Artpark & Company announces 'FREE Family Saturdays'

Beginning June 19 in Artpark Amphitheater

Artpark & Company announces “FREE Family Saturdays” as part of its summer season. Programming is offered from noon until 4 p.m. June 19 through Aug. 28 inside the Artpark Amphitheater, 450 S. Fourth St., Lewiston.

A press release stated, “Summer is for families at Artpark, where afternoons are filled with creative hands-on discovery (arts and crafts, stories and workshops) and live performances for all ages. This year, the series’ popular activities of pottery and hands-on crafts will be enhanced with a new program curated by Artpark’s Indigenous Arts Producer Michele-Elise Burnett: ‘Indigenous Ways of Knowing,’ a slew of educational fun activities for all ages; treaty teachings and wampum bracelets workshops, soap carvings, ‘Sonic’ storytelling, Haudenosaunee dance performance, cornhusk doll workshop, as well as a performance ‘Branche’ by an innovative circus company, Cirque Barcode.”

The family stage is a place to play – and where the audience will experience “Indigenous Ways of Knowing.” Expressive Native American culture will be shared through interactive, land-based workshops, storytelling and teachings by respected local knowledge keepers in their disciplines. Visitors will explore, discover and be part of the unique culture, traditions and passed-down heritage of the People of Turtle Island. “Talking Turtle Stories” will kick off the season with traditional master storyteller and Turtle Clan member of the Onondaga Nation Perry Ground, who will share several Haudenosaunee stories that have been passed down from time immortal. Artpark said Ground’s presentations are “very energetic, fun, engaging” and he makes the audience part of the story experience.

This program is sponsored in part by Perry’s Ice Cream with additional support from The John R. Oishei Foundation and First Niagara Foundation in collaboration with KeyBank.

Admission and parking is free and all lots are accessible to the amphitheater. For more information or to register, visit artpark.net.

Schedule

Pottery and painting is available each week. Workshops also are offered. Preregistration is required for some activities, as participation is limited at certain sessions.

This summer’s titles and themes include:

√ Saturday, June 19: “Art of Niagara and Onondaga”

√ Saturday, June 26: “Art of Clay,” featuring soapstone carving for kids. Preregistration is required and limited to 20 registrants per session. Guests will learn the basic techniques of stone and antler sculpture from renowned antler carver Hayden Hanes.

√ Saturday, July 3: “Art of Paint,” featuring acoustic storytelling and Tonemah. The award-winning Tuscarora singer-songwriter will share stories from experiences and relationships he has forged along his journey.

√ Saturday, July 10: “Art of Water,” featuring antler and bone uses of the Haudenosaunee. Guests will learn the basic techniques of bone and antler sculpture from Hanes.

√ Saturday, July 17: “Art in Motion,” featuring wampum belts (display, history, demonstration and workshops) and guest speaker Dr. Richard Hamell.

√ Saturday, July 24: “Art Illuminated,” featuring Kehala Smith. Cornhusk doll workshop and teachings, plus “Art of Haudenosaunee Dance” performance with Jordan Smith.

√ Saturday, July 31: “Art of Animals,” featuring traditional master storyteller Perry Ground; Haudenosaunee stories: “Tricky Fox and other Animal Tales,” "Powerful Women."

√ Saturday, Aug. 7: “Art of Disguise,” featuring a stone-carving demonstration with Haynes.

√ Saturday, Aug. 14: “Art of Sound,” featuring wampum belts display, Haudenosaunee Four Sacred Direction and Mother Earth beading workshop with Hamel.

√ Saturday, Aug. 21: “Art of Monsters,” featuring “Branche” by Cirque Barcode. Also: stories from the Haudenosaunee "Life in a Longhouse Village,” “Hero and Heroine Tales.”

√ Saturday, Aug. 28: “Art of Nature,” featuring award-winning Tuscarora singer-songwriter Tonemah, who will share stories and perspectives.

A press release stated, “Artpark is committed to keeping all visitors, employees and artists safe and continues to work closely with New York state officials to revise and implement health and safety protocols. At this time, all activities are subject to New York state COVID-19 guidelines. For details, please visit here. As official local health guidelines evolve regarding COVID-19 safety protocols, Artpark may shift seating configurations and increase capacity.”

Visit artpark.net for more information.