Please join us August 15, 1-4 pm for the Coe annual open house which honors the Growing Thunder Family. Joyce Growing Thunder (Assiniboine-Sioux) will be in residence with her family. Joyce, her daughter Juanita, and her granddaughters Jessa Rae and Camryn have consistently won top Indian Market awards, including several best-of-show since 1985. Their work is spectacular for its seamless melding of tradition and innovation through a combination of different colored beads and parfleche stitched together by flawless hands. While in the quiet setting at the Coe, our visitors are able to share, converse, and experience these master artists.
Also making an appearance for the second year is The Mvskoke Canoe Paddle Project which is the return of the traditional bow and traditional canoe to the Muscogee (Creek) people, as envisioned by the late Mike Berryhill, Muscogee (Creek) Nation of Oklahoma. Berryhill was instrumental in facilitating teaching the Mvskoke community bow-making through mentoring and demonstrating, and his legacy has inspired the return of the canoe paddle. Both the bow and the canoe projects have ushered in a resurgence of the community by the fostering of mentoring relationships, bringing back language (verbal and artistic), health and wellness, culture, and renewal of songs. The Mvskoke Canoe Paddle Project Pop-Up exhibition on August 15, 1-4 pm. The jewelry artist Kenneth Johnson (Muscogee/Seminole) will give remarks at 2 pm.
We, at the Coe, are very honored to host both the Growing Thunder Family and The Mvskoke Paddle Project on this very special day.
