Circle of Indigenous Arts & Market Competition offers community chance to display traditional art
The Ziibiwing Center of Anishinaabe Culture and Lifeways hosted their annual Circle of Indigenous Arts and Market Competition Nov. 18 and 19.
The event was part of Native American Heritage Month, and featured handmade blankets and traditional beading art scattered on tables throughout the center.
Native American History Month is nationally recognized, and inspires a series of annual events at Central Michigan University for students and the community.
“We used to hold (the competition) biannually, but for the past four years we decided to have it annually,” said Shannon Martin, director of the Ziibiwing Center.
The free event had art, music, dance and children’s activity spread throughout three different rooms.
The main lobby featured three tables with t-shirts, blankets and dream catchers. Another room had 13 different pieces of artwork on display.
“I like to come to meet different people and see the different artwork,” said Charmaine Shawana, an attendent of the event. “I also like to go to the pow wows.”
Those in attendance were given pieces of paper to vote on their favorite artwork.
The Ziibiwing Center offers children 18-years-old and younger a chance to display their artwork, but were not included in the competition.
“We like to cater to the more local Michigan artists, and also to those who are under 18,” Martin said.
In the third room, there were seven tables set up, each with different cultural items.
CMU alumna Shirley Brauker had her pottery on display for her business called “Moon Bear Pottery and Indian Arts.”
“There’s old drawings inside the pottery,” Brauker said. “I throw the clay on the wheel and then I carve it. Some of them have different cultural things inside of them.”
The next Native American Heritage Month event will be poet Sherwin Bitsui at 7 p.m. Nov. 30 in the Moore Hall Kiva.
