A long neglected and misunderstood area of American Indian art has been the beadwork produced by the Northeast Woodland tribes. Though the interest and appreciation for this work has escalated in recent years, not everyone outside the Native community is aware of the historical context and currents that contributed to the emergence of this type of Native American artistry. In an effort to raise public awareness about this, Gerry conceived and produced the Made of Thunder, Made of Glass: American Indian Beadwork of the Northeast exhibit in 2006. It was comprised of a series of historic portraits that he created of Native peoples from the Northeast that were exhibited in conjunction with an historic collection of Northeast Woodland beadwork. The exhibit travelled to four museums from 2006 through 2009. Here is a link to it. Gerry’s portraits were of people from the tribes who created the beadwork in the exhibit.
When the Made of Thunder exhibit came to an end in the summer of 2009, Gerry began planning for a complementary exhibit – a series of portraits of contemporary Native artisans, and in particular those who work in beads – to showcase them and their artistry. The public needs to know about the continuing traditions in Native arts and crafts. The creators of this work are the people best suited to tell this story. It’s a Native perspective that adds to our understanding of the material and how the beadwork affects them as artists and as a community. The exhibit will showcase examples of contemporary Native beadwork from some of the finest Native artisans working today. It will be a fusion of fine art and fine Native craft and the project will underscore the harmony between the artists, nature, their inspiration and their artwork.
Gerry will create a minimum of twelve portraits for this project and his hope is that this exhibit will provide an opportunity for Native artisans to showcase their talents in a public forum and raise social awareness about the continuing traditions and the beautiful beadwork that Northeast Woodland artists are producing. It’s important to know that the exhibit is not so much for those who collect this work as much as it is for those who create it. We all have our way of communicating to the world. Some of us sing songs and others paint stories. What challenges us ultimately feeds our Spirit. As artists we have to take responsibility for cultural preservation and to promote and protect Native arts. It is towards this end that this project is focused.
New pieces in this series will be featured here as they are completed.