Page 24 - the Noise August 2016

arts briefs
susan elliot
ryanne sebern
alvin john
THE NAVAJO WAY
Award-winning Navajo artisans celebrate generations of culture, traditions and community at the 67th Annual Navajo Festival of Arts & Culture, the weekend of August 6-7, at the Museum of Northern Arizona. Well-known creators will be pres- ent to meet and greet, a variety of stimulating lectures are scheduled, and traditional and contemporary performances are a part of this year’s festivities.
Diné artist, Alvin John first participated in the festival in 2000. Over the years, his involvement with the annual event has promoted him artistically and introduced him to numerous individuals from all over.
He feels this gathering of art and culture communicates the “Navajo way” of how people were raised and educated. Heritage and history is depicted through verbal storytelling and visual expression. “You are putting it all in one place at one time,” Mr. John explains of the festival.
The art he produces is inspired by his upbringing and the elements of Mother Earth. Looking back at his ancestors, they lived a life with respect for the universe, through communicating with the wind, rain and all that lives among us.
Although Mr. John always felt an artistic urging, he did not publicly display his work until he met his wife, with one of his first showings as an artist in the festival 16 years ago. With this newfound boldness came success, winning the Emerging Artist Award that year with the first multimedia artwork the festival had ever seen. In later years, he would claim the title for Best of Sculpture, Best of Painting, and just last year Best of Show for his painting, Holy Peoples Stars. He is also an award-winning artist with The Heard Museum and the Santa Fe Indian Market.
This year, Mr. John plans to display over a dozen mixed-media pieces fabricated with wood, metal, ceramics, and paint. His goal with this new work is to communi- cate with younger generations through an artistic look at the Diné lifestyle. Collabo- rating both past and present techniques, he will present a collection of traditional-
contemporary abstract art.
Coconino High School senior, Darvin Descheny creates art through the eyes of
the younger generation and expresses the current struggles of the Native American will. Since the age of ten, he has been weaving and painting. Growing up with an artistic mother, he was exposed to the art industry at a very young age.
“At the age of five, I remember my mom taking me to art shows in Santa Fe and Arizona,” Mr. Descheny says.
This young artist has been participating in the festival alongside his family for five years but this year will be his first year expressing himself as an artist. With his own booth, he will be displaying his latest work inspired by Andy Warhol. Since studying the iconic pop artist in school, Mr. Descheny sought to integrate the Native culture through vivid colors. Although the vivid colors may exude positivity, the artist has a different agenda. He feels his generation is soon forgetting the traditions passed on to them. This theme will carry on into his work with the hope of bringing awareness to the issue.
Participating in the festival year after year has been a “crazy rollercoaster ride” of personal transformation from creating realistic art to contemporary.
“It’s all influenced me to be who I am today, an artist who expresses the Navajo problems,” Mr. Descheny describes, “Stick to your traditions, that is where your heart is and leave everything in the universe’s hands.”
In the same spirit, Mr. John feels the lessons passed down from previous genera- tions is oftentimes taken advantage of. In honor and remembrance of those before, he dedicates his work to those who carried on the traditions so he may learn.
Guests can take part in this cultural experience from 9AM-5PM, Saturday and Sun- day at the Museum of Northern Arizona, 3101 North Fort Valley Road, Flagstaff. musnaz.org .
the Nöísẽ | the best of arizona | AUGUST 2016 {online at thenoise.us} • 22