December is upon us and for folks in Miami— or in the art world— that means: Art Basel Miami Beach. From December 6 to 10 (by-invitation private viewings are on December 6 and 7), the Miami Beach Convention Center will be home to 277 galleries; 25 of which will be participating for the first time, with two-thirds hailing from North and Latin America. In mediums ranging from paintings and sculptures to photography and digital art, some of the resounding themes this year include works that speak to nature, as well as cultural and spiritual geographies.

We break down the fair’s main sectors with what to expect this year:

Galleries is the main section of the fair where the world’s leading galleries present the highest quality of paintings, sculptures, drawings, installations, photography, videos and digital works.

This year’s show will include never-before-seen works by Argentinian Italian surrealist Leonor Fini from the artist’s personal collection, jointly presented by Galerie Minsky (Paris) and Weinstein Gallery (San Francisco), as well as an homage to Brockman Gallery, the first major contemporary gallery run by and for Black artists, coorganized by Parrasch Heijnen Gallery (Los Angeles) and Franklin Parrasch Gallery (New York) in collaboration with Alonzo Davis, one of Brockman Gallery’s founders.

Meridians showcases large-scale sculptures, paintings and installations which go beyond the traditional art fair booth layout. It will feature 19 projects this year, including site-specific works for Art Basel Miami Beach, curated for the fourth consecutive year by Mexico City-based curator and Director of Museo Tamayo Arte Contemporaneo, Magalí Arriola,

Kabinett, which provides provides galleries the opportunity to present curated exhibitions within their main booths, will have 28 installations.

Nova is a space for galleries to present new works by up to three artists. The Ranch (New York) will showcase never-before-exhibited sculptures by Puerto Rican artist Daniel Lind-Ramos inspired by his hometown of Loíza, the largest Afro-Caribbean enclave in Puerto Rico. Gypsum Gallery (Cairo) will present new paintings by Egyptian artist Basim Magdy, the first staging of the artist’s paintings in the US.

In Positions, the sector for young galleries to showcase solo presentations by emerging voices, Galatea (Rio de Janeiro) will exhibit a new photo series by Brazilian artist Allan Weber, known for his work on everyday life in Rio de Janeiro’s favelas. Dürst Britt & Mayhew (The Hague), the first Dutch gallery to participate in Art Basel Miami Beach, will present new works by Mexican artist Alejandra Venegas, hand-carved on native wood.

Survey, dedicated to galleries to showcase artistic practices of historical relevance, will include solo presentations of American artist and activist Karen Finley centered on her 1977 interactive installation at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, during a protracted legal battle with the National Endowment for the Arts, presented by Freight+Volume (New York); as well as American artist Vivian Browne, whose “Africa Series” paintings from the 1970s will be presented by Ryan Lee (New York).

Conversations, a series of live debates among artists, gallerists, collectors, curators, museum directors and critics will run from December 7 to 9. Curated by Emily Butler, this year will features 35 thought leaders across nine panels celebrating Latin America. The program will draw inspiration from Miami’s position as a gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean, honoring Afro-Latino, Latino, and feminist histories, the artistic ecologies of Florida, and other topical issues in 2023. These conversations will be live-streamed on Facebook and recorded.

Also taking place during this period, the UBS Art Lounge (open to UBS-invited guests) at the Miami Beach Convention Center, will showcase the UBS Art Collection which includes a site-specific triptych painting by Jeffrey Gibson entitled, “Just When You Least Expect It,” commissioned for the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York. The Lounge will also feature the Collection’s recent acquisitions by Nick Cave, Awol Erizku, Deana Lawson, and Hank Willis Thomas.

UBS has also partnered with Art Noir, a global creative collective and non-profit organization that catalyzes cultural equity across the arts and culture industries, to create the UBS Art Studio, which will be stationed near the Meridians sector. The group presentation organized by Art Noir co-founder and curator Larry Ossei-Mensah will features works by Anthony Akinbola, Sonia Gomes, Melissa Joseph, and Nari Ward, artists who engage in practices that utilize accessible materials like durags, shoelaces, and other textiles to create art that invite inquiry and discourse. This is open to all Art Basel Miami Beach ticket holders. (They will also be presenting at the Soundscape Park.)

For more tickets and more information, please visit the Art Basel Miami Beach website.

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SPRINGVILLE — It became apparent most of the fifth graders in Alice Owen’s Meadow Brook Elementary class had never tasted fry bread before as not-so-quiet whispers of appreciation buzzed through the class as the kids took their first bites.

When Diné (Navajo) educator Brenda Beyal asked what the students thought of the fry bread, those whispers turned to excited shouts of, “It’s so good” and, “They should serve this for lunch.”

“It tasted like heaven,” 10-year-old Jamison King said. “I learned that Navajos can make fry bread in different ways, like they make hamburgers with them, they make normal fry bread.”

The treat was part of a visiting lesson organized by BYU Arts Partnership’s Native American Curriculum Initiative, which brings Native American arts and culture to Utah classrooms.

