Author: Mia

Think Globally, Shop Locally:

At International Art Festival, Celebrate the Native Peoples of New England

On December 10-11, and on December 16-18, Indigenous artists and musicians from across the globe will come together in Boston and Cambridge for Cultural Survival’s free admission Native arts and cultures Bazaars.

Among the many artists featured in the festivities at the Dec. 10-11 event will be Massachusetts-based Aquinnah Wampanoag musician, artist, and performer Jonathan Perry, along with Leah Hopkins (Narragansett and Niantic). As noted on his website, Perry is a seasoned veteran of the performing arts, with a career spanning over 25 years in the field both as a member of the Wampanoag Nation Singers and Dancers and as a founding member of the Kingfisher Dance Troupe. Perry has over 15 years of experience lecturing on Eastern Woodland art and traditions at such venues as the Peabody Essex Museum, the National Museum of the American Indian, Harvard College, Brown University, and others. In addition, he has received acclaim for his talent as an artist. In August of 2015, Perry was selected by the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts as a recipient of a Folk Arts Fellowship.

Rooted in the traditions of his seafaring ancestors, Perry shares his culture’s rich history through his artwork. He notes that his art is intended to reflect balance within the natural world, incorporating stories, effigies, and symbology of Wampanoag traditions. It attempts to reflect the quality of his ancestors’ art, while incorporating his own contemporary experience in the world.

Leah Hopkins runs a cultural consultation business and is a seamstress, beadwork artist, and Eastern Woodlands singer and dancer. She has performed both in the US and internationally and her deep cultural roots contribute to her passion for educating Native Peoples and building cultural competency.

The Bazaars will feature artists from North America, Central and South America, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe.

Since 1982, Cultural Survival’s Bazaars have provided a market for thousands of artists and cooperatives spanning six continents and over sixty countries, as well as a stage for people like Perry to share their often forgotten or marginalized stories. Each year the Bazaars generate about half a million dollars for Indigenous artists, performers, and projects benefiting Indigenous communities worldwide. Attendees can enjoy craft-making demonstrations, free concerts, and one-on-one conversations with representatives of dozens of different Indigenous cultures.

Cultural Survival is a Cambridge-based NGO that advocates for Indigenous Peoples’ rights and supports Indigenous communities’ self-determination, cultures, and political resilience since 1972. Since 1982 the Bazaars have provided a market for thousands of artists and cooperatives spanning six continents and over sixty countries. Providing a unique space especially for Indigenous artists and their supporters, the Bazaars take attendees on “a trip around the world’s bazaars,” which promotes both artistic and socio-political education.

Event Information:

December 10-11

Cambridge Rindge and Latin School
459 Broadway
Cambridge, MA 02138

Saturday and Sunday 10am – 5pm

Free admission

Free parking

Accessible entrance and ramps within venue

Live music by Jonathan Perry and Leah Hopkins

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December 16-18

Prudential Center

Belvidere and Huntington Arcades

800 Boylston Street

Boston, MA 02199

Enter at the corner of Huntington Ave. and Belvidere St. (Elevator and escalator access at this entrance)

Friday and Saturday 10am-10pm

Sunday 10am-8pm

Free admission

2 minutes from Prudential Station on “E” line on Green line

Across the street from 39 bus stop

10-minute walk from Mass Ave. stop on the Orange Line

Several paid parking garages in the area

Live music Dec. 17-18 by New Inca Son