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ART IN THE WALLOWA
 The Homeland Project near the city of Wallowa sponsors Art in the Wallowa, which will be held at the Joseph Community Center on Sept. 21. (). By Gary Fletcher Observer Staff Writer JOSEPH The annual Nez Perce Art in the Wallowa art show, auction and dinner grows bigger each year. "Even last year, despite the 9/11 tragedy, our numbers were up," said Joe McCormack, president of the Wallowa Band Nez Perce Interpretive Center. The Homeland Project near the city of Wallowa sponsors Art in the Wallowa, which will be held at the Joseph Community Center on Sept. 21. The art show and auction have consistently represented different forms of contemporary Native American art, including painting, drawing, photography, jewelry. "There are always new artists coming,'' McCormack said. "Last year there was terrific participation by artists who donated pieces to the show." For the sixth annual show, artists such as the internationally recognized James Lavadour are donating art work. In 1992 Lavadour, a lifelong Northeast Oregon resident, started the Crow's Shadow Institute at the St. Andrew Mission Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, where Lavadour is a member of the Walla Walla tribe. In 1994, Lavadour was one of the few Eastern Oregonians to win the Oregon Governor's Award for Art. In 1999, he was the first outside New York to receive the Joan Mitchell Foundation Award. Following in the footsteps of U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith, in 1999 Lavadour was the second person in EOU's history to receive an honorary doctorate of humane letters. Much of the self-taught Lavadour's work reflects his love of the Blue Mountains. Lavadour's Portland show will end as the show in Joseph opens. His show at the Maryhill Museum of Art opened Sept. 7 and runs through Nov. 15. Nez Perce Art in the Wallowa opens in Joseph at 1 p.m. Sept. 21 with free public viewing until 5 p.m. Also beginning at 1 p.m. will be demonstrations by George Flett and other artists at the two tepees of the Joseph Exhibit site on North Main Street across from 1917 Lumber Co. Artists such as Flett come to the Wallowas to open up avenues of friendship, McCormack said. Likewise, the purpose of the art show is to raise awareness of the contemporary art, life and culture of the American Indian as well as the Homeland Project. The free art show is followed by an evening of activities. Tickets are $25. At 5 p.m. is a reception to meet artists Flett, Jim Jackson, Will Bebe and others. Bebe was commissioned to do the art work for Alikut Hall at Eastern Oregon University. Artist Thelissa Red Hawk is studying art at EOU. Red Hawk and professional artist Jo Marie Tessman are enrolled members of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. |
