great mystery is what connects all of us as human beings.”

Local beadwork artists are making medallions for this year’s winners.

“I thought that would be really cool, to include, now, a new aspect of Indigenous art,” LeGrande said.

“So something that was not like anything else that was on their trophy mantle.”

LeGrande’s mark will be on more than just the merchandise.

“The different parts of the jump you’ll see different artwork, around the stadium in the digital boards will be artwork as well.”

They are designs he hopes allows people to see Indigenous history in a different way.

“With residential schools and all the discoveries and all that painful history that we hear about a lot, it’s important to also hear about the beauty and the art and the other side of it so that people can have a fuller understanding of what it means to be Indigenous,” he said.

Arts Alive SDSU spotlights Indigenous imagination with ‘Creative Activism Artist Talk’ – The Daily Aztec

TORONTO – The Art Gallery of Ontario says it will review some of its governance policies and work on “rebuilding of trust” as it faces intense criticism over the departure of its celebrated Indigenous curator Wanda Nanibush earlier this month.

The AGO’s response comes after dozens of people from Indigenous arts communities in Canada and other countries signed a letter this week calling on the gallery to publicly acknowledge and explain Nanibush’s quiet exit from a role she’s held for years.

Citing unnamed sources with connections to the AGO, The Globe and Mail has reported that Nanibush’s “vocal opinions” on various subjects – including her support of Palestinian causes – had caused friction among AGO staff, supporters of the institution and those who complained about Nanibush’s stance.

An open letter from AGO director and CEO Stephan Jost, posted Thursday on the gallery’s website, makes no mention of Nanibush or her departure but acknowledges “intense discussion in the cultural community about freedom of political thought, artistic expression and the importance of good governance.”

Jost said the AGO is aware of “several letters and social media posts in circulation speculating about internal conversations” at the gallery.

“I hear you. I am taking this seriously and I know there will need to be a rebuilding of trust,” Jost wrote in the statement, a copy of which was emailed to The Canadian Press in response to a request for comment on the controversy.

“The events of the last several weeks have shaken us individually and institutionally,” Jost wrote. “We are taking the time to deeply review and reflect on our commitments to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report so we can continue our efforts.”

He said the process “to better define the rights and limits of political and artistic expression” has started internally, “and, in addition, we will review some of our governance policies through a thoughtful and inclusive process.”

Earlier this week, Indigenous artists, curators, educators and advocates called for a “genuine response” from the AGO on the matter and a public acknowledgment of Nanibush’s contributions to the international art world and decolonization efforts.

Their letter said that while Nanibush’s appointment as the AGO’s first curator of Indigenous Art and co-lead of the gallery’s Indigenous and Canadian Art Department was highly publicized in 2017, her departure was “notably” silent.

“Many of us haphazardly learned of (it) only through a social media post,” the letter said.

Nanibush, an accomplished Anishinaabe-kwe curator, writer and community organizer from Beausoleil First Nation in southern Ontario, has not publicly commented on her departure from the AGO.

She worked with various arts and community organizations before joining the AGO and won this year’s Toronto Book Award for “Moving the Museum,” a book she co-authored with AGO colleague Georgiana Uhlyarik.

The letter addressed to the AGO and arts institutions worldwide said that Nanibush’s case is just one example of Indigenous arts workers who have been “pushed out of institutions” in recent years.

It noted that Lucy Bell, a member of the Haida Nation who led the Indigenous collection and repatriation department at the Royal BC Museum, left the institution before a formal investigation concluded there was workplace racism and bullying at the museum; and that Kanyen’kehaka artist and curator Greg A. Hill was dismissed from the National Gallery of Canada “with little transparency” on the reason.

“The harms inflicted upon our community members working in these institutions MUST CEASE,” the letter said. “We are concerned about the safety and security of colonized people working in public institutions worldwide.”

Hill is one of the signatories of the letter, but he did not respond to an interview request. In a social media post last year, he said he was “fired” from the National Gallery of Canada because he disagreed with the way the gallery’s Department of Indigenous Ways and Decolonization was being run.

