Native America: Giving Thanks Art Exhibit Opening at Fogartyville in Sarasota, FL

November 16, 2019 | Laura Bell Adams | Art

November is Native American Heritage month and Fogartyville Community Media and Art Center celebrates this with the opening of its World Culture Series event and art exhibition, Native America: Giving Thanks on Saturday, November 16 at 7pm.

The idea of ‘Giving Thanks’ is central to Native heritage and culture. Long before settlers arrived, Native tribes were celebrating the autumn harvest and the gift of Mother Earth’s abundance. Native American spirituality, both traditionally and today, emphasizes gratitude for creation, care for the environment, and recognition of the human need for communion with nature and others.

The exhibit will feature the artwork of Rex Begaye (“Creation” is pictured above). Native American artist Rex A. Begaye was from the Grand Canyon area of the Navajo Nation. His artwork takes you on a journey through the Navajo creation stories and the art and culture of many Native American tribes. They speak of the universal connection between Mother Earth, Father Sky and man, spanning from long ago to the edge of tomorrow.

Doors will open at 7pm for viewing. Hawk Henries will share music and stories at 8pm. Henries is a member of the Chaubunagungamaug band of Nipmuck, a people indigenous to what is now southern New England. He has been composing original flute music and making flutes using only hand tools and fire for over twenty 25 years. Hawk is committed to music as a traditional art form and as a vehicle for building bridges of communication and mutual respect. He teaches and performs in a wide variety of settings: indigenous and international art festivals, museums, concert venues, powwows, educational settings from kindergarten through university level, flute making workshops and private family gatherings.