“We’re gonna lose access to these beautiful art forms if we don’t find a way to improve the conversations and increase understanding about the sensitivities around this content,” BYU Arts Partnership Program Director Cally Flox said. “It’s an essential issue in the arts that we find respectful, culturally appropriate ways to share works from Indigenous people.”

Beyal, the initiative’s program coordinator, said it was born out of teachers asking questions about things like cultural appropriation and a need for authentic resources to teach Utah students about the state’s eight sovereign nations: the Navajo Nation, Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray reservation, Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation, Skull Valley Band of Goshute Indians, Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation, Ute Mountain Ute, Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah and San Juan Southern Paiute.

“Native Americans are not a homogeneous people. The eight sovereign nations of Utah have their own distinct ways of doing things, their own history,” Beyal said. “Our mission is to amplify Native voices.”

The funding for the program is targeted at elementary schools, but the program managers have seen a great deal of interest from K-12 classrooms across the state. There is some grade-specific content, but they said the curriculum is adaptable for a variety of grades and subjects.

“Teachers are starting to gain confidence and they are more willing to share important information about cultures and people that live within their communities rather than not saying anything or sharing anything because of their lack of understanding,” Beyal said.

Teaching with authenticity

Involving tribal nations and ensuring their peoples are portrayed respectfully in the curriculum has been a priority for the initiative.

That includes reaching out to each individual tribe to see what topics they want students to learn about, getting lesson plans approved by tribal councils and accepting “no” gracefully when tribal leaders opt not to share cultural practices.

It’s also meant not shying away from difficult topics, which Emily Soderborg, the initiative’s project manager, said are taught “gently.”

“Truth is being told in a way that doesn’t traumatize anyone, doesn’t make others feel bad for actions that they were not involved in, but also helps us recognize and empathize how hard things have happened,” Soderborg said.

Beyal added that they initially wondered if children would be able to understand some of the lived experiences of tribes. But they’ve since seen how capable the students are of learning about these topics, especially when they learn through the arts, which Beyal said “have a way of unfolding a story that helps with empathy.”

The fry bread lesson taught to Owen’s fifth-grade class, for example, was far more than a chance to sample fry bread. The kids learned about the process of making the food through film and music, and each tried their hand at flattening the dough before Belay’s husband fried it outside the classroom.

Beyal also explained the history and cultural significance of fry bread, which was created by the Navajo people in 1864 when the U.S. government forcibly removed them from their homes and marched them hundreds of miles away to an internment camp. Hundreds died during the Long Walk, and those who lived arrived in an unfamiliar territory without anything to subsist on. Fry bread was born out of “hard times” as the Navajo mixed the rations they received with their own creativity and imagination, Beyal explained.

“Now, there’s a lot to learn from that. You could be in a place of suffering and you can use your imagination, creativity and create something good and that’s what the Navajo people did,” she told students. “Your brain, your creativity, your imagination, your resilience, your courage and your bravery — you can be in dire circumstances and not have that taken away from you.”

It’s a lesson that felt personal for 11-year-old Mateas Mendes, who said it reminded him of his own family’s difficulties in Venezuela.

“We were in really hard times, too. Venezuela is not very good right now. They are in hard times, my dad and I are home (in Utah), we are OK. I just hope my grandparents are OK,” he said. “(I learned) that in hard times, you can make good things.”

Lessons to be learned

Although the initiative specifically focuses on Native Americans, its tactics could be applied more broadly as Utah grapples with how to teach ethnic studies.

How to incorporate ethnic studies into the state’s K-12 curriculum has been a dividing issue. The Utah Ethnic Studies Commission, which was created in 2022 as part of a bill that requires the state to include ethnic studies in core educational standards, will eventually provide recommendations to the Utah State Board of Education regarding the topic.

“We feel like the questions that we asked can be applied to so many different cultural resources,” Soderborg said of the initiative’s professional development course for teachers, which explains how to evaluate resources for accuracy and authenticity.

Those questions include, Is the material specific or glossing over a group? Does it bring people to the present and show how people live today? Does the creator’s background lend credibility? Are any references to traditional ceremonies or deities respectful and appropriate? Does the resource encourage copying or replicating traditions or symbols in appropriate ways?

As a Diné woman, Beyal said her hope is that Utah children see themselves reflected in the curriculum and that there is equity in schools.

“I know those are trigger words, but I feel strongly that there is much to be learned from other peoples and their ways and that there are more similarities than there are differences. When we don’t allow other people’s voices, informed voices, into schools, then we are really cutting the education of our children short,” she said. “One perspective isn’t the only perspective and it’s not the true perspective. You need many perspectives to find truth.”

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Local tribes are celebrating Native American Heritage Month this November. They say they hope the nationally recognized month encourages education and awareness of their cultures.

“We worked hard to get this month and have it recognized,” said Glenna Wallace, chief of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma. “It’s important that we celebrate this.”

Many area tribes have held events, educational seminars and exhibits to commemorate Native American Heritage Month.

Kim Garcia, cultural preservation officer for the Wyandotte Tribe of Oklahoma, said among their activities are daily educational social media posts, crafts and song preservation.