The AGO’s chief executive said in his letter that the gallery “remains fundamentally and fully committed to showing, acquiring and programming Indigenous art, voices, and stories.

“Our support of Indigenous artists remains strong, and respectfully, we do not take this for granted. We understand that these relationships will take work to re-establish and can only go ahead collaboratively,” Jost’s letter said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Nov. 30, 2023.

Tony Bennett delivered remarks at the opening of the permanent home of the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in his hometown Astoria in 2009. (Photo by Gary Gershoff)

Nov. 30, 2023 By Bill Parry

Students from the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts High School in Astoria and the arts education nonprofit Exploring the Arts (ETA) are teaming up to honor the memory of their founder, the legendary crooner and Astoria native Tony Bennett, who died in July at age 96.

In tribute to Bennett and the American Songbook he so loved, the students will perform classics including “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” “The Lady is a Tramp” and “The GoodLife,” among many others on Friday, Dec. 1, in the school’s concert hall that was named after him. An opening video tribute created by student film majors will look back on Bennett’s life and impact on the Frank Sinatra High School of the Arts community and an art exhibition in the school’s lobby will feature some of Bennett’s original artwork alongside student works he inspired.

They will be joined at the event by special guests, including Bennett’s wife Susan Benedetto, with whom he co-founded the school and the nonprofit arts organization.

Bennet and wife Susan Benedetto pictured while the school’s music hall was under construction. (Photo by Nan Melville)

“Tony was so proud of the Frank Sinatra School — proud of the hardworking teachers and school leaders and so very proud of the school’s talented students. Because of Tony, these young people have committed themselves to craft and a lifelong pursuit of learning,” Benedetto said. “I miss my husband every day, but I draw great strength and joy from the legacy he left behind. As a former public school teacher myself, it’s been my life’s proudest achievement to have started this school with Tony. It was a labor of love for us both and I am deeply moved every time I visit the school to feel that love returned back to our family tenfold.”

The couple co-founded the school in 2001 to provide New York City students with arts education opportunities along with rigorous academic programs. They received assistance from the NYC Department of Education and local leaders to open the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts, a tribute to the memory of Bennett’s best friend and colleague in a temporary quarters for 250 students.

Eight years later, the school moved into its $78 million home on 31st Avenue and 36th Street across from the Kaufman Astoria Studios.

Bennett cut the ribbon in 2009. (Photo by Gary Gershoff)

“It’s because of Tony’s tenacity and passion that our students at Frank Sinatra School of the Arts get to explore their artistic talents and receive a high-quality education all under one roof,” said Gideon Frankel, principal of Frank Sinatra School of the Arts. “His beaming smile while talking to young artists lit up a room, and we are honored to present this concert in his memory. He would be so proud to see our students take the stage and perform to the music he loved so dearly.”

Friday’s tribute performance begins at 7 p.m. on Dec. 1. The event is sold out, but will be live-streamed free for members of the public here.

(Photo by Kelsey Bennett)

“Exploring the Arts is extremely proud to collaborate with the talented students and faculty of Frank Sinatra School of the Arts (FSSA) for this tribute concert to honor the life of our beloved founder, and continue his legacy for generations to come,” said Toby Boshak, executive director of Exploring the Arts. “Tony has impacted the lives of thousands of youth on two coasts through his tireless dedication and commitment to restoring arts education in public schools. The students of FSSA will express their gratitude through craft, and I know he would have been so proud of them.”

body.queens .magma-widget .widget-area {
max-width: none;
padding: 1.5rem;
background: #f6f6f6;
margin-top: 1rem;
}
body.queens .magma-widget .widget-area img {
margin: 0;
}
body.queens .magma-widget .widget-area .tribe-events-adv-list-widget .cards-design.tribe-mini-calendar-event {
max-width: none;
padding: 1rem;
background: #fff;

