Celebrate the 26th Annual Eiteljorg Indian Market and Festival on June 23-24
INDIANAPOLIS (PRWEB) June 06, 2018 -- One of the region’s best art and cultural experiences returns to downtown Indianapolis the weekend of June 23-24: the Eiteljorg Indian Market and Festival. Native American artists and performers from more than 50 tribes across the U.S. and Canada will converge on the Eiteljorg Museum to show and sell their art, including jewelry, pottery, beadwork, basketry, painting and sculpture.
The 26th annual Indian Market and Festival takes place on the beautiful Eiteljorg grounds from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time both days, and features artists’ booths both outside and inside the museum. Seasoned art collectors and first-time market-goers alike will appreciate the personal interactions with artists and wide variety of Native fine art available. Cultural experiences are a big part of the weekend, and this year’s live performances include music, dancing and storytelling. Thousands of visitors typically attend the market, held the weekend after Father’s Day in June each year.
“Visitors often say Indian Market and Festival broadens their cultural awareness by allowing them and their families to experience Native American art for the first time and meet the exceptional artists in person,” Eiteljorg President and CEO John Vanausdall said. “Experienced art collectors always enjoy the opportunity to purchase Native art close to home without traveling great distances. Non-collectors enjoy the memorable market and festival experience. And returning artists appreciate the Hoosier hospitality and the opportunity to get reacquainted with old friends and meet new collectors and fans.”
After a modest start in 1993, the Eiteljorg Indian Market and Festival now is considered one of the top Native American art markets in the nation. Artists are invited to participate through a juried selection and must be members of a federally or state recognized tribe. Many of the artists also submit artwork for judging as part of the weekend’s juried art competition. Ribbons and cash prizes are awarded to top artists in multiple divisions.
In each of the previous 25 years, a work of art shown at Indian Market and Festival was chosen as that year’s signature image, featured on commemorative T-shirts. For the 26th market, this year’s committee chose not one but three signature images: Purest of Love by Michelle Lowden (Acoma Pueblo), Tu’utuli by Gabriel Ayala (Pascua Yaqui) and Four Ravens by Gordon Coons (Ojibwa/Ottawa/Chippewa). Each of the three designs will be available as T-shirts in adult sizes from the Museum Store.
For the general public, adult tickets to the Eiteljorg Indian Market and Festival are $15 at the gate either day. Advance adult discount tickets can be ordered online for $13 at http://www.eiteljorg.org or by calling 317.636.WEST (9378). Youth ages 17 and under are free at Indian Market and Festival. For Eiteljorg Museum members, free admission to the market is available for the individual named on the membership card, but the admission fee will apply for their non-member adult guests.
Tickets to Indian Market and Festival also include museum admission, so plan to take advantage of the air-conditioning, Museum Café, beautiful galleries and special art exhibitions inside: The Reel West, Interwoven: Native American Basketry from the Mel and Joan Perelman Collection and Harry Fonseca: The Art of Living. Parking is available in the White River State Park underground garage while spaces last. Popular food vendors return, and artist demonstrations and art-making opportunities for the entire family will be available both days.
On both June 23 and 24, a lineup of accomplished Native American performers will appear on the Indian Market and Festival stage:
• Classical guitarist and artist Gabriel Ayala (Pascua Yaqui) performs classical music, jazz and flamenco. Ayala, who has released several albums, has performed at the Kennedy Center and the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian and won numerous music industry awards, in addition to his work as a visual artist.
• Traditional dancer Dana Warrington (Prairie Band of Potawatomi/Menominee) is an award-winning quillwork and beadwork artist whose artwork won the Best of Show award at last year’s Indian Market. A featured dance performer this year, Warrington has won numerous dance competitions
• Singer-songwriter Kalyn Fay (Cherokee) is part of the vibrant folk music scene in Tulsa, Okla., and has made an impression with her first album, a mix of country, folk and rock original compositions.
• Storyteller Tchin (Narragansett) is an award-winning metalsmith, flute-maker, educator, folklorist, musician and culture-bearer. Through the art of oral tradition, Tchin will share stories passed down through generations.
• Entertainer and puppeteer Buddy Big Mountain (Mohawk of Kahnawake Tribe of Canada) performs comedy that draws upon his American Indian background using marionettes.
For the entertainers’ onstage performance schedule, visit http://www.eiteljorg.org and click on Indian Market.
New this year is the Market Morning Breakfast, held at 8 a.m. Saturday, June 23, for early-bird art collectors who want to meet the artists in a more relaxed setting before big crowds arrive. Reservations are required to attend the Saturday breakfast; museum members are $50 and non-members are $60. Contact mwhistler(at)eiteljorg.com or (317) 275-1316 for reservations to the breakfast.
The 26th annual Indian Market & Festival is sponsored by Ice Miller LLP, the Paul I. Cripe Charitable Foundation, Mel and Joan Perelman, the Mrs. Robert S. Eccles Fund and other sponsors. The entertainment stage sponsor is the Christel DeHaan Family Foundation.
About the Eiteljorg:
The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art in White River State Park in downtown Indianapolis seeks to inspire an appreciation and understanding of the art, history and cultures of the American West and the Indigenous peoples of North America. Located on the Central Canal at 500 West Washington St., the Eiteljorg Museum recently was named one of the USA Today Readers’ Choice 10 Best Indiana Attractions.
Image captions for attached images:
1) The Eiteljorg Indian Market and Festival on June 23-24 in Indianapolis is an opportunity to meet Native American artists from across the U.S. and Canada and purchase their fine art.
2) Traditional dancer Dana Warrington (Prairie Band of Potawatomi/Menominee) will perform at the Eiteljorg Indian Market and Festival on June 23-24. He is also an award-winning artist who creates quillwork and beadwork, including his dance regalia.
Photo credit: Images are courtesy of the Eiteljorg Museum.
Media Contacts:
Bryan Corbin
Public Relations Manager
Eiteljorg Museum
317.275.1315
bcorbin(at)eiteljorg.com
Bert Beiswanger
Director of Marketing and Communications
Eiteljorg Museum
317.275.1317
bbeiswanger(at)eiteljorg.com
Hyacinth Rucker
Communications Coordinator
Eiteljorg Museum
317.275.1388
hrucker(at)eiteljorg.com
Hyacinth Rucker, Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, https://www.eiteljorg.org, +1 3172751388, [email protected]
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