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Pictured is a Tuscarora clam shell pin cushion (circa 1860) and a Mohawk barrel purse (circa 1900)
Pictured is a Tuscarora clam shell pin cushion (circa 1860) and a Mohawk barrel purse (circa 1900)

Lewiston Council on the Arts awarded $3,000 grant

by jmaloni
Sat, Oct 20th 2012 07:00 am

New York Council for the Humanities awards grant

The Lewiston Council on the Arts was awarded a $3,000 implementation grant for "Tuscarora Bead Work from 1812 to Present" from the New York Council for the Humanities. The money will fund a binational exhibit of Native American beadwork from the Tuscarora Reservation in Lewiston and the Six Nations Reservation in Ontario, Canada, to be held during Native American Heritage Month (November).

Local artists Rosemary Hill, Simon Brascoupe and Karen Hodge-Russell will curate the exhibit, which will be located at the "Tuscarora & Friends Gallery" in Lewiston, a co-operative of regional artists. The exhibit will tell the social history of the Tuscarora and Six Nations people in the Niagara region through samples of tradition beadwork created between 1812 and the present.

Beadwork items are given as gifts to commemorate important life passages, including births, weddings, graduations and anniversaries, and beaded clothing is worn at community social events, political meetings and during traditional celebrations as a powerful expression of cultural identity.

The exhibit will be free to the public and will be accompanied by talks and demonstrations by contemporary beaders.

Irene Rykaszewski, LCA executive director, said she was very excited to help with this exhibit and the accompanying programs to celebrate National Native American Heritage Month. "Native Americans have a rich culture and a dynamic legacy, and the Tuscarora & Friends Gallery, this special exhibit and the talks and demonstrations are a wonderful way to engage the community and build bridges between our cultures."

The grand opening will be held from 4 until 6 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 3.

For more information about this project, contact the Lewiston Council on the Arts at 716-754-0166, or visit http://www.artcouncil.org.

For more information about New York Council for the Humanities grants, email [email protected] or call 1-212-233-1131.

For more information about all council grants, visit http://www.nyhumanities.org/grants.

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