A collaboration of public and private organizations have announced an upcoming Native Marketplace art show and demonstration, to be held Saturday, July 11 at the Asheville Art Museum, located at 2 South Pack Square in downtown Asheville. The event will run in the afternoon from 12 p.m. until 5 p.m., and will feature work from the Authentically Cherokee artist collective as well as live demonstrations of traditional and contemporary Cherokee craft.
Organized by Our Native American Business Network (ONABEN), in collaboration with the Sequoyah Fund of Cherokee, North Carolina, The Asheville Area Arts Council, The City of Asheville and the museum, the event seeks to showcase authentic Cherokee art from contemporary artists living within the historical Qualla Boundary, according to ONABEN’s official press release.
The Marketplace is a free event, open to the public, and community members of all ages are encouraged to attend. Live demonstrations will feature Cherokee wood-carvers, a basket weaver, jewelry makers, and a native storyteller, among other artisans. Attendees will have a chance to purchase artwork on-site, as well as meet the artists.
“We are looking forward to this year’s Native Marketplace and working with an amazing group of people representing a wide variety of contemporary artistry ,” says Veronica Hix, Executive Director of ONABEN, in the press release. She adds that the Native Marketplace will provide an opportunity for artists and visitors to learn from one another, as well as providing community members with the chance to support local contemporary Cherokee artisans.
Our Native American Business Network, with support from the Sequoyah Fund, seeks to offer training and professional assistance to the Eastern Band of Cherokee, as part of a three-year grant from the Administration for Native Americans.
Other co-sponsors of the event include HandMade in America, Asheville’s Community & Economic Development Department, and the Society of North American Goldsmiths.
For more information on the July 11 Native Marketplace, visit onaben.org or Asheville Art Museum’s event webpage at ashevilleart.org. For more information on the Sequoyah Fund, check out sequoyahfund.org.
ONABEN Official Press Release:
Native Marketplace to Feature Cherokee Art, Demonstrations at Asheville Art Museum
Asheville, NC- ONABEN – Our Native American Business Network, in partnership with the Sequoyah Fund, City of Asheville’s Community &Economic Development, the Asheville Art Museum, Handmade in America and the Asheville Area Arts Council, will present a Native Marketplace, from 12 pm to 5 pm, on July 11, at the Asheville Art Museum.
This event is free and open to the public, and serves as a showcase for Authentically Cherokee, a group of contemporary Cherokee artists from Cherokee, North Carolina, historically referred to as the Qualla Boundary. Artists will not only sell their work, but also demonstrate their skills. All in the community are encouraged to attend, learn, support and buy Native!
Come meet talented Native craftsmen, including a modern wood ‘carver’ who utilizes technology to etch, engrave and carve Cherokee designs; a basket weaver and jewelry maker; a master silversmith; an artisan who creates soaps, lotions and more using traditional ingredients; and a Native storyteller will connect the history and traditions of the Eastern Band Cherokee to the present!
The partnership between ONABEN and its’ Asheville partners was established as a result of ONABEN’s close work with Sequoyah Fund in Cherokee. There, ONABEN is providing training and technical assistance to the Cherokee, North Carolina community as part of a three-year grant with the Administration for Native Americans. This event is co-sponsored by the City of Asheville, Asheville Area Arts Council, HandMade in America, the Asheville Art Museum and the Society of North American Goldsmiths.
Veronica Hix, Executive Director of ONABEN, welcomes people to visit the Asheville Art Museum during the event, adding, “We are looking forward to this year’s Native Marketplace and working with an amazing group of people, representing a wide variety of contemporary artistry. Not only does it provide a beneficial learning opportunity for these artists, but it is also a fun way to support local artists and small businesses! ONABEN and its team are so appreciative of the support of our partners.”
The Sequoyah Fund is an independent, non-profit Native American Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). The organization evolved from a loan fund program of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Sequoyah Fund’s mission is to provide training, technical assistance, and resources to support entrepreneurship, business start up and expansion, and community development in the seven far western counties of North Carolina and on the Qualla Boundary.
ONABEN – Our Native American Business Network is a national nonprofit headquartered in Portland, Oregon, with offices in Tulsa, Oklahoma. ONABEN provides its Indianpreneurship® curriculum, training and organizational consulting focused on developing entrepreneurship in Native communities. The group is driven by its mission to support Indigenous individuals, economic development organizations and communities by increasing opportunities for sustainable economic growth through culturally relevant entrepreneurial training and organizational development.
For more information, visit http://www.onaben.org or call 503.968.1500.
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