}
body.queens .magma-widget .widget-area h2.widget-title {
margin-bottom: 0;
}
body.queens .tribe-events-widget-view-all-link {
margin-top: 1rem;
}
body.queens .widget.tribe-events-adv-list-widget {
margin-top: 0;
margin-bottom: 0;
}
body.queens .magma-widget .widget-area .basic-button {
background: #0d69a9;
}
body.queens .magma-widget .widget-area .basic-button:hover {
background: #2d9fef;
}
body.queens .magma-widget .widget-area .basic-button {
background: #0d69a9;
}
body.queens .magma-widget .widget-area .tribe-events-adv-list-widget h2 a span {
color: #0d69a9;
}
body.queens .magma-widget .widget-area .tribe-events-adv-list-widget h2 a span .fa {
color: #2d9fef;
}

.magma-widget .widget-area {
font-family: sans-serif;

max-width: 728px;
margin-left: auto;
margin-right: auto;
margin-bottom: 30px;
}
.magma-widget .widget-area h2.widget-title {
text-align: center;
text-transform: uppercase;
margin-bottom: 18px;
margin-top: 0;
font-size: 40px;
}
.magma-widget .widget-area a {
text-decoration: none;
}
.magma-widget .widget-area .tribe-events-adv-list-widget .tribe-events-widget-link {
text-align: center;
}
.magma-widget .basic-button {
display: block;
background-color: #ff8674;
border: none;
outline-color: rgba(0,0,0,0);
outline-style: none;
cursor: pointer;
display: inline-block;
text-transform: uppercase;
font-size: 13px;
letter-spacing: .75pt;
transition: all .2s ease-out;
-webkit-appearance: none;
border-radius: 0;
padding: 14px 18px;

color: white !important;
}
.magma-widget .basic-button:hover {
color: black !important;
}
.magma-widget .fa, .magma-widget .fab, .magma-widget .far, .magma-widget .fas {
margin-right: 4px;
}
.magma-widget .svg-inline–fa {
margin-right: 4px;
}

.magma-widget .widget-area .tribe-events-adv-list-widget .events-widget-content {
flex-basis: 100%;
display: grid;
grid-gap: 18px;
grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr;
}
@media screen and (max-width: 500px) {
.magma-widget .widget-area .tribe-events-adv-list-widget .events-widget-content {
grid-template-columns: 1fr;
}
}

.magma-widget .widget-area .tribe-events-adv-list-widget .cards-design.tribe-mini-calendar-event {
margin: 0;
display: flex;
flex-direction: column;
align-items: stretch;
justify-content: flex-start;
text-align: center;
border-bottom-width: 0;
}
.magma-widget .widget-area .tribe-events-adv-list-widget .cards-design.tribe-mini-calendar-event .tribe-event-image a {
display: block;
background-color: #f8f8f8;
}
.magma-widget .widget-area .tribe-events-adv-list-widget .cards-design.tribe-mini-calendar-event .tribe-event-image a img {
mix-blend-mode: darken;
object-position: center;
max-width: 100%;
display: block;
width: 100%;
height: 180px;
object-fit: cover;
}

.magma-widget .widget-area .tribe-events-adv-list-widget .cards-design.tribe-mini-calendar-event .context-box {
position: relative;
}
.magma-widget .widget-area .tribe-events-adv-list-widget .cards-design.tribe-mini-calendar-event .magma-list-date {
font-weight: 700;
position: absolute;
top: -40px;
height: 40px;
right: 0;
box-sizing: border-box;
padding: 0 16px;
display: flex;
align-items: center;
justify-content: center;

background-color: rgba(53,163,191,.8);
background-image: linear-gradient(235deg,rgba(247,168,207,.6),rgba(53,163,191,.6));

margin-bottom: 21px;
color: #fff;
}
.magma-widget .widget-area .events-widget-content h2 {
margin-top: 12px;
font-size: 22px;
margin-bottom: 12px;
line-height: 1.2;
font-weight: 400;
width: auto;
text-transform: none;
font-weight: 700;
padding: 0;
}
.magma-widget .widget-area .tribe-events-adv-list-widget h2 a {
color: #1d1f23;
text-decoration: none;
}
.magma-widget .widget-area .tribe-events-adv-list-widget h2 a span {
color: rgba(53,163,191,1);
text-decoration: none;
font-weight: 400;
}