Visit with Noted Native American Designers and Artists at Washington's Tulalip Resort

She Who Watches
Cast Glass on Copper Base
by Lillian Pitt

If you are in the Seattle-Everett area this month you will have a unique opportunity to meet celebrated Native American artists, see examples of their work and learn more about Native American tourism destinations. The public is warmly welcomed to the exhibit area at the Tulalip Resort Casino conference space just 30 minutes north of Seattle.

The American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA) is holding the 18th Annual American Indian Tourism Conference hosted by the Tulalip Tribes of Washington at the Tulalip Resort Casino, September 12 – 14, 2016. In addition to speakers and workshops, the conference hosts an exhibit area where tourism businesses and artists share their work with the public.

The public is welcome to drop by and view the exhibits and artists. A few of the artists are profiled below, but more will be present. “The arts are an important part of Indian Country tourism,” says AIANTA Executive Director Camille Ferguson. “Artists are often cultural ambassadors for their nations as they travel to various art shows to sell their works.”

Dorothy Grant

Internationally renowned fashion designer and traditional Haida artist Dorothy Grant’s strong connection to her culture and Haida identity has been the driving creative force and her foundation as a contemporary fashion designer for over the past thirty-two years. Her work was recently seen on the runway at the Santa Fe Indian Market. There are few designers in Canada that are manufacturer, a wholesaler, and have had their own retail store front, Dorothy Grant is one of those few. She is known for her Haida inspired formal wear, purses and scarves.

Jacob Laktonen, is a Sugpiaq/Alutiiq artist from Kodiak, Alaska. He is strongly influenced by the traditional carving of his Alutiiq ancestors. Jerry combines his talent with painstaking research to produce stunning masks and ceremonial paddles. Although he did not begin carving seriously until the age of 45, his work drew the attention of the Smithsonian Museum, which bought his first mask for their gift stores

Lois Chichinoff Thadei is Aleut, born into a Tlingit and Haida community in Southeast Alaska. Thadei's work is dependent on the seasonal cycles, when different materials become available in nature: winter is for weaving Ravenstail from cedar bark and grasses and firing pottery in her home studio.

Lillian Pitt

Lillian Pitt creates contemporary works of fine art that delight today’s art lovers and honor the history and legends of her people. Her works have been exhibited and reviewed throughout the Pacific Northwest, nationally and internationally, and she is the recipient of numerous awards and distinctions. Lillian's most recent public works are featured at the Vancouver Land Bridge, one of the seven Columbia River “confluence” projects, designed by internationally renowned architect Maya Lin.

The exhibit area is open Tuesday, September 12 from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and Wednesday, September 13 from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. For more information, visit the AITC website, http://www.aitc2016.com or call AIANTA at 505.724.3592.

Address:

10200 Quil Ceda Blvd.

Tulalip, WA 98271