The tribe recently sent a group to Wyandotte Days in Monroe, Michigan, where Wyandottes lived in the 1700s. The group hosted field trips for about 2,000 kids at the River Raisin National Battlefield Park.

Garcia said there are 576 tribes in the United States. In Oklahoma, there are 39 tribes that have come from all over the U.S.

People can have stereotypical images of Native Americans, lumping them all in together, she said.

“I think that people don’t realize that each one of us is different,” Garcia said of the different tribes. “We all have different cultures, we all have different languages, we all have different histories. This is a great time to share our culture so that it’s respected, not looked down upon.”

Wallace said she views the month as a time of inclusivity. The Eastern Shawnee tribal land is located adjacent to Jasper and Newton counties, but the invisible line of the border seems to block their presence from people, she said.

She used to teach at Crowder College and talked with students who thought there were few minorities in the area. It’s quite the opposite, she said, as within a few miles there are nine tribes. Seven of those tribes were forcibly removed from the Ohio Valley.

“I am always amazed at how little the people of the Missouri side know about the Native Americans on the Oklahoma side,” Wallace said. “There’s much to learn.”

Sonny Glass, vice chairman of the Quapaw Business Committee, said the month is a good time to remind people that Native Americans have always been here. They’ve consistently tried to take care of their culture, their lands and their people.

Art exhibit

One of the ways the Quapaw Nation is celebrating Native American Heritage Month is a collaborative exhibit with the Post Art Library in Joplin. Currently on display through the end of the month, the exhibit showcases Quapaw art and history.

Quapaw potter Betty Gaedtke’s work showcases the techniques that have fallen to the wayside. Gaedtke digs her clay from ground and often uses traditional Quapaw techniques to make her pottery.

In addition to pottery such as bowls, the exhibit includes her ceremonial pieces to be placed in graves. Gaedtke said her goal is to bring these pottery pieces back to burial ceremonies.

Through her efforts and research, the Quapaw now have a dedicated pottery studio to carry on these techniques and teach them to younger generations.

“I really hope this exhibit encourages people to ask about the Quapaw Nation,” Gaedtke said. “Who are we, where did we come from? Some people think the Quapaw completely perished. But we want to tell you we are here and here to stay.”

In addition to education, another way to celebrate the month is through supporting Native American-owned businesses, Garcia said. There’s many local gift shops run by area tribes. Online shops owned by tribes are also a good option, like Eighth Generation or Teton Trade Cloth.

Garcia said some people might be worried that it is appropriation to buy Native American beadwork or clothing.

“It’s actually appreciation as long as you’re purchasing it from an actual Native American,” Garcia said. “You just have to be careful that it is a Native American tribe or person. There’s a lot of misleading people who say they are Native, which is in fact illegal.”

Leading to awareness

Native American Heritage Month should lead to awareness, Wallace said. She proudly notes the tribe was recently active in having eight of the Eastern Shawnee’s mounds in the Ohio Valley entered into world heritage status through UNESCO.

One of the Eastern Shawnee’s concerns is that the history books are largely missing in this history about Native Americans, she said.

“It would be interesting if people would check and see textbooks their school is using,” Wallace said. “Check to see what they say about Native Americans and how much are they included.”

All of the leaders encourage the education and awareness to extend far past November.

Glass said for the past 151 years, they’ve had a Quapaw powwow over the Fourth of July holiday. This is a good place to start becoming familiar with Native American history and culture.

Everybody is willing to talk with them, and asking questions opens up a lot of doors, he said.

Even the experience itself can be a moment of revelation.

“There’s the music itself from the drums,” Glass said. “It feels like it’s your heart singing to you. These are the things we are proud of and are glad the community is seeing that.”

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MATHISTON, Miss. (WCBI) – A local singer-songwriter is getting some major recognition for his work. Mathiston native, Matt Lomax has always loved music, and recently the music business was returning some of that love.

Lomax was nominated for Country Vocalist of the Year at this year’s Josie Awards in Nashville.

The Josie Awards recognizes outstanding independent artists.

Becoming a singer-songwriter just seemed a good fit for Lomax.

“Music has always been a part of my life. I have been listening to music for as long as I can remember. I used to sneak into karaoke places and play when I was about 14. Music has gotten me through a lot of things and a lot of tough situations in life. So, it has always just been a big part of my life,” said Lomax.

Country music is a tough business to break into, and Lomax said there’s a lot of competition.

“The toughest part is standing out. Throughout other artists and other musicians, there are so many talented artists out there. So, to stand out and to get booked for the show is definitely the toughest part of the job,” said Lomax.

But he has some advice for future artists.

“One thing I would say to them is to keep going. People will want to knock you down, but keep going and do your own thing,” said Lomax.

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Joan Marcus/The Public Theater via AP
This image released by The Public Theater shows Rainbow Dickerson, from left, Sheila Tousey, Jeffrey King, David Kelly and Joe Tapper appear during a performance of “Manahatta” in New York. The play was written by Mary Kathryn Nagle.

