The Washington State Historical Society will hold its 11th annual summer public event on Saturday, Aug. 13, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Washington State History Museum, 1911 Pacific Ave. in Tacoma. IN THE SPIRIT Native Arts Market and Festival highlights handmade Native American artwork and features musicians, dancers, demonstrators, traditional Native foods, and much more.
In addition to the nearly 20 vendors, some of the performers will include:
- Vince Redhouse, Grammy-nominated Navajo flute player born and raised in California. He has played music since the age of seven and continues to love creating music. Not only will he be the first performance of the day, but will also be selling his CDs and other merchandise throughout the day as a festival vendor.
- Alaska Kuteeyaa Dancers, who have performed at the IN THE SPIRIT festival every year since its inception in 2006 and tend to be a crowd favorite. Tiny Barril has an incredible ability to tell native story through song, dance and presence. Adorned in button blankets and masks, the group can transform the museum into a gathering about a fire in the Alaskan wilderness.
- Rona Yellow Robe Walsh, named the 2014 Native American Museum Awards’ Flutist of the Year. She is a member of the Chippewa Cree Tribe and was born and raised in Montana. Rona has three albums available and has performed at IN THE SPIRIT for several years.
- The Le-La-La Dancers from Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. They have traveled and performed as a traditional Kwakwaka’wakw dance company throughout the world for over 25 years. Their performance will highlight various spiritual entities through dancing, music and masks. They often play a large role in performances at the annual Aboriginal Cultural Festival in Victoria.
The IN THE SPIRIT Contemporary Native Arts Exhibit opened at the History Museum on May 28. Native American artists submitted their works for consideration by a jury who selected pieces for inclusion in the show. The jury then selected the following winners:
- Kathey Ervin, Best in Show, for her work High Tea
- Ka’ila Farrell-Smith, Honoring the Northwest, for her work Sacred Survivance
- Earl Davis, Honoring Tradition, for his work In the Present (Bowl Design)
- Jennifer Angaiak Wood, Honoring Innovation, for her work Overwhelmed
During the extent of the juried art exhibit, which can be viewed at www.InTheSpiritArts.org, museum patrons have been voting for their favorite piece. The Washington State Historical Society will present the winner with the highly-coveted People’s Choice Award during the Aug. 13 festival. The exhibit closes the following day.
This year’s market and festival will take place inside the History Museum due to ongoing construction on the Museum’s outdoor plaza and amphitheater. For more information on the construction project, please visit www.washingtonhistory.org/construction.