The Museum of the Cherokee Indian has received a grant from the North Carolina Arts Council for $56,905 for the year beginning July 1, 2014 through June 2015. The Arts Council has designated the Museum a “State Arts Resource” organization because of its role in preserving and perpetuating Cherokee traditions.
EBCI Beloved Man Jerry Wolfe tells a Cherokee story during this year’s Cherokee Voices Festival at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian. (SCOTT MCKIE B.P./One Feather)
“The Museum appreciates this support because it enables us to carry out our mission,” said Bo Taylor, executive director. “Our community still holds on to many of our traditions. Support from the arts council allows us to help Cherokee artists, not only to pass on those traditions, but also to bring back traditions that have been lost.”
The Museum showcases Cherokee artists and performers at the “Cherokee Voices Festival,” the second Saturday in June, now in its eighteenth year. The event is sponsored by the Arts Council and is open and free to the public.
“This is one of the few events in Cherokee or in the Southeast where all the presenters are enrolled members of a federally-recognized tribe. They are the true tradition bearers,” said Barbara R. Duncan, Museum education director and folklorist.
These artists and performers also work with small groups of visitors in “The Cherokee Experience”. This program provides cultural immersion for visiting groups, with presentations by experts from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Advance scheduling allows groups to not only tour the Museum’s award-winning exhibits, but also to take a nature walk, eat Cherokee food, hear stories, learn dances, and have a hands-on workshop on Cherokee skills like pottery making, flintknapping, beadwork, or fingerweaving. Cherokee artists and performers also provide information in classes and workshops throughout the year. Their work is sold in the Museum Store on-site and online at www.cherokeemuseum.org.
The Museum has partnered with the North Carolina Arts Council on the Cherokee Heritage Trails Project, the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area, the revitalization of stamped pottery, exhibits, workshops, and more.
Info: Barbara Duncan 497-3481 x 306 or bduncan@cherokeemuseum.org
– Museum of the Cherokee Indian