NEW YORK (AP) — The financial crisis of 2008 hit Mary Kathryn Nagle differently. As a playwright and a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, she saw parallels to events that negatively impacted Indigenous people centuries ago.

Her play “Manahatta” juxtaposes the recent mortgage meltdown when thousands lost their homes to predatory lenders with the shady 17th-century Dutch who swindled and violently pushed Native Americans off their ancestral lands.

“A lot of times history does repeat itself,” Nagle says. “I’m really interested in the ways in which we can connect to our past, carry it with us, learn from it, and maybe change outcomes so that we’re not just doomed to repeat the past in the present.”

Nagle’s 2018 play has landed in New York City at the prestigious Public Theater this winter and it’s just the latest in a flowering of Native storytelling. From “Reservation Dogs,” “Dark Winds” and “Rutherford Falls” on TV to “Prey” on the big screen and Larissa FastHorse becoming the first Indigenous female playwright on Broadway, barriers are being broken.

“I hope it’s not a moment. I hope it’s the beginning of an era,” says FastHorse, a member of the Sicangu Lakota Nation and a 2020 MacArthur Fellow. “We stand on the shoulders of so many folks that came before us.”

In 2020, the University of California, Los Angeles published a diversity report that examined media content from 2018-2019 and found Native representation to be between 0.3%-0.5% in film. In television or on stage, Native representation was virtually nonexistent. ( According to the Census, 9.7 million Americans claimed some Indigenous heritage in 2020, or 2.9% of the total U.S. population.)

“The truth was most theaters had never produced a single play by a Native playwright. Most Hollywood film studios had never produced any content actually written or produced by Natives. It may have been about some Native people, but it was not written by Native people. And we’ve just seen that flipped on its head,” Nagle said.

Non-Native storytellers are also exploring the history of white atrocities on Native Americans with Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” telling the story of the Reign of Terror in Oklahoma, and documentary-maker Ken Burns examining an animal central to the Great Plains with “The American Buffalo.”

Nagle recalls moving to New York in 2010 and asking artistic directors of theaters why they weren’t producing Native work. They would answer that they didn’t know any Native playwrights or that there weren’t enough Native audiences to power ticket sales.

“Good storytelling is good storytelling, whether the protagonist is white, Black, Asian, LGBTQ — it doesn’t matter,” said Nagle, who is on the board of IllumiNative, a nonprofit working to deal with the erasure of Native people.

“There’s a lot of projects out there that are changing the narrative and that are proving that our stories are powerful and that non-Natives are really moved by them because they’re good stories.”

Madeline Sayet, a playwright and professor at Arizona State University who also runs the Yale Indigenous Performing Arts Program, sees the contemporary Native theater movement flowing from the Civil Rights Movement of the ’60s and ’70s and an increase in awareness of Indigenous issues ever since Native people won the right to legally practice their culture, art and religion.

She connects the Wounded Knee occupation of 1973 to the Standing Rock standoff over the Dakota Access Pipeline in 2016 to Ned Blackhawk’s “The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S History” winning the National Book Award this year.

Sayet, a member of the Mohegan Tribe who became the first Native playwright produced at the Public when her “Where We Belong” made it in 2020, said keeping Indigenous stories being produced depends on changing funding structures and getting long-term commitments from theaters and programs like Young Native Playwrights Contest.

“Part of what’s really helping right now is us all creating more opportunities for each other instead of in competition with each other,” she said.

FastHorse, who made history on Broadway in 2023 with her satirical comedy “The Thanksgiving Play,” which follows white liberals trying to devise a culturally sensitive Thanksgiving play, has since turned her attention to helping rewrite some classic stage musicals to be more culturally sensitive.

“Native people have been exotified in a way that keeps us othered and separate, sometimes in a negative way, as in, ‘We just kill all the Indians’ and sometimes in a ‘positive’ way where they’re this special, magical thing.”

She has recently reworked the book for an upcoming touring musical revival of the 1954 classic “Peter Pan,” which was adapted by Jerome Robbins and has a score by Moose Charlap-Carolyn Leigh and additional songs by Jule Styne, Betty Comden and Adolph Green.

FastHorse found the character of Peter Pan complex, the pirates funny, the music enchanting but the depictions of Indigenous people and women appalling. There were references to “redskins” throughout, a nonsense song called “Ugh-A-Wug” and Tiger Lily fends off randy braves “with a hatchet.”

“I was like, ‘What? We’re having little kids read this? This is just rape culture written out, exoticized with a Native person to boot,” she said. “This is what makes you a good woman? If you fight hard enough to keep the men away?”

FastHorse widened the concept of Native in the musical to encompass members of several under-pressure Indigenous cultures from all over the globe — Africa, Japan and Eastern Europe, among them — who have retreated to Neverland to preserve their culture until they can find a way back.

The playwright said one of her guiding principles in the reworking was to make sure a little Native girl in South Dakota could see herself and celebrate. “Then we’ve done our job and she can join the magic instead of having to armor herself against the magic.”

Nagle is enjoying making her debut at the Public Theater — her play runs through Dec. 23 — but is realistic that no one play is going to teach everyone every single lesson they need to know about Native people after hundreds of years of misinformation.

“I think one thing I’m just hoping that people take away from this play is like, ‘Wow, Native stories are really compelling. Native people are incredible. They’re incredibly resilient. They’re incredibly brilliant. Yes, there’s tragedy, but they have such incredible senses of humor,’” she said.

“I want them to love my characters the way I love them. I want them to feel the heartache. I want them to feel the laughter. I want them to feel the love,” she said. “And I want them to leave the theater just wanting to know more about our tribal nations and our Native people.”

Carl Hentsch and Matt Roberts, owners of Betty J’s Mercantile, offer fair-trade gfits at their Newton shop, as well as items by local artists and crafters. The new business is operating out of the former Lemon Tree Tea House and bears a similar look to the house in Tama where Roberts and Hentsch started their business.

NEWTON — Matt Roberts and Carl Hentsch launched their first business inside a big yellow house in Tama about four years ago, and although their company has changed names as often as its changed locations during that time, it was fitting they would again find themselves in another big yellow house when they moved to Newton.

It was a sign, said Roberts, who also felt the town’s location between Tama and his hometown of Marshalltown was ideal for repeat customers who have come to know his reputation to stock shelves with merchandise that cannot be found anywhere else in the area. He hadn’t moved in yet, but it already felt like home.

“We just fell in love with this property because it reminded us a lot of our other house,” Roberts said in an interview with Newton News.

Betty J’s Mercantile officially opened in town on Nov. 1. For the past three months or so, Roberts and Hentsch have been renovating their home and shop. There is still work to be done, but the shop portion is ready, and it’s split between a room with fair-trade items and an “Iowa room” with gifts by local crafters and artists.

The business has gone by a number different names, starting as Big Yellow Antiques & More inside their home in Tama. Then they moved to a small storefront in downtown Tama. To account for the heavy traffic, Roberts and Hentsch opened a second space called Big Yellow Fabulous Finds & Fabric.

Eventually, the two would move away from their antique-centric offerings and move more towards giftware. They also physically moved to Ottumwa where they renamed the store to Big River Fabric & Gift Company since the shop was about a block away from the Des Moines River.

When they decided to move to Newton, the name changed again. While it was tempting to go back to Big Yellow, Roberts was given a chance to dedicate a business to his family. “Betty J” is actually Betty Jean, his grandmother who taught him everything he knows about antiques and business.

“She and my grandfather had an antique business for 55 years, I think, based out of Clear Lake and Le Grand. I would travel with them during the summers doing the antique shows all over the country,” Roberts said. “That’s where I picked up my antique knowledge and why we started out in antiques.”

Throughout the years the two business owners have sold everything from candy to furniture, and while some of those items can still be found at Betty J’s, the shop is putting more emphasis on greeting cards, fabrics, quilt pattern designs by Hentsch (who is a master quilter) and its dozen or so fair-trade giftware lines.

Many of the fair-trade gifts are from countries like India, Pakistan, Tunisia, Africa and Cambodia. Other shops around Newton either do not have such items or focus on it as heavily as the guys over at Betty J’s do. For Roberts, that’s great. He hopes customers at least find these different items interesting.

“That’s my whole goal in business,” Roberts said. “I don’t want to compete. I want to be different. Ever since we’ve opened — even when we were just in the antique business — we were always known to be a little different and carry unique things. We weren’t your typical antique store.”

Roberts likes unique things. If another shop is offering similar giftware, he is not afraid to drop it and find something different.

“I don’t want to be the same as anybody else,” he said. “I want to keep this a unique destination. That’s the whole goal. With that comes risk because sometimes you bring in different items that are not to everybody’s taste. But I also like that, too. Plus, I’m learning what people do like.”

Oftentimes what customers do like is when each item has a story. Which is why Roberts and Hentsch have attached tags onto every piece of merchandise that tells people where it is from. Roberts said it serves him well, too, when it comes to remembering the stories and origins of the gifts customers ask about.

Of course the keeper of the best story is Hentsch, a quiet and reserved artist whose talents are on full display inside the shop. His quilts hang on the walls. His books are stacked on shelves. Hentsch has taught classes and talked about quilting all over the world; he humbly mentioned local places like Grinnell and Knoxville.

But Roberts is quick to brag about Hentsch, saying he has been all over the country and even on cruise ships to talk and teach quilting.

Roberts said, “He’s written books and teamed up with a big name artist named Tula Pink.”

Hentsch adds, “And I design quilts for the fabric companies.”

“So he gets commissioned out by the fabric companies who make fabric. When they have a line they get ready to release, they ask him if he’ll design a pattern for them. Of course it has to go through the process of being approved, but once they approve it then it gets released into his patterns.”

Hentsch’s patterns and books aren’t going to be found anywhere else in Newton besides Betty J’s Mercantile. Again, it’s different.

In Newton, different can stand out in a big way. So far, Betty J’s has done just that. Opening weekend for the shop brought in numerous customers.

“We like this community quite a bit,” Roberts said. “We’ve always liked Newton and we’ve come here for the Fourth of July Parades and other events around town, and we’ve always enjoyed it. Right now, I can’t get over the overwhelming response from the community. I’ve never been so busy on Facebook.”

Even some of their former customers from the Big Yellow days found their way into the 309 First Ave. W. shop.

“Our very first customer on Wednesday, Nov. 1 was a former Tama customer,” he said. “So we’re getting some of our Tama customers back. We’ve got Marshalltown people coming to see us, too. It’s just so nice to be back in this little hub of communities. As a business owner, I like to see familiar faces.”

With a constantly changing line of products, there is even more reason to get familiar with Roberts and Hentsch.

“I always say, ‘If you see it, get it.’ Because if it’s fair-trade or even the Iowa crafters, chances are we’re not going to be able to get it in again,” Roberts said.

Oneonta native Bobby Sharp has been a lifelong artist, but his passion for glass was forged in the early 2000s.

Sharp, 57, owns Glassworks, a studio, production and gift shop space established in 2004 at 736 state Highway 28 in Oneonta.

Sharp said he came to glass by way of furniture.

“I started designing high-end furniture at a very young age, and then somebody told me that you have to sell this to the rich and famous, because of the quality of the work,” he said. “I did things very well, but I knew some glassblowers that had some shards, and I said, ‘You throw all this out? Can I take it?,’ so I gathered it all, cleaned it and polished it by the hundreds and I had this dream about encasing glass in plastic. I approached (local attorney) George Silvernail, and he commissioned me to do an end table. I knew I was on to something and … it was incredibly beautiful and that’s how I got started: the attention paid for it, and that opened up the door for me to glassblowing.”

Another commissioned piece, Sharp said, proved pivotal.

“Frank Mann, of Mann Media, said, ‘Create something for me and I’ll see if I’ll buy it,’ and, being as I had all those shards of glass, I thought I’d do something with this picture of Jimi Hendrix,” he said. “You have to think differently, and you can’t just do the basic stuff like everybody else; it’s got to be unique.”

The result, Sharp said, was a mosaic-style, hand-painted glass portrait that took three months to refine, but emerged “incredible” and “a masterpiece.”

The Hendrix portrait, he said, launched a follow-up commission from Mann to “do the whole series of Woodstock” artists.

“I took that money to feed the business,” he said. “Then Hoffman Lane Bistro (in Cooperstown) said, ‘this man is incredible,’ and ‘we’ve got an idea for you; we want you to put dividers in the restaurant of glass and flowers.’ I created the forms and the flowers. I went to the woods and did a test, and it was incredibly beautiful. Then something strange happened. I was taking a walk on Main Street and met an art dealer that was a big dealer in Manhattan and Paris. (Robert Horne) looked at this composition of the flowers … and said, ‘You’re a genius. Your spatial sense is incredible.’ He knew I was living in a garage and he said, ‘I’ll put you up in business,’ so he put up thousands and thousands of dollars as I built the business. That’s how it started to take off … and it got me known.”

Establishing Bobby Sharp Glassworks, Sharp said, again relied on critical collaborations and commissions.

“I put a small glass line and a small 190-pound tank with gas and I did everything small — a small website and I started working on designs and it started taking off,” he said. “It was around then that I got the Beekman 1802 (commission). I approached them to do soap dishes and some decanters, and they said, ‘We have other ideas for you’ and started giving me commissions for more decanters and champagne flutes.”

That, Sharp said, necessitated an early expansion of the business, originally called Mountain Glass, for which he relied upon help from Art Reed of Sweet Water Glass in Andes. Simultaneously, Sharp said, he began a relationship with Corning Museum of Glass, where he also rented studio time and further honed his skills.

“I would do what Art told me … and it took months and months to develop all the equipment,” he said. “When Art and I finished updating, that’s when I brought people from Corning to work for me in Oneonta.”

Popular items developed during that period, Sharp said, included his “Lady Fingers” whiskey glasses, designed to fit comfortably in female hands, and baseball bat-shaped drinking glasses.

Today, Sharp said, he’s focused on sharing his passion.

“Out of all that hard work, now I’m setting up all these workshop classes and maybe a school and I’ll be teaching through the whole winter,” he said. “I’m doing these ornament classes and have other classes coming up with the head teacher of glass from Corning and he is going to teach an intro to glassblowing … and do that at the end of January or beginning of February. And we’re having make-your-own paperweight (classes), where you’re one-on-one with the glassblower and … another where you’ll be able to make your own beads for necklaces.”

Classes, he said, are $99 per person and will be “a little over an hour.” Classes and gift shop hours will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 9 to 3 on Saturday. Sharp said he is open to requests for gift shop products.

Though his products are sold “all around the country,” Sharp said, locals are enthusiastic about the class series.

“After ‘Blown Away’ (a Netflix documentary), people are coming to Corning from all over the world and everybody wants to be a glassblower,” he said. “That’s why I’m pushing now to do the classes and I have something different than what other people are offering. I’m going to have a class where you can learn how to make glass and make money from it. It will include the chamber of commerce and the bank and the right people … so that, when (people) take the class, they’ll know how to wholesale and retail and do social media and open up a small business and generate revenue. A lot of locals now are approaching, like for the ornament class, so it’s Franklin and Oneonta people signing up.”

Sharp said, after nearly two decades, glass still fuels him.

“It’s so much fun and you get so excited,” he said. “Sometimes, it’s late at night and I’ll just come out and sit out by the furnace, because it glows and it’s something that you appreciate and look forward to. It’s fun and it’s not boring and I can’t wait to wake up in the morning and start to create. It makes you feel good. I love it, I love glass.”

For more information or to book a class, visit bobbysharpglassworks.com.

Solomon ‘Sol’ Atkinson was born in Metlakatla, Alaska in 1930 and, as a Ts’msyen (Tsimshian) Native American he lived a purposeful life defined by both his Native American heritage and his service as a U.S. Navy SEAL.

His early years were shaped by the region’s rugged lifestyle, which taught him to be resourceful and appreciate the support of his community. These values guided him through his career in the U.S. Navy and public service. He also inherited a rich cultural legacy from his ancestors, a society that follows the matriarchal line, and who belonged to the Gitlaan clan of the Xpi’hanaḵ house in the Tsimshian nation.

“Dad was such a humble guy who had so little growing up here, but he never ever complained,” said Atkinson’s daughter Maria Hayward. “As a matter of fact, he only owned one pair of shoes and when those got a hole in them, he placed cardboard inside so he could still wear them.”

The National Museum of the American Indian explains that many clans in tribal communities are based on animals that have history and meaning. As a Tsimshian, he was part of the raven and frog clans, two animal-spirits that matched his naval career with their stories and traits.

As the Creator’s helper, the raven is a heroic figure. According to Tsimshian artist Bill Helin, the raven stole the Sun in an operation that required courage, cunning, and creativity and delivered it to humans who had never seen the light. Likewise, “Sol” Atkinson shone in service with brave deeds during conflicts in Korea and Vietnam, often putting his life on the line for the sake of his comrades and country.

The Sun that the raven brought is so vital to the ‘long-winter’ Metlakatla community, that it is featured in the middle of the town’s logo. And, as a SEAL, Atkinson prepared astronauts for space exploration, an act that launched humans into the sky and closer to the raven’s Sun than ever before. The raven also symbolizes Atkinson’s legacy as a protector, safeguarding others through his courageous actions during wars in Korea and Vietnam, frequently risking his life for his teammates and nation.

Meanwhile the frog represents the voice of the people and strives to build unity. The selfless frog teaches by example and is more focused on the us and we of the community and less on I – key notions also reflected in Atkinson’s SEAL ethos: “…I humbly serve as a guardian to my fellow Americans …placing the welfare and security of others before my own.” And while many know Atkinson was the first Alaskan Native to join the Navy’s Underwater Demolition Teams (later becoming a SEAL) he may have also been the first “Frogman” descended from a frog clan.

“He was just a gigantic person and I’m not talking about him being six foot something,” says Verdie Bowen, director of the Alaska Office of Veterans Affairs, who knew Atkinson since he was a kid. “He was a great storyteller.”

After retiring from his successful navy career, Sol was called to service again. As Metlakatla’s mayor, Atkinson used his charisma and “great storytelling” skills to motivate the town to pursue projects like an Olympic-sized pool for the high school which resulted in a certified dive program at the small school where about a fifth of the students participate in the lessons.

This career preparedness program exposes young Alaskans to U.S. Navy Diver and SEAL career paths. Four of Atkinson’s grandsons and two of his great grandsons have achieved SCUBA certifications through the program.

Brad Billings, the state’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Program Administrator praised the program as unique and impressive, noting that Metlakatla offers the state’s only high school CTE dive certification course. “What was impressive is their discipline, they really stuck to the goal of certification and that’s quite an accomplishment considering the requirements and how small of a community they are.”

Atkinson wanted to give back to his community by championing the high school dive program and pool. He believed that anyone could excel by attacking every challenge and turning it into a chance to succeed.

“There wasn’t much here as far as opportunity when he was growing up,” noted Hayward. “He was shipped off to boarding school at one point, yet he overcame everything he had to deal with. Dad’s success in the SEALs allows young people here today to have hope that they too can really make something of themselves just like he did.”

Sol was proud of his Tsimshian heritage and served his community in many ways. Besides helping high school divers, he also led a team that created the first of what would eventually be three totem poles for Disney’s Canadian Pavilion at Epcot Center in Florida. There, about 30,000 visitors a day can admire the amazing Tsimshian art that includes Atkinson’s own raven at the bottom of the first pole, carrying the entire weight of the vertical community on his feathery shoulders.

“Sol was really involved in the community, proud of having grown up in it. He was a leader, always carried himself so well… intelligent, thoughtful, kind and friendly, said Metlakatla board member and tribal historian David Boxley who was also responsible for carving two of the totem poles. “You never would have known that he had been a very capable Navy SEAL and did the incredible things he did while he was in service,” added Boxley.

Like the totem raven’s unflinching community support, Atkinson founded and launched the Metlakatla Veterans Association, working diligently to ensure his fellow veterans received the benefits and recognition they earned.

“As a mayor and a veterans’ advocate, he was a pillar in his community,” said Verdie Bowen, the director of the Alaska Office of Veterans Affairs. “He was always putting others before himself.”

In the spring of 2019 – the same year as his passing – Atkinson’s contributions were displayed as part of the Avenue of Heroes Program by the City of Coronado, California, a tribute that underscores his enduring impact. And just this year, the Navy he heroically served paid tribute to Atkinson by naming a future Navajo-class Towing, Salvage and Rescue ship after him, serving as a lasting tribute to a man who gave so much to his country and his community.

“I am pleased to ensure that his name will extend globally to all who view this great ship,” said Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro when announcing the name of the future USNS Solomon Atkinson (T-ATS 12).

This honor is not just a recognition of Atkinson’s service but also a milestone in acknowledging the contributions of Native Americans in the armed forces. The National Indian Council on Aging reminds us that Native Americans serve in the military at five times the national average; the highest per-capita volunteerism of any other ethnic population.

Solomon ‘Sol’ Atkinson’s life was not just an account of military valor but also a narrative of Native American heritage and community leadership.

“His pioneering role as one of the first U.S. Navy SEALs, and his unwavering commitment to service both in and out of uniform, serves as an inspiration for the entire Naval Special Warfare community,” said Rear Adm. Keith Davids, commander, Naval Special Warfare Command.

By Andre’ Billeaudeaux, Naval Special Warfare Command Public Affairs
Petty Officer 1st Class Alex Smedegard, Naval Special Warfare Group One and Balinda Oneal, Alaska National Guard Public Affairs, contributed to this story.

The crowds gathered around a space just inside the entrance to the National Museum of the American Indian.

They listened as Misty Rose Nace [Solorio], a member of the Brokenhead Ojibway First Nation and the Roseau River Anishinabe First Nation, explained the story behind the dress Friday afternoon. A little girl was sick, Nace said, and as she danced in her dress decorated with silver cones, she was healed.

Nace said there are many versions of the story before sharing how when she suffered the unexpected loss of her older sister.

“I was broken,” she said.

Though she had long taken part in dances tied to her heritage, she found the Jingle Dress Dance was truly a healing experience.

“Every lady that wears this dress, we all have a story as to why we wear it. And it’s such an honor,” she told the crowd. “I’m very grateful.”

With that, she began to dance, the sound of the silver cones that dangled from her dress mixing with the drum and vocal accompaniment from Ralph Zotigh and his son Dennis.

After the dances and presentations, members of the crowd got to visit with the dancers and ask questions.

WTOP talked with Dennis Zotigh, a cultural specialist with the museum and writer for Smithsonian Magazine. Asked what question he gets most, Zotigh didn’t hesitate:

“Are you all Native American, or American Indian?”

Asked, what is the answer to that question, Zotigh said: “We’re none of these. Because they’re in the English language, and English is a foreign language. It did not originate here, it was brought here by immigrants.”

Zotigh explained the general preference is for someone to be identified by their tribe.

“Secondarily,” he said, “We can be called Native American, American Indian, simply American, Aboriginal, First Nations, all these different secondary English titles that were put upon us.”

But, he explained, “American Indian is the language of the law.” And added, “When the president, the courts and the Congress deal with American tribes, American Indian is the language of the law.”

In his case, “My father is a full-blooded Kiowa Indian from Oklahoma. My mother is two tribes, Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo from New Mexico and Isante Dakota from Nebraska — and I’m all three,” he said with a broad smile.

The museum provides education and cultural experiences throughout the year. The Native Art Market will be held Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 2 and 3. Admission is free.

AUBURN — The Schweinfurth Art Center is hosting artist Dan Hill, of the Cayuga Nation, Heron Clan, for live demonstrations of traditional Haudenosaunee Trade Silver Jewelry and wooden flutes on Saturday, Nov. 25. The event, which runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., is free and open to the public.

Hill will explain through storytelling how the history and designs of his silverwork reflect Haudenosaunee creation stories and how his flutes and music represent Haudenosaunee communication with and responsibilities to the natural world.

The event is part of the Schweinfurth’s Folk Arts Series and a celebration of Native American Heritage Day. It is funded in part with a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts.

Included in Saturday’s free admission is access to tour the current exhibits, “Quilts=Art=Quilts 2023” and “Off Script and Unexpected,” a solo exhibition by sculptor Lee Hoag of Rochester.

For more information, call the art center at 315-255-1553.

The Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center, at 205 Genesee St. in Auburn, is a multi-arts center that opened in 1981 thanks to a bequest from Auburn-born architect Julius Schweinfurth. For more information, visit schweinfurthartcenter.org.