06/05/2008: "Celebration"

This morning on my way to the bus stop I was almost able to catch the Grand Entrance for Celebration 2008! Darn!

Check out this gorgeous slide show posted on our local Juneau Empire website.

You can even watch it live on UATV!

For those of you unfamiliar with Celebration, here is a brief explaination from Sealaska Heritage Institute's press release:

"Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) will kick off its biennial Celebration next week, marking the 26th year since the inception of the popular dance-and-culture festival.

The institute anticipates up to 5,000 people, including 52 dance groups and approximately 2,300 dancers from Alaska, Canada and the Lower 48, will attend Celebration 2008, held in Juneau at Centennial Hall, the Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall, and the Juneau Arts and Culture Center. SHI will announce winners of its biennial Juried Art Show and Competition on June 4. Dance performances and other events are scheduled June 5-7. The theme is “Tlingit, Haida Tsimshian Dancing on the Land.”

I hope that I'll get to attend some of the events.

Replies: 4 Comments

on Tuesday, June 10th, berry connell said

OK, a quickie.
(see it, believe it, I will)

First, Richard Schmid. No. You can't borrow mine.
buy it.
Everything I know about Painting.

Second, (duh) take paints, canvas, brushes, a good cheap easel and paint tyhe event.

on Tuesday, June 10th, Elise said

Great idea, I had considered that except for 2 things. A. I can't paint for crap when people are moving around dancing etc. I'd rather work from a photo.

And B. I love Tlingit art work but their tribal symbols represented on their regalia are all culturally property righted materials. You need permission of a tribal elder to reproduce them.

A lot of artist in Alaska don't respect cultural property rights, but it's something I feel really strongly about.

So for now, I can only watch and enjoy!

on Wednesday, June 11th, dad said

I can't belive that they wouldn't want a little exposier, and you could always ask. anyhow, did all the artists that depicted Custerd last stan got his permission? also all our histroic figures. come now if you paint from photos take some after all the paper did.enought said :P

on Thursday, June 12th, berry connell said

....well, we've written of this before
and I blame myself for not
going out and doing it under
cam,era
and show you it ain't hard.
It's almost easy.
(almost)
so....I reckon it's my turn to put up or shut up....