Museum celebrates heritage

Annual Native American Arts Festival to feature bead work, paintings and more

View File photoOto Nation member Brian Hammill, who performs with the Native Spirit Dancers, dances during the last year?s Native American Arts Festival at the Clark County Museum, 1830 S. Boulder Highway. Advertisement

IF YOU WANT TO GO

* What: 19th annual Native American Arts Festival

* When: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday

* Where: Clark County Museum, 1830 S. Boulder Highway

* Tickets: $3 to $5, available at the door

* Information: 455-7955

Theirs is a proud and rich heritage, bathed in centuries of tradition. The tribal culture is not easily infiltrated, but Las Vegas residents will get a rare glimpse into the world of American Indian arts and culture with the return of the 19th annual Invitational Native American Arts Festival this weekend at the Clark County Museum.

The three-day festival will feature American Indian artists representing a plethora of artistic mediums and styles, from traditional bead work, hide work and jewelry, to tribal painting and sculpture.

Artists will have the opportunity, not just to sell their wares, but also to demonstrate the authentic process of their medium as festival-goers look on and ask questions.

"Each of our guest artists are recognized by their tribal government," cultural specialist Malcolm Vuksich said. "They are Native American, not just of that ancestry. They know about the process, the history and the tradition of their people."

Las Vegas resident Virginia Brewing attended the festival for the first time just a few years ago, and while she said that she has been to similar events in Oregon and California, she believes the museum's presentation in variation of tribal culture to be the most impressive.

"I was very excited to see that there is such a thirst for culture here, and a desire to educate and get it right," Brewing said. "I was very impressed with what I experienced."

According to Vuksich, the museum has worked with artists from tribes in eight southwestern states to bring the festival to Las Vegas year after year.

"The festival has been designed to highlight the history, artistry and culture of the Native American peoples," Vuksich said. "More than 65 artists from the American southwest have been invited to sell and present their work, as well as hold demonstrations."

The event also will feature live performances by American Indian dancers, musicians, singers, drummers and storytellers.

"We hope that through education, and this has always been our hope, we can help eliminate stereotypes that white culture has been exposed to," Vuksich said. "We hope to demonstrate for the public that this is a rich culture, rich in the arts and tradition that has been carried on for generations."

As an added bonus, festival-goers can experience Beauty in Necessity, a traveling exhibition featuring American Indian basketry.

"This exhibit includes basketry, both utilitarian and decorative," Vuksich said. "There are some truly unique pieces. Things you probably wouldn't see anyplace else."

According to Vuksich, the festival is the longest running of its kind in Nevada, and he hopes that it is a tradition that will continue for many years.

"The public has an opportunity to learn something about a different culture, and learn it from people who are authorities on the subject because it's who they are," Vuksich said. "That's invaluable insight."

The festival is from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday at the museum, 1830 S. Boulder Highway. Tickets are between $5 and $3 and can be purchased at the door. For more information, call 455-